Pregnant rescue cat?

[TreacherousPissFlap]

We sadly had to have TreacherousCat PTS in January, and had held off having another due to holiday plans

When it came about that we would not be going away we decided to bring our plans forward, but the rescues have been shut. Our local one is also very sniffy as we have (cat friendly) dogs.

DM has just told us that they have a stray living in their back garden. A neighbour has taken her to the vets who aged her at around 6 months and confirmed that she is pregnant.

In a jokey moment I said "we'll have her", before realising that if she rocked up in our garden we absolutely would.

So would we be crazy? We have had cats for years, but it's been a long time since we had kittens. We can afford and would be happy to pay for the relevant treatments and DS (16) is home all day until September.

I also don't see a problem rehoming the kittens as there is a real shortage locally (hopefully due to sensible owners)

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated

You could take mum in and arrange for a rescue to rehome the kittens and home check the prospective owners

Spray and abort is an option if she’s not too far gone?.

Oh I would!!!

This is my dream. I'd never let a cat get pregnant but to have a pregnant cat come live with me, watch gorgeous kittens then get her fixed and all except the cutest the kittens rehomed

Go for it OP, you sound like a kind responsible pet owner
Having rescued a pregnant cat in the past, seeing her have and raise her kittens brought so much joy/happiness and we got good homes for them all, honestly there was no downsides!

If the neighbour managed to get her in a carrier and to a vet, it means she is a stray and not feral, which might make things easier. I would definitely arrange her to be taken in by a rescue so kittens can be rehomed safely by the rescue, who does home checks etc. You could still foster the pregnant mum and the kittens until they find a home, and then keep mum and at least one of the kittens (lol).
@Fluffycloudland77 I agree, spay and abort if she is still early on, in so many cases pregnant strays are only kittens themselves, and having the kittens is extremely stressful on them resulting in unwell mums and unwell kittens.

I would say go for it as well. My parents were in a similar situation earlier this year. A stray cat had been hanging around and over time it became obvious she was pregnant. She was very nervous when she first appeared in the garden but eventually was keen to come in the house. She eventually settled in the house only a few days before her kittens were born. My parents set up a quiet and comfortable corner for her to nest in and she ended up giving birth to 5 kittens (thankfully all alive and healthy). My mother had a very eventful and long night helping out as midwife! My parents ended up keeping her and she has recently been spayed. The vet seemed to think she had likely had several litters of kittens previously :( My parents have also kept 2 of her litter (they will also be spayed asap), and have found very good homes for the other 3. They weren't short of offers for homes for the kittens but were lucky enough to be able to rehome the kittens to people who they knew were reliable and had cats previously :)

DH and DS are discussing names

There so much I need to know and extremely quickly. We've seen a photo and she looks pregnant but no idea how much. DS and I were already going to see DM tomorrow (first time since Christmas), coming back on Sunday.

We have bowls and a litter tray but nothing else. I will get an appointment at the vets on Monday evening. DH will need to be dispatched to buy food and litter

Yes! Do you have a spare room where she can be kept away from the dogs? I know they are cat friendly but she will still be nervous of them. You’ll need lots of towels and blankets for the birth, puppy pads and at least one big cardboard box for her to nest in but if possible a few more across the room to give her the option. Start feeding her kitten food because this is very nutritious and will feed her and also the kittens she is growing. The vet will be able to give you an idea on how far in her pregnancy she is.

We have a spare room leading to the bathroom. There's a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to stop the dogs going up, so she would be able to stay away from them until she was happy to venture closer.

I also (spookily) have a large number of old dog towels which were about to go to the local monkey sanctuary. Looks like they may not make it after all

Take those towels as a sign. She is clearly meant to be with you! How exciting. Did the vet have any idea of how many kittens she is expecting?

Thanks nettie, I'd never considered the pile of towels as a portent before but it seems I may have been mistaken

I believe the vet confirmed she had no microchip, was approximately 6 months old and was pregnant but nothing else.

Nobody has come forward to claim her.

It all seems to be happening very fast and I feel woefully ill informed

I haven't got any advice although I think it would be amazing to be a cat midwife but a few months ago Ofwaren posted this. She has kept the kittens and the cat. This is the original thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/3828300-Pregnant-cat?pg=8

How exciting!

Thanks nettie , that thread has reduced DH to a dewy eyed mess. I'm not sure he appreciates the huge task ahead