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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Pregnant stray kitten

76 replies

00deed1988 · 25/12/2022 00:18

Hello all,

After some advice.

I have 2 indoor 1 year old male cats. Neutered and up to date with everything.

I have noticed a young cat in our garden the last week several times. Today she was ripping open bin bags and I put my hand out to her and she ran over when I noticed she was quite heavily pregnant. I would hazard a guess at her being around 6 months old based on the size my cats were. She seems young still.

I took some photos and put on local Facebook group with no luck. She appeared twice more (I smoke so go outside for that, she appeared each time I went out).

After some urging from the Facebook group I have taken her in and placed her in my secure utility room with bedding, cardboard box with sheets and towels and hot water bottle, food and drink (which she wolfed down), litter tray, some toys and a little night light. She is not trying to escape. She is very friendly which makes me question if she is a stray but with her being so young and pregnant I don't want to leave her out.

I am not sure I am doing thr right thing. She doesn't have to have any contact with my cats due to lay out of house. She is loving some strokes. My plan is to look after her till boxing day when I can get her to be scanned for a microchip but I am not hopeful baring in mind so young and pregnant and then hopefully a shelter. Some shelters have been tagged in my post so hopefully they may be in touch beforehand.

Any advice? Am I doing the right thing keeping her in? Anything I should be doing for her that I am not. I feel bad for her locked in a room with no company while my two spoilt boys are in the house.

OP posts:
CatChant · 25/12/2022 00:25

She is safe, she is warm, she is fed and watered. Unquestionably, she is better off with you than outside fending for herself. You did the right thing. Thank you for caring about her.

DorritLittle · 25/12/2022 00:28

CatChant · 25/12/2022 00:25

She is safe, she is warm, she is fed and watered. Unquestionably, she is better off with you than outside fending for herself. You did the right thing. Thank you for caring about her.

This. Thank you OP. Cats protection league or similar should be able to foster her after Christmas. And she and her kittens should be adopted v quickly.

HellonHeels · 25/12/2022 00:29

CatChant · 25/12/2022 00:25

She is safe, she is warm, she is fed and watered. Unquestionably, she is better off with you than outside fending for herself. You did the right thing. Thank you for caring about her.

This! And thank you for looking out for her.

She will be fine, if she's been on her own outside for a while she will just want to catch up on sleep, rest and food. Poor little thing.

ozymandiusking · 25/12/2022 00:36

Well done for looking after her. She'll be fine, happy and warm and a full tummy.

Clymene · 25/12/2022 00:45

What a lovely thing to do. You have made her feel safe.

TheLongRider · 25/12/2022 00:49

Definitely the best thing you could do for her. At least she won't be having her kittens in a manger!

You can give them all Christmas names, Gabriel, Casper, Melchior and Balthazar for the boys and Mary, Stella and Josephine for the girls.

tiredfriday · 25/12/2022 00:54

You need to call her Holly

Original poster
00deed1988 · 25/12/2022 08:05

Well she seemed to have a good night. Was very happy to see me this morning and had a snuggle. My husband seems to have resigned himself to the fact that if she comes up for a forever home I will probably try and get her! Haha.

I have had a rescue get in touch over night and I am calling them at 10 for a plan.

I just felt bad incase she wasn't a stray but with how small she is, pregnant and young I think odds are she is stray.

Pic of her Smile

Pregnant stray kitten
OP posts:
PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 25/12/2022 08:08

So tiny to be a mum herself.

Toomanybooks22 · 25/12/2022 08:09

She's beautiful and you've absolutely done the right thing, you've probably saved her life and that of her kittens too

Fluffycloudland77 · 25/12/2022 08:27

Well the husbands onboard (there’s a man who knows which battles he won’t win) so that’s most of its sorted.

She’ll be a stray though, responsible owners neuter pets before letting them out. 6 months is way to young to be already pregnant so she’s been out at least a month already in freezing temps when sensible cats would stay inside if they had a home. She probably got kicked out when she stopped being a cute little kitten.

EmpressaurusOfWitchesBackFromTheDead · 25/12/2022 08:34

She’ll be a stray though, responsible owners neuter pets before letting them out.

Responsible owners yes. My current foster cat is about a year and a half old. When her owners gave her to the rescue, she had a kitten with her and was already pregnant again. 😡Some people don’t deserve to have pets.

Allergictoironing · 25/12/2022 08:54

Well that was a lovely Christmas present, both for you (cute friendly cat to look after) and more importantly for her to have food, shelter, warmth, affection.

Very suitable for this time of year, taking in a pregnant mother with no place to go!😂😎

justasking111 · 25/12/2022 09:05

Our pregnant stray had one kitten, she's nine now. Colleague at work has he offspring. A charity paid for her op

Bestcatmum · 25/12/2022 09:16

Im so glad you took her in but pregnant at six months old! My kitten was tiny at 6 months old, way to tiny to be a mum. I kept her in until she was spayed. Kittens though, what fun.

LinesAndDot · 25/12/2022 09:39

She looks beautiful. And I bet to the poor tired, dear little cat, you are a gift from heaven. She sounds like she was starving and probably scared about what was happening to her, and of course feeling the urge to get to a safe nesting place, and being unable to find one. Tearing open litter bags! Poor dear first time Mum….when she is only just a kitten herself.

You are very kind OP.

Original poster
00deed1988 · 25/12/2022 09:45

I didn't realise quite how tiny she was until I saw her opposite my boys in the glass door. They aren't massive cats but they are nearly double her size. She is really enjoying having some cuddles and seems ravenous. She is snuggled up to the night light I left her. I have left a message with the rescue who said they would help. She is so lovely. Purring away and rubbing up against us. Doesn't seem wary of my kids who have been in stroking her. Been using the litter tray. Poos are definitely not those of a cat who has been eating properly!

OP posts:
Oher · 25/12/2022 09:55

You’ve definitely done the right thing taking her in, but please do out a poster up in the street saying you’ve found her. Someone could be going up and down the street looking for their lost cat and their kids crying etc. I had this when some passing idiot decided my very elderly sick cat (who’d sneakily escaped house arrest) must be a stray kitten and abducted him from outside my house without bothering to leave a poster or ring any doorbells. Kids were very upset. I eventually got my cat back a couple of days later, after they realised he was ill, and dumped him on a vet, but my cat was dead 12 hrs later, vet said probably from the shock.

Anyway very different from your situation but please leave a note up on a lampost. Just because the cat is small doesn’t mean she is 6 months old, that’s your subjective opinion, just like the person who took my sick 18 yr old cat thought he was a neglected kitten.

Mumsnut · 25/12/2022 10:04

ypu’ll be having visitors today. Shepherds, kings …

PicaNewName · 25/12/2022 10:23

It could be a kitten that ran away from somewhere so not necessarily been a stray for long buy without a microchip no chance of finding out. Poor thing will stay tiny. Let us know what the rescue says.

sashh · 25/12/2022 10:43

You are doing exactly the right thing.

Cats Protection have a helpline, it MAY be open.

My current cat is now 11+ years old but everyone thinks she is 6 months (even I did when she first arrived) apparently if they give birth young they stop growing.

Are you sure you don't have room for her.

Original poster
00deed1988 · 25/12/2022 11:07

I am bringing her to be scanned at the rescue at 1 and they will check and see how far along she is. Gave me some advice regarding food as she has diarrhoea and her eyes are a bit gunky. They have asked can I keep her until they can secure a foster home for her but it could be a few days.

OP posts:
Original poster
00deed1988 · 25/12/2022 11:11

sashh · 25/12/2022 10:43

You are doing exactly the right thing.

Cats Protection have a helpline, it MAY be open.

My current cat is now 11+ years old but everyone thinks she is 6 months (even I did when she first arrived) apparently if they give birth young they stop growing.

Are you sure you don't have room for her.

Money wise long term with the insurance and vet bills, pets sitters ect I am not sure I could keep a 3rd cat. Plus we only have a 2 bed terraced house with 2 kids, already a squash....but she is only little. I would love to keep her if noone came forward for her...have gotten a little attached. But we will do whatever is best for her and her babies.

OP posts:
bengalcat · 25/12/2022 11:13

You’re marvellous OP and what a sweet little kitty

SirVixofVixHall · 25/12/2022 11:17

I once took in an abandoned, pregnant cat. She was about nine months old at the time, had three kittens a few days later, who were very easy to home, and cat stayed with me for another fourteen years until she died.