Pregnant indoor kitten living in a park

[diandpat]

Darn...c'mon little girl. They are trying to help!!!

[Masha]

her fear of the carrier makes me thing she was a domestic cat before....

she also was meowing to us, yet going away if we tired to approach.. what does the meowing mean? i though cats usually meow when they are calling someone... it sounded llike quiet meow not panicky....

[Winston]

Maruska thanks so much for trying to help this little one. I am afraid that you may have to do what 14+ said and that is to scruff her! I am only suggesting this because she semi trusts you at this point. If you keep trying she may end up becoming tooo leary of you and make things alot more difficult. Having said that i am sure its not an easy task. If you are able to get close enough for food and pets then I say as soon as you can pet her grab her by the scruff, have a towel, coat or something handy nearby and once you have her by the scruff cover her with the item you have. Make sure the carrier is standing on its end and then lower her in....if she is covered she cant hurt you and she wont be able to see where your putting her.

Dont feel bad, she will be might thankful one day!

[Winston]

Masha do you think she was trying to bring you to her kitties? if she has had them already?

[Dog Dancer]

If she comes close enough for food and petting, could a second person drop a blanket or towel over her and wrap her up and then stick her in the crate. She may not be panicked if she see's a blanket and be unable to react quick enough to get away if somebody is physically holding/petting her. A blanket would protect you from her scratches and prevent her from seeing or being able to do anything about the crate. No idea really, just a thought. Poor sweetie, she doesn't know how much people want to help her.

[Masha]

i tried to follow her but she went down a steep slope and a sideways tree trunk in teh park where i cant climb down... but her belly didnt look like she had kittens... from what i haev seen on squirels, wouldnt her n8pples be swollens?

will try bringing a blanket today and coordinate with maruska...

[Masha]

If she is pregnant, we are not going to hurt the kitties if we throw a blanket on her and physically hold her down and put in carrier.... ? I am afraid if she thrashes around or something she can get hurt/the kittens...

[Chris21711]

Winston's idea of scruffing her is probably the best way to go about it....generally when a cat is scruffed they are rendered immobile....if you stand the crate on end and lower her into it ......she might splay her back legs, if so just hold them together as you lower her into the crate.

Hopefully she hasn't delivered her kittens ...this could probably be checked once you have her in a confined area such as a vehicle. If her teats are protruding then it is very possible that she has delivered. If that is the case, I guess there is no alternative but to release her and hopefully in time she will lead you to them......Good Luck in your endeavours.

[Dog Dancer]

Okay, so if you're worried about the blanket idea (and it was just an idea, I've never tried it, so I'm sure somebody with more experience could give an opinion) how about wearing gloves of some sort (not rubber) to protect your hands and then just grabbing her scruff as suggested. I also agree it sounds more practical really. A jacket or long sleeved shirt to protect your arms and gloves for your hands you should be good to give it a go.

[Love4himies]

Following her won't work, she will just run away, you are much better off, staying still with a can of tuna or sardines and wait for the cat to come to you. The hungrier she is, the braver she will be to get the food. If you can get the blanket/large towel over her, you may be able to scruff her or pick her up quickly. To gain her trust, put a tiny bit of food, ignore her, let her eat, put a tiny bit more of food, let her eat it, then when she becomes somewhat comfortable grab her.



Are you able to get a live trap?

[chico2]

I hope she has not had her kittens alreadyand you will be able to catch her somehow.
The best way would be a humane trap,but if she is so afraid of a carrier(like my boys)she might not go in a trap either.
Would your local shelter lend you one? I know my HS does..

[Winston]

Masha mentioned this....

I live 5 minutes from G-Ross park in toronto.... where in the park did you see her? How did she look like? Unfortunatley in our area a lot of people believe that cats should have the freedom to enjoy the outdoors.... but this park has coyotes, foxes and many other wildlife that could be dangerous to cat... let alone the traffic in the area.... grrrr.....

So the humane trap is likely out of the question.....I guess the good thing is she is sticking in the same area.

Maruska how close are able to get to her? does she sit beside you? I am sorry I am not trying to tell you what to do but if you want to keep her trust in you or humans you need to be sure when you make your move. To many attempts may keep her at a distance..

You guys are awesome for doing this!

[14+kitties]

Is she eating the tuna or are you taking some? Try sitting on the ground close to your car. Hopefully she will come that close. Have your door open with a carrier already open and ready for her. She doesn't have to see it that way. Put the can of tuna down beside you. When she comes to eat then scruff her and put her in the car quickly. You could use a towel over her head if you'd like. That sometimes helps. You need two people for this to be successful.
If she isn't going for the tuna than use Temptation treats. They are the heroin of the cat fetishes.
I doubt she's had any kittens yet. The pictures that were taken she hardly looks far enough along.
In one picture the cat is sitting on a bench. What happens if you sit on it beside her? Does she move or stay? If she stays that could be another scenario. Use the treats or tuna and get her confidence. Then quickly put the blanket or towel over her and get her to the car. Put her in the carrier after you close the car doors. At least then she can't go too far, right?
Just a few ideas. Something has to work.
And no, you won't hurt the babies.

[Masha]

i went back there after work but couldnt find her and she didnt come out like last time... i will come back tomorrow again with temptation treats. yesterday tried tuna but she wont come close enough to me... she did come very close to maruska though...


and yeah i dont think the live trap woudl work, i would be coming by to release all sorts of animals out of it on a regular basis... the park is full of so much wildlife...

[14+kitties]

Hopefully she is ok and will show up tomorrow. I think with a little time she will come to trust you both enough to come closer. Maybe that will be when you have treats in your hand.
I will keep her and her two angels in my thoughts. When the time comes there is a home for her here.

[Maruska]

Sorry i couldn't be there this eve. I ll try to catch her tomorrow morning. Definitely will try blanket and the treats. She actually acts pretty comfortable next to me, she was rubbing against my leg and hand. But the second i try to pick her up she freaks out and start to hiss and becomes too weagly for me to hold on to her. I m not quick enough to get good hold of her. So far i tried to pick her up 2 times in total. After each attempt she runs off but not far and doesnt come close enough for me to even touch her.
This pictures doesn't do justice to her belly, its bigger in person. Masha actually mentioned that it could be parasites in her, but if it is its must be really bad one. Also i doubt that she already delivered her kittens because when u look at her from the side her breasts r not there.
Forgot to add. When she saw carrier she actually steped away and tried to keep her distance. When i putted carrier back in the car she became trusting again, so i don't think trap will work.

[14+kitties]

Sounds like you are going to have no choice but to scruff her. If you can do that and then get her into a carrier quickly she will be fine. She may put up a bit of a fuss in the carrier but don't fall for it. Don't let her out. She won't trust you again.
There is actually an article about scruffing on Pets.
http://www.pets.ca/articles/article_scruffing.htm
If you aren't sure how to do it you might want to read it. As I said earlier, I don't advocate scruffing but I have had to grab a cat fast and this is sometimes the best way. If possible try to support her butt with your other hand. If not then just put her in the carrier as quickly as possible.
Good luck!!!!

[quincymycat]

Good Luck today ladies!!!

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

As I said earlier, I don't advocate scruffing but I have had to grab a cat fast and this is sometimes the best way.

I don't advocate it either, but sometimes it is the only way.

If possible try to support her butt with your other hand.

This I meant to put in my post yesterday

Good Luck

[joeysmama]

Hoping for some good news on this little girl.

[Masha]

Ok just back from a very unpleasent experience. I went back armed with towel, carrier, scruffing intentions and a bag of temptation treats.

She definitely likes temptation treats because she came out to me right away when i took them out. she came right in front of me to eat them and when i scruffed her i managed to stand up with her in my hand and then she swung and clawed at me and bit me.... i am not sure how exactly it happened as it was very fast and loud but after a loud 'raaaaaaa', i ended up with a bite and scratches on each hand an no cat... i could hold on to her while she was biting/scratching me...

i am sorry guys but i tried and i dont knwo what to do now... i am a little shaken up now.

I came home and cleaned the wounds with soap and then poured the brown antiseptic stuff (not sure of the name)... do i need to do anything else??

My heart almost jumped out of my throat wow.. i dont know how u guys do this.... i will definitely remember this for a while...

can u let me know if i need to go get the wounds professionally cleaned or should it be fine what i did??

[14+kitties]

Crap! I am so sorry she got you. That's sometimes part and parcel of working with kitties. Makes me wonder though if she is maybe not so much a housekitty as she is a stray. Not feral, a stray. So she trusts people a little bit but not enough for us to help her.
I am going to try to get in touch with my contact at TCR. It may take a day or so for her to get back to me so don't lose hope. We'll see what can be done. If anything.

As for your wounds - as long as you cleaned them well and keep an eye on them it should be ok. Have you had a tetanus shot lately? If not then yes, go and get one to be on the safe side. If the wounds get infected then go to the doc fast.

[Masha]

i was expecting some fighting back form her but that was way more... i didnt know cats can bend at those angles.... she bit the same hand that was holding her by the scruff.... maybe i grabbed her too low

i always admired you guys for all the work you do, but i definitely got some new appreciation...

she is always at the same place in the park and does come out for temptation treats... i hope they can get her...

[aslan]

14+,,just a thought and please do correct me if i'm wrong,,since we know i'm not much on the kitty knowledge. Would it not be safer and possibly easier if they can get kitty to come close again, to scruff her to the ground instead of lifting her, then put the towel over her as you hold her so she can't scratch..once under the towel, then lift her.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Masha

i was expecting some fighting back form her but that was way more... i didnt know cats can bend at those angles.... she bit the same hand that was holding her by the scruff.... maybe i grabbed her too low

Masha , did she break skin ? Because if she did ... you should go to the clinic and get a rabies shot and have it cleaned so you don't get an infection. I also tried once to grab a stray cat that was in my yard ... holy &!@#$%?&* , that did not go good.

[Masha]

Oh yeah she definitely broke skin with both her bite and the scratches... i had blood running down my finger...

i called our clinic they said to come in tomorrow morning...

gulp.... rabies shot?? really.... oy....

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Masha

i was expecting some fighting back form her but that was way more... i didnt know cats can bend at those angles.... she bit the same hand that was holding her by the scruff.... maybe i grabbed her too low

i always admired you guys for all the work you do, but i definitely got some new appreciation...

she is always at the same place in the park and does come out for temptation treats... i hope they can get her...

They can bend in some amazing positions for sure. I have some interesting scars on my arms and hands to say the least. I think there are a few on my legs and back too. Normally, and I say normally because each kitty is different, once you scruff them they go fairly limp. But I have also had some who just plain freak out. Please don't feel bad. You have done more than most would.

Originally Posted by aslan

14+,,just a thought and please do correct me if i'm wrong,,since we know i'm not much on the kitty knowledge. Would it not be safer and possibly easier if they can get kitty to come close again, to scruff her to the ground instead of lifting her, then put the towel over her as you hold her so she can't scratch..once under the towel, then lift her.

It may work. The towel usually works to calm them. But it would have to be done quickly. If this girl flips out when scruffed she just may be a difficult customer.

I have emailed my contact. Hopefully she will get back to me tomorrow and can help out. As soon as I know anything I will let you know. I've told her I will take the wild child once caught so we shall see. Biggest problem is I don't know if there is anyone in that area working to s/n.

[Masha]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

Biggest problem is I don't know if there is anyone in that area working to s/n.

s/n -- is that for spay/neuter?

[krdahmer]

when I caught kmk... I put the carrier on it's end, door end up and open, then I put the canned food and treats right beside it and kneeled down behind where he would have to sit and eat (like where his butt would face- the food was against something-the carrier maybe I don't recall- so he'd have to eat it in one direction) then after he got comfy eating I quickly scruffed him and dropped him in the carrier and shut the door. he only got in a couple scratches as I recall, but made it sound like I was killing him with all the screeching and hissing.
I just got a chance to catch up on here so add my hoping that you catch her soon!

a lame diagram of what I mean....

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Masha

s/n -- is that for spay/neuter?

Yes. That's what Toronto Cat Rescue does. If the cat is feral they do s/n/r or, if kitties are adoptable, they are put into the foster program. I have told my contact that we suspect she may be pregnant but we will deal with that after she is caught (hopefully).
I don't know if you saw Cat City when it was on or not. It was about the cat issue in TO. They estimate there is 100,000 stray/feral cats roaming the streets of TO if I remember correctly. The number might be bigger than that. TCR does the best they can to s/n/r as many as they can. They also pull as many as possible out of shelters. It's a never ending thankless job.