Stray cat? Pregnant?

[krcit]

I will start off by stating I am NOT a cat person. In fact, I kind of dislike them. However, for the last few days there has been a cat hanging around my yard. She seems very friendly and just lays in the shade of my bushes or today she was in the garage until DH lured her out. She(?) looks a bit weird to me around the belly...like it's kind of hanging down. My kids think it's a tumor but I think maybe she's pregnant. Anyway, I don't know what if anything I should do for her. I did give her some cold water before and she drank it right up. Should I feed her? My DH is telling me not to but I feel bad for it. I do not want a cat, my oldest dd is very allergic. Should I just let it hang around and give it water? I have no experience with cats.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I will start off by stating I am NOT a cat person. In fact, I kind of dislike them. However, for the last few days there has been a cat hanging around my yard. She seems very friendly and just lays in the shade of my bushes or today she was in the garage until DH lured her out. She(?) looks a bit weird to me around the belly...like it's kind of hanging down. My kids think it's a tumor but I think maybe she's pregnant. Anyway, I don't know what if anything I should do for her. I did give her some cold water before and she drank it right up. Should I feed her? My DH is telling me not to but I feel bad for it. I do not want a cat, my oldest dd is very allergic. Should I just let it hang around and give it water? I have no experience with cats.

Since I am a cat lover, I will probably not give you the advice you want to hear...LOL

I would try to take her to the humane society. I would definitely feed her, give her fresh water, make a little cozy spot for her outside with a blanket, etc. I would try to earn her trust so she will come over by you. Poor thing...I feel SO bad for strays. We took one in 1 1/2 years ago when he started showing up on my front porch. I love him with all my heart.

Good luck....sorry you have an unwanted visitor, but perhaps God brought her to you for a reason!

 

[sjs314]

Make sure she has plenty of water and yes I would feed her too, then check online and see if there is a cat rescue or no kill shelter in your area and call them. Hopefully someone can come out or tell you where to take the cat. I love cats and took many a stray into my home in years past.

Good Luck

 

[MyManGoofy!]

I am an animal lover so I would say feed the animal until you are able to catch her and take her to a local rescue group or at worst the local pound. However, if she seems pretty tame and friendly - I would ask around to see if maybe she belongs to someone.

I feel so bad for these animals. Humans domesticated and bred them out of any place in the wild and yet there are not enough people to take them all in.

http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/fact-sheets/animal-shelter-euthanasia.html
However, American Humane is one of the founding members of the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. The mission of the National Council is to gather and analyze reliable data that further characterize the number, origin and disposition of pets (dogs and cats) in the United States; to promote responsible stewardship of these companion animals; and based on the data gathered, to recommend programs to reduce the number of surplus/unwanted pets in the United States.

Unfortunately, the most recent statistics published by the National Council are from 1997, and only 1,000 shelters replied to the survey at that time. Using the National Council's numbers from 1997 and estimating the number of operating shelters in the United States to be 3,500 (the exact number of animal shelters operating in the United States does not exist), these estimates were made:

* Of the 1,000 shelters that replied to the National Council's survey, 4.3 million animals were handled.
* In 1997, roughly 64 percent of the total number of animals that entered shelters were euthanized -- approximately 2.7 million animals in just these 1,000 shelters. These animals may have been euthanized due to overcrowding, but may also have been sick, aggressive, injured or suffering from something else.
* 56 percent of dogs and 71 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. More cats are euthanized than dogs because they are more likely to enter a shelter without any owner identification.
* Only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their owners.
* 25 percent of dogs and 24 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are adopted.

It is estimated that approximately 3.7 million animals were euthanized in the nation’s shelters in 2008. This number represents a generally accepted statistic that is widely used by many animal welfare organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

I will hop off my soap box as this is not what thread was intended for...sorry but it breaks my heart.

 

[Kath2003]

I will start off by stating I am NOT a cat person. In fact, I kind of dislike them. However, for the last few days there has been a cat hanging around my yard. She seems very friendly and just lays in the shade of my bushes or today she was in the garage until DH lured her out. She(?) looks a bit weird to me around the belly...like it's kind of hanging down. My kids think it's a tumor but I think maybe she's pregnant. Anyway, I don't know what if anything I should do for her. I did give her some cold water before and she drank it right up. Should I feed her? My DH is telling me not to but I feel bad for it. I do not want a cat, my oldest dd is very allergic. Should I just let it hang around and give it water? I have no experience with cats.

You need to catch her and take her to a local rescue centre. They will try to find her owner.

She could be pregnant, unwell or just old (female cats can get "saggy" tummies). You need to do the right thing and help her out.

 

[browneyes106]

I think you should first call the humane society or a shelter and explain the situation to them and see what advice they give you. Since the cat is friendly there is a good chance she can be caught and taken into a shelter. If she is pregnant and taken into a shelter or HS depending on their policies and how far along she is they might spay her right away or allow her to have the kittens. Like the previous poster mentioned she could be an old cat who has a saggy belly which is common with some older cats. But it does sound that she might be close to delivery if her belly is hanging down a lot. Also the fact that she drank water quickly might be a sign that she is pregnant.

If you have any sheds or dark areas around your home she might chose those areas for birthing places.

 

[monsterkitty]

Give her water and feed her if possible.

When I lived in an apartment people would move and leave their cats all the time. I used to feed the cats on my neighbor's patio. This meant I didn't have cats driving my cats crazy, but the stray cats at least got food!

 

[Tigger2252]

I would try to find a private rescue group before a shelter. Private rescue groups will find homes for the cat and her kittens. Shelters will generally euthanize. Sad, but there are just too many unwanted animals in shelters. Try a Google search for cat sanctuaries in your area. Another thought about shelters. If you call first they will tell you they don't have room. At least that has been my experience when I have had strays show up. That's how I ended up with the 7 cats I have. All of them unwanted and dumped, and no shelter would take them.

 

[starann]

Op...I am a cat person, but understand others might not be. You can not take her in, which is fine, but I must agree with the others...take her to a shelter.

The sooner the better.....once she has those kittens, she will be harder to catch and then you will kittens running around, which produce more kitten, which produce more kitten.....you get the idea!

Good Luck!