# Should I trap a pregnant cat?



## hello101 (Jan 3, 2016)

Hi all

Apologies for the length but the more detail the more advice you might be able to give..
I have recently posted about a possible pregnant cat who comes into our garden. Well yesterday she stayed by the window long enough for my partner to see she definitely is pregnant. She is outside at all hours of the day and night, in this freezing weather but she runs away when I go outside. I have tried standing in the garden with food but she only comes out of hiding seconds after I'm back inside so she seems to be lingering.
It has been raining heavily since last night and she has been again. I have left the shed open with food a duvet and pillows but I can't tell if she is staying there or just eating the food and leaving straight away. 
I may be overstepping the mark here but I am really worried about her and the poor kittens, as I have also seen a tom cat cornering her recently which we shood away but we won't always be there.
I would take her in if possible also, but this is a separate matter as we have a kitten who has been through some stress recently so I wouldn't want to make matters worse for both of them.
I contacted a local shelter and they suggeted a trap.. whilst I can't get there to pick one up until next week I am wondering if vets tend to offer them? 
What do I do if she does get into the trap? All I want to do is get her and take her to the vets to make sure she is ok, check if she is chipped and provide her with a warm safe place to give birth. The shelter said they could put her on a waiting list if it came down to it. 
She may well have a home, but she doesn't seem to spend much time there which to me is worrying given her condition and the weather. Is it normal for a pregnant cat to go wandering? Or is it an indication that she is not looked after? I don't know much about pregnant cats, but my gut tells me she needs help.
Initially I thought it to be to stressful to trap her but the shelter advised it is a better alternative to leaving her and the kittens, and as she runs off there is little chance of her voluntarily coming in.

She has looked quite chubby for a few weeks so I'm worried also that she is close to birth.
Any advice would be much appreciated.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

She does need help as in this weather kittens will get cold and likely die, that's before any predators get them when she goes off for food.
Not sure what area you are in, but if near me I will care for her if needed.
Was it Cats Protection you called?
Problem with trapping is if she is left at night in the trap she will be stressed and get cold, so if you do trap you need to make sure once she is trapped you put her somewhere safe.
Do be careful though as trapped cats are scared and can lash out.


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## hello101 (Jan 3, 2016)

Thank you for the offer. I am in Derby.
I am trying to think of the best way I can do this. I am off work on Saturday and I am thinking I could just sit by the window waiting to bring her in but hope it won't be too late. If I was to put a trap before then there wouldnt be anyone to bring her in until evening.. my nan is at home and could atleast feed her but she wouldn't be strong enough to pick her up.
I contacted the RSPCA but unfortunately they didn't offer much advice, so I looked at our vets website and saw some info for an independent shelter who advised me about the trap.
I am going to call my vets tomorrow and see if they can provide a trap as they are close by.
If she lashes out I can deal with scratches and bites but just don't want to cause harm to the babies in the process. Is there anything that can be done to calm her if this happens?
If I do get her, how long can she be left in the trap? I would be getting her to the vet asap, but would be worried about letting her out in our house in case she goes into hiding.
If between now and then she does give birth, is there a way I could know by looking at her? I have been listening out of the window for any meowing every now and again. I don't want to keep opening the door to scare her off completely.
Sorry for all the questions!


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

I have trapped a couple of ferals and also my ex neighbours semi feral which they left behind when they moved.

If you have regularly been feeding the cat then baiting the trap with regular food and or something smelly like sardines I find works well.

Once the cat is trapped I cover the whole trap in a large towel / blanket (allowing for airflow) which helps calm them. If you can't take the cat somewhere straight away I would put the covered crate in a quiet sheltered place ( shed, garage, spare room) and resist the temptation to disturb the cat.

Offering food and water is a good idea. If you won't be able to add a bowl for water after the event then it might be a good idea to add a heavy bottom bowl that won't tip over in the trap before trapping begins. That way you can pour some water into it once the cat is trapped.

I personally think if the cat has food, water and is sheltered and kept covered then she should be OK overnight. There is the possibility she might toilet in the crate so put the crate somewhere that cleaning up won't be a problem.

The problem with letting her out into a room is that if she is very wary getting her into a cat box again is hard work. You can achieve this by placing the cat box at the end point of a gaps between furniture she might be keen to hide in but chances are she will find somewhere else to hide.

Good luck.


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## Chewie39 (Jul 24, 2011)

I am meeting with a feral cat TNR volunteer from CP in Nottingham tomorrow - if you need help with this lady then I can contact them today to ask for assistance?


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## hello101 (Jan 3, 2016)

Hi thanks all for the advice.
I have not yet seen her today but have put food out.
I just want to reiterate that I don't know if she is stray or not, all I know is she needs help. I don't know if that makes a difference to anything but I just don't want to be misleading.
My main concern was if she is close to giving birth but I have tried to work it out today (sad I know). My kitten was spayed 29th Jan, and a day or two later we heard a cat yowling like she was in heat. 
Besides the tomcat, the pregnant cat is the only cat that comes into our garden. So she is likely only a few weeks pregnant. It is a risk to assume but I would like to believe we have a little time on our side and Saturday will be early enough to catch her.

I don't want to make any arrangements etc yet incase I don't get her but thank you all for your replies. Hopefully on Saturday I will have an update. If you can think of any more advice it will be much appreciated.

Thanks again.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Well if she was mated 1st February she will be due 7th April.
Sometimes the way to tell if labour is a few days off the tummy drops.


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

It may be worth dropping some flyers around the area to see if anyone owns her. It depends on how sure you are that she is feral.

If you could handle her you could attach a paper collar asking an owner to contact you but from what you say she appears to be too wary of you to do that.

I think a vet check for microchip and condition would be a good first step of you can't get a rescue centre involved. If she does look to have no owner it could be she has been lost by someone.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

If she's only a few weeks along she can be spayed asap, best of luck catching her.


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

If I were you I would try local rescues in your area to see if they have a trap. They may well do the trapping for you - I certainly do as I don't like leaving traps with inexperienced people. Wonky pets are in Swadlincote so may be worth asking them for help. Good luck, I hope you get her to safety before she has the kittens outdoors
I wouldn't expect you to be able to tell that she is pregnant just by looking at her if she is only a couple of weeks gone


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## hello101 (Jan 3, 2016)

Hi all

I did say earlier I don't know if she is feral or not I just have a feeling she is 'alone'. Our street is terraced houses with back to back gardens so its hard to tell where she goes, and all I really want to do is atleast take her to the vet. The idea of taking her to a shelter was more of a last resort mention. Ive tried getting close enough for the note on collar but there's no chance unfortunately unless in time she comes to trust me.
She may well have an owner as you say but she seems to basically live outside, which is what worries me. She always seems to be in hiding somewhere, as soon as im back inside she's there (regardless of time of day, ive been out in the middle of the night as a test). And seeing her on the street hiding under cars just made me worry even more, the only reason I didn't approach her then is because she is clearly scared when you get close (not just me)
Even before she was pregnant, she would spend most her time peaking into the garden through a hole in the fence. 
The first thing I'd do is get her checked at the vet. If shes not nuetered though its quite unlikely that she is chipped I would think. 
Tomorrow I have time to try and coax her, I think I will put something of mine down by the food so she can get used to the smell.
Its my partner that said she is pregnant, at one point when the tomcat was cornering her she was close to the window and he could see by her nipples. So maybe she is further than a few weeks and the cat I heard was possibly another unspayed kitty


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

I think if you can trap her and make a vet visit then they can assess her health and condition and perhaps give more information as to whether she is likely fending for herself or poorly cared for ( eg fleas ticks mites etc) If no microchip present then I think you have three options ( perhaps dependent on what vet says) 1) release her but maybe provide shelter bedding and food 2) hand her to a rescue or 3) keep her secure somewhere and put flyers through letterboxes and up in public places asking owner to contact you. If no reply after a reasonable amount of time pass over to a rescue.


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## hello101 (Jan 3, 2016)

Thanks so much for the advice.


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