Question:
hi guys!

i have been taking care of 6 feral kittens i rescued and today just noticed that the mama cat (who is still outside) looks as if she might be pregnant again??!! i have been waiting for a local no kill shelter to get their trap back so that i may trap and spay her, but it has been 3 months since the litter i am taking care of was born and i'm afraid i'm too late and that she may be pregnant again?? :( does anyone know the time schedule for going into heat after delivering kittens? is it possible that she is carrying another litter? any advice on what i should do at this point? she comes to my house to eat - have not gained her trust to pet her, interact with her, etc. i'm very disheartened that this may be the case- this is the last thing i wanted to happen.

also, the kittens i have been taming are now 12 weeks. when is the ideal time to spay/neuter them? there are 4 boys and 2 girls, do i need to separate them at some point before spay/neuter?

thanks so much for your advice, in advance!

Answer:
you can have them spayed/neutered now.


all my cats were done as little kittens.

there is a weight that once they hit they can be done, some people wait till a certain age, but there are vets that will do it early.


Eleni

Answer:
I'm glad you posted this... I've been taking care of a feral family as well!
In my case, there were only 2 kittens. One has just been caught and sent to a shelter this afternoon, but the other one is still with me,
and they're about 10 weeks old.

The cat that I thought was the mother however turns out to be a kitten from a previous litter of the same cat, and now SHE is pregnant, and I've only just seen the real mother for the first time this weekend (turns out she's actually friendly... I think she might even belong to someone, in spite of her emaciation and lack of being spayed... but at least she's not pregnant too)

So yay, now two female cats need spaying. I am hoping to fin a vet that will give me a discount.
I'm not even sure how to ask :(
I don't mind having them in my garage... But they simply MUST BE SPAYED!

I just got a lecture from animal control to stop feeding them, and that will take care of my cat problem. (someone reported me for feeding them)
What will that do?
If they don't starve, there will just be more and more kittens and the cycle will keep going... If they do, that's on my concience!
(like it should be for those nuns!)

I know it's stupid to think i can save every cat, so I don't... But I can at least do this much!

I'm glad to see other people are trying the same initiative to take care of feral cats too

Answer:
It would be smart to take them to the vet now. If the females don't weigh enough, you'll just have to bring them back. I have one friend who's kitten was spayed too early and they had to put it too sleep because the drugs messed with the kittens brain and it wouldn't stop ceasering.
Male cats can get fixed earlier than females because they don't have to put them under as long or at all (I don't remember which)

Answer:
Originally Posted by Thalia is Crazy
I just got a lecture from animal control to stop feeding them, and that will take care of my cat problem. (someone reported me for feeding them)
What will that do?
If they don't starve, there will just be more and more kittens and the cycle will keep going... If they do, that's on my concience!
(like it should be for those nuns!)

I know it's stupid to think i can save every cat, so I don't... But I can at least do this much!

I'm glad to see other people are trying the same initiative to take care of feral cats too

hi thalia is crazy! fellow feral cat colony protector!

first off, i think animal control is totally offbase by telling you to stop feeding them. i have found through my research that the ideal situation is to trap-alter-release. you are doing the right thing by feeding them- and you should be commended for it!!! here's one of the links that i've found very helpful: http://www.feralcat.com/

my goal is to trap and spay/neuter all of the feral cats in the colony that i am feeding and providing shelter for. otherwise as you and i unfortunately know, the population will spiral out of control. i am in texas and have found low-cost spay/neuter programs here locally. perhaps you can find something similar in your area? i am awaiting a humane trap from a local no-kill shelter for the mama so that i can take her in to get spayed and then work on the others- but i am seriously afraid i'm too late as she appears pregnant again. :(

i'm happy to hear there is someone else out there caring for the ferals! good luck to you and i'll be happy to share what i have learned with you and i hope that you will do the same.

Answer:
Apparently bylaws in my area prevent certain organizations (such as animal control) from excercising alter-release programs,
(at least this is what i was told over the phone)
and with hundreds of domesticated cats to worry about, I can see how their priorities leave feral cats largely left to themselves,

But I do want at least the two mothering females in my garage spayed.
The only problem being of course that vet bills are INSANELY HIGH!
(200$ for each of the mother cats and 125$ for a kitten)
I don't even have a bed to sleep on, there's nothing left in my house to sell... I can't pull that kind of cash!
So here's to hoping there's a trap/alter/release friendly rescue group somewhere around that will be able to help me out...

I follwed that link you supplied... California is a bit out of my area, but I'm going to try to find something here :P

Answer:
Originally Posted by Thalia is Crazy
The only problem being of course that vet bills are INSANELY HIGH!
(200$ for each of the mother cats and 125$ for a kitten)
I don't even have a bed to sleep on, there's nothing left in my house to sell... I can't pull that kind of cash!
So here's to hoping there's a trap/alter/release friendly rescue group somewhere around that will be able to help me out...

trust me, i TOTALLY understand about the $$$ issue. i had to search high and low for a low cost pet clinic for the kittens. with 6 of them, even with the low cost vet care, my bank account is definitely hurting!! i am dreading the cost of spay/neuter for them as i am unsure if i will be able to find homes for them b4 it's "time". i will have to make it work somehow.

i will search for canadian Trap/alter/release groups for you and maybe with both of us looking we can have some luck! anyone here know of any feral rescue groups in thalia's area??

Answer: