We are thinking to buy a trap cage for when she will be pregnant: so maybe we could save the kittens. But i fear that after be trapped and released she will not come here anymore.
I didn't read the entire post yet.. but gut, passionate response requires immediate response.. I WILL go back and read the whole thread though.
First.. thank you for caring enough to feed an animal that is feral.. a domestic animal gone wild and not an actual truly wild animal like loin or tiger. They are most often very adept WITHOUT human intervention.. and that would have POSSIBLY limited her offspring capacity.. but being fed means breeding UN naturally. Just a statement and NOT a judgement, please.
Now I am on my third generation of feral barn cat. The first mama (known as Mama), I used to feed "some" but regularly when she had kittens, took her babies to show them new hunting ground the DAY I got the trap.. by the time she returned I had given up.
The following year.. one of her daughters had stayed while Mama now comes and goes randomly.. the daughter, now known as Tortie cat.. went into heat and was yowling early last spring.. she were pregnant and gave birth to kittens inside a lay box IN my coop inside the pole barn while I was out of town.
My local Humane Society works with several organizations for low and no cost spaying or neutering. NO cost for feral animals, trapped! They have different requirements for timing of surgery.. AGAIN, the DAY I sat traps they ALL disappeared JUST like before.. BUT.. magically in the LAST half hour.. MAMA (from year 1) showed up in MY trap.. that was set with MY standard feed PER
routine.. and completely avoided the borrowed trap set with yummy cooked chicken! She went to the spaying clinic.. and was released NONE the wiser and a lot healthier.. as they also do ANYTHING else that needs doing.. ie flea, worm, tape worm, wound, etc treatments!
I left the cooked chicken in the traps hoping Tortie or babies would show up in time for the next clinic.. I caught (and released in the SAME location) a raccoon, my coops are secure and coons are not of concern for ME. So the cooked chicken was eliminated AND humane society shared a different feeding routine that seemed MUCH better than my half cocked not wanting to over feed a barn cat in case it stops hunting.. QUACK.. a well nourished barn cat has plenty of energy to hunt to it's hearts content!
First I leave the trap in the environment.. locked OPEN and just let it become a familiar site/smell. Then feed near it in the morning.. then in it, then deeper in it.. keep locked open until actual trap DATE is desired.. shortest time possible is preferred. Collect any feed left (or the whole trap) before nightfall to avoid trapping or feeding undesired guest like the raccoon. In this manner they are now waiting for me to feed them EVERY morning and easily trapped!
Several days had gone by with no sightings when I got a report that one of the babies had been seen.. Sure enough just like before an offspring came back.. only 1 of the 3 survivors.. since she had lost the fourth during movement from my coop to another location before finally moving them back to HER original pole barn (not coop portion) setting.
The kitten had been feeding in the trap without triggering it.. tension is adjustable a little I think.. I saw her standing on the pedal eating! Finally Tortie came around and fed inside the trap tripping it and trapping them both, yay!
The clinic going on at the time wouldn't operate at 8 weeks old.. so Tortie was spayed and released once FULLY conscious.. Once she was trapped placing a cover over to block the vision helps to calm a feral/wild animal, immensely! I had to detain the kitten until the "other" clinic date a few days later.. Tortie was so upset looking for her kitten.. now called Ding Dong, a black kitten with white spot on the chest.. They were used to being together.. it was stressful for us all! I decided to put Ding Dong in her larger kennel out where Tortie could approach.. They were confused but SO happy to be back together EVEN with the separation. Tortie watched near by when Ding Dong was fed, litter scooped, etc.. and hung out on top of the kennel when no one was around.
In order to get the feral pricing orchestrated by Humane Society but performed by Public VET.. (
www.pub.vet) I had put Ding Dong back in a trap.. always fun to work with wild animals! Yes, I did it without gloves and sustained one good puncture wound.. Luckily it was just a badge of honor and no infection ensued THAT time.
All 3 feral cats saw me put the feed in the trap, cover the trap, and release them. None were actually harmed though I'm sure all were scared AND sore after surgery. As I suspected, the papers confirmed it Ding Dong is yet another female that had come back to "Mama's" place!
Three generations of feral born barn cats.. thanks to irresponsible neighbors with less resources.. (my kind way of not calling that family with children no longer next door ignorant squatters which is the sad truth).. trapped, neutered, AND released THIS past year.. ALL are content to hang around still and EVEN eat with the same trap in FULL view! YOUR mileage MAY vary as all animals are individuals.. but I hope this helps to encourage you in your considerations.. A neutered animal will *likely* suffer LESS overall health conditions LONG term.
YES, they WILL terminate any embryos on board if neutered during pregnancy. That MAY be the best thing for the cat's long term quality of life.. tough choice IF you have the resources to concern yourself with such things as spaying or feeding another species! All though I would not personally be comfortable with "abortion".. human notions do not often apply to animals.. and this would be one of those instances.. doing what is in the best interest of the CURRENT animal under my
guardianship, according to my resources and CURRENT understanding is ALWAYS the right choice and with NO regret, even if I later decide I might not make the same choice next time.
Letting nature be.. would be not feeding it in the first place. Nature isn't actually "humane" or kind and is seriously brutal.. dog eat dog survival of the fittest.. for real.. everything eats (or converts energy) to live EVEN plants. Intestinal parasites and fleas etc.. man is PART of the food chain and NOT at the top of it as we are led to believe!
could you explain me better why it is so important to fix her?
It's the most suspicious animal i ever seen, so i can't imagine how she could react!
