Help please - pregnant cat

Hi! I need some advice, please.

I have a very pregnant stray cat outside. I've enclosed my apartment's
patio (with her inside the patio) to keep her safe from the tomcats, and
my plan is to get her and her kittens fixed as soon as it's safe to do
so and find them homes. I can't bring her inside because I already have
cats, and not only are there the health concerns but there is also the
space concern (one bedroom apartment).

Here's the problem. On my patio, I have a 2x2x4 kennel set up with part
of it draped to try to provide her with a little den where she can hide
and feel safe. The lady who just catsat for my indoor cats told me that
I need to do something differently, because the kittens could slide out
through the openings all along the sides of the kennel and get separated
from the momma cat and die.

Here's my difficulty.. I live on the Gulf Coast, and it's REALLY hot
outside most days. I'm reluctant to set up a mostly enclosed box for
her, because it wouldn't get any air circulation.. I'm worried that it
would be way too hot for them in the heat of the day.

Before I go to work today, I think I'm going to make some strips of
cardboard and put them around the bottom of the kennel, going up a
couple of inches, and see if that will help.

I'm not sure what would be the best thing to do for her. Should I go
ahead and put a cardboard box out there for her? Would that be cool
enough for her? Should I maybe put something with sides inside the
kennel for her (like maybe a new, clean litter box or something)? What
would be likely to help her feel safe and keep her and her kittens safe?

Thanks in advance!

--
Clean out the cat box before replying to my e-mail address.

It would be a while before the kittens would even move much less leave the
kennel. Sounds like you have a good setup; put a litter box near the
entrance to the kennel for her; maybe a soft towel or box inside the kennel
that she can 'hide' in to have the kittens & 'protect' them from you. I
read someplace about putting a box backwards so that the inside can't be
seen from the entrance-just leave enough room between the open part of the
box & the back of the kennel for her to get in and out & make sure it can't
tip over. Put her water & food just outside the kennel. This is all
assuming that she can't get out of the patio...

"Ciara Cat" wrote in message
. ..
Hi! I need some advice, please.

I have a very pregnant stray cat outside. I've enclosed my apartment's
patio (with her inside the patio) to keep her safe from the tomcats, and
my plan is to get her and her kittens fixed as soon as it's safe to do so
and find them homes. I can't bring her inside because I already have cats,
and not only are there the health concerns but there is also the space
concern (one bedroom apartment).

Here's the problem. On my patio, I have a 2x2x4 kennel set up with part of
it draped to try to provide her with a little den where she can hide and
feel safe. The lady who just catsat for my indoor cats told me that I need
to do something differently, because the kittens could slide out through
the openings all along the sides of the kennel and get separated from the
momma cat and die.

Here's my difficulty.. I live on the Gulf Coast, and it's REALLY hot
outside most days. I'm reluctant to set up a mostly enclosed box for her,
because it wouldn't get any air circulation.. I'm worried that it would be
way too hot for them in the heat of the day.

Before I go to work today, I think I'm going to make some strips of
cardboard and put them around the bottom of the kennel, going up a couple
of inches, and see if that will help.

I'm not sure what would be the best thing to do for her. Should I go ahead
and put a cardboard box out there for her? Would that be cool enough for
her? Should I maybe put something with sides inside the kennel for her
(like maybe a new, clean litter box or something)? What would be likely to
help her feel safe and keep her and her kittens safe?

Thanks in advance!

--
Clean out the cat box before replying to my e-mail address.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 16:03:36 GMT, Ciara Cat
wrote:

Hi! I need some advice, please.

I have a very pregnant stray cat outside. I've enclosed my apartment's
patio (with her inside the patio) to keep her safe from the tomcats, and
my plan is to get her and her kittens fixed as soon as it's safe to do
so and find them homes. I can't bring her inside because I already have
cats, and not only are there the health concerns but there is also the
space concern (one bedroom apartment).

Here's the problem. On my patio, I have a 2x2x4 kennel set up with part
of it draped to try to provide her with a little den where she can hide
and feel safe. The lady who just catsat for my indoor cats told me that
I need to do something differently, because the kittens could slide out
through the openings all along the sides of the kennel and get separated
from the momma cat and die.

Here's my difficulty.. I live on the Gulf Coast, and it's REALLY hot
outside most days. I'm reluctant to set up a mostly enclosed box for
her, because it wouldn't get any air circulation.. I'm worried that it
would be way too hot for them in the heat of the day.

Before I go to work today, I think I'm going to make some strips of
cardboard and put them around the bottom of the kennel, going up a
couple of inches, and see if that will help.

I'm not sure what would be the best thing to do for her. Should I go
ahead and put a cardboard box out there for her? Would that be cool
enough for her? Should I maybe put something with sides inside the
kennel for her (like maybe a new, clean litter box or something)? What
would be likely to help her feel safe and keep her and her kittens safe?

Thanks in advance!


So great of you to try and help her...

I would put rags inside so she can "form" herself a little den area
where she can hide and not be seen from the outside.She is not going
to keep them in there if she knows they will be exposed.

Put a box too..perhaps even some other possible "dens" and let her
choose the one she feels most confortable in herself. Even an old
large brown paper grocery sack on its side would be good. Virtually
anything where she can hide completly.

I have found over the years that Cats will choose their own place..no
matter how nice and confortable you make one for her...given the
option she might well prefer the dirt under a house...anywhere where
the kittens will not be exposed.

Make sure they are in the shadeed area of your Patio. Create a
"shaded" area if you have to. Perhaps even a box fan on low for
circulation???


Ray
WebElder


















I don't "Suffer" from Insanity..I rather enjoy it!

CATTS
http://members.tripod.com/~thewebster/catts.html

Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Laby...6/meshead.html

Chris wrote:
It would be a while before the kittens would even move much less leave the
kennel. Sounds like you have a good setup; put a litter box near the
entrance to the kennel for her; maybe a soft towel or box inside the kennel
that she can 'hide' in to have the kittens & 'protect' them from you. I
read someplace about putting a box backwards so that the inside can't be
seen from the entrance-just leave enough room between the open part of the
box & the back of the kennel for her to get in and out & make sure it can't
tip over. Put her water & food just outside the kennel. This is all
assuming that she can't get out of the patio...


Nope, she can't get out of the patio. Took several reconfigurations of
the lattice before I could be sure of that. Those tomcats are wily!

That's a good idea.. I'll see if I can find a box that would work like
that. Big enough for her to get into, but small enough to not take up
the whole kennel.

Thanks!

--
Clean out the cat box before replying to my e-mail address.

(WebElder) wrote:
I would put rags inside so she can "form" herself a little den area
where she can hide and not be seen from the outside.She is not going
to keep them in there if she knows they will be exposed.

Put a box too..perhaps even some other possible "dens" and let her
choose the one she feels most confortable in herself. Even an old
large brown paper grocery sack on its side would be good. Virtually
anything where she can hide completly.
(snip)

Thank you for all the good suggestions! I will definitely do that. I
think I can squeeze another box out there beside the kennel to give her
an option. Well, I know I could put quite a few out there, but there's
just a little space where I know it'll stay shady and hopefully dry.

I'll try some of these things y'all have suggested. I hope she hasn't
been holding back on the kitten-ing, waiting for a good spot to hide
them! She's so tiny, and her belly's so huge!

Thanks!

--
Clean out the cat box before replying to my e-mail address.

Just a thought... I'm not sure how big your patio is but if you sort of
make the crate the 'den' & put her food, litter, etc outside the crate, she
will sit outside the crate in the coolest spot (when she doesn't see you!)
That might get her some breeze & believe me, she will find the cooolest spot
there! She won't hold back the kittens but she may not necessarily have
them where you think she should. Irrespective of where she delivers, she
will move them to where she thinks its safest--I once had a cat who for some
reason decided to deliver her kittens in the basement & then a day later,
brought them up two flights of stairs to the bottom of a closet!

"Ciara Cat" wrote in message
. ..
(WebElder) wrote:
I would put rags inside so she can "form" herself a little den area
where she can hide and not be seen from the outside.She is not going
to keep them in there if she knows they will be exposed.

Put a box too..perhaps even some other possible "dens" and let her
choose the one she feels most confortable in herself. Even an old
large brown paper grocery sack on its side would be good. Virtually
anything where she can hide completly.
(snip)

Thank you for all the good suggestions! I will definitely do that. I think
I can squeeze another box out there beside the kennel to give her an
option. Well, I know I could put quite a few out there, but there's just a
little space where I know it'll stay shady and hopefully dry.

I'll try some of these things y'all have suggested. I hope she hasn't been
holding back on the kitten-ing, waiting for a good spot to hide them!
She's so tiny, and her belly's so huge!

Thanks!

--
Clean out the cat box before replying to my e-mail address.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 16:03:36 GMT, Ciara Cat
wrote:

Hi! I need some advice, please.

snip content

Thanks in advance!


Mama Cats are so cautious in matter of their kittens. Like I said,you
can lay out a perfect spot in the house for them and they may still
choose the darkest,hottest,most dirty spot they can find if they feel
it would be safer for the babies.

And some Cats don't care if you find them and even handle their
kittens while others will constantly move the kittens each and
everytime they are discovered.



Just natural instinct from the wild,I guess.



Ray
WebElder
I don't "Suffer" from Insanity..I rather enjoy it!

CATTS
http://members.tripod.com/~thewebster/catts.html

Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Laby...6/meshead.html