Pregnant stray cat we've been feeding?

Question

Hi there :) my mom and I have been feeding this stray cat for several months now and the past few weeks we've noticed her belly has gotten huge. We put a basket outside for her to have the kittens in if she chooses, and we figure we will find homes for all of them when they're ready (if she even has them on our property, but we think there's a good chance she will since we feed her). We'd also like to bring her to the vet afterwards to get her spayed and get her shots. The only problem is she won't let us touch her at ALL. She will even come inside sometimes but always runs away if we get too close or try to reach out our hand to her. We'd really like to help her but we just don't know how. We've tried holding out our hands with treats and food in them but nothing's worked. Does anyone have any tips or ideas on getting her to trust us?

Jr. is angry · Accepted Answer

that is called a feral cat, or more likely, semi feral. feral means she has been on her own for so long she has reverted back to a wild animal and no longer trusts humans.
semi feral means she has not completed given up on humans and can be turned back into a pet. ferals never return to being a pet cat
if she wasn't pregnant, i would just close the door on her next time she is inside. she will get used to you. 
but being pregnant is harder, as she devotes her life to the safety of the kittens and she will not trust you to be near them.
the basket wont work, she needs a dark ,small concealed place to have the kittens.
she needs to hide them, and cats can fight better then most predators in dark, small places. lying on her side, she is chainsaw when all four paws and fangs start moving. not only can she see in the dark, she can locate with hearing like radar and even her whiskers will detect movements in air current. if the air blowing past her stops, she assumes a predator is blocking the air.
i would find a place for her. put the basket there. show her where it is by throwing food in there for her to chase.
set up several places if you can.
once born, do not touch, do not even look at the kittens, mom will move them.
when the kittens start walking, feed them and pet them, they will become house pets.
as soon as the kittens eat solid food from a bowl, capture mom, in a live box trap if necessary, then bring her to the vet for spaying. just check with the vet first, many are not set up for ferals and need to make arrangements. she will turn in to a chainsaw in that trap, too, when they try to take her out..
if , after the vet, she still does not like you, all you can do is release her and feed  her. she will never become a house cat.

Amanda Yusuki · Answer

These might help:
http://www.wikihow.com/Gain-a-Cat's-Trust
http://www.wikihow.com/Earn-the-Trust-of-a-Stray-Cat
/question/index?qid=20080918211834AA5UdbM
http://www.wikihow.com/Gain-Trust-in-Your-Cat

Good luck! :)

Anonymous · Answer

Ohhh I know how you feel. I've been taking care of feral cat colonies all my life. Sometimes cats will never warm up to you, but that doesnt mean you cant help her. It is possible to trap her in a live trap, take her in, and then release her back afterwards. But this is a lot of stress to put on a nursing mother and may cause her to run away and not come back. I would suggest you just keep trying, talking to her, being VERY patient and always slowly approach her. Try feeding her treats from your hand, and never jump at her to try and catch her. sometimes they come around, and sometimes they dont. You can still care for her though by providing food, clean water and a space to raise her kittens in. Some places in the U.S. will spay and neuter feral cats, and will even come to your house to get them. You just have to check and see if there is a place like that in your area.  If you do take this approach or choose to capture her yourself, wait until her kittens are independent of her.

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Pregnant stray cat we've been feeding?

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