Dilemma as feral cat gives birth in Mayville resident’s yard
“The resident had no idea what to do and needed my help in taking care of the kittens.”
What to do when a feral cat is about to give birth in your yard?
This was the question that faced a resident in Mayville recently when she phoned Louise Pinkham, who is known in the area for the rescue and care of neglected animals.
“The resident had no idea what to do, and needed my help in catching the mother and taking care of the kittens,” Pinkham told Rekord.
“The mother had to be trapped because of how wild she was.”
Trapping the cat proved difficult, because it didn’t allow any humans to handle or touch her.
“After the mother cat was lured into a blocked-off area, the kittens were born only an hour later,” she said.
The kittens are still in the resident’s care and will be rehomed in the next few weeks.
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“A feral cat is a strange animal as no eye contact should be made because of their wildness,” said Pinkham.
“Right now, the kittens are kept in a separate spot as the mother comes and goes and is not always able to feed them.”
Pinkham added that the kittens would be tamed over the next two months.
Photo: Elma Nel
“They will be closely monitored to keep them calm and get them used to interacting with humans.
“They are healthy and well-looked after,” she concluded.
Pinkham takes care of about 22 cats.
Ansu Swanepoel of CatPals, a registered non-profit organisation, said they took care of street cats in Pretoria and Centurion.
She told Rekord more about sterilising and taming feral kittens after birth.
Photo: Elma Nel
“The process is called trap-neuter-return (TNR). Cats are trapped using baited humane traps and then taken to a vet for all necessary procedures. These include testing for diseases, sterilisation, vaccination and an ear tip for identification. After this, they are returned to their colony,” she said.
Swanepoel said feral kittens can be taken for sterilisation from three to five months because female kittens can already fall pregnant under four months of age.
“If the intention is to tame feral kittens, a calm, quiet and secure environment like a spare bedroom or bathroom with no spaces to crawl into or under is essential. Thus, all cupboards and drawers and bed bases directly on the floor must be sealed.
“It is crucial for them to not get spooked. They should only be able to hide in an appropriate spot like a box or cat carrier with a blanket in where their caretaker can easily reach them without having to chase them,” she said.
If the intention is to maintain a healthy colony through TNR, it’s best to establish their territory away from daily activities, as colonies often exist on business properties, by setting up their feeding stations and beds/kennels in an area where there is little or no human traffic.
“Please, help ensure that all cats of breeding age are sterilised,” she said.
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