Yesterday mum was washing the dishes and outside the window she saw a cat come up to the door and have a sniff around. She was confused because it look exactly like our male tabby (who is desexed) except it had a red collar on. Then it ran back under the house.
Who knows how long its been there. She showed me with a torch where the cat was hiding. Which was right back in the corner under the house. I put some food and water out for it. But the ants get to it in no time which is annoying.
It came closer to the whole that goes under the house but it walked back to the corner when I went under to try and get it. When it walked it had a really saggy belly. That led me to thinking it was a pregnat female? Someone said she might of gone under there to have her kittens.
Anyways later I went back under and dragged myself as far as I could up into the corner. (There is only room to drag yourself along your belly and turn around.) It just sat there looking at me. I couldn't reach it because the spot it was in was very low.
From what I saw it had a tag with its name on it. But I haven't got close enough. Mum rang the vet and reported it and gave the best description she could.
The thing is I can't get it out. I'm worried for its health and life. The poor thing doesn't move around much at all and looks like it wants to just give up and die. It is alert though.
If it is a female that is pregnat it isn't a good place to have them under there. The dirt under the house is like black sand. It floats around everywhere. When I went under I got it up my nose and in my mouth which made me cough. I was VERY dirty when I came out that I needed a shower.
I need some ideas to get this cat out. If I can't get it out by myself I will ring our local RSPCA to come and rescue it. But I am scared they will take it away and it won't get a new home. Then it would be put down. When I would rather keep it (much against my mum. but my dad would like it).

Help?

koriani

Hello,

Have you or your mom asked around to see if the cat belongs to a neighbor? If it does, it could be well cared for but just chooses to have it's babies under your house. That also could be why it doesn't jump at the food you are offering...it might be well fed already.

If it is sick, it might not eat well either. If you can't get the cat to come out and you can't reach it, I'm not sure what else there is to do. It has to come out eventually. Maybe you could wait till it comes out then block off the hole it uses to get under the house. That way the cat could find a better place to have it's kittens.

You could even place a nice box with towels under the house if you don't mind momma cat being under there with her kittens. That would keep the babies off the ground.

Just keep working with her. She'll eventually get used to you. If she's not acting scared then she's obviously used to people and doesn't feel threatened by you.

Offer the cat a nice, high quality dry kitten food. Kitten food will give her the extra nutrients a pregnant/nursing cat needs. Also, have you tried enticing her with tuna or canned food?

I hope it all turns out well.

Regards,

Gnomie

Well I have't seen her for a while now. I did put a box with some towls under there last night with some canned food and water. But the food wasn't eaten this morning when I woke up.
I can only leave the food out of a night otherwise my own cat sniffs it out and eats it himself.
I think she might of come out and gone home or went somewhere else to have kittens. Or she could still be in their hiding. Once we thought she had gone but she appeared later. I will leave the box under there incase she comes back.
If we had been able to read what was on her collar and tags I think we could of found her home. It did have her name but I couldn't get close enough to see it.
I did also see a fluffy ginger cat hanging around our house yesterday evening. It ran off as soon as it see me holding my own cat (which was growling and digging his claws into me). Would this have anything to do with her?

koriani

Hello,

The ginger cat may be coincidental. A kitten from a previous litter or a unneutered male are possibilities also. Maybe he/she is a housemate?

Regards,

Gnomie

Well I'm not sure what the ginger cat was doing. But the tabby that was under my house has packed up and gone... I think.
When I woke up I looked at the food bowl. It had been eaten. But the security I had put around it had been overcome by the ants after it had been eaten. I don't think my cat ate it when he was let out because the ants take a long time to get to it and he was only out for a little while before I checked it. So I am confused. Maybe another cat in the neighbourhood smelt it out and ate it?

momincali

I need to know? Did this stray ever come back? Was she pregnant??? I have had a stray cat under my house now for the last two weeks. She sits under there and cries or at least what sounds like crying all night long, she's driving us to drink. My 15 year old went under the house to rescue the cat (we thought maybe it was stuck or hurt) she didn't see her although we knew she was still there because my daughter heard her somewhere down there. I don't know if she's in heat, in labor, or is just being a pain in the neck. The worst part is I have two dogs, a chow and a retriever who aren't doing a darn thing about it, boy, they need to go back to doggie school and re learn the aggressive territorial stuff again! How do I get this cat out without hurting it??? Help???