Neutering stray cats.

KazDub

I've been unofficially adopted by a cat for a few years. Her mother gave birth to the litter she was part of in my back garden and now she seems to consider it home. I've been feeding her every night for a few years now but am worried about her kittens. She's had at least two litters and I need this batch to be the last. She seems to have rejected one of her kittens over the last few days, I'm really worried that it's not going to make it and am bringing it to the vet in a couple of hours. Ideally I'd love to get the mother and remaining kitten(s) neutered and let them live out their natural lives in my garden and area. I've got two young kids (youngest being 10 weeks) so am in no position to even attempt to turn them into domesticated house cats. Not to sound too uncaring, but I don't want to spend a fortune neutering them. It's going to cost me forty euro just for the appointment later and then there'll be the cost of whatever treatment is needed. I've found a mention of the Blue Cross online and am wondering if they neuter animals 'cheap'. Also, I'll be just about able to catch this kitten as he/she is so week that it won't be able to run away from me, but how the hell am I supposed to catch a fully grown adult cat and transport it? Anyone got any ideas or suggestions. As much as I love having these cats around I don't think it's fair on the mother to keep letting her get pregnant and then have additional kittens around the place that need looking after. Now I've got to work out how to move the kitten and my baby safely to the clinic!

Dee_animallover

KazDub wrote: »

I don't think it's fair on the mother to keep letting her get pregnant and then have additional kittens around the place that need looking after.

No it most certainly isnt fair. There are way too many kittens being born in this country. Well done for looking after her for so long. Regarding catching her, you can get humane traps (any vet should be able to lone you one) where you put food into it and when the animal stands on the plate the trap shuts behind them.
Good luck!

Sapsorrow

ya blue cross will do it for free as far as I know in the dublin area, look them up online, alternatively ring around the vets cos they can be really helpfull if they're strays and your on the dole or broke.There used to be a guy in galway that neutered stray cats for next to nothing for my sister in the past when she was unemployed and she found strays. Another vet I used to go to vaccinated and treated our cat bumblion when she was a kitten because she was a stray and I was a student (didn't even have to ask him!)

LisaO

Some SPCAs will give vouchers for subsidised neutering & may also be willing to assist in trapping the cats & kittens - they would have both the experience and the equipment needed. It would seem very unfair if you had to bear the cost alone, so maybe a call to your local SPCA might elicit some assistance?

KazDub

Unfortunately the kitten had to be put down . I knew that I probably wouldn't be bringing it home, it was almost lifeless when I picked it up. The vet gave me the numbers for Cats Aid and the DSPCA so hopefully they'll be able to help me catch, neuter and keep my mother cat and remaining kitten.

Adventure Pout

Fair play to you for taking care of the kitties.
I am like you and I had tried to rescue lots of kitties when I was living in a house with a garden and where lots of stray cats hang around.
I contacted Marie at the North County Dublin SPCA and she helped me a lot. You can get her details here:
http://www.ispca.ie/North-County-Dublin-SPCA.aspx

To catch the mother cat, you can ask the vets to lend you a trap - then cover it, so she won't know what it is. Put some food in there (whatever she likes). Or if she trusts you, you can try to grab her by the neck and put her in a carrier. Then straight to the vet..
Hope this all makes sense.. Good Luck..