Any advice would be helpful

lilsis

I rarely post but I know from reading lots of posts that people will be able to help me out. So came back this evening after visiting family and emptying my bin I saw two stray cats by the bins (I'm assuming they are stray). Anyway adult cat I think might be pregnant, basing this on that its quite small (I've a male cat and he is much bigger in comparison-which is why I'm thinking female) and she has quite a swollen belly, seems tired, wanting to just sit on the ground and only moves away from me when I'm about 1 metre away. Have only come across a pregnant cat a few times in my life and this one reminds me a lot of them but I know she might not be pregnant. Anyway I would like to get her to a vet to check her out but even if I am right and she is pregnant I know it's not a huge problem as many cats have kittens and it is usually away from home so I think she would be fine but am still a little concerned about her.

However, it is the kitten that I am really worried about. He (an assumption - based on nothing) seems to be very unwell. He is very little, I estimate no more than 8/9 weeks although seems to be a healthy weight but he is constantly shaking. He can't walk properly. He falls over when he is just standing. He will fall constantly while running away from me. He can't sit without falling over. Anyway I am very worried about him. I got pretty close to him but he scarpered when I reached out to get him. There's a big tree beside the bins for them to hide under.

I don't think that they are mother and son, rather that they came to the bins looking for food and other people in my apartment block have clearly seem them as dry food and chicken has been left. I left some fish myself and have just realised they have no water so will go down with some now.

If anyone has any ideas on how to catch them so I can get them to a vet I'd be grateful. I'm worried about both but the kitten in particular as he seems very unwell and it was breaking my heart to see him shaking like that and I hate to think what will happen to him without professional attention.

I waited very patiently for about half an hour to try and grab him, came very close to but didn't manage it and now that it's dark it will be impossible. My man of the house won't be very pleased with me if I do catch them but they need help so he will just have to lump it Sorry about the long post but wanted to give as much info as I could.

Sigma Force

If you could borrow a humane cat trap from someone that's the easiest way to catch them esp. the kitten. Not sure where your based but if you try local rescues or contact feralcatsireland.org they might be able to help with a trap. They have a facebook page if you type in Feral Cats Ireland into it.

lilsis

Thanks. I'm based in Maynooth. I'll give it a look and see if I can get anywhere with a trap.

Was just down giving water and as a sort of update, pregnant cat seems to have disappeared, fingers crossed back home somewhere safe, although she is fully black and its dark so I might have just missed her. The kitten is huddled in under the tree, still shaking and I still can't reach him.

Sigma Force

Poor thing. You might be able to lure the kitten out with some smelly tinned fish in a way it's good that the kitten can still get up and run away but it does sound like the poor thing is very ill and by tomorrow might be weak enough to catch, sounds terrible I know but maybe the kitten can be caught in time.

I don't know if throwing a towel over the kitten would work or it the kitten would leg it, depends how weak the little guy is. If the kitten does stay put you could maybe pop a couple of old towels in a cardboard or plastic box nearby so the kitten might crawl into it tonight when your not in view.

So frustrating when they need help but don't realise you're there to give it. Fingers crossed you can catch him, good on you for trying to help the pair of them out.

Sigma Force

There's a few youtube clips on how to make your own humane cat trap which could work.

lilsis

Well I had lured him out as I was hiding around the corner just coming closer to him but when I bent down to pick him up he legged it and I haven't gotten that close since and now he is hiding in under the tree and I'm no where near reaching him. The towel might work though, I'll try that tomorrow. I'm just so annoyed that I wasn't here earlier to try to get him for longer but it was half 8 before I saw him and then it got so dark that I can hardly even see him. I don't have a cardboard box or anything that I could leave down for him tonight. I feel so crap that I can't do more for him. Fingers crossed that tomorrow I'll get somewhere.

JustAThought

The DSPCA do a humane trap & nutur ( can't spell it sorry!) for feral cats; the cost is e25. They might agree for the same fee to do a trap & catch & eventually nutur fir you.
Worth a call...

Pumpkinseeds

Cats Aid are very good, they're based in Dublin, I'd try them before DSPCA.

zef

I second that for Cats Aid, they are brilliant, dedicated ppl who give up a lot of free time (and for some their back garden) for cats.
I found 2 cats last Saturday, at 8pm a female with one eye, and at 2am a kitten about 3-4 mths. Both crying in the Apts behind my house. (Dublin 15)
Luckily i am friendly with a lady who does vol. work for Cats Aid, I brought the female to her, and she took her in, even though she has 28 or so cats living in custom built accom. in her garden.
There really seems to be a glut of homeless/ abandoned cats atm.
The kitten really grew on me, happiest little thing, so we are keeping him if no one claims. Can't praise Cats Aid work highly enough.

lilsis

Thanks everyone for the help. Was down this morning looking for him but I can't see him anywhere. I checked in under all the cars around but I couldn't see him at all nor is the other cat around. It is lashing rain here though so they might have taken shelter elsewhere but hopefully someone has managed to catch them or at least the kitten. I left more food out in case they come back.

I was looking it up and I think the kitten might have something like Cerebellar Hypoplasia "Wobbly cat syndrome". I was looking at some videos on youtube and he moves like them and his legs look the same as with the other kittens that I watched although he shakes way more than them. None of them seemed to shake like he did so I don't know what that is.

How likely is it that he might come back? Fingers crossed someone else managed to catch him.

Pumpkinseeds

I hope you manage to get both the cats. Its good to see somebody caring. Did you try the Cats Aid or Feral Cats Ireland?

meoklmrk91

Many vets will also have a humane trap, they usually ask for a deposit but once the trap is returned to them in the same condition then they give back the deposit, just an idea if you are unable to catch him, in the meantime I would leave food out in the area where he usually is and hopefully he will continue to stay around. Poor baby

lilsis

Yeah I was thinking about the vet alright. Haven't seen him now since sunday night and all the food that was left out for him has been cleared away (I suspect the landlord did that). I can't see how he could have gotten too far away so I'm really hopeful that someone else managed to pick him up. As I said before other people were leaving food out for him as well so I'm hoping that one of them managed to get him. And I havent seen the pregnant cat since sunday evening but I think she possibly has a home as she seemed more comfortable around me than the little one. I'm hoping I don't see either again, not because I don't want to help them, but because I'm hoping someone else helped them out. I'll let you know if either come back though.