It happens too often. A stray cat adopts a cat friend or family member. And after a few weeks she turns out that she is pregnant.
In the US alone there must be millions of sweet but homeless cats. And many of them get pregnant several times a year. No one really knows why, but pregnant strays often adopt a family and not the other way around. Perhaps they are looking for support or a good, warm home for their kittens.
Now, you may not have the space or time for a cat family. But there is another reason that makes it difficult to have these kittens. But you don’t want to throw this stray dog away. She’s expecting babies, isn’t she?
What can you do now?
You could take her to an animal shelter. That’s not always a good idea.
Don’t get me wrong: I value the work of animal shelters. I actually got my current cat from one of them, and I’m pretty sure the next one will come from a shelter too. But some animal shelters reportedly put a pregnant stray to sleep. You’ll blame yourself forever if you hear that the cat you brought in was killed.
Other shelters will sterilize her. They have a good reason for that. The kitty population is astronomical and the last thing an animal shelter wants is to put five more homeless cats into this world.
But you may have objections against spaying a pregnant cat; after all, it is an abortion at the same time. So a much better idea is to take a pregnant stray to a local rescue group. In the US alone, dozens of rescue groups are active. Not all, but many let the queen have her kittens and find them a home.
But in the end, perhaps the most satisfying alternative is to keep the cat and let her give birth. Take care of her. Have a vet examine her to see if she is in good health. And get the right information so you’re prepared for complications.
And remember: strays are used to going where they want. So keep your doors closed. Otherwise, he will adopt someone else.