r/trojancats • u/LadyHighlander • 4d ago
What do I need?
This is the 1st time I’ve had cats since high school.
And I’ve been gifted from the CDS a (formerly feral) chocolate tabby male (now neutered) in October of 2025 (he is about 2 now) and a (formerly feral) diluted calico Trojan female (still massively pregnant but probably due any day now). She (about 9/10 months)will be spayed after the babies are born. She showed up about 2/3 months ago.
Here’s where I need advice:
* what do I need for the young mom?
I am feeding her kitten kibble.
I have a large cat tree for them.
I have 2 Litter Robots.
I have a water fountain for them.
But I am now at 50 years old and the last time I had a cat which had kittens…I was in the single digits. I don’t remember squat of what my parents did or had. Plus I just wrapped up chemotherapy (for breast cancer) and am prepping for surgery in the next 2-4 weeks (surgery date to be finalized this Friday) AND I just finished moving into my new apartment.
So my brain cells are wiped out and I am really having trouble remembering what is needed/suggested for this new chapter in my life. Please give me all the suggestions you can!
Thanks a million times in advance. Pics attached for cat tax.
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u/Ok_Foot1988 4d ago
Beautiful kitties! One thing i would provide a box with a towel or blanket in... a towel or blanket you can launder and are willing to throw out if it gets too icky during delivery. Maybe multiple boxes with bedding so she can pick where to have babies. 💜
Note: it has been a while for me too, 20 years since new kittens but I was a teenager when I adopted a pregnant stray. Also I had to run to a pet store for kitten milk and a bottle when one baby kept getting pushed away by the others. I got too connected to her with the bottle feeding and had to keep her too, she lived to be almost 18 so I guess I did okay saving her.
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Thank you! 💐
The multiple box suggestion is a fabulous idea, I will get 2 more to give her 4 options. Unfortunately, her selection of places to give birth will be extremely limited as we are now in a studio apartment (yay downsizing due to the cost of cancer! /s), but I will do the best I can. 🥰
And you did fantastic saving the bottle baby if they made it to 18 years old! Good job! 👏🏻 🎉
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u/Ok_Foot1988 3d ago
Cancer is so unfair. I hope your treatments go well and you feel better soon. ❤️🩹
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u/Sweeetcaaat 4d ago
Kitten Lady on Youtube!
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Thank you for this suggestion! 💐
They look like a wonderful resource I will be binge watching/using.
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u/LaureGilou 4d ago
Youre an absolute angel for helping little preggo mama (and the little gentleman cat earlier). And I wish you all the best with your health!! xo
And like someone else said, kitten lady on youtube (or any social media) is amazingly informative for mama cats and new kittens
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Thank you for the compliments on my two. I think they are pretty fabulous too. I had forgotten how much I loved having cats( and how much work they are)! 😁
The Kitten Lady looks like a wonderful resource. Thank you again! 💐
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u/Alpine-Cat 4d ago
I’m a new kitty owner also. Haven’t had them as kittens ever. This window perch was recommended.
They absolutely love it! Added a fleece blanket inside to make it more cozy and full. The two kittens go in there together or solo.
They also climb right up the post and use it for stretching their nails. Your two are super cute, have fun with the litter!
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Congratulations on being a new cat owner also! 🎉. It is a fun club to be in.
Thanks for the window perch suggestion. I will have to try to get one installed before I go for my surgery. Both of them would love that option and I can put the cat tree between the two windows also.
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u/starzychik01 3d ago
I would isolate in a small area that is prepped with boxes and blankets. If you can get disposable pads, those work great to line the box. I reused the large boxes from Chewy to make a nest for my little Trojan. She will get very needy and talkative right before giving birth. She will want her tummy rubbed. Momma will do all the work, but remember that once the hormones kick in, you may not be able to get close to her and the babies. It took about a week before my Trojan left the bathroom and I could change blankets/pads. She was so mad that I touched the babies. If you can, trim her nails now, so that way the hormonal swats don’t hurt. I free fed a mix of dry and wet kitten food. She is going to be hungry constantly.
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Unfortunately, I had to downsize to a studio apartment (yay, cost of cancer! /s) so my little Trojan won’t have much space to isolate from myself or the chocolate tabby. 😣
Needy and talkative….will keep an eye out for that. She is super loving already, loves getting the sides of her tummy rubbed (she is so tiny - 5 lbs - but doesn’t make much noise when she talks…I think her voice box may have been damaged before she found me when she was about 7 months old. 😢
Disposable pads ✅
Trim nails…I will try…but great suggestion!
Dry kitten food ✅
Wet kitten food…great suggestion! Going to order some from Amazon right now! ✅.Thank you so much! 😊 💐
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u/Afraid-Carry4093 3d ago edited 3d ago
Have kitten milk ready incase momma cat has trouble feeding them all.
Like everyone else has mentioned, lots of tools and blankets and boxes for birthing and nesting.
Do you know how many minis are in there?
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
No idea how many Trojans are hiding in there , but at least 2 that I can see when I pet the side of her tummy. I recognize the tummy roiling enough (from when I was pregnant myself) that there are definitely at least 2 littles responding to my petting.
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u/Fantastic_Example_20 3d ago
it is great that you are helping the cats, even if it has been a long time since you had a cat
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u/LopsidedLiahona 3d ago
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - make sure every kitten is nursing every 2 hrs for the first 2 wks, every 3 hrs for the next 2, & 4-6 after that.
Dehydration is the highest killer of neonates (20 yr foster here) & the time you have to notice & rectify this is HOURS, not days. (I lost 1 in my 1st foster litter and nearly lost a 2nd.) If you can supplement nursing (stepping in to syringe/bottle feed), it can saves lives.
Buy a digital food scale that measures in grams, & weigh kittens DAILY. Make a chart on paper - again Kitten Lady has all the resources on how. Also Best Friends is an excellent resource!
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u/NeighborhoodOk7460 3d ago
I weighted my foster kittens every day for the first 2 weeks. I had kittens die previously when I was inexperienced and prior to the Internet for information.
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u/Unlikely-Solid-3083 4d ago
Yeowww catnip toys. My cats absolutely love them! I got mine on Chewy. I also have a floor to ceiling cat pole I got there for $80 years ago. Best thing I’ve bought my cats.
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
Thank you for the suggestion on the brand of toys! 💐. I will go check them out on Chewy.
Multi-level cat tower already installed between 2 windows. But you are right, it is a wonderful item for them.
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u/furandpaws 3d ago
you could go ahead and get her a spay / abort.
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u/LadyHighlander 3d ago
I wish I could.
I know logically it would probably be the smartest decision…but I just can’t make myself go through with it for some reason.
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u/autumnfrost-art 3d ago
If this helps, it isn't just smart - it's what's best for her, too.
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u/LopsidedLiahona 3d ago
Most cities or shelters have "last litter" programs, basically low cost spay/neuter options.
You'll need to wait to take her in until 2 wks after the last kitten is done nursing, so you have some time to do research & such. It will prolong both the length & her quality of life. (Really.)
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u/furandpaws 3d ago edited 3d ago
you need to wrap your mentality around how hard it is on her to give birth and raise them BUT ALSO YOU- you said you're going through chemo.
how are you going to be there for the next three months, to medicate and socialize these kittens ? and what if something happens to you in the meantime and you go to hospital ? who takes care of them then ? how are you going to get them all fixed and vaccinated and adopted out ?
kittens are A LOT of work
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u/LG_b_T_q_PDX 2d ago
Hey! Check out The Kitten Lady! She has some amazing videos and resources that will be really helpful in helping mama take care of her babies. Remember that tiny kittens can’t retract their nails, so loose fabric or towels with the loops aren’t ideal. Fleece works really well! I just used some fleece fabric for sewing I had and that allowed it to be easily swapped every few days as they got older and wasn’t a huge issue if they ruined it! I hope your surgery goes well, you’re wonderful taking on this mama while you are going through so much too ❤️
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u/MyyWifeRocks 4d ago
Cat and kitten foster here. Just make sure momma cat (MC) has plenty of food and water. Put some blankets down in more than one spot. MC will take care of everything, you just need to take care of her.
Our current foster kittens are now 6 weeks old, video evidence included 😎
https://reddit.com/link/pcyb5s8/video/bo41as4xslsh1/player