pregnant stray

Question
We have been feeding a female stray for 2 years now and she has had multiple litters outside. Her last litter, only one survived and we now keep in the house after getting her shots and everything. Now Chloe is pregnant again and about to pop. So we caught her on the porch and have kept her there for 5 days. On Day 3 she started a bloody discharge and you could somewhat see contractions when she was laying on her side. Shes stil eating, not restless, not yowling, and seems stress free and rolls around on the ground. But its now bending around day 6 and shes has yet to stop eating and have her kittens. Is it possible that she held off on having the kittens? We don't know her gestation day as she is a stray so i can't even guess how far along she is, but it's close. A vet told us that we should let her go or her and the kittens will die, but the whole point of us keeping her on the porch was so we could get her fixed and get her shots and let her go. What should we do?

Thanks
tasha

Answer
Tasha,

Not knowing how far along she is is problematic.  Have you had her to the vet for a pre-natal checkup, just to see if all is OK?

I have seen the bloody discharge start up to a week before kittens came.

Do you have a "birthing" box for her? I like the cardboard "jumbo" storage chests which are about 10 inches X 26 inches X 16 inches.  Keep the birthing box in a draft free area where other pets and young children do not have access.

I would confine her to one room so that you know where she is probably going to have her kittens.

As soon as this next litter is weaned, I would have her spayed!!!!!!!!

Please let me know how she does.

Best regards... Norm.