Stray Cat Impregnated and Brought into our home.

Question
Dear Ali:  Last fall a rather young cat showed up around our house and seemed to be living out of our open garage.  She was skinny beyond compare and very timid.  I don't usually feed strays, if I can catch them, I bring them to the shelter.  She was different from the very beginning.  I would sit outside and she would watch me, never venturing too close.  She pulled at my heartstrings and I started putting some food down for her.  She would eat it like she hadn't eaten in a long time, gobbling up every last little bit as fast as she could.  I don't think she was feral, she seemed to have been groomed at one point, although most of that was long gone.  After feeding her, she would venture closer to me when I was outside, eventually coming right up to me and rubbing herself all over me.  Shortly after that she started coming up on our porch through the doggy door.  We have two small dogs, one Boston terrier and a Chihuahua.  We also have two indoor cats, one that has claws and is 14 years old and one who is 8 and has no claws.  She would venture up on the porch and so I started leaving the food there for her.  She eventually made her way into the house, much to my other cats dismay.  They let it be known right away they didn't like the idea.  Hissing and growling, but she would just ignore them and go about her own way.  She didn't use their cat box, she preferred to go outside.  She had her own eating area.  As soon as I started feeding her outside I gave her a revolution treatment, I didn't want to spread any fleas to my own animals.  It wasn't until after she came into the house that I brought her to the vets for care.  She was pregnant.  As soon as her pregnancy progressed she started reacting to my cats protest of growls and hisses by chasing them down and actively fighting with them.  I couldn't have that, so I gave her, her own room while she was inside the house and after she gave birth she stayed in that room until the kitties went to their new homes.  Now, I don't know what to do about their getting along.  I want to keep her and in order to do that I must have her spayed, which I've scheduled for next week.  Will the bad behavior with my own cats persist or will they get along better now that she's been spayed?  I love my own animals and won't let them live in fear in their own house.  Do you see a solution to my problem?  She gets along well with my dogs and they love her too.  I'm keeping her in her own room until she goes to have the operation.  She is missing her kitties and needs comforting, which I am trying to provide.  If I can't find a solution I really am at a loss as to what to do.  It would break my heart to bring her to the shelter.  She is a part of our family now.

Thank you,
Debra

Answer
Debra,

It is nice to hear that you rescued this kitty from a rough existance on the mean streets. It is obvious that she has become a part of your family and that you are doing everything that you can to provide a good home for her. To be honest I would suggest that this kitty shouldn't be allowed free access to your other cats until she has been spayed, vaccinated and tested for serious chronic and often deadly conditions such as feline leukemia and FIV (similar to HIV in humans but not transferable to humans). I always recommend that people gradually introduce new cats into their households over a period of 2-3 weeks by having the new cat confined behind a closed door with all of the usual feline amenities such as food, water, litter, a comfy place to sleep and a few toys. I do think that given the situation when mom is spayed she should still be confined for a couple of weeks to allow her hormone levels to drop. I do understand that mom became rather protective during her pregnancy. It makes perfect sense that she would be fearful of the other cats, she had babies to protect and had likely been abandoned or possibly even abused during a tough existance on her own. I think that mom will settle down enough to be introduced into your household (provided that she is free of contagious illnesses that I have mentioned above). It is a good possibility that she may have these illnesses after an existance on the streets. These conditions can lie dormant for years and cause serious health problems at some point in her life. My suggestion should this lucky former stray test positive for any of the chronic illnesses that I have mentioned above is to have your other cats tested. If your other cats have previously been tested and been free of these conditions it is possible that they have been vaccinated against these chronic illnesses. If your pets are positive for FIV or feline leukemia it is find to allow them to eat and drink from the same bowls, if they are not vaccinated and have tested negative then I would strongly suggest vaccination and a waiting period of a couple of weeks if momma cat is positive before allowing them to share food and water dishes. You will have to speak to your vet about the appropriate measures to keep the cats in your home healthy, happy and safe. I highly recommend that you feed your resident cats just outside of the door where your little rescued kitty is living for a period of about 2-3 weeks. By feeding the cats between a closed door they will associate each other with food and get to know each other's scents and not be threatened by each other's presence. After your vet gives you the all clear with regards to health and your kitty has been back for her post spay check up then you may start to slowly introduce the cats for a few minutes at a time gradually increasing the amount of time each day for 2-3 weeks until the cats are comfortable with each other's presence. It isn't a bad idea to introduce the new kitty inside of a crate for her protection and the protection of your resident cats. I strongly suggest that if you choose to crate this new kitty while introducing her to your resident cats it is also a bonus to use bribery in the form of special treats like tuna, sardines and other smelly favorites that are not typically given with any regularity. I have found that tuna and toys are great bridges to introducing cats. Kitty teases with tuna seem to work the best. When you feel confident that the cats are comfortable with each other then you can introduce them without the crate still using the tuna as a reward for positive interaction. Play tends to soften any anxiety by giving an appropriate outlet for it. All in all, I do think that this kitty has a good chance to be integrated into your household with a little patience, some time, being spayed, and using tuna and toys to soften the anxiety. Please feel free to send updates my way to let me know how things are going between your new kitty and your resident cats. I do hope that you find this information helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.