Feral Update: I FOUND 2 WEEK OLD BABIES!

trixtersmomma

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OMG! All of a sudden I heard a bunch of TINY meows and I started to panic looking for them. Well, its the first mamas litter, I call her Mama. I thought she had lost them because she spends lots of time here still and I hadnt heard babies.They are inside of the back of a small trailer my neighbors have in their yard. Not inside the actual trailer, but up underneath. At first, I couldn't get to them and i was all upset, heart pounding and they were all crying really loudly. It sounds like about 5 babies. I looked under and could see where they were because there was a crack in the corner of the paneling of the little compartment type thing (sorry for the bad description lol)and I saw a TEENY TINY little face sticking its nose out! I realized I could not get into that part, and i found a panel on the front of the compartment thing, and lifted it and there was ONE baby all by itself. It somehow managed (even though it can barely hold its little head up) to scoot down the little narrow passage way. The others were still in the other end where I couldn't reach. I held the baby for a minute and pondered what to do. Bottle feed the baby? Leave it? I couldn't reach the others. The baby looks healthy for the most part. Not too skinny. One eye half open and one kind of crusted shut (eye infection?).I looked behind me and saw that Mama was watching. She creeped closer and went under the trailer and watched. I decided the best thing to do would be to try to give her baby back. I set the baby on the ground and backed off and watched. The baby cried for a minute while mama decided what she should do. Finally she came over and quickly grabbed the baby and climbed up in there and put it back in with the others. It seems like it was longer ago than two weeks that she was gone and came back without her belly. I will look back at previous posts on IMOM, etc, where I posted when I hadn't seen her for a few days and then she came back not pregnant. I hope she doesnt move them again now, since i found them. Right after that happened she came to me for food (I still cant touch her, though). So at least I know she isn't really freaked out. Wow, I am still all worked up! I hope she leaves them there so I can start holding them, etc and eventually find them homes.


Update #2


I dont know what to do. One baby, the same one I gave back to momma the first time, was in the end again and crying loudly, and right near a hole where he could fall out...so i grabbed him... I tried all the stores I could, hoping to find KMR (kitten milk replacement), but had no luck. I bought some cat sip milk, and i put a little bit of water in it and have given him a few drops here and there, and helped him pee and now he is all snuggled up in a box asleep. I am not sure if I should try to give him back to mom again or not. Mom came and ate when I fed the "crew". What do you guys think I should do? Keep feeding him and find some KMR as soon as possible, or give him back to mom? I figured out he is 2 weeks old. One of his eyes was all crusted shut, so I cleaned it and now its open. He seems pretty strong, and looks pretty healthy. I want to keep him, and have him live inside with my two boys. I am just afraid of him not surviving. I am also afraid if i give him back, she may move them and then I wont see them until theyre too big to socialize.
 

devlyn

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Is there any way you could trap mama kitty and get her kittens to bring inside? Maybe put them in a spare room or bathroom? That way if she isn't looking after one of the kittens, you can take care of it, and get them socialized. I believe there's a recipe for kitten glop if you do a search on that to feed the kitten until you can find some kmr.
You might also want to (if you haven't already) fill a sock with rice and heat it in the microwave for 1 minute and tuck it in with the kitten. That will keep him nice and warm.

Good for you for rescuing the little guy! Maybe mama feels overwhelmed with the litter and can't take care of them all.
Good luck!
 

tnr1

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The BEST thing you can do for this mom and her kittens is to trap mom and the kittens and bring them indoors. Kittens tend not to have a great survival rate outdoors and mom could already be pregnant again. Below is a list of TNR groups in California that you can reach out to in order to borrow a couple of traps:

http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html#ca

Katie
 

beckiboo

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I agree with Katie. Keep the kitten you have, and try to trap Mama and bring her in with him. In the meantime, if you can't find KMR or kitten replacement milk, make the recipe for kitten glop or try goats milk. You might also try the vet or a humane society...they may have kitten formula.

I understand why you gave the kitten back initially, but unfortunately since he seems to be an adventurer who can crawl away from the nest while Mama is away, he is not really safe outside anymore.

Hopefully once you trap Mama, you will be able to get the rest of the babies, too. It is very stressful, knowing that your decision affects their lives so much. But their chances of survival outside at this time of year are slim. Do your best to bring them in.

Keep them away from your kitties, in a separate room. And get your kitties their vaccinations, if they are not up to date on them already.
 
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trixtersmomma

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here is a copy/paste post I made last Sunday on the feline diabetes board I frequent, since my precious, adorable Trixter is diabetic. (look at him! ISnt he BEAUUUUTIFUL!!??) lol :p

Ok, where to start... This morning, I tried to give the baby back to mama again... (if you have no idea what I am talking about, I have been feeding some ferals, and one of them had babies way up inside the underneath area of a trailer in my neighbors yard and while she was off doing whatever she was doing, one of them kept crawling out of the place where she had them and almost falling out onto the ground through a big hole. I didnt know about them until then, they were all crying loudly, especially the one that almost fell out. I had given back the baby and it happened again, so I took it in and picked some ticks off of it, etc, and fed it some cat sip milk. I decided to give it back again, cause it wouldnt eat well, but it was too late and the neighbors were asleep, so I kept it for the night). She did not take it, and left the two (the neighbor guy had held one that had come out a different spot, but he gave it back to her and she put it back) who had been touched by humans in there all day crying. Of course, I went to get them and take them in. I found the boy in the same place I had left him (hours later, as I had hoped the mama would come take care of them and I tried to leave her and the babies alone so she could have some peace)but I could not reach the other one. It was waaaaay back in there. I went and got some KMR from the store (same store I looked yesterday and it turned out it was burried way in the back behind a bunch of flea control products, and came back home. The mama was still not going in there, so I started to panic and try to get the other baby out, and it was crying frantically, but I couldnt pry the thing open where it was. I tried for a long time, going back to it after taking breaks, crying, freaking out... Finally, I called the fire department... lol They came out the first time, and the older guy was SO rude. They tapped a flashlight all hard on the metal, and of course the kitten got quiet. It was SCARED! They got another call, and the guy said "well, a human is in trouble now... call us if you hear it again. I don't hear it..." So they left, and a minute later, of course, as i talked softly to the baby and gently tapped, it started crying again. Of course I had tears running down my face (as I did ALL day,ask Jennifer, Tuckers mom. She had to hear me whine for like 45 mins this morning lol bless her heart! Love you, Jennifer! <3). I told the neighbors when they got back (the ones who's trailer the baby got stuck under), and they were just about to leave back to L.A. They only vacation here. They were concerned and told me to call the fire department again. So the same guy (jerk) came out, along with 2 younger firefighter guys. When they got here, i told the jerk one that they had probably scared it by banging on the metal. I told him instead, maybe tap on it and call "kitty kitty" like I had been doing. So the jerk says with a smug grin on his face, "I'm not calling "kitty kitty" (keep in mind this guy is at least 45 years old, yet he is this immature). I replied, all upset, " Ok... are you too "manly" to rescue an animal?" He said "Are you going to take care of your cats so we don't have to do this?" UGH!!! Can you even BELIEVE this jerk!? I couldn't... I told him they were homeless cats that were starving and I have been feeding them. By this time, I was outraged. I still plan to call the department tomorrow to complain about his attitude. They spent 45 mins, at least, and they couldnt figure out how to get the kitten out, even after I had explained to them where the kitten was several times! I was devestated. It was already dark...getting cold.. I felt hopeless. The neighbors said they were headed back home to L.A, and I cried to them, saying I was so sorry, etc. They were very upset, too. A little while later the husband neighbor came to the door and told me he was at the gas station and someone mentioned a fire, and he had said, jokingly, "They need to get that fire out so they can get to my house to get a kitten out that is stuck under my trailer." The lady at the register was like "WHAT!? I can get it!" He came back to my house and got my number for them and left to L.A. I continued crying, worried about the baby (boy do I love being sensitive), and I went to try to feed the baby some more.He ate quite a bit, and peed and pooped (finally), and he was nice and warm, but he continued to cry and cry and cry no matter what i did. I was getting so frustrated. I snuggled him up in the box all warm n toasty, and let him cry while I went outside for a cig (bad habit, i know.) Next thing I know I see a car pull up in the neighbors yard. I thought they must of forgotten something. Then I heard two female voices saying "Is anyone even here? I wonder where it is. They said the neighbor girl would take the cat if we could get it..." When i heard that, I said hello. I gave them a flash light and some plyers, and they started looking and saw the baby. It took them all of FIVE MINUTES before they had the baby! I cried more (surprised? lol) and kept saying "Oh bless you guys, oh yay!!", etc. I was SOOO happy the baby was saved! The woman mentioned she had raised entire litters of kittens this age when I showed her the KMR, bottle and syringes, etc that I was using for the baby. I asked "You wouldnt wanna do it again would ya?" and smiled. I really didnt have a clue how I was going to take on two 2 week old kittens, and ride the bus to go babysit with them, etc. She said "oh no... I ... (and she looked at the precious babies) Ok... " and she smiled. So I sent her off with the KMR, bottles, syringe, box, bedding and kitties!!! She was very sweet and obviously REALLY loves kitties as she was willing to drive out here after work, in the dark, to save the stuck baby! God was with me today, even though it was a very rough day. It ended in a way that warmed my heart and took SO much stress off of me!

Ok, I am SO sorry this is as long as a novel, but its such a happy ending!!!!
 

tnr1

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It's good the kittens went to someone with experience raising them...however I would still recommend that you set up a trap to catch the mom cat to have her spayed.

Katie
 
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trixtersmomma

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I cant trap her yet. She has more babies somewhere, and they would die of cold/hunger if she was not with them. Also, I have been trying to find resources to help, but nothing yet... I am a struggling college student, and I feel very alone in this. I feel like i have sent out 50 emails now, and I have yet to find someone near by who would want to help me trap, etc.
 
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