Tips on finding a wild litter.

Hello everyone, glad to find this forum. While I could ramble on with the backstory for pages, I'll just keep this short and sweet. I've got a abandoned cat who was pregnant, and she had the kittens somewhere out in the woods, and danged if I can find them.

The mother trusts me and comes over daily to be fed, now. I was in the process of gaining her trust, but she will not give me a hint of where she's keeping that litter. I tried to follow her this afternoon when she went back in the woods and she just sat her little self down, purring and rubbing up against me, but wouldn't move. She's not going to reveal the location. And there are so many possible places they could be in that patch of woods, too.

And so I was wondering if any here have any experience with finding wild litters. I want to get them over to my place where it's safer. Let's see, the kittens are probably about 3 weeks old now, and I'd like to get to them before they're too old and go completely wild.

Heck, I'm wondering if anyone makes a radio tracking device or something. I could probably get a small collar on the mother with a transmitter if they make something like that's not too expensive or could be rented.

Thanks for any advice.

-Richard

Originally Posted by publius

Hello everyone, glad to find this forum. While I could ramble on with the backstory for pages, I'll just keep this short and sweet. I've got a abandoned cat who was pregnant, and she had the kittens somewhere out in the woods, and danged if I can find them.

The mother trusts me and comes over daily to be fed, now. I was in the process of gaining her trust, but she will not give me a hint of where she's keeping that litter.

I tried to follow her this afternoon when she went back in the woods and she just sat her little self down, purring and rubbing up against me, but wouldn't move. She's not going to reveal the location. And there are so many possible places they could be in that patch of woods, too.

And so I was wondering if any here have any experience with finding wild litters. I want to get them over to my place where it's safer. Let's see, the kittens are probably about 3 weeks old now, and I'd like to get to them before they're too old and go completely wild.

Heck, I'm wondering if anyone makes a radio tracking device or something. I could probably get a small collar on the mother with a transmitter if they make something like that's not too expensive or could be rented.

Thanks for any advice.

-Richard

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Richard...If she sensed you were following her..there is a really good chance that she has moved her kittens and it may not be a safe location. The only time I recommend a transmitter is when you plan to have the mom cat spayed and want to bring her and her kittens indoors after the procedure. If you aren't planning to trap her to have her spayed, then it is probably best to continue to feed her and wait until she brings the kittens to you when they are older. You should have a plan however for getting her trapped and spayed once the kittens do start coming for feedings so that this can be her last litter.

Here is information regarding the transmitter from another message board:

When they trap a lactating female, they put on a
transmitting collar, (made for use with housecats), while she's under
for her spay. They release her early and track her right back to her
babies! They round up the kittens into a carrier then re-trap Momma,
using the kittens as bait, (you know, kittens in a carrier, trap butted
against it all covered with a cloth). If the kittens are old enough,
she and a helper pull the "break away" collar with the tracking device
off of Momma through the trap and release her. If the kittens still
need her, they bring them all home and release the Momma later when the
kittens are weaned. I usually dread it when I hear of, or see a new mom, now I've got hope
that I'll be able to help every single one of them /and/ tame her
kittens!! Here's the website for the tracking device and collars:
http://www.thecatlocator.com/


Katie

Thanks. I am going to have her fixed when I gain her trust enough to take her to the vet. She's not really feral, just abandoned. I was halfway considering taking her in when I first saw her pregnant (that would've solved this kitten problem), but I didn't want to traumatize her that early.

I'm afraid I am going to have to just wait and hope she'll bring the kittens around. If they're too wild, I may indeed look into trapping them.


-Richard

Originally Posted by publius

Thanks. I am going to have her fixed when I gain her trust enough to take her to the vet. She's not really feral, just abandoned. I was halfway considering taking her in when I first saw her pregnant (that would've solved this kitten problem), but I didn't want to traumatize her that early.

I'm afraid I am going to have to just wait and hope she'll bring the kittens around. If they're too wild, I may indeed look into trapping them.


-Richard

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Hi Richard, I would still plan to trap her and her kittens. Even if you "gain her trust" to pet her..there is no guarentee that she won't freak out once you try to put her in a carrier...especially given that now she is a new mother. The last thing you or she needs is for her to scratch or bite you in your attempts to help her. A humane trap protects you and her. Also, it allows the vet to anesthetize her through the trap if needed.

Keep us posted on her progress.

Katie

Hello and welcome to the site !

Not much more to add, as Katie always gives the best advice on these matters

So just sending my best for you and those little ones and their mum, I hope you get something sorted out soon

Keep us posted !

All,

Thanks for the replies (and PMs) very much. I thought I'd just a post a short note to tell you all is well. Mama moved over to my side, *right where I wanted her to*, around an old shed on my property that is ideal for cats. I haven't seen the kittens, but I'm sure she's got them nearby. I didn't believe she would make such a daring move to get them that far over -- lots of open ground to cover -- but darned if she didn't.

It's a long story, more that I posted originally as it would've been too long. If you all are interested, I'll post that tonight when I have more time.

-Richard

All,

If you're interested, here's the whole story. There was more than one cat involved. They were three more roughly 6 month old "teenaged" little cats involved as well.

Long story, but I live out in the country on around 50 acres or so. Family land going back. Now, years ago, my grandmother who lived a bit down the road got to where she couldn't take care of herself in her house all alone, and so my father put in a small lot for a trailer nearby, where she would be right there. That lasted about a year, but she was soon too sick for that, and went to a nursing home.

We got rid of the trailer, but these newlyweds, who knew about the trailer lot (water, power, and septic tank) wanted to get a trailer and live there until they got established enough to buy a house. They lived there for a few years and then got a house. But.....they wanted to keep the trailer and rent it out for some extra income. And my father let them.

And that has gone on for close to 20 years. I swore I was going to tell them to get rid of it, but now that I'm in charge, I can't say no to the couple any more than my father could.

And so, that trailer has housed various people who come and go in a sub-let type of deal. The couple pays us the rent for the land for about year, and they rent it out (and for a lot more than we get....)

And that was where the above mother cat came from. The last bunch moved out, and abandoned her. I don't think they really cared for her much at all. Anyway, I had seen this cat over there. They move out, and I go over there to check things out.

I find three very skinny little kittens over there, who run under the trailer, along with this very pregnat mother cat, also in need of a meal. These were this mother cat's first litter, I presume.

They are scared to death and hungry. That was it, my heart was theirs. So I run home and get a big ol' container full of cat food and some water and come back. They are hungry, crying, and smelling the food, but scared. I put it out on the back little deck built onto the trailer, then step back in the woods. They eat ravenously.

I call up the couple who own the trailer, and touch base -- yes, the previous tenants just moved out, they're looking for some new ones and will call me before anyone new moves in.

So about twice a day, I go over and feed them, and slowly gain their trust. They were two males and a little female, a tabby with white feet, a solid black for the males, and a black and white cutie for the female. The males soon let me pet and even hold them. The female keeps her distance. Oh, and mama is very friendly. None of them really like to be held, mama included, but they tolerate it. I move a little too quickly with the young female, and set back my advances a few days or so.

Mama was pregnant again obviously, and as I mentioned above, I was debating whether to just take her to the vet right then. But I didn't. I wanted to wait until they were completely in my trust. She had the kittens soon after somewhere in the woods around. She didn't have them around the trailer probably because of the previous kittens around. I don't know. But I'm glad she didn't after what happened.

Well, last Sunday, a new tenant moves in without warning -- the couple did not call me to tell (they were sorry but forgot, yada, yada). THe new tenant moves in with a big dog, *who has puppies* and sets up that mess of dogs right there and scatters my poor cats to the winds.

I'm a nice guy, and I tried to nicely tell him about the cats, but he didn't care (knowing I was his ultimate landlord, he did pretend -- this is just about the final straw with me, really, but I was worried about the cats).

Anyway, I had become quite attached to those little buggers and was worried sick. Where are they? Well, I managed to get all three kittens that night (took me until 2AM to get them all rounded up -- the little female was still scared of me, but she stuck with one of the others). I got them to my house. Now, I have two cats here now (both strays themselves), both male. They are both fixed, but one is very territorial and will throw a fit if a strange cat invades his territory. Had to keep him shut up the house, and he threw a fit about that.

The next day, I decided to move them to that shed I mentioned, which is ideal for cats. They didn't want to follow me. The two males would let me pick them up, so I carried them, and they seemed to understand they were to stay around the shed. I was hoping the little female would follow, but she didn't.

All alone, she was sort of getting wilder. I figured I'd made a mistake, and might need to bring the others back. But lo and behold, that night, well after sunset, about 11PM to be exact, she followed me down to that shed. Her two siblings were so happy to see her, and she was happy to see them. It was touching -- they butted heads, and licked each other, then ran around playing.

Now, the little buggers were okay, but there was Mama and her new kittens to worry about, and that's where it was when I posted this. Mama had come up to my house, running from the woods near that trailer to be fed for several days, and I was wondering how to get her and the kittens over.

But, as I found today, Mama figured it out herself, and moved over on her own. I was surprised she would move the kittens that far, but she apparently did. They're not in the shed (and least that I can tell), but she's got them somewhere around I'm sure.

So all is well.

-Richard

Now, the little buggers were okay, but there was Mama and her new kittens to worry about, and that's where it was when I posted this. Mama had come up to my house, running from the woods near that trailer to be fed for several days, and I was wondering how to get her and the kittens over.

But, as I found today, Mama figured it out herself, and moved over on her own. I was surprised she would move the kittens that far, but she apparently did. They're not in the shed (and least that I can tell), but she's got them somewhere around I'm sure.

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One of the big concerns that I have regarding the current situation is that you have a mom with new kittens and her previous kittens. Unless you want to have an ever growing colony, I would really suggest trying to get her 3 older kittens into get neutered/spayed. Females can become pregnant as early as 4 months of age. Once you have accomplished that task, it will be time to deal with mom cat and her current kittens. Even if mom and the girl are still wild...it is better to be wild and be spayed, then be wild and intact. You can certainly continue your socializing of these kittens after they have been fixed, but I wouldn't wait.

Katie