Question about reuniting feral cat with rescued 3 1/2 wk old kittens

ripleyp

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Hi,

I'm posting this on behalf of a friend. Last night 2 feral kittens were trapped, they are only 3 1/2 wks old -- they are doing well with bottlefeeding. Today attempts are being made to trap the mom cat. Can the mom be put back with her kittens immediately?

Any advice/tips are welcome.

Thanks!
 

belongstoevie

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Well, I'm no expert, but when I was fostering a feral mom and her 5 babies, mom escaped when the babies were about 3 weeks old. We caught her 72 hours later, and put her right back with them (never dawned on us not to), and they were all fine. She was a terrible mother before she escaped, and was equally bad after being reunited, so her behavior with them didn't change at all.

Of course, it's different, because she was with us for two weeks before she escaped, but based on her, it should be fine.

Hope someone else has more input for you!

And good for you for saving them.
 

grooverite

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I'm no expert either but if those kittens are as old as you say they are they most DEF need their mother! I'd say trap the mother ASAP!
 

skimble

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I would go for putting her back with the kittens as soon as possible, also. No expert knowledge on my part, just personal experience.

We accidentally trapped a nursing mom cat that wandered into a managed colony for food. Off to get spayed she went without us knowing she was nursing. We found the kittens by accident and finally got everyone back together. She took over and cared for them as if never separated.

If you are unsure, you could monitor a reunion so you could step in if trouble occurs. Best of luck.
 
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ripleyp

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Thanks for the input on this. I just wanted to let you know the kittens are doing well. The mom cat had no interest in being trapped, so the kittens are still being bottlefed. Hopefully the mama can be trapped and spayed soon!
 

sarahp

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Talk to cat rescue groups around and see if you can borrow a drop trap (kind of like this). It's good for getting cats who are wary of regular traps.
 
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