Moma Cat and Two Kittens

Hello. There seems to be a Mom and two kittens that have decided on a small radius of area around our porch as home base (60% of the time).

I have no complaints about this, but I want to do the right thing. I want to keep them safe, but can't add to my already 5 cat household.

So now, I am NOT feeding them, but I'm sure they are smart enough to grab a bird from my two bird feeders for the time being.

I'm prepared to figure out how to get them together and take to a shelter, but how? Also, a friend is very interested in the kittens, but they seem to be about 4-6 weeks old...and I do not want to upset mom. But I am thinking... what if something happens...

Suggestions?

There are different opinions about this here. Kittens should IDEALLY be with mum until they're about 12 weeks old. BUT they socialize much better at around 8 - 10 weeks old. Some would just start feeding them on a schedule and trap them ASAP. We always waited until they were older, but that was because we didn't have space to foster, so if we couldn't find homes for the kittens, we wanted them to be able to survive as part of the feral colony we cared for.

If you think they're fairly safe where you live (from cars and predators), then I'd wait another couple of weeks before trapping. In the meantime, you can work on finding a shelter, a foster network, or a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and a place to borrow or rent a trap.

Is the mom friendly - meaning - do you think she's a stray? Or do you think she's feral? It's the right time of year where you MAY find space in a shelter or room in a foster network. The kittens shouldn't be too difficult - it would help a lot if your friend does want to adopt them!

But just FYI, many shelters will kill animals they deem not friendly enough to adopt out (even many no kill shelters kill "ferals" - check the fine print, so to speak, they are often "no kill" for adoptable kitties).

Anyway, many vets and many shelters lend or rent out traps. Some just require a deposit they keep until you return the trap. When you get the trap, wash it with a light bleach solution to get the smell of cats and fear off of it. If you can afford Feliway spray, buy some and spray the trap with it to make it smell friendly. A few days before you want to first set the trap, start putting the food in the trap, but don't set it. If it's in your yard, pour dirt over the bottom so they don't have to walk on the wires. When you do set it, the trap just lifts up through it. And the day you want to trap, use a really stinky food - tuna, KFC (no skin), sardines...

In the meantime, do feed the cats, at the time you'd want to trap them and where you'd want to trap them. Put food out the same time and the same place every day for just one hour. They'll pick up on the schedule.

You can google "Newburgh, NY cat rescue" or Newburgh, NY low cost spay - and you can search at http://www.pets911.com. It looks like it's all set up as lost pet site now, but once you get your zip code in there, you can search for shelters and low cost spay & stuff.

You can also type in your zip code and just "cat" at http://www.petfinder.com. Go through the listings - all the cats listed have an org associated with them. Each org has contact info somewhere. You can conduct an e-mail campaign to see if you can find a shelter or someplace with a foster network to see if you can find someone to help. Just bear in mind that most places are underfunded and under-staffed, and it may take a while to hear back from a small percentage of them. We went out to a 3-hour radius, e-mailed about 22 orgs, and heard back from just 2, I think (but one did help). (We're in NW NJ). Important to note - almost all the e-mails are personal e-mails, so it really helps if you write down somewhere the name of the org and the e-mail associated with it, so when someone replies, you know which org is replying.

That's what we'd do.

Thank you for wanting to help these kitties!

... and please keep us posted!

This with not feeding the homeless unnecessarly is correct, but it doesnt apply if you DO have a plan with them. Here you do have: this friend who wants to adopt and foster the kittens.
And you plan for getting the mom to this shelter you talk about.

So do feed them, and thus begin on their socialization.
(observe: unless your own cats are in-out cats, you must think about security; wash the hands in between, perhaps even change clothes, and so...)


This of 12 w. kittens with mom and siblings is correct, but it applies to home kittens. Or kittens who must remain to live homeless. The homeless kittens must get all the knowledge and experience they can get.
I believe there IS an big exception to the rule for ferales and semiferale homeless: If there IS a good foster home awaiting. A private good loving home, NOT any anonymous shelter.
As kittens age 4-8 weeks are easier to foster: that is the big window. Later on it is still fully possible, especielly with kittens, but more difficult. (another big window is if they are severly hurt or sick, and you are helping them and nursing. But this is another story).

So here I would consider a suggestion for you to adopt them out as soon now as possible. IF this friend of yours is a reliable person.
Although the alternative is of course to let them be with mom a couple of weeks more, and take them then. Especielly if you work some on socializing them by feeding.
This is a feasible alternative yes.


Good luck!

You got great advice. Good luck and thank you for wanting to help this cat family!! I am not an expert but here are some thoughts I had:

I would find out from your friend asap if they want the kittens - the pair would do great if adopted together and would be much easier on the kittens. If you start feeding mom, she'll probably keep the litter in that spot so you can wait until they're the right age to take from her. (Don't worry about making momma cat sad - she'll be fine.)

Are there neighbors close by? You may want to ask about the momma cat to see if anyone knows the cat's story - how long the cat has been around, if it's someone's pet, if someone is feeding her already/being a caretaker, etc.

Depending on shelter availbility and friendliness of momma cat, you may be able to bring the whole family to a shelter if need be - but I would not bring momma cat to any shelter unless she is very friendly and adoptable at this point. (If she's not friendly and you cannot find a resource to take her inside, I would get her spayed and released back to where you found her so there are no future litters.)

Good luck!!

Okay, so first, thank you all. I had no idea about traps and the details of spay/release.

There are actually 3 kittens, quite adorable---and a protective, but very nice mom. We haven't approached them yet, but she loves blinking at us from the other side of the window. She's probably workable. (she realized that we had cats this morning with a very alert and curious face)

I am going to make sure someone can take the kittens, (no kill-shelter) My friend can no longer take them. So that's a no go, but kittens I would think would easily go to a good home. The moma, well, we'll see how she feels about things...but neutering her is my top priority (she's very young).

So...meanwhile I'm waiting for someone to call me back...so that I can proceed with trying to save the world one cat at a time. tee, hee.

Wish me luck!

That is exactly how it started for us. First a stray (who, it turned out, was already spayed)... then kittens (and a feral mom that was NOT yet spayed - when she was done training the kittens, she got spayed ). Four of those five kittens ended up with us... and we just kept going, one cat at a time.

If you need any further help with resources or have any other questions, just let us know!

...and please keep us posted!

If I was a one or two cat family, I might be easily swayed; however, I'm at 5 and they have finally (after 3.5 years) mixed into a happy fun little pride.

But I'll keep everyone posted

Good luck!!!! If momma cat is young, friendly, and approachable, she may get taken in by a rescue too with her babies. Hopefully you get a phonecall with good news soon.

Thank you for caring for this kitty family!

If she blinks at you although being protective mom (moms ARE supposed to be protective, that is their holy duty), so she is no real feral. She must have been a homecat once. That is my bet as now. 10 to 1, no less.
IF she is after all a feral, so she is one of these quite easy to socialize. Also this 10 to 1.


And again. As you DO have plans for them, do give them food etc, if you hadnt started with it yet.

Good this acquintance of yours backed off. Better he did it now than if the kittens were already with him some time. We dont need irresponsible fosters.



But you can perhaps try and ask around your other acquintances, relatives, school camrades??



Good luck!

Just wanted to send encouragement your way.

Bringing a stray into my life was the best decision I ever made. Ginger changed the way I view the world. We can change the world one cat at a time, because with her babies in a home/shelter getting spayed/neutered and her getting spayed you've stopped a cycle. It wasn't your cycle to stop but you are and I want to thank you.

Leslie

Originally Posted by Jack31

Just wanted to send encouragement your way.

Click to expand...

and lots of good vibes!
..

Hello all, thanks for all your kind advice

We are working with a rescue for mama and her kids. Mama has become so friendly, and gives kisses...

Last week I'd open the back door and she'd walk in, take a look and turn around. (okay, sure, see if you like it.) Then a big tom cat upset her and I opened the door and she ran in (he was chasing her, she I think was in heat).

She loves it, and is now spayed, clean bill of health, etc. She'll just need to be socialized with the others.

As for the kittens, we had to catch them (with no trapping help from the rescue) and they are staying in a room together (mama wants nothing to do with them). I'm working to socialize them more, and they're coming around...slowly.

Meanwhile, the rescue said they'd take the kittens and asked us to pay for spay neuter. Then they said they'd test for Feline Aids, etc. for us.

I stopped and said, well I think that will help get them adopted... The response was, well I have to talk to T. about that.

I'm concerned...it is starting to sound like we're not getting any help from them...

Suggestions? Suggestions about socializing the kittens?