Ahh! Kittens!

For about the last year I have been feeding a stray cat that lives around my condo complex. She has always been super friendly. I call her Polly because she is polydactyl. About 3 months ago, she had a litter of kittens. I wanted to get her fixed as soon as I could, but I couldn't get to her because of where she was keeping the kittens. The next time I saw her, I noticed she was pregnant again. About a week ago she stopped coming around for a few days so I figured she was having the kittens. Three days later, she showed up skinny. My boyfriend and I decided to follow her after she ate to see if we could find out where she was keeping the kittens. We followed her back to a bushy area around the large lake I live by. The next day we got a cardboard box, lined it with towels and went to grab the kittens while she was eating by my door. There were 4 of them! We picked them up and carried them back to my place. We found Polly and showed her we had put her kittens in the box. I called my mom and asked her what she thought we should do with them. We decided that it was probably best for Polly and the kittens to live in my spare bathroom.

That is where they are now. Polly has adjusted to living inside, she uses a litter box and doesn't seem that interested in going outside. My 2 other cats are interested in what is going on behind the door. The male seems to be angry while the female is just interested. My dog is also interested, but she doesn't seem to care too much. I took them to the vet yesterday to have Polly checked for diseases and just to make sure everyone was looking healthy. They all got a clean bill of health!

So I have a couple of questions. I have been feeding Polly some of the Orijen that I feed my cats, should I switch her to a kitten food? Can I let Polly interact with my other cats (will my male be a bit uneasy around her since she isn't fixed yet)? Can I let the kittens interact with my other cats at some point? My dog is very friendly around cats (she pretty much raised my male cat from the time he was a kitten, I found him as a stray and he thought that my dog was his mommy), but she is rather big so I'm going to definitely be careful with her around Polly and the kittens. Polly knows my dog from outside, they would smell each other frequently. That is all of the questions I have no, once they get bigger, I'm sure that I will have more! I've lived with cats my whole life, but this is my first experience with a momma and her kittens.

My parents are going to take Polly and/or a kitten once everyone is bigger. My neighbor has said that she and her boyfriend would like one (gray and white male). I think I am going to keep one and one of my friends says that he would like two. That takes care of everyone! I'm also going to get Polly fixed once the kittens are weaned.

Now, what I'm sure everyone has been waiting for... PICS! WOOO!!!!

I have two males and two females. The all gray male doesn't have any extra toes. The gray and white male has 6 toes on his front paws only. One calico female has an extra toe on her front left and back left paws only (too funny! only on one side!). The other calico (the one my boyfriend is holding) has extra toes on all 4 paws. They all started opening their eyes yesterday. I have been picking them up and petting them every day so they are used to human touch. Polly doesn't seem to mind at all, she also was super friendly at the vet yesterday. I feel like she must have been someone's cat at some point, and they moved away and just left her. Lucky for her, she found a sucker and her family!

Oooh, how adorable! I'm a sucker for calicos. And polydactyls. Plus I think a couple of them might turn out to be longhaired. Awww.

Oh My they are so cute. I want to kiss their little noses

Originally Posted by wahls

So I have a couple of questions. I have been feeding Polly some of the Orijen that I feed my cats, should I switch her to a kitten food? Can I let Polly interact with my other cats (will my male be a bit uneasy around her since she isn't fixed yet)? Can I let the kittens interact with my other cats at some point?


I feel like she must have been someone's cat at some point, and they moved away and just left her.

Click to expand...

Wow! What a nice story! Beautiful!

I would send you something nice, a forum-gift, but I dont understand how to do it.
Please, do contend with my blessings, you and your boyfriend.


I too think she was once a dumped homecat. Although this behavior of hers is quite usual with semiferales too... Like human moms, the most important for them is the welfare of her children. Not "freedom" as such. Thus, as soon she realizes nobody is threating, and everybody seems friendly, she realizes also this may be the best practical chance for the kittens and her - and thus - so does accept the situation and does copy.
Many many rescuers did witnessed about this..


About interacting with the others. They got a clean bill of health, good.
But still, wait some days more till all the dewormers had worked.

After it? Theoretically, you can let them meet, IF the others are friendly. And the mom accept them.
The mother mustnt be stressed! She may also beat up the male if she isnt entirely sure about his friendliness...

About the kittens - it is surely only good for them to play with an aunt and a couple of uncles, one cat-uncle and one dog uncle...

but again, wait a little.

A friendly cat is a minimal danger. But an unfriendly cat, especielly male, may be a real danger... Besides, many adult cats are afraid of kittens. They dont really knows what small kittens are! He can hurt them because he thinks they may be a danger...

The dog may be a danger because of the difference in sizes. Say, he wants to play with them - and is a little careless - accidents happens so easy when very small plays with a very big...

So, I think you should wait a couple of days till the dewormers had worked.
Begin then with the friendly female, IF the moms seems to accept her.

Then, try with this very friendly dog - IF the mother seems to accept him and his presence.

Last, this not so friendly male cat... IF the mom accepts him.


The food yes. Orijen is a very good food for being a dry food, as good as many qualitative kitten foods. It is not necessary to switch. Unless you do have a kitten food really better.
Although she is skinny you say... So it may be good with something extra...
Let me think, and other will perhaps also fill in.


Tx again!

Good luck!


ps Welcome to the Forums!

Thanks everyone! I will definitely wait a bit for them to get bigger and the dewormer to work. Polly is very accepting of my other animals, but I will make sure that she is comfortable with them before I let anyone interact. Right now everyone can smell everyone else under the door. I've also closed the other animals in my bedrooms and allowed Polly to walk around the living room, dining room and kitchen so she can get away from the kittens for a bit. I will also be very careful with my dog around them, I know she would never harm them on purpose, but as you said, she is bigger and doesn't really realize it.

Mostly though, I just wanted to post a couple more pictures of the little babies. I feel like a doting mother!







And this one just because I think it is cute. This is my male cat Domino with my dog Koda. Domino used to think Koda was his mommy... she was a good momma cat to him! I found him as a malnourished kitten roaming around on his own. At first the vet thought he was only a few weeks old, but it turned out he was a few months old, but just hadn't gotten enough to eat. He turned to my dog Koda (who was the only other animal I had at the time) to be his mommy. He would jump on her and play with her and bite her all of the time. And she just took it like a champ! They are good buddies now, but he used to try and nurse on her!

First of all hun, you are AWESOME for what you are doing for Polly and these PRECIOUS little babies! Thank you for giving them all a chance!

I love the pics! Nothing in this world cuter than a tiny kitten.