The Feral Had Kittens in My Yard! - Page 2

Ok, that is fine with the crate. Fill it with the leaves and put the babies inside for now and just leave her be for the time being.

The rope attached to the door and through the side is an excellent plan, but not with the babies inside as it would be too jarring for them. I trapped a cat that way a couple of years ago when I didn't have a trap. The rope was about fifteen feet long and when the cat went in the crate to eat, I pulled that rope so fast and tight. You have to keep that rope tight till the crate reaches you and latch it shut. Wear gloves!!!! You must be quick with the rope. And this might take a few days, maybe not. It is true, if she was totally feral, she would not have brought the babies near you. She knows you are trying to help her!!!!!! That is a good thing. Yes, the best thing now is to trap her and put her in a room in your house with her babies with all of the necessities and then go to plan B. Plan A is to get her trapped!!! What is Plan B?????? YIKES Let's get through Plan A first.

Since the babies are in the crate at the moment, could you just borrow a trap from a rescue??? Then you could trap mom that way. And then bring the crate inside with the babies. Are you sure there are only three and she didn't leave one somewhere else in the yard?

Has mom cat been with the kittens in the crate yet? If not, they need warmth very quickly. Do you have a heating pad? You can set the crate on the heating pad and put some warm blankets in the crate surrounding them. My concern now is that mom cat might be spooked and not care for the little ones properly and it is still vey cold here in Illinois still. I would go out and pick up some kitten milk replacer just to be prepared.

Is this carrier still outside? If so, you need to bring it indoors or the kittens will die. They have to be warm and if mom isn't around to transfer her body warmth to them, they will start to shut down. If your intention is to separate her from them and hand rear them, she will be in trouble as well. She will go into mourning and her milk will harden and it would be such a shame. The babies need to be indoor, to find out how warm check out my website www.kitten-rescue.com

This is what I would do. I would move the wheelbarrow and some leaves (or get some straw and hay) up to the porch and set it up with the kittens in a carrier nearby with warmth in the box, heating pad (don't put them directly on the heat) hot water bottle, heat warmers- something to give them heat. Cover them with a warm blanket (she will hear their cries and may come up on the porch) then shut the porch door by going around the house and taking her by surprise BUT you can't do this for more than two hours because the kittens need to eat. You can go on my website and find out how to feed them as well. They shouldn't be separated and if you mess with any nest of an outdoor Queen they will move the kittens so you can't find them. You have to outsmart her and keep the family together they should NOT be separated.

Honestly, you should have never even messed with this family until the kittens were ready to leave mom.

Oh, I'm so glad she's back taking care of her babies! That's wonderful. And we all know you're doing your very best for this little family, sweetie.

Would it be impossible for you to keep them together in your house for awhile, until those tiny babies are older and stronger?

Good Morning I am so relieved to hear that mom is caring for them in the carrier. Have you been able to get a look in the crate to see if babies are alright? Can you get a heating pad under the carrier on the ground and just set the carrier on top of the heating pad? Just for the time being to keep extra warmth, it won't be alot through the plastic bottom, but it will help. You know....... Are you able to approach the carrier with mom in it without her running away?? Then you could just close the door. Of course, this would be too easy, right!!! And probably in our wildest dreams might not come true, but it is just a thought.

If you get the heating pad under the carrier, then I would drap a tarp over the back of the carrier. I am so happy mom cat was there with them and she is eating too. Hope you get that call today. Please update when you can

Oh such a relief to hear she decided the carrier was OK and has been caring for the babies!

Great news about the rope, at least that's now an option!

I take it you've already talked to the shelter and they're able to take her and the babies?

Sending more !!!!!!!!!!

Most shelters are full up. I hope you have checked and you are not putting her in a kill shelter, because she has a better chance just being left alone to raise her kittens outside. I'm not sure why you think they are in such danger? If she has been harrassed under one shelter, she will find another hidden place to tuck her kittens and she will guard them carefully. If you set up a feeding station for her in the same place and feed her every day at the same (time) s- she will come and eat and you will be able to see how she is doing. She will be stressed in a shelter environment and again if they are a kill shelter, she won't be there that long.

She will bring the kittens to you when they are old enough to come off her belly and then you can trap and secure her and the kittens. I would just leave her alone. Just because you put her into a shelter, doesn't mean that is a better life than what she has now.

Being mandated to take them is definitely NOT the same as keeping them alive.

I would definitely speak to them first, and be very clear on what arrangements and level of care they'd be able to provide. Humane Societies' policies vary dramatically between different areas, but we would never work with the local chapter. The county shelter is worse - cats get rescued OUT of there by other rescues, in fact. Of course, some county shelters are great (though I find that to be the exception). Neither one has a foster network, and during kitten season, neither one is equipped with proper staff to handle bottle babies if mom stops caring for them.

Have you already searched to see if there are any foster networks in your area?

What Gary and I did on several occasions when facing bottle babies was take them to our vet, and basically made official arrangements with one of the vet techs (with knowledge of the owner) to foster the family or take on the babies if mom stopped caring for them. One litter of three basically became a project of the entire staff. But we did pay for their care. They ended up being adopted out through the vet office.

Of course, in the end, it's far cheaper to TNR the cats in the first place, which is why we do that.

I realize that toms do sometimes kill kittens to put the mom back into heat, and that seems to be your primary concern. If there are so many strays, it seems there wouldn't be a lot of competition for females in heat as there must be plenty in the neighborhood. As you put out food, the cats are attracted to your yard for that. Perhaps move the food to an area of the yard that is not too close to the nest: one where the strays can eat without threatening the nest, and where mom can eat and keep an eye on the nest.

But please, do ensure their actual care before taking them anywhere. Just getting some place to take them is not the difficult part. If they're not going to a foster home, or if the rescue isn't equipped to care for bottle babies and has a policy of putting down unsocialized cats, you really are best leaving mom to care for her babies in your yard (if she keeps them there).

That is good news about the fostering network. Usually, fosters (at least in my area and it is kitten season afterall) step up to the plate in situations like this and I certainly hope that is the case in your area You do have some options here and it sounds like you have done some looking into these different places. for you, mom cat and kittens

That's great.

Aw that's great! Sounds like you'll be able to get updates too!

Thank you for looking out for her and her babies! And thank you to your vet who is willing to take them all in and care for them and find them homes! That's how I ended up with Spencer and Katie. Someone brought them and their Mom into the vets. And I'm told that their Mom found a home too! So I'm sure that your kitty story will turn out to be a great success and that all 4 will end up in wonderful homes! Maybe even some of them in the same home, like my 2 did

You deserve a great big hug!!!

AWWWWWWWWWWWW Libby, this is fantastic news You did a great job and I am certain mom cat wanted your help. So glad and relieved they will all be safe at your vet's place now. Very, very good job and I am sure it was a quite nerve-wracking day for you and Dave. Lots of hugs for you as now you can relax.. I am sure you can keep in touch and see how things are going too. I am sure they will let you come and visit if you want.

Awesome job

I, like others, think that she is not feral but just scared. A little love can go along way.

I hope you can keep us posted on how they are all doing!

You got that right in regards to socializing a feral or a really frightened kitty. If they are kept in a cage, at least until you are able to touch and pet them, they will learn quickly how wonderful it feels to be pet and loved on. So I am sure with that vet tech spending time with mom and the kittens, she will come around very, very quickly. Again, so glad the little family is safe and sound now.