Rescue Kitty had babies under the bed ...

I took in a stray cat that has been living in the neighborhood for a while. I glimpsed her a few times this winter, very thin and scared, but apparently our neighbors had been feeding her. They said she was pregnant and had already had one litter of kittens that died. I asked them if they could catch her so I could try to find her help through a rescue group.

I tried making various phone calls. One group wanted to spay her immediately, even though her kittens were clearly almost ready to be born. That seemed cruel, and I was looking for no-kill shelters and rescue organizations ...

Then she had her kittens. Four of them! In a little nest she'd created under the ripped-up mattress bottom of the bed.

I've been feeding her every 3-4 hours, wet and dry kitten food, keeping the room warm with a space heater, and just checking on her and the kits. I have not attempted to touch them yet, but I've peeked in on them and they seem to be doing fine. The mama is very friendly (she will even purr and let me pet her while she's nursing), so I really don't think she's feral--probably a "throw-away."

I have kept her and the kittens isolated in one bedroom, but there have already been a few "near misses" with my cats, and I'd like to have her checked for FIV and other illnesses and vaccinated, but I don't think that can be done while she's nursing. Does anyone know how long before she can safely get her shots?

I'd also like to get the kittens out from under the bed, but I'm not sure how to do that without traumatizing them or the mama cat. Someone said that if the babies get a human smell on them, the mother might kill them. That sounds like an old wives' tale ... but is it? Has anyone had experience with taking in stray moms with kittens?

Hi--thanks to everyone who replied. The kittens are one week old and seem to be doing fine. I wish she would take them out from under the bed, though, because they are way underneath and I can't reach them. I'm worried that mom may be sick because she has been having diarrhea. I don't know if it's a reaction to food or some kind of illness. I wish I knew a vet who made house calls!

Thanks to everyone who posted! The four kittens are 2 weeks old now and doing well. I did get them out from under the bed and now have them in a box lined with soft cloths. Mama is fine with me handling them, but as soon as they squeak she gets very alert and waits for me to put them back in the box, then she checks them out. I'm going to keep them all until they can find good homes.

Update on the mama cat and her kittens: all four were adopted (two of them together) and are now in great homes. So is Mama ... in other words, I now have FOUR cats instead of three! She is just beautiful and so sweet and has become more and more of a "kittypet." She has been fixed and still goes out during the day, but spends most of her time indoors. She gets along well with my other cats and is happy and healthy. Fostering these four beautiful kittens--two boys, two girls--was such a wonderful experience. I recommend it to anyone!