Kittens everywhere..

Hi all, i just joined this forum. I am not a cat owner, I'm a renter in townhouses where we have LOTS of stray cats and a lovely neighbor who provides no healthcare for them but feeds them and allows them to breed rampantly. Which brings me to this forum.

Two weeks ago my husband heard kittens under my neighbors porch. She had put lattice work up around her porch to keep the strays out because we end up with so many flies due to cats pooping under our porches. She is not a cat lover and wanted the kittens OUT so we removed boards and found 5 baby kittens who were probably around 4 days old ? Umbilical cords still attached on several but dried up. Anyway, I took them to a friend of mine and she has been bottlefeeding them and they are all doing well. We tried to catch the mother but she is pretty wild so unfortunately we couldn't. My friend has homes lined up for almost all the kittens she has, yaay!

So fast forward to 2 days ago. Some neighbors popped over the fence and told me there were kittens in the grass in the empty yard behind mine. I went in there and found 4 VERY young, maybe 1 day old, newborn kittens just lying in the grass in the middle of the yard. I picked the kittens up and carried them to my house. Amazingly there was a dog crate in the yard where the kittens were (foreclosed empty house) so I put the kittens in the crate in a box. No sooner than I did that, here comes mama. I squatted down and she came up to me (I've seen her around, she was born last year around here and one of my neighbors socialized her and her sister who disappeared quite a bit last summer while they were younger) she came near my hand so I grabbed her and carried her over and put her in the dog crate. We were a little worried at first that she would hurt the kittens but after a few hours of stressing she settled in the box with the kittens and has been caring for them for the last 2 days. I have moved the kennel into my garage and put a litter box and food and water in there with her. My husband and I have decided to let her take care of her kittens until they are old enough to be rehomed, and then have her spayed and let her loose again outside. We aren't allowed to have pets here so the sooner we can get them out of our garage the better.

My reason for this LONG story is, I need advice on how to make sure the kittens are socialized and what is the best way I can win over mama's affections? She's not particularly aggressive towards me. She growls a little when I come near the cage but she just stays in the box with her babies and watches me when I open the cage door to feed her. She did come over to the door yesterday and bit me but she didn't bite down hard enough to draw blood.

Advice? Suggestions? I saw a few posts here where people mentioned keeping kittens with mama until 10 weeks old. I know those kittens are going to get mobile and active in a few weeks and we can't have our garage overrun with kittens. They need to stay in that kennel (its a LARGE dog kennel) until we can rehome them and by the time they hit 10 weeks it will be very crowded. 6 weeks is generally the minimum?

Welcome to this Forums!

And tx a lot for caring and helping these our small sisters and brethrens!


I get many thoughts, lets begin, and hope others does fill in.

As you say, 10-12 weeks is the optimal. Yes, 6 weeks may perhaps be seen as some sort of decent minimum. If you cant more, so you cant.

(When I was young boy, there was the debate to adopt (home raised) cats at 6 or 8 weeks. I was among these who recommended 8 weeks.... Of course, at this time they though a cat (or dog) must be really young to bound with their owner. Rescuers and adopters knows this is bull...t. )

As you say, it is important for you to make the mom feel secure and safe, to "land", realize nobody is threating her, and thus - she dares to let you play and handle the kittens. (I think it will come in time, soon)
And it is usually the case! It is one of the big wonders in our bransch. Cat moms are alike human moms. The most important for them is the welfare of their children, not the "freedom" in itself. And thus, as soon they do realize the fosterer is no threat and friendly, as soon they realize this is the best practical chance for their children - they do copy with the situation.
It is not always they themselves does become fostered friendly tame cats, not if they were real semiferales / ferales. But they as a rule doesnt mind their kittens are handled, played with, and fostered and socialized home cats.
Sometimes you must do it respectfully, moms tend to be protective - but as a rule - you can do it.
This is not only dumped cats, but also semiferales. (possibly also real ferales, although I dont dare to swear on it).

If you afford, you can hasten it with some dust of Feliway spray. Or in this case, Felifriend spray. Classical harp music can also work...
http://www.harpofhope.com/

As said and you know, you must handle the kittens. As soon you can. Good if you can weigh them every day. 1. Handling. 2. IF some is not well, it is the easiest way to notice, if they dont gain every day..

Talk to this mother, friendly sounds. Some toms do take what they want, other toms are good at courting, and do use lotsa of friendly sounds. So making friendly noises, or talking friendly to a cats - they do understands. Be consistient. Not only just a couple of minutes, but longer pass and often. This our friendly courting tom is making a real siege! So you can too do it. If you cant be out there the whole time and talk friendly, you can use soft calming classical music in between.

About her hissing and small biting. It is of course warnings. But is not sure she does it for real, it is possibly most for "duty". Our oldest resident doesnt like to get his nails clipped, and thus - pretends he is biting. As yet, he did never biten us... But of course, you do want to get this phase over.

One thing more. You will surely get the kittens adopted. But consider you will perhaps - probably - manage to foster the mom too. She may be adoptable. Think on it if you can....


Good luck!

Originally Posted by sarahtmomof3

I'm a renter in townhouses where we have LOTS of stray cats and a lovely neighbor who provides no healthcare for them but feeds them and allows them to breed rampantly.

Click to expand...

Right. Giving the hungry food is nice, but it will be good only if "you" have some consistient plan with it. Ie adopting and or TNR (trapp, neuter, return).
As it is, there will become more and more, as you do witness.

So a TNR /rescue group would be nice in your neighboorhood. Group, it is easier ito be severa for this work. Better also to be a group of "concerned citiziens", then "just some old cat lady".

We do have you and your hubby. This feeder (you must talk with him/her).
These neighbours who did come to you and to get your help - apparently they do care somewhat. There may be other neighours too?
And all these friends and friends of friends who did adopted. Most of them probably doesnt want to be active memebers in this group, but they can sign on to be at least passive members. "A group of concerned citizens".
Being such a group, you can probably negotiate with the towns auctorities, and get some help from there.
The authorities will prob be happy if someone wants to work with this problem... To pay some sum of money and give you some recommending words is a cheap solutions for them.

There is perhaps already some working and good rescue / TNR group nearby - you can cooperate with them.

Good luck!

Edit. some polishing.