Need advice about feral mama cat

Wow! Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s been quite some time since Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been here. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m back to ask for some advice on a feral cat that Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been feeding where I work.

To make a long story short, she became pregnant and had babies in the back of my bossâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] corvette (that he doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t use). Some people working on an additional building we will be occupying heard the kittens and notified us. We, of course, couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t leave them there, so I removed them from the car and we put them in a large box. By the way, mama was in there with them when I climbed in to start removing them. She flew out of the back and through the window so fast, I almost didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t realize what was happening. Anyway, we moved the box into the room next door which has big roll down doors on either end. The corvette had originally been there and was moved. The concrete slopes, so there is a gap on one side of the roll down doors. We knew this would allow her to get back in. Just like we suspected, the next morning, all the kittens were gone. We assume that she moved them. At the time we found them, their eyes were fully open and they were walking……wobbly, but walking none the less. I would say they were at least 2 - 3 weeks old at the time. This coming Thursday (May 12) will be 3 weeks since we found them and moved them to the other room…..so by now, they would be at least 5 – 6 weeks old. My question is this…..IF they were “still around†wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t we be seeing them? Wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t they be following mama around?! I still feed the mama and see her pretty often. As I type this, she is out back under one of our conex buildings. If the kitties are still around, I find she spends an awful lot of time away from them. My fear is that something got them……I know for a fact that there are raccoons out there. For one, Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve seen their footprints in the mud and I can tell they are eating the cat food I leave for her since I sometimes find food crumbs and dirt in the water bowl. What do you all think? Do you agree with my thinking that if the kittens were still alive, we would spot them here and there?

Wow, that's a tough one. I'm guessing you'd be seeing them by now too.

I'm confused though - why were they moved in the first place?

And are you asking because you're wondering if you should get mom spayed now? If she's around regularly for food, if it were me I'd wait another 2 or 3 weeks - just to be on the safe side - and then get her spayed.

for her and the babies, if they're still out there.

I guess you had to move them out of the Corvette because the car needed to be moved itself? I am sue the owner didn't want kittens in his car. Well, I think mom moved the babies somewhere else. You might not yet see them depending on where she moved them if they are only about five weeks. They will stay close to the nest still. I sure hope the raccoons didn't get the kittens and doubt the mom would allow that. They are fiercely protective of their kits and can easily scare off a racoon. No doubt about that. I would wait at least three more weeks before you try trapping her to be TNRd. Sending vibes for these kittens. I sure hope they are alright

Good point. They don't necessarily start weaning them until they're 5-6 weeks old - and sometimes older. So it may be they need to be 6-8 weeks old before you'd start seeing them. ?????

The reason we moved them follows. We will be expanding and some of our employees are moving into the building next door. At the back of the building is a room that is not air-conditioned. Behind that room was a concreted area that had a back wall and a roof over it. The boss had 2 large roll down doors installed at either end, so now it is completely enclosed. His corvette was in there. He does not currently use this car. It is one of his MANY toys. The mama cat was able to slip in underneath the large roll down doors. The window on the driverâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s side of the corvette was halfway down. She got in there and had her babies (5 of them) in the back of the car. Then one Saturday, they moved the corvette from that closed in area into the non air-conditioned room next door because that is where my boss wanted it moved. No one knew the kittens were inside. The following Thursday, some alarm people were there working on installing an alarm system, they heard the kittens, and notified us in the other building. We moved them because a) our boss would not have been happy to know they were in there and b) because the room where the corvette was moved to was a locked room with no way for the mama cat to get in and out. We put the kittens into a large box and moved them back to the area where the corvette originally was, so she would be able to get back to them by slipping under the roll down doors. We assume that when the car was moved, the mama must have been in there with them. How else could kittens that small have survived from Saturday to Thursday with no food from mama?!

And yes, what I'm trying to figure out is when would be a good time to trap her, have her spayed, and then bring her back. I don't want to do it if she is still nursing them.

I've tried and tried to follow her with no luck. When she sees me, she usually runs...and with all the fences around that she can slip under, and I have to go around buildings, I just can't keep up with her. I go outside quite a few times during the day and can usually find her somewhere. If the kittens are still alive, she spends an awful lot of time away from them. Too much if you ask me.

Wow, she really has a kitty angel!

When we had a feral mom right out back (living in a ground hog hole), when the kitties were about... 6 weeks old, we started seeing them all the time and the mom almost never. But they were right here. So it may be they're old enough for her to spend (so much) time away... but if they're not so close, they may not be big enough for her to bring around to the food source.



Please keep us posted!

they may still be somewhere. If ma is somewhat trusting the feeders, she takes her kittens with her at this time, 5-6 weeks "to show them". But if she has no trust, she doesnt. and thus - it takes some more time before you will see them.
Taking her now is dangerous, they do need hers protection.

Some do try a quickie, take her in a trap, quickly off to the vet who is immediately taking the spaying by the flank, selfdissolving stiches. The moma rests 24 hours, no more, and is released. So she can go back and feed them, but if she can protect them is another question.
Adult ferales are the survivors, and thus, they do heal quickly. But they cant fight shortly after major surgery, neither they.

So if desperate you can try, but as you arent really desperate - she IS feeding at your place! And will continue so unless she gets discouraged and scared.

So please, do wait these three weeks more. Than you will now.

At that time she may be pregnant againt, but an early pregnancy is no big bizness for a vet.


Tx for caring!

Good news!!!! I found the babies. She has them under the conex buildings that are between our 2 buildings. I went outside for lunch and looked under there in the forklift slots. Once my eyes adjusted to looking into a dark space, I saw mama and she hissed at me. Then I saw movement behind her....it was the silhouette of 2 kittens. Later I went out again and 2 of the babies were out from under the conex buildings, but ran back when they saw me.

How many did they were from the beginning when you found them first?

Oh that is FABULOUS!!!!

I removed 5 kittens from the back of the corvette. Right now, I am only seeing two of them. It is the same two I keep seeing. Either the others are not brave enough yet, or they didn't make it. I'm inclined to think they didn't make it. Once when I looked under the conex building today, I could see them, and it appeared the babies were nursing. I could only see two of them. In my mind, if they were all there, they would have all been nursing.

I lived in an area where the feral mom cats would show up with their kittens about 2-3 months after they were born. Of course she would grab a nibble, run off, then leave me to care for them.

The fact that you aren't seeing them yet is probably because, while they can walk, they aren't going that far from their nest. I suspect you'll see them out and about in a couple of weeks.

Sending vibes for you to get momma trapped and spayed!!

Fantastic news . I would start putting canned food out and water near the nest everyday. Use kitten canned if you can, mom needs it too. In about three weeks you can trap mom for a day and then return her there. If at all possible, try to just sit out there each day so the kittens can just get used to your prescence and speak quietly. After mom is spayed, you might want to start trapping the kittens then too. If you can find someone to take them and start socializing them, that would be ideal. They could go to a rescue/foster situation and get adopted. I know that is a lot to take on. But they must be trapped too. We are here to help and give support anyway we can!

I'm not a big fan of canned food....especially for feeding ferals/strays. If the food stays out too long, it turns hard. Once I realized she had babies, I did a gradual switch to Purina Kitten Chow.

Guess what?! All five of the babies are there. I moved the food and water bowls right next to the conex building that they are under. There is a barbeque pit out there and I put the bowls under there. I went back out a little while later and that is when I discovered all five of them are there. Three of the babies were at the bowl with mama and one of them was already eating. Later I went and looked and one of them was in the bowl eating. Mama lunged at me twice while hissing and spitting. It is a good thing there was a fence between me and her or I might have a little blood on me.

Originally Posted by SophieC

Mama lunged at me twice while hissing and spitting.

Click to expand...

This is probably the explanation all five are still with her (and us). If mom is not wholeheartly protective, predators do take most of them.

Although it makes if more difficult for the rescuer or adopter.... But such IS the fate of the dedicated rescuer!


Good luck!

Oh that is just great news that all five kittens are well and healthy. . Mama cat is doing a great job caring for her kits. She sounds like she won't let anyone or anything harm her babies . Keep us posted

I'm starting to wonder if she's moved them. Yesterday when I came in to work, I changed out the food bowl I had been feeding in. It was a rather small bowl for 5 kittens and mama. I bought a large 3 quart dog pan over the weekend. I put quite a bit of food in there. I saw mama and one baby eating out of it a while after I put it out. Throughout the day, I would walk out there. Some of the kitties got completely in the bowl to eat. Every time I went out yesterday, I saw them, whether they were playing, eating, or sleeping. Today, I have not seen them once. I put food out this morning when I got to work, as the bowl was empty. Mama was on the other side of the fence watching me from quite a distance. When I walked away, she went to that area....but I didn't go back to look. I walked out there mid-morning and looked all over....no sign of any of them. For lunch I went out there and same thing. No sign....and the food has hardly been touched.

Is it possible she moved them at this age if she feels threatened by me?

Sure, that is a possibility. But don't worry yourself about that at all. This is very common for feral mom's to move the kits often. And it might not be you that caused her to move them. It might be another cat, tomcat, or some other threat. She knows what she is doing. I am sure you will see them again, just keep putting the food and water out as usual each day. I am sure mom cat is starting to trust and rely on you, at least for the food and that is a good start.

OK....it turns out she did not move them. I guess they had just spent a majority of that day sleeping. I went out 5 times that day to check on them and never saw them once. Anyway, they are all still there. Here are a few photos.

These are the 2 conex buildings between our 2 building that the kittens live under. Notice the bowls under the bar-b-que pit.



I took these 3 this morning after I got to work and put out fresh food & water. Only 4 of the 5 kittens were at the bowl. Because of my distance from them, the shots are not completely clear. The fifth kitten is another just like the 2 light ones on the ends.







The one thing that I worry about is when I get around to trapping the mom to have her spayed. I worry about the fact that I know there are raccoons out there (I see there footprints in the mud and the water bowl is often full of dirt) and mom won't be there to protect them. What do you all think?

Are you thinking about fostering them? Or have you been working on finding a foster network or shelter that might be able to take them? (I know, tough season right now!)

Because if so, I'd give them until about 9/10 weeks - trap them to remove them and fostered/adopted, and then trap mom to spay her. If you think they may have to live outside as sterilized ferals, I'd wait until they're 11/12 weeks old. Mom finishes teaching them everything by about 12 weeks.

If they disappear for a few days, don't be surprised. Moms do take them on excursions - but they come back if the food source is still there.