Need advice about feral mama cat

AWWWWWWWWWW are they ever precious, beautiful little kittens. I second what LDG says, they still look quite young to me and I would not trap mom yet. It would be best to trap them all together (when mom is done nursing and they are at least over eight weeks or so) then the kittens could go into foster care??? And mom could get spayed then and either fostered out as well, or returned back outside. I would start to make some calls now and try to find a rescue/foster situation for those kittens..... They really are so adorable and thanks for posting those pictures

Originally Posted by LDG

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.

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Well, I can't foster them myself. I have 6 cats already. I made a call yesterday to Spay Nation. spaynation.net They are literally right around the corner from my office. I called to get info about spaying mom for starters. I also inquired about the babies and fostering networks. He gave me some places to call but told me not to get my hopes up. He said it is hard to find people who have the time to try to take in feral foster kitties and resocialize them. I'll try to start making some calls today.

I'm not 100% certain of their age. I can only say this. They were discovered in my boss' car on April 20th. I guessed their age to be about 2 weeks since all their eyes were completely open and they were walking, although unsteadily. I know there is no definite answer, but at what approximate age does a litter of kitties eyes completely open? If my guess is right, they would be about 7 weeks old today. The person with Spay Nation told me that if they were eating on their own from the food I put out, then mom can be taken for a day or two to be spayed.

However, new problem....sort of. It seems she has indeed moved them this time. The area that I work in is a very industrial type area. I have started picking up any left over food when I leave work at 5:30 because if it is out there, the raccoons will come for it. I worry about the raccoons coming around when mom is away being spayed. When I got to work yesterday at 7:30, I put out food for them and refreshed their water. When I went to get it yesterday at quitting time, it had hardly been touched. My guess is mom is the only one who ate out of it. I did find where she moved them to. Remember I said there were 2 conex buildings between our current building and another building we are about to occupy? Well, on the other side of the seconde building, we have more conex buildings.....3 of them. She moved them under those. See photos.

This first photo shows the building we are currently in to the left and the building we will be occupying to the right. In between those 2 buildings are the conex buildings she used to have them under.



This photo shows the whole new building and the 3 conex buildings to the right in the distance.



This photo shows the 3 conex buildings she how has them under.



ALSO......hardly any food was consumed yesterday and so far today, none. Should I move the water and food bowl closer to where she is or do you think that will make her move them again?

I think it is common for mom cat's to move their young for safety reasons. I hope you can find an organization to take those babies and Good luck with the mom cat's spay.

Originally Posted by SophieC

I know there is no definite answer, but at what approximate age does a litter of kitties eyes completely open?

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around 14 days i think

Aw hun... I really don't know what to recommend about the food! We just always put the food out at the same time, for the same amount of time, and in the same place. They know where it is and when it will be there - and if they want it, need it, or want to bring their kittens or direct other cats ( ) to it, it's there. I've never tried to figure out where a mom is keeping her kittens. Only once did we know - and that was because it was right out behind the RV in an old groundhog den. We left them alone, and mom never moved them. She and the family did disappear for a few days. In fact - that's how we wound up bringing our first cat inside. She left the noisy kitten behind (the others learned to not talk). We took him in. Then the family showed up two? three? days later.

There have only been two other moms with kittens in the 10 years we've been doing this. They never had a regular schedule - but the kittens survived, and we eventually got them into a foster network - except this last batch, of which the three survived the winter (as did mom). All of them are now spayed (thank goodness - ALL the kittens were female! ) - and one of the kittens has become friendly enough the foster network may take her on.

So... after all the blah blah blah, I think what I'm saying is ... in our experience, we found that putting the food out (and picking it up) at the same time and place is... maybe not the best idea... but it's worked.

You know, this whole situation has me pretty upset with myself. If I had followed through with my desire to trap mama, get her spayed and release her, I would not be dealing with any of this right now. My fear is that I'll never get all the kittens trapped so that I can have them all fixed. I worry that once I trap one or two (if I'm lucky), that they will get smart to the idea of the trap and stay clear of it. At what age can I get the kittens fixed?

I went ahead and moved the food/water bowls to where they are now. The cats don't get fed on Sundays. The reason for that is that I don't live & work in the same city. I own a house in the same city that I work, but I don't live in it yet. I go to work on the house on Saturdays, so I swing by work to feed the cats before I go to the house. It may sound cruel, but I can't afford to drive the 45 minutes (one way) to feed them on Sunday and then drive back again. Here are some new pictures from this past Friday & Saturday. BTW.....mama is the black & white.

I do understand that feeling of responsibility but you are doing a great job and are at least feeding them and have plans to trap. They are very sweet looking kittens. Don't worry about them getting trap smart. Most kittens are not and they are easily trapped. I have had to go in at once before. They can be fixed at two pounds. I would think by twelve weeks or so they can be fixed. Mama cat is a very pretty cat. Much luck with this keep updating and I hope this kittens can be rescued

I'm worried now. I last saw the kittens & mama on Saturday morning when I came to feed them. As I said in a previous post, I don't come on Sundays because it is too far of a drive just to come here to feed them. I came on Monday morning and there was no sign of any of them. I left food & fresh water anyway. I got here this morning and all the food was gone....but still no sign of any of them. I know you guys said don't be surprised if they disappear for a few days, but I still can't help but be worried since it is such a big industrial area. Especially because right on the other side of the fence is a place the works on big trucks, 18-wheelers, etc.

I know it is hard not to worry, but we don't have any control over these cats and especially mom and kittens. I guess at this point, I would start trapping, if it is at all possible and if you have a place/foster situation to take them. Life outdoors, as we know, is very harsh. I wish you much luck in this situation and think they are lucky to have you feeding them, and am sending mega that the kittens will be alright and you will see them soon.

Well, tomorrow will be one week since I have seen the five kittens. I can't imagine what is going on with them. I have only seen mama cat occasionally. By the amount of food that is missing in the bowl, I can tell it is only mama that is eating from it. There is hardly any missing when I pick it up before I leave work. I got a trap purchased and ready and I'm thinking of setting it Monday night. Since I don't go to feed them on Sundays because it is too far away, she will have gone with no food since Saturday and she'll be hungry. I won't set it until I leave work Monday since I don't want her to be too long without food. I'm hoping to find her in it Tuesday morning and then I can bring her to Spay Nation to have her surgery. With my luck, I'll probably trap a racoon.

Oh dear, I wish those kittens would show themselves to you!! A whole week, I wonder where they could be too. Now I am worried . Much luck with trapping mom on Monday . Hopefully you will see the kittens soon. I will be sending vibes that you do.

Well, I'm back. I've got some good news...maybe. When I went this morning to put food in the bowl, it was of course empty. What I noticed however, was little paw prints in the bowl. I know mom doesn't get in it, but I have seen the kittens get in the bowl to eat. So, that at least tells me that they are still around somewhere, I just have no idea where they are staying right now.

Oh Phew, I am glad you posted this. I was a bit worried for them, although I am sure this happens often with feral mom's and kittens. They seem to just disappear from site when they know people are coming and just run and hide. This might be what is going on too. Or they are just coming to eat when they know no one will be around. Glad you saw those tiny pawprints

Little pawprints in the bowl. Great news!!!!

Having never attempted to trap a cat before, much less a feral cat, I have a question. When I put the food in there this evening after work, do I put the food in the trap in a small bowl, or do I just put it on the ground inside the trap? The trap will be in an area that has limestone….it is a pretty uneven surface out there.

OK, I have decided to delay setting the trap. We are having some severe weather right now....rain, thunder, lightning, high winds. This is the first rain we have had in a LONG time. We have been experiencing an extreme drought here lately. It figures that the night I decide to set the trap, the weather does this. I don't want her to get caught in the trap and then be stuck in the trap during this weather.

Oh that darn weather always put a damper on trappings. I have had that happen to me. Tomorrow will be another day. I just put the food on a paper towel in the back of the trap and drizzle some of the juice or tiny pieces of food along the papertowels leading out of the trap. Some people have suggested putting the trap in a large dog food bag so it seems like a private tunnel. I just use a very dark towel drapped over the back half of the trap. Good luck tomorrow I hope you get mom, but if you happen to trap a kitten or two, I would bring them in for their spay/neuters then. Either way, they will all need to be done anyway.

I'll have to scrap todays attempt as well as tomorrow most likely....weather! I'm worried again. I still have not seen the kittens and I haven't seen mama since last week. The food I put out this morning is untouched. I'm beginning to think those paw prints I saw in the bowl were from an earlier time....maybe I just didn't notice them before.

Have any of you ever trapped something other than a cat when you were trying? I just know I'm going to get a racoon. The food I put out yesterday I left out. I usually pick it up, but knowing I had not fed them since Saturday and I wouldn't be trying to trap her last night, I went ahead and left it out. It was all gone this morning, but something tells me it was racoons, not the cats.

I am sure she has been around and you might just be missing her and the kittens. The kittens are a bit older and wiser and might just be hiding and taking their mothers lead. Or she has moved them again. I hope you see them soon. I have trapped the same opposum twice . The same one that hangs around at night with the other ferals. They all seem to get along. I just open the trap and out he goes like it was nothing . No raccoons though. I will be sending more good luck trapping vibes your way

Originally Posted by Feralvr

I am sure she has been around and you might just be missing her and the kittens.

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I'm not so sure about that. I am beginning to think they are gone for good. This coming Saturday will be 2 weeks since I have seen the kittens. I haven't seen mama since sometime last week. The food has not been touched the last 2 days. I left it in there overnight, but I know a racoon ate it since the water was full of dirt and there was some mud in the empty food bowl when I got here this morning.

I know that when females are in heat, males will roam. Is the same true for females? When they are in heat, will they roam themselves? I find it so strange that they seem to have completely abandoned a known food source.