Kittens found under deck

lisa4502

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Hi all,

We having a bad cat in house must not be enough, now I have 3 kittens and a wild mother living under my deck. They look to be about 3 weeks old.
The mother lived in my yard all last winter and I don't want 3 more living around here with here. At what point can I take them away and humans can care for them until they are old enough to adopt. My fear is if I wait too long the kittens with go feral and I will never catch them.
 

Willowy

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Unfortunately, you should take them soon. It's not good for them to leave their mother so early, but taking them around 4 weeks ensures you can tame them properly. They can't go to a shelter before they're 8 weeks old, so you'll have to care for them until then. . .maybe bottle-feed for a couple weeks.

Can you rent a trap somewhere to catch the mama cat to have her spayed? Otherwise she's just going to keep having kittens under your porch twice a year and you'll have to keep finding them homes.
 

StefanZ

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Originally Posted by LISA4502

At what point can I take them away and humans can care for them until they are old enough to adopt.
Im seconding Willowy.

With humans do care for them - are you meaning yourself or do you know somebody who is perfectly willing to do the care and fostering?

Because you shoulndt catch them young before you do have someone awaiting. You are the best one, otherwise you must find somebody.

You can take the mom too and foster her, but it is a lot harder... If you dont fancy this,
So in practice, the recommending is to TNR the mom, ie neuter her and let her back out (she will manage). And take the kittens, prferably as young, foster them, adopt out.
Fostering of small kittens is easy, it is essentially as working with normal, small kittens.

Good luck!
 
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lisa4502

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I would love to foster them and may have to but I have issue.

#1. My husband & I fly out to Cancer Treatment Centers of America on Tuesday and won't be back until late Wednesday.

#2. The following week we leave for North Carolina for a family reunion.

I'm trying to find another mother cat that might be able to nurse them. Or I will have to wait until we get back this Wednesday to take them and then I am stuck with what to do with them the following week.
2 of the kittens came out today and are very active. They don't seem to mind us at all. The other kitten I've only seen out once or twice. They look like they are about 3 weeks old going on 4 weeks.

If we were not traveling for my husbands chemo and were not going down south this would be no problem. But now I just don't know what I am going to do. I know I have to do something soon before they get too big and wild.

Thanks for the pointers, if anyone lives in southeast Michigan and is willing to nurse 3 kittens for a few days let me know.


Thanks,

Lisa
 

StefanZ

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As I understood, there will not happen anything drastical with their development a couple of weeks yet. You are still into the EASY FOSTERING ZONE. But very latest at the week 7 you should take them, for easy fostering.

Early is easier, but as said, up to the 7 week is OK easy. After it it becomes more and more difficult.

the real danger is if the mom decides your place is no longer satisfacory or even becoming unsafe, and leaves with them. Which is one of the reasons of taking them when you can.


Holding thumbs for your husband and this theraphy he is doing.


Good luck!
 
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lisa4502

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Thanks for the well wishes. I guess I will see how things go for now. I'm leaving food for the mama cat so hopefully she sticks around. Its quiet in our backyard so I hope she doesn't move them.

Thanks again.

Lisa
 
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lisa4502

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Well,

The update is I trapped the mama cat and caught the kittens- all 4 (thought she had 3). All of them are at the Romulus Animal Shelter and the mama cat has even let her new caregivers pet her. I hope they all get adopted.

Thanks for the advice.

Lisa
 

milu

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Oh, well done
I bet that's a huge load taken off your shoulders and the best situation for everyone right now.
 
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