somebody help me... HELP

I am just dying inside right now.

I rescued a stray mama....  She is "Beauty" under SOS. I have had her three days. 

Her two babies are feral and past weening but they are crying for her and I can't catch them.  I scared them with a live trap the first night it was set. They are eating.  They ate a bowl and a half of food tonight, but we can hear them calling her.  They are about 3 months old.

I have the mama fixed and at my house.

Should I take her back...... My heart is screaming NO NO NO, but I am afraid for the young babes.  How do I catch them.  They are absolutely feral.  And they are scared little babes wanting their mama.

They are living in a wooded lot.  I can't see them but I know they are there. I have them a shelter now.

What happened the first night I had the live trap out was they got in it and moved their water bowl and when the trap was sprung, it blocked the door.  And so I freaked them out.  This is their third night alone.

ok...

It's breaking my heart,but when I get off work at midnight, I am bringing the mama cat back to try and use her to get the babies....  The baby meows has convinced me.  weaned or not.  feral or not.  The baby is scared and I can't take that.

I will get the mama back. I am not going to abandon her, but I have to help her babies. 

I am so troubled by this.

I am thinking about NOT leaving her but taking her with me.  

And then I have second thoughts about ME sitting t here a couple of hrs and trying to entice the babies out.

I saw a set of eyes by flashlight.  I know where they are hiding..  It's going to be cold in a couple days and if I don't get them they will be cold.  I have a better winter shelter that I could put out but I want them with me at my house.

I really  need suggestions on this.  I get off work in a little over an hour.  My big flashlights are at home.  So I am going home (10 miles) and coming back to town to sit in the dark on a dark wooded lot to talk to baby kittens.....  I must be crazy.

I'm new here and don't know what I'm doing -- but I'm familiar with your situation and know how you feel. This has worked for me with a little guy who spent three days alone after mom and siblings were caught. Get a second trap. Put mom in a secured (sprung) trap and place second (open) trap in front of it with food inside. Cover both traps. Babies should attempt to reach her and, voila!, you've rescured a family! Good luck!

Awww. Poor kittens. Maybe use a blanket she's slept on in the trap? Or a bit of her used litter? Something that smells like her anyway. I had the same problem but fortunately trapped the babies the next day so it didn't last too long. they go in to the trap quickly!

MargaretL said:

I'm new here and don't know what I'm doing -- but I'm familiar with your situation and know how you feel. This has worked for me with a little guy who spent three days alone after mom and siblings were caught. Get a second trap. Put mom in a secured (sprung) trap and place second (open) trap in front of it with food inside. Cover both traps. Babies should attempt to reach her and, voila!, you've rescured a family! Good luck!

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omg........ i have two traps.  I'll bring her to town in the morning..  awesome idea!!!!  Thank you so much...... yes yes yes....... woo hoo!! I have hope again.
 

I 'm going to sit out there a bit tonight though and just talk to the babies.  I know they are right there and can hear my voice.  I am putting more food out.  The little guys have eaten two bowls tonight since I've been at work..

Hopefully tomorrow I will have them both.  And the next day get them to the vet....

The double crate idea is the best thing I have ever heard of........ thank you so incredibly much!!  I have experience with cats but this is my first trapping of a family.  Never used live traps before.

Jenn

I'm fixing to go try this with mama in a crate covered up at the end of the trap......  This has been bothering me so much I had a dream about it.  I dreamed she had two litters.  One litter was regular sized and the other was a litter of three that were 1" long kittens.....hahaha......

I'll check in later.

Baby pictures!!!

Well I went down there and set mama up in a crate against the live trap.....  I sat for an hr in a distance and no luck.  She would not call the babies. 


After an hr, I let her out....   She went down the trail and looked back at me and if to say "I'm going to show you where they are"...  Seriously. 

The next couple are where she had them hid and her leading a baby out.  During the hour she was in the crate, I ever so often went back to her and called in the brush and I coudl hear a meow so I  knew one of them was there, but I could not see it.  So she knew I was calling her babies.  Cats are smarter than people give them credit for.

Their den is underneath this brush.


She led one out to me.  It was amazing!


Leading......


She brought the baby up to the top where I was.  Very skittish.  Did not trust me.  Wouldl constantly run off and then come back.  Mama cleaned him, groomed him and would not let him nurse.  He is weaned and eats and drinks very well....  I left the live trap set for him and I go to work at 4 pm so I can check it periodiodically throughout the evening hours. .  With mama sitting beside the live trap, he went in but not far enough in to set it off.  But she helped alleviate his fear of it.  So there is hope.

I am actually hopeful tonight.  But if I don't catch him, tomorrow I'll take Ally/Beauty back tomorrow morning and we'll work on it some more.  It sounds nuts, but she wants me to catch them.  I could not have asked for a better partner to help me today.  If not for her, I would not have these pictures of  the little guy.  I think he is a guy kitty.  I didnt' see his rear, but it looks like a male cat.

I meant to substitute the kitten chow for taste of the wild and I got sidetracked as i was so excited to be so near the kitten.  I left my bag of food down there.....  I am covered in moquito bites too.

I told Ally/Beauty that we are going to save her babies..  I know she knows that's what I'm trying to do.  She did all she could do to help me. I sat with her and this baby (talking to it) until a little after 1pm.  Then I crated Ally/Beauty back up and brought her back home.  I am not leaving her down there. 








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Sounds like you will have them soon!  Good luck. Keep us posted.

I will.  Fixing to get in the tub and head to work..  I hope I catch something tonight.

I think I also got bit by a spider amist the trash.  I am nausated, I have a huge swollen spot on my arm with a red ring.  I am going to work, but going to watch it. 

They are adorable! What does the Mom look like? What an amazing example of cat intelligence and "mom cat love"! She knows those babies need you and is probably so proud and wanted you to see them. Hang in there -- rescue is so worthwhile and what a great feeling of accomplishment when those kittens are in your care, safe from whatever's out there. Bless you!

I love that you are so caring and willing to help them!

What I would do is use a different looking trap. A drop trap. I don't know if you have access to one but you can even take a cage and rig the door with a long string,

Also you can get them to go into the trap you used before, because they have pretty short memories still and if they are hungry enough they will go, reluctantly but they will go.

Bait it with tuna! It's what I always use and have huge success.

Be sure to clean the trap used before to catch any cat, alot of people dont think of this but when a cat is trapped they release a ton of adrenaline smell and it remains, the next cat will smell the fear and NOT go into it.

Just use a spray cleaner, like 409, etc. and drench it with spray, then hose it off. Thats all.

Or a bleach/soap mixture, just rinse it well.

Too bad you can't get ahold of a drop trap, then you could get the kittens in one swoop!

Good luck. Oh and do not leave food for them, let them get good and hungry before your next trap event. They wont starve in a day, just be much more willing to get in the trap!

jcribbs said:

I will.  Fixing to get in the tub and head to work..  I hope I catch something tonight.

I think I also got bit by a spider amist the trash.  I am nauseated, I have a huge swollen spot on my arm with a red ring.  I am going to work, but going to watch it. 

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Oh my, that's not good. Please do watch it carefully!  Spider bites can be very bad!!!! Especially if you feel nauseated. May be best to go get it checked out ASAP.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing!

OH SWEETIE!!!!!!!!!! Am just catching up here in the Feral forum tonight. OMG mega mega vibes for that spider bite.

Seriously, you are amazing and I KNOW Beauty will help you in this effort with her babies. :nod: Beauty knows you love her and ALL the cats. You will work together as a team. :cross: Please keep us updated on those babies.

My arm is okay.  I'm more concerned about that grey baby.  I did not catch it tonight.  Checked the trap seveal times during my shift at work and then after work too.  I left it set and in the  morning I'm taking Mama cat back to her site and see what happens.  If I do that for a few days, possibly I might be able to snag it with my hands.  What happened earlier was a miracle.  It has never been touched before, so it will be a one person cat.  There is another baby hiding out there as well.  She has two babies.  They are eating at night.

I guess Sat I will take a warmer shelter out there for them.  It's going to be 31 degress.  I am going to springfield for a gender party and to buy some evo for mama.  (In case you are wondering, a gender party is when you find out the gender of a baby ). 

I did call the baby kitten tonight and talk to it exactly the same as I did when mama was there and it answered me once, but would not come out.

And the thing is, it is weaned, but it could not survive alone.  It's way way way too young.  In my opinion, it's either feed them or catch them.  If I don't manage to catch them and get them fixed, there will end up being a colony there one day.  I have to stop it now.  This baby could still be tamed with mama's help. 

Feralvr, it was so scary turning Beauty loose out there.  omg... It was a tough on spot decision on my part. I kept thinking, "What if she doesn't come back to me?"  But it turned out to be the right thing to do.  I love the pic of them eating and her looking back to me like she is telling me "This is my baby. Thank you."  After they ate, I did not take pics of it, but she cleaned him and groomed and loved on him and he was so glad to see her.  She went with me gently, but she would have stayed too.  But I can't leave her there.  She needs TLC.   So I'll try again tomorrow with Beauty's help.

It's 1am here or slightly after and I want to be there early.  I'm going to take some DE with me and put in the crate up there I have for them set up so counteract fleas and bugs.

getting mama and heading out.
 

jcribbs said:

getting mama and heading out.
 

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Just found this.... lots and lots of helping vibes!

In the wild, those kittens would have been driven away by mom, probably, very soon if not already.  Their chance of surviving for long?  Not good.  There is a mortality rate in truly feral kittens of almost 100% by the time they are six months old, except in established colonies supported by outside feeding.

well, I'm back.....

When I got there, mama called her baby and the grey from yesterday came out.   He did better today than yesterday.  More relaxed because mama is relaxed around me.  I stayed out there 3 hrs or so... and then terrorized him.  I sat very still in a chair and kept moving the food bowls closer and closer to me when he wasn't looking.  He finally wondered a couple feet from me, but always ready to dart away.  When he wondered into his mama's crate, I tried to shut the door and missed.........  He never did come back up under the shed........ crap!.  I hope he forgets that in a day or two. 

During that time, Beauty kept looking for her other baby and finally found it.  Never did get a good look at it, but it is a different kitten.  It might be grey too, but I'm not sure. But it is grey colored, but possibly multi colored.  Just did not get a great look through the trees.   These are the only kittens.

Since I ruined my chance for today, I sat both live traps and covered them so if they get caught they won't get cold till I get off work.  I also moved their shelter closer to the traps so that the traps looks like shelter with food in them......(hopefully)

I'm hoping kitten curiosity will lead them in...

I left early because it is cold and they will come up for food when no one is there. 

Here's my setup today.  Cant wait to get them someplace clean....

I put a piece of tin with a hole in it to block their doorway from wind tonight.  They are waterproofed form the elements tonight.  They actually sleep in this rubbermain crate.  I fluff it everyday and everyday it is mashed flat and I have seen them in it once.....   I know someone said not to put food out, but I am having trouble doing that since there is more than one kitten.  Me and mama cat will go every day.  She appears to be fine leaving them there, but she is very happy when we arrive too.  Today she instantly began calling them, cleaning them and caring for them.


And here's the live traps...... Please go in little kittens.