Look what showed up on our doorstep yesterday

I had just responded to MA's post yesterday about having another baby show up on her door, and as I was responding, I kept thinking how fortunate I was to not have any new ferals show up this year (other than the 2 litters that showed up in spring). I was actually feeling a little cocky about it, when I walked outside for the evening feeding......guess what was waiting for me out there?

I have no idea where this queen came from - she looks a lot like the cats within my feral colony, but by her guess-timated age (she has to be under a year old), I have no idea which of the queens had her. She isn't a part of a litter from the regular queens that wean then drop them off by the food bowls.....

*sigh*

Here's another one with 2 older guys (Indie is the tortie and Larry is the red tabby) and one of the 5-1/2 month old calico kittens. The new mom is actually smaller than the 5-1/2 month old. How can they have kittens that small and young!?!?!

They are beautiful cats!

Lilith was barely a year old when we adopted her, and she was already pregnant. She is now 3 yrs old, her kittens 2 yrs old. All of the kittens except for Max are bigger than their mom! Max and Lil are about the same size, just barely 9 lbs. We often look at the kittens and ask Lil, "How did you manage to have these huge kittens?"

Oh my! I know just how you feel. I had just gotten the last of my foster litter adopted at the end of August. For a whole week I too was feeling rather cocky and very free. Until 3 little heads popped up from under my shed... Sigh.

Yeah, sadly cats can start having kittens at a very young age, but some of the females are just very small. The mother of the 3 kittens I trapped was hardly bigger than they were, and they were only about 10 weeks old. But she is at least 3 yrs old.

What will you do with this new gang? It never ends, does it?

Her size is hard to judge from these pictures, but the mom is the same size as our Koko, 5 months old and just shy of 5 pounds. She is a TINY little girl! And she looks like Koko - when we first saw her outside yesterday, we had to run in the house to make sure Koko was in there and didn't sneak out somehow. My guess is that they at least share the same father....

Since I'm in the middle of TNRing the spring kittens, I will just have to do the same with these guys. I've already asked the head of Help Humane Society (no-kill pure foster agency) if she has some ideas. I've tapped out of folks that want kittens this year.

Hugs to all of you dealing with this. I guess we're isolated enough out here that when we trapped everyone last year that was it. We've seen no new cats around, period (knock wood).

Well - either that, or the fox family that moved in is keeping new cats from coming around....

Bless your heart , more bundle of joy . That just made me mad that people don't spay/neuter the pets and then just dump them

I had a 6 month old show up pregnant here one year. I had the kittens aborted, I wasn't going to take the chance of the mom and the litter dying.

I feel so bad for the females, they don't ask for this life. Your new babies are so cute! But again, I am sorry they have showed up, because they are just added responsibility and added cost to you and the family.

awww they are adorable! it is ashame they should up though. I know where my new guys come from. there is a house down the street that feeds and doens't fix so I get the trickle down. Knock on wood ashton is the only one that come of feedings latly. Lilly, shebert, leo, big white, and big black all haven't been coming around. I'm hoping they found better food else were. Good luck with the new ones! I only have three left to get fixed...then i'm sure a bunch more will show up

Got a much closer look at the kittens today and made some interesting discoveries.

The black cat is not the mom. She appears to be about 5-6 months old and is just starting her heat. As she rolled on her back on the ground, there are NO signs of nursing at all. You can't even see her nipples. She is very talkative, knows about food bowls, and is very friendly to the other ferals by my house. She talks back to you when you talk to her (catchable YES).

The red kitten appears to be about 5 weeks old. It is eating and lapping but is very skittish and I can't get within 10 feet of it (yet). It is much more clumsy than the other kitten, so I don't think it is a runt, I think it is younger.

The white and red kitten (male) appears to be about 7 weeks old - eating and lapping. It is fairly friendly and responds well to voices. Curious, and sort of walks up to you but doesn't get close yet.

So.....I'm coming to the conclusion that these were dumpster kittens. There is too much open property by my house - they would have had to wander 1/2 mile to get to my house. They are different ages and probably not related.

I hate people that do this!

me too

The little red one is so adorable! He looks just like my Leo did when I found him in the Petsmart parking lot, the one on Hillcrest Drive near the Hypermart, in south Kansas City. I wish I were closer, I would take him in a minute.

Prego is TINY and she's had at least 2 litters already.

Those are beautiful cats.

Well.....finally got the 3 kittens to come up to the back stoop when I fed them. I sat with them for about an hour talking to them and trying to get them to come closer. The red/white one actually was interested in my wiggling fingers, but isn't quite ready yet to take that leap yet. The small red one is extremely skittish....poor thing doesn't look older than 4 weeks old, but since it is eating on its own, it must be a little older. To think at that age he lost his mother, and is hooked up with 2 other kittens that are probably not even related to him. No wonder why he is terrified of me!

The 2 younger ones have ear mites, but not fleas and ticks that I can visually see (from about 3 feet away). Both are males. The black female is definitely in heat, but generally looks healthy. Her black coat is already beginning to get shiny again from the regular feedings. She still talks to me, but won't come closer than about 3 feet.

At least they remained on the patio with me the entire time I was out there. I call that progress!!!

That is great . You just can make only one step at the time and go from there .

Caught the red and white one this morning. He is at the vet for testing and the start of parasite removal right now. Too young for neutering yet.....if all works out today, will bring him into the quarantine room to start socialization tonight.

Yipee!! Now if I can only catch that little red guy.

Any ideas for names for the red/white one???

that is great news .
How about Felix as a name ?

Good for you Amy! It just makes me want to cry to see the pictures of those poor kittens. Thank goodness there are people like you, M.A., Laurie and so many others on TCS who care and work with these cats.

He is NEGATIVE on both FeLV and FIV. Of course he has a 30 day quarantine before I retest him, as he has been in the same general area as FeLV positive cats......but....the vet said he purred as they stuck him for blood work....not a fear purr, but a "hey, I'm relaxed now that someone is loving on me" purr. Socialization is going to be a snap with this little guy.

YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Felix might just work for him....the little red one can be Oscar....