Help! My kittens have disappeared!

I have always been a dog person, but I found a sweet stray kitten that the fast food staff said was dumped off in their parking lot. I took her home, made her a nice spot in the garage away from my two indoor dogs, and attempted to find her a home.

Due to my ignorance, I was not aware that kittens could have kittens. When she became pregnant, I was surprised, but I prepared a comfy box for her to give birth, and she went there as soon as labor started. I was there through the birth and have loved and nurtured her five kittens for 9 1/2 weeks. I kept them confined to the garage up until a week and a half ago when I got Mama and babies all fixed and vaccinated. The kittens would go out and play in my flower bed right outside the garage, but no farther.

Yesterday morning at 7:30, only Mama and two kittens showed up for breakfast. I thought the other three may be hiding under my car because of a terrible thunderstorm that had just let up. At about 8:30, one of my dogs was barking as if he heard something outside toward the garage. I was preparing a meal in the crock pot, so I

Sorry... here is the rest:

I ignored the dog for a bit. After all, he is protective and barks at the drop of a hat. But then, I heard my mama cat meowing incessantly. I went outside to check. All kittens were gone. I mean, no sight of them.

In my neighborhood, there are no vicious loose dogs.Behind my house is a huge open field and woods that lead to a farm where the man has told me coyotes and Hawks have taken out his chickens. Mama cat, my Bassett hound/lab, and I have been searching the entire neighborhood, woods, and field. Poor Mama is beside herself from pacing, meowing, and searching.

If they are spooked, I would think they would at least respond to their mother's call or cry out in hunger. It's been over 24 hours. Animal control told me they don't pick up cats in my city at all. I am seriously starting to wonder if someone stole them. All were wearing collars but no tags. I didn't want the jingle to keep them from hiding from predators. Now, after some online research, I know they were too young to be out. I am just sick about it!

Oh boy...predators....eek.

Take several paper plates with tuna and the juice and set them around, seperated but where you can keep an eye on them all.

Several with juice for the aroma, it will likely draw them in, probably with every other critter around but that's okay!!

This is a technique I have successfully used when a cat goes mising in a neighborhood, and it works, bringing them ALL out!

ASAP though!

Thank you for the suggestion. I will give it a try!

Any chance someone would be heartless enough to pick up five collared kittens right out of my front yard? Still stumped. :-(

Sweet mama and her babies about a month ago. At this point, I'm just praying for protection.

I hope they come back safe and sound but honestly, it's a miracle that none of them were lost before this. We took in a litter this year, from my husbands coworker, who had a cat that was left outside and unfixed and showed up one day with kittens. She didn't bring them inside and the next day some of the kittens disappeared. It is not safe for them to be outside, no mama cat can protect and watch them all. We took the mama and the three remaining kittens in the litter. 

I don't know how heavily populated your neighborhood is, but it's entirely possible that someone took them. Maybe you could put up posters explaining that the kittens still need their mother and offer a reward for their return?

Honestly, the kittens rarely left the garage I had open about four inches. They and Mama were very trusting of me and seemed to feel very safe. They had beds, toys, a litter box, and fans going to keep cool in the daytime. I live on a dead end street, so there's not much traffic. They roamed so little, many of my neighbors I talked with concerning their disappearance said they didn't know I had kittens! I am going to post posters tomorrow. I feel terrible that I gave them outside access and didn't realize it was dangerous for them!

Please don't beat yourself up over this. You had no way of knowing they would all go missing, and kittens are raised out of doors all the time--it's not at all abnormal. Besides, you DID give them a safe place to be, something better than many kittens have when they're born. There's just no way to guard against all the crazy, unexpected things that can happen in life; and when the unexpected happens, at the very least we can learn from it and try to be prepared for next time.

I wish there was something I could do to help you bring them home. I really do.

Thank you so much for the words of comfort. My sweet boyfriend told me the same and has ordered me to abandon my backyard watch and get some sleep. I'm going to take his advice and keep hope they are safe and sound wherever they are.

StealthKitty said:

Please don't beat yourself up over this.

You had no way of knowing they would all go missing, and kittens are raised out of doors all the time--it's not at all abnormal. Besides, you DID give them a safe place to be, something better than many kittens have when they're born. There's just no way to guard against all the crazy, unexpected things that can happen in life; and when the unexpected happens, at the very least we can learn from it and try to be prepared for next time.

I wish there was something I could do to help you bring them home. I really do.

Click to expand...

Well yes of course kittens are born and raised outside all the time, the whole reason there are multiple kittens in most litters is it's natures way of increasing survival of the species because of the high mortality rate from predators. Hopefully at least one from a litter will survive to breed more cats is natures plan. Personally I have no problem trying to thwart nature and help them all survive and instead spay and neuter them. 

Melesine said:

StealthKitty said:

Please don't beat yourself up over this.

You had no way of knowing they would all go missing, and kittens are raised out of doors all the time--it's not at all abnormal. Besides, you DID give them a safe place to be, something better than many kittens have when they're born. There's just no way to guard against all the crazy, unexpected things that can happen in life; and when the unexpected happens, at the very least we can learn from it and try to be prepared for next time.

I wish there was something I could do to help you bring them home. I really do.

Click to expand...

Well yes of course kittens are born and raised outside all the time, the whole reason there are multiple kittens in most litters is it's natures way of increasing survival of the species because of the high mortality rate from predators. Hopefully at least one from a litter will survive to breed more cats is natures plan. Personally I have no problem trying to thwart nature and help them all survive and instead spay and neuter them. 

Click to expand...

Just giving the OP some comfort. She's obviously distressed because of a mistake; what I said is true, even if it is better to keep kitties indoors.

I found one kitten today. My neighbor saw her in another yard. The Mama Cat and baby were so happy to see each other, and she amazingly appears unharmed! I have hope the others are wandering around the neighborhood or have been taken in by someone who will love them.

I'm so happy that one came back! There's a little hope...

StealthKitty said:

I'm so happy that one came back! There's a little hope...

Click to expand...

Yes indeed.  Maybe someone has taken the others indoors, since it's been stormy.  Or maybe they are actually hiding in someone else's garage and they (the people) don't realize it

You say you have a field out the back, have you checked there? The dog may be scaring them off as you look. Glad one came back, the mum must be so happy.

AJ19807 said:

I found one kitten today. My neighbor saw her in another yard. The Mama Cat and baby were so happy to see each other, and she amazingly appears unharmed! I have hope the others are wandering around the neighborhood or have been taken in by someone who will love them.

Click to expand...

Aw - what a story and you are a saint to have rescued this kitty from the restaurant staff parking lot. AND, then to be surprised with a litter of kittens from her!! You did right by them and got them all altered and checked at the vet. I am glad that you have found at least one kitten. I would go to that other yard right away and begin your search. Usually the kittens will al stick fairly close together.

:cross: :cross: for the other's to be unharmed and found.

They are absolutely precious! I've started rescuing some cats around our house - it all started when a Momma Kitty moved her kittens down to us (she was living at an abandoned house - the people who owned the house would feed her once a day but it was just dry food and not much of it). She moved 5 beautiful babies along with her (4 boys and a girl). I managed to get Momma fixed and one of the boys fixed (I call them The Darlins like from the Andy Griffith Show). I worry over them all the time because we live in a rural area and I saw some "stray" dogs roaming the road a couple of weeks ago (probably some female dog in heat somewhere). I can't help if it's nature's way that some of the litter may or may not live, it just breaks my heart to think about them getting hurt! I know how you feel on wanting them to come home - I've used canned mackerel as a bribe (drained and mash it up with a fork) and they love that too!

Thanks for all the advice and support. I have yet to find anymore of the kittens, but I found an awesome INDOOR home for the one. I also picked up a hungry stray kitten in the neighborhood. A neighbor thought it might be one of mine. I found a home for her, too!

I am becoming keenly aware of a kitten population explosion in my small neighborhood. It seems many people are feeding them, but few are actually having them fixed and vaccinated. I contacted my local humane society and a feline rescue group to see if there is anything they can do to assist me in catching some of these strays and finding homes for them. No response so far. I may just stick to fostering them a few at a time until I can give them to safe loving homes.