tenants left a cat who gave birth in my air ducts or between the floors

Hi.

Here's the story: I evicted my tenants and they moved out leaving cats behind. I trapped one and took her to Humane Society but then, a week later, after the food wasn't touched and the litter box hasn't been used, I caught a second cat. I was about to take her to Humane society as well when I heard meows. Kitties meows like coming for the walls somehow.

Therefore I decided to release the cat so that she can feed her off springs. Initially I was thinking about feeding them until they are 8 weeks old but some on-line friends on another forum suggested that if I wait that long the kitties might become feral and will be put to sleep.

It would be fine if there was a way to catch the whole family but I don't know how many kittens there are nor how to do it. I mean at this age they still nurse. If I catch just the mother I run into the same problem.

I haven't seen the kitties nor the cat after I released her. I examined with a flashlight every inch of the basement ceiling (above the air ducts) and I haven't seen any whole. I didn't see any hole in the air ducts either but they are somewhere. When I released the mother she immediately jump on the stairs and from there on top of the air ducts. The food gets eaten and the litter-box indicates multiple cats.

Please advice what I should do.

Thank you so much.

Thanks.

I have to go catch a bus, and should think about this more, but these are my hurried thoughts: (1) you might also want to post in the stray and feral forum, I think more people read that than the SOS forum; and (2) can you put food on the floor directly under the vent? The mother cat might lead her kittens down--put some furniture under the vent so it's not a big jump. And call around for rescue organizations, they might have some ideas.
Where do you live (state/city)?
And bless you for caring.

I'll move your thread to the Stray and Feral forum

Thanks.

Oh boy, what a pickle.  I would think the cats aren't exactly feral as they are inside and using the litter box.  I would begin by getting a humane trap.  (You may be able to borrow/rent one from a local rescue or TNR program, depending on where you live.)

Tie the trap open (so it doesn't spring) and put the food inside.  The cat will learn to eat inside the trap.  When you're ready, you can set it to spring and trap the cat.  By ready, I mean, you have a plan (either the SPCA, vetting her yourself or working through a rescue).

If the kittens are still small enough not to leave the nest, you can trap mom and you may be able to find the kittens once they start yelling for her.  That runs the risk of them getting hungry so you need to be vigilant and quick.

If they are older, you may be able to find them when they start exploring.  Either way, I would try to find a rescue to help me.

Good luck and thank you for helping them!

Any news on the family of kitties? Poor momma kitty being abandoned with her kittens by her owners. I agree with Ondine in that the kittens/cats are probably used to human contact - at least the adults. The problem is IF those kittens do not get human handling very, very soon, then they will be afraid of humans. BUT, having said that, it will help tremendously if they see their momma interacting with humans in a loving manner.

I am coming from a different perspective on this one and would not trap them yet. Only because you don't really know how old they are? Momma is not going to just carry them into the trap herself. BOY - that would make things so much easier, right??!!! I think I would try to see if I could "reach" the kittens somehow. Is the mother cat friendly and coming around? Put out kitten canned food - Fancy Feast is cheap and kitties love it. FF makes a kitten canned food. Put the canned food where you see momma cat dropping down from the basement ceiling. Momma cat needs lots of high calorie canned food right now. Plus, she will bring out the kittens to the food when they are old enough and then you will know when it is safe to start catching them. My concern is if the kittens are in the ceiling, then they may get seriously injured when they try to come out. Not the best situation and we appreciate you trying to help. Ritz above had a great suggestion by putting some furniture or something half way up to the vent so the kittens have a safer journey down. :cross:

Another option, If/when she starts to bring them out and I hope she will by carrying them down from the ceiling to those stairs is to feed them inside of a pet carrier with the door propped open. You can easily close the door to the carrier when a few of the kittens go in to eat. Have another carrier ready to set up when you take away the one with some of the kittens or momma cat. Keep putting the canned food - or even better - stinky tuna and sardines - in the carrier until you are sure you have all of the kittens safely captured. Don't want to leave one behind. Thanks for trying to save this little family and shame on those tenants. Some people............... :shame:

Hi and thanks everyone. The suggestion with the furniture is great only that I dont know where to put them. I have shelves so I'll try to put them at random. I don't know where they are. The first time I trapped the cat - who is not friendly with me at all - I had no idea there was another cat in the house. I was about to take the cage with the momma at Humane society when I heard mews. They were coming form the walls. Now my contractor tore apart my kitchen floor because Im remodeling after these terrible tenants. The cats were not their. So I'm most tempted to say they are somewhere in the air ducts. To may calculations the kitties should be 5 weeks old now. Would it be ok to trap them?

You ARE their food source, right?   Mom is usually bringing her kittens forward to the food source when they are about 5-6 weeks, if it is not too scaring around there, ie no hostility nor open danger.

So with a little luck mom will come forward with them soon, partly tx for these furnitures to help them get down.

Then if you can capture them..   At this age, about 6 weeks they are still easy to foster.  When they get 8+ its more difficult to foster them easily.

So your big moment WILL come, and it soon.   If you are there, try and talk friendly, make friendly noises, etc.

Mom is probably listening at you, even if you dont see her.

If she hears you are surely a nice chap, the chances are bigger she will have the courage to come down with her kittens.

You can perhaps also have a Feliway diffuser there??   Making a more friendly, relaxing atmosphere there....

Good luck!

ps.  You have right, Human society is usually no good place for semiferales, nor scared cats acting like semiferales.   It gets often a one way solution, so to speak.

Tame, friendly cats is what they like.  Or kittens, old enough to be eath themselves, but young enough to be easy to foster, and adopt out with time.

If you have a shy cat, its better to find it a adoption home on your own, with someone who dont have problems his cat is shy to strangers.  They usually DO warm up with time to the owner.

Geez, it has been a week and I can't help but wonder what ever became of this one. Ithecatlover - hope that it means all went well getting the kittens/momma out of the basement. :cross: