Rescue to Help Stray Kittens

I have been trying so hard to find a cat rescue that helps feral/strays in hopes of finding a foster home for Katica (mama cat) and her babies. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck and I completely understand that cat rescues are very full at this time. The best I have been able to find in terms of help is a rescue that would take the babies when they are 5-6 weeks old and continue to bottle feed and wean until they are fully vetted and made available for adoption. This way I would be able to get Katica spayed sooner to avoid future litters.

What do you think about this? Is it a good idea? If so, do I trap them the same as an adult? Should I set up more than one trap? There are about 3-4 kittens.

Because Kitten Season is in full swing, you're right!  Many rescues are up to our ears in cats and kittens!  I would recommend accepting any help you can get!  If the kittens are feral, then yes, you can set up another trap to gather them all up.  Please make sure that you trap several nights in a row, to make sure that you gather ALL the babies, especially as you are not positive about the exact number in the litter.  But if there is a possibility of getting to their nest, it might be easier to just gather them all up at once (if you have a better place for them to go - don't disturb the nest otherwise!)

The best thing you could do for those babies is to allow them to stay with their mama for as long as possible, and the best thing you could do for that mama is to provide a safe space for her to nurse and care for her kittens until the rescue is able to take them and find homes for them.  Do you have a bathroom or even a large closet where Katica can stay for a couple of weeks?  You will probably need to trap her to move her there.  A feral cat will relocate her babies if she feels bothered or threatened, and you may lose your opportunity to assist them all.

Good luck!  I think it it great that you are actively helping these cats!  Your efforts to get these community cats spayed and vaccinated truly makes a difference in the world, and you should feel proud of the work you are doing!

An adult sized trap can injure kittens, so no, I would not advise using a trap big enough for an adult.  Someone with more trapping savvy should be along shortly.  What would be ideal is if you could catch Katica AND her babies and get them inside, where she could finish raising them while you are socializing them at the same time.  The sooner you start socializing the kittens, the more adoptable they will be.

Unfortunately I don't have a place for Katica and her babies. My house is small with very limited closet space (only 1 closet used for our clothes) and only one bathroom. There's no garage either. Katica is safe in the shed in the meantime. I'm also a foster home for a dog rescue so I constantly have fosters coming and going, plus I have 6 dogs of my own so I highly doubt Katica will feel safe inside my home.

I have no way of getting to the kittens for socialization. Every time I go to the shed, she is with them and they are huddled under an old tractor which is very hard to get to. I am also going to school full-time, so time is also pretty limited around here. I have to divide my time for my studies, my dogs, Cheddar, and my fosters.

I wish I could do more. I'm trying the best I can.

There are 5 kittens in the shed. For the first time Katica wasn't there. I have named them Brie, Colby, Blue, Monterey, and Devon. What would be the name of colours of these kittens?






Katica:

Now that mama cat is leaving the kittens alone sometimes, maybe you can start to socialize them and then just pick them up when they're ready for adoption? It would be great if you could start handling them now so they get used to human touch.

If you decide to use a trap, Tractor Supply sells them in sets of two for about 20 dollars. One is regular sized, good for adult cats, and one is small--intended for small rodents, but perfect for kittens. I wouldn't use a large one on small kittens because if one of them sets off the spring while another is entering, the one entering could get whacked with the metal plate.

Kittens can be taken from their mother once they can eat on their own--at 6-7 weeks. Ideally, kittens should remain with their mothers for 12 weeks, but the situation with ferals is entirely different. The sooner you can socialize the feral kittens, the better. I've adopted shelter kittens as young as 6-7 weeks old and they have turned out just fine. They especially do well if they are around an old cat who can be a surrogate parent.

They certainly are very cute. It's great you're taking care of them!

I was able to catch 3 of the kittens. But am having a hell of a time catching the other 2. Please give me some advice as the rescue will be coming today evening to pick them up.

Update:

I was able to catch all 6. It wasn't hard as the last 2 were determined on not being caught. Here they are:

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BRAVO!!!  Great job.  You have saved these little lives and prevented a whole lot more kittens from being born.  Soon you can trap Kattica and have her spayed.