Feral/Stray Momma Cat

Alrighty! You deserve your rest!

Oh nap time for the kiddo! I'm spending time with the new babies [emoji]9786[/emoji]️ So, momma is happy and babies are nursing well. She's getting the hang of it! I was able to call a no-kill shelter that has a really good rep around here. I plan on keeping them until they're old enough to find a good home. I am so honored to have them for this short but so very important time.

Okay, so question about mom: will she use the litter box on her own?

She still growls and hisses a little but knows that I am her food source and purrs when I pet her and willingly lets me hold the babies and reposition them for her.

Awww. She is growling and hissing to establish herself in her new territory and to let you know that she is protecting her babies.

The babies must stay with mama a minimum of 8 weeks, and preferably 12 for maximum socialization. Don't know how long they would have to stay in a cage at the shelter before finding a home - it's kitten season now and the shelters are overrun with kittens. Ideal situation would be if you could find friends willing to adopt, or friends of friends.

Litter box: show it to her by putting her in it. She will know what to do when she is ready to use it. Cats have an instinct for digging and covering, and like to be clean, so she will use it.

What is the flea situation with her and kittens?

What name do you call mama by also?

Yeah, my MIL wants one already so I don't think we'll have a hard time. I am worried about finding a home for momma. I really am; because I know the husband will not be on board with keeping her, but I think the MIL might be open to mom and kitten.

So moms name is peanut. I've been calling her that since I saw her and named all the strays I saw lol. The flea situation isn't bad. Peanut didn't have any noticeable and I actually treated her a few days ago when she started being friendly (Was that an okay thing to do?)

Glad you flea treated peanut a few days ago. That has likely kept the babies from having fleas, because all outdoor cats have fleas. It goes with the territory.

Go, MIL - hooray! MIL taking mom and a kitten would be ideal. Peanut will be happy to have one of her kittens with her too!

If you could adopt out the other two as a pair, they would be able to play together and grow up together, which, believe it or not, is easier than just one kitten. But you have plenty of time to find them homes.

happy momma

We adopted our dogs as siblings so it only makes sense! We definitely will try!

She looks so sweet and content - and babies are safe! Ahhh.

I have one runt baby who isn't latching well. She's not very interested no matter how much I try to help. Can I do anything to help?

Yes! Did you buy KMR formula? You can feed the baby until it gets stronger. Let me know and I'll explain how.

And do you have a small syringe - like a 1 or 2 ml without the needle, of course. You can get one at a pharmacy.

In the meantime, to perk up the runt, smear a little honey or Karo syrup on its lips.

To feed the baby, hold it tummy down, head up, like it would feed from mom, never on its back. We don't want formula aspirated into its lungs. Sometimes putting the kitten tummy down on a table helps. You then put one or two drops of formula in the side of its mouth only, let it swallow, breathe, and go again. Try to get 1ml into the baby slowly.

Then you hold it upright over your shoulder and burp it with tiny pats on the back.

Mom should lick the baby's bum to stimulate it to go wee and poo, but if not, you need to do this after every feeding, by tapping its bum with your fore finger or gently rubbing it with a warm, damp cotton ball. They cannot go by themselves without stimulation for about 3 weeks.

Make sure the kitten is warm when you feed it. It cannot eat or digest properly if it is not warm. You can warm the kitten by placing a heating pad on low under a towel, then placing the kitten on the towel.

You will need to feed it every hour initially, and continue trying to put it to a nipple. Hopefully soon it will be strong enough to latch on. If not, you will need to feed it every two hours around the clock.

M mrsrincon

I have given instructions above for the runt. Let me know how it goes!

Okay I'll be doing the syrup first. I ordered KMR from Amazon and I expect it tomorrow. He's got a round belly, but he is smaller and weaker than the other two. Mom has had a little bloody discharge. I was able to clean her up with a wipe, although I'm not sure why she's not doing it herself. She let me clean her which is so surprising to me. She's not concerned with keeping the babies near her as I expected she would be. She crawled back into her bed and 2 babies were left in the larger kenneled area. I don't plan on sleeping much LOL and wI'll probably be camping out in that room myself.

mrsrincon said:

Okay I'll be doing the syrup first. I ordered KMR from Amazon and I expect it tomorrow. He's got a round belly, but he is smaller and weaker than the other two. Mom has had a little bloody discharge. I was able to clean her up with a wipe, although I'm not sure why she's not doing it herself. She let me clean her which is so surprising to me. She's not concerned with keeping the babies near her as I expected she would be. She crawled back into her bed and 2 babies were left in the larger kenneled area. I don't plan on sleeping much LOL and wI'll probably be camping out in that room myself.

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That's l long time to wait.  The runt will need to eat every 1-2 hours.  You can also try feeding Goats milk if you have any.