Strays in neighborhood

There's a stray mother cat that I see and feed daily. She has 4 kittens around 4 weeks. I don't have the time and money to socialize, to neuter, to vet, etc....

I was thinking of just putting all 5 of them in my cat carrier and calling a local rescue group if they have time, space and money to help. 

It seems like a long process just to get a trap at a shelter.

I can get close and pet the mother, but the four kittens just runs away.

This is her 3rd litter from first time I moved here. I feel like she's just going to populate the whole neighborhood.

Are the kittens eating any solid food yet? If you can get close enough to pet the mother, try sitting beside the mother with a few bowls of tasty food in front of you. Pretty soon the kittens will see that their mom trusts you and will venture to eat beside her in front of you. After a few weeks of doing this, you can probably pick up the kittens, put them in a carrier, and take them to a shelter. They'll be weaned at about 6 weeks, and adoptable, and if they're too young, most shelters have a foster program system. You could also try to lure them into a pet carrier with tasty food at the back and then close the door. Some people rig the door with a cord and shut it from a distance. If you can't get them into a carrier, you don't want to use a regular sized humane trap for young kittens because the steel plate could crush them. There are small sized traps at Tractor Supply for squirrels and rodents that you could use for them if you can't get them into a carrier.  If you can pet mom, can you get her into a pet carrier when the kittens are weaned and caught? You could take her to a vet or Humane Society that has a low cost TNR program (Trap, neuter, release). You could also take her to a shelter, but if she isn't friendly or social, she likely won't be adoptable and will be euthanized. If you go the TNR route, she'll be spayed and vaccinated and you can continue to feed her without worrying about the cat populating the neighborhood. I know this all must sound like a lot of trouble and time, but you'd be doing a wonderful thing for these animals as well as solving the problem of lots of stray cats wandering around your neighborhood.

Ty for the reply. I believe they are 4 weeks. 2 weeks ago, they can barely run.
Should these kittens stay with mom till 10-12 weeks old and learn how to be a cat? Or is it because they are strays, and the socialization window with humans, is more important?
I think shes most likely a stray, she has no fears towards humans.
The past 2 weeks,ive been feeding and petting her letting the kittens know im safe . But its frustrating cuz they still wont approach to feed near me. Only if i leave. When they are 6 weeks old ill try that rig cord trap carrier.

I actually would like to socialize the kittens. Do kittens need to be socialized with their mom? But my schedule is 8am - 8:30pm (drive/work). About, how many hours do kittens need to be be socialize? Don't kittens need all day to be socialized, or can it be 1 - 2 hours at night
I have a spare bathroom that i can leave them. I also have two cats.

That was just a what if situation, if its possible to socialize a cat for 1 - 2 hours.

Also, I found out this feral tortoiseshell cat had kittens. They look about 2 weeks young. So yeah, its getting populated with cats here.

I'll take a picture soon of the mom. And the kittens too, if I get a good shot.

What's also concerning me is she sort of has a big belly. She's not fat, it's probably the milk. So I'll get those pics for more observation.

Kittens can be separated from their moms at 6 weeks, when they can eat solid food on their own. Under ideal circumstances kittens should stay with mom for 10-12 weeks, but in the case of strays and ferals, the importance of keeping the kittens safe from the dangers outdoors and begin the socialization to humans is the stronger priority. Are you're able to keep the kittens together in the spare room? If they're kept together they won't be so scared and lonely and you can socialize them a few hours a day. Is it possible to bring the mom inside with them,too? You could get her spayed and keep them together until the kittens are older and youre able to find homes for them all. If you take the kittens from mom and not the mom she will cry and experience distress for several days,so it would be great if you could catch them all together. Is there anyone who can help you with all this? I had a neighbor who assisted me in catching 3 feral kittens and she took in 2 and I took one (mom, sadly disappeared after we caught the third). I had a lot of time to spend with the kitten and my other cats adopted him but he did cry a lot the first month. Now he rules the home lol. It's great you're willing to help these cats. The other option is to contact shelters and ask for their assistance and if you can bring them in there all together.

recomper said:

Ty for the reply. I believe they are 4 weeks. 2 weeks ago, they can barely run.
Should these kittens stay with mom till 10-12 weeks old and learn how to be a cat? Or is it because they are strays, and the socialization window with humans, is more important?
I think shes most likely a stray, she has no fears towards humans.
The past 2 weeks,ive been feeding and petting her letting the kittens know im safe . But its frustrating cuz they still wont approach to feed near me. Only if i leave. When they are 6 weeks old ill try that rig cord trap carrier.

I actually would like to socialize the kittens. Do kittens need to be socialized with their mom? But my schedule is 8am - 8:30pm (drive/work). About, how many hours do kittens need to be be socialize? Don't kittens need all day to be socialized, or can it be 1 - 2 hours at night
I have a spare bathroom that i can leave them. I also have two cats.

That was just a what if situation, if its possible to socialize a cat for 1 - 2 hours.

Also, I found out this feral tortoiseshell cat had kittens. They look about 2 weeks young. So yeah, its getting populated with cats here.

I'll take a picture soon of the mom. And the kittens too, if I get a good shot.

What's also concerning me is she sort of has a big belly. She's not fat, it's probably the milk. So I'll get those pics for more observation.

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Such situations is one of the few exceptions for taking away the kittens from mom earlier than these 10-12 weeks you mentioned.   Perhaps even earlier than 6 weeks.  5 is quite ideal, 4 is OK - although taking them at 4weeks demands more work for the self caretaking..

The reason is  to socialize them easily, before the window of easily socialization closes.   Later on its still possible, but (much) more difficult..    This is of course, if there IS a fostering home waiting, or forever adoption homes lined up.  There is no point to take them foom mom and keep them in cage, for example, waiting for better times.

The other exception is of course, sheer emergencies and other dire circumstances.

Its fully possible to foster them together with momma, especielly if the momma like her, is friendly to humans.   And momma usually cooperates when she realizes you ARE helping them. Even shy mommas usually cooperate when they have landed and realized etc...

But its fully possible to foster them yourself.  And esp if the momma is shy, and perhaps very protective even aggressive, sometimes there is no good solution, it may be necessary to separate them.

So, you will do what you can according to your possibilities and  the exact circumstances - YOU are the pilot in charge of this flight.

But if its possible for you to take them in and foster - kittens alone or the whole family - it would be swell - and entirely feasible.

You can perhaps do it in cooperation with some shelter nearby?  Their big problem is very often not the money, but  places to room them in / access to good fostering homes.

So sometimes its possibly to arrange, the rescuer is also a fostering home working under the shelters "hat", their auspicies, you do the job, they help you pay for vet costs, help to find adopters, perhaps even help you with food and litter...   Contact them, and ask.  With a little luck it may be possible to arrange.

Your difficulty is there is now one more momma now,  - you want to help her too.  But observe, do not risk to overburden yourself.  You can always help someone, but you can never help all.  Perhaps not even two moms with their bunch of kids.   If you find you cant, so you cant.  Dont have bad conscience, dont risk to burn yourself out.  Help the one whom you already do have a relation with, soul contact with.

MsAimees comments are very good.

Every situation is different, and not every stray or feral needs to be taken to a shelter. Sometimes that's the unfortunate outcome, but a lot of times there are other solutions. Over the past 15 years I've trapped and assisted others in trapping and caring for many strays, ferals, and dumped cats. The majority of  them were neutered, socialized and adopted by myself, my neighbors, co-workers, and friends of friends.  As others have aid on this site, you can't save every cat, but for the cats you can save, it makes the world of a difference to them (I'm paraphrasing).  When someone comes across a mother cat and kittens and becomes attached to them and wants to help, it's worth a shot to try to socialize and find home for the kittens and to explore housing options for the mother cat. There are still people out there who will take a cat as a pet for their child, or because they recently lost a pet, or they want a barn cat. If all options fail, then I see taking them to a shelter as the logical necessary step. Of course one can't care for every single cat or mother and her kittens, but I believe there are animals God or Mother Nature bring into our paths for us to care for them. As others have also mentioned, there are resources to help people help cats. Some Humane Societies have TNR programs and will assist; some have foster programs for young kittens or semi-ferals; some will lend out traps and provide education on how to TNR. No one has to be in this alone.  
We each do what we can.

Spring will come out here and it will be raining puppies and kittens. I have seen the cycle here repeated for over two decades. I have also stopped to clean the carnage off the roads , watched one I got to trust me ripped in half by the neighbors worthless mutts. I brought a new cat home this week. The shelter in the city was brimming to overflowing with dogs and cats off all ages. The overpopulation issue hasn't gotten better, The shelters have got bigger. In no way an I condemning or belittling anyone who desperately tries to save that one cat of that litter of kittens. I am simply wore out  Worse shelters continue to hand out puppies and kittens to the likes of my neighbors. Who bring them home trumpeting how they got a rescue pet only to see it the same day running loose on the road. I've called AC over 30 times in the last 5 months over their dogs being loose and their vicious behavior. One tried to kill Kitten as she slept on the inside window sill. I'm all out of gas on the individual animal that shows up in my yard. I take them where they will at the very least not suffer a brutal end out here

MsAimee said:

 
Every situation is different, and not every stray or feral needs to be taken to a shelter. Sometimes that's the unfortunate outcome, but a lot of times there are other solutions. Over the past 15 years I've trapped and assisted others in trapping and caring for many strays, ferals, and dumped cats. The majority of  them were neutered, socialized and adopted by myself, my neighbors, co-workers, and friends of friends.  As others have aid on this site, you can't save every cat, but for the cats you can save, it makes the world of a difference to them (I'm paraphrasing).  When someone comes across a mother cat and kittens and becomes attached to them and wants to help, it's worth a shot to try to socialize and find home for the kittens and to explore housing options for the mother cat. There are still people out there who will take a cat as a pet for their child, or because they recently lost a pet, or they want a barn cat. If all options fail, then I see taking them to a shelter as the logical necessary step. Of course one can't care for every single cat or mother and her kittens, but I believe there are animals God or Mother Nature bring into our paths for us to care for them. As others have also mentioned, there are resources to help people help cats. Some Humane Societies have TNR programs and will assist; some have foster programs for young kittens or semi-ferals; some will lend out traps and provide education on how to TNR. No one has to be in this alone.  
We each do what we can.

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Everyone is free to choose their own path. After two decades and making no headway via the idiots next door the best solution was to remove the problem. I'm not being mean here. My drive way was a litter box bomb. There was cat crap everywhere. Understand I like cats. They were digging in under everything. Starving they would swarm you at the door. Not one cat did I ever bring to this place. Kitten lived her too short life in our home. So does the kitten of another feral here. the baby purring on me was returned for being aggressive. Between the horses and cats and other assorted varmints I would hate to calculate the hundreds of thousands of dollars I've sunk to try and fix things. and yet all around me the chaos gets worse.

Everyone's situation is different and in your situation I can understand that you would take every cat to a shelter. It sounds like a horribly stressful situation. Every year or two someone dumps a cat on my block, probably because there is a small patch of woods surrounding us. I've never regretted taking in any stray or feral that I've taken in or helped in some way. I just want to encourage anyone willing to help these cats to do so because it can be very rewarding.

MsAimee said:

Everyone's situation is different and in your situation I can understand that you would take every cat to a shelter. It sounds like a horribly stressful situation. Every year or two someone dumps a cat on my block, probably because there is a small patch of woods surrounding us. I've never regretted taking in any stray or feral that I've taken in or helped in some way. I just want to encourage anyone willing to help these cats to do so because it can be very rewarding.

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Right now in my personal situation even if you know who left them out, unfixed and they have dying sick kittens there is nothing AC will do to the owners. They seem to feel that altering an animals ability to breed as somehow unnatural and the supply of babies as nothing more than their child's next toy. What I found was while taking care of one mess they were cooking up the next and the next. If we had only one or two stray cats dumped a year I would probably alter the ones that were accustomed to outside living and let them live here. I know we have a few cat fosters out here and they work with our county animal shelter. I would not encourage anyone to be heartless. The kitten I brought home aside from being brought back for bogus reasons had only been in the shelter for a few hours. She had been fostered and then adopted out. And I wish I could thank the person who done that for her.

That's the mom. The two small ones are her kids. She has 4 in total. Couldn't find them during the recording.

She's not afraid. I even picked and held her for 20 seconds. Not too long, just in case I get hurt from a stray.

She's beautiful. It looks as though she's decided to "own" you. She looks like she will make you or someone else a wonderful pet. The kittens are adorable, too. The one looks like it has some Siamese in it.  

Update.

The cats are gone for the past two weeks. I'm not sure where they are. I was hoping to catch them at least this Christmas weekend.