Feral mom and kittens - Did I screw up?

sparkie · Dec 9, 2015

So about a week ago, our neighborhood kitty (I call her Flash 'cause she's gone in a Flash) was hanging around my carport/garage. My husband went outside and saw why. She had 3 gorgeous kittens - around 5 or 6 weeks old. I started leaving out food and water for them, but after a particularly cold evening when I saw them curled up on some old carpet in a fluffy pile, I also made them a box with an old towel and newspapers in it to keep warm. The kittens were still weaning. Mom would hiss and growl when I'd come near, but I'd simply lay down a plate of food and sit far away so she'd know I wasn't a threat. She'd come and eat and after a few days of this, I could be about 2 feet away from her. She'd watch me play with her kittens and give them little treats. She seemed pretty calm until you got close to her. Which I never tried because I didn't want to scare her.

This morning, I came out with the plate of food and some water, and saw the kittens but no momma. I figure she's around nearby as she's never far from them. I went ahead and fed them and sat next to them. They'll let me pet them while they're eating with minimal fuss (a few little rumbles but I know it's probably cause they're not used to it).

I was planning to trap and get these kitties fixed and the little ones socialized in about a week. I hadn't even put the trap out yet. I went back out today to look after them and they're all gone. I checked around the house and nothing. Did momma cat move them? It's an unusually nice day here, I thought maybe she took them out to hunt something. Did I mess up and now she feels threatened or unsafe? I read and did everything I could, or so I thought. Help me expert feral cat caregivers - did I screw up?!

paiger8 · Dec 9, 2015

They might just be out exploring since it's such a nice day. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just keep the warm box available and food out, and they'll be back!

Kat0121 · Dec 9, 2015

Sparkie said:
So about a week ago, our neighborhood kitty (I call her Flash 'cause she's gone in a Flash) was hanging around my carport/garage. My husband went outside and saw why. She had 3 gorgeous kittens - around 5 or 6 weeks old. I started leaving out food and water for them, but after a particularly cold evening when I saw them curled up on some old carpet in a fluffy pile, I also made them a box with an old towel and newspapers in it to keep warm. The kittens were still weaning. Mom would hiss and growl when I'd come near, but I'd simply lay down a plate of food and sit far away so she'd know I wasn't a threat. She'd come and eat and after a few days of this, I could be about 2 feet away from her. She'd watch me play with her kittens and give them little treats. She seemed pretty calm until you got close to her. Which I never tried because I didn't want to scare her.

This morning, I came out with the plate of food and some water, and saw the kittens but no momma. I figure she's around nearby as she's never far from them. I went ahead and fed them and sat next to them. They'll let me pet them while they're eating with minimal fuss (a few little rumbles but I know it's probably cause they're not used to it).

I was planning to trap and get these kitties fixed and the little ones socialized in about a week. I hadn't even put the trap out yet. I went back out today to look after them and they're all gone. I checked around the house and nothing. Did momma cat move them? It's an unusually nice day here, I thought maybe she took them out to hunt something. Did I mess up and now she feels threatened or unsafe? I read and did everything I could, or so I thought. Help me expert feral cat caregivers - did I screw up?!

No you didn't screw up. Thank you for caring about this little family. Momma cat knows that you are not a threat to her babies. If she thought you were, she would not have let you anywhere near them much less handle them. Cats are very intuitive and they know how people feel about them. She knows you are her friend. She may not show it outwardly, but she knows.

Keep putting the food out. They are more than likely just off exploring and will come back when they get hungry. Momma knows that there's a guaranteed meal at your place. Put food in the trap. The stinkier the better. They will be back. A can of sardines packed in water with no salt added is a good one to use as is tuna.

sparkie · Dec 9, 2015

Well, when I was near them, she'd walk by them and growl like "you'd better watch out", but I'm sure it's just her teaching them to be wary. I'd always talk softly and get her used to the fact that out of all the houses she could've picked to bring her babies, she picked the best one. I've been reading and watching everything I can about feral cats. Dear husband is not too keen on me leaving food out because he fears it will attract rats. I plan on putting the trap together tomorrow but I'd just like to set it out, unarmed (for lack of a better word) so that she gets used to going in it. If they do come back, I doubt I'll have much luck catching them all at one time. A local feral cat organization has offered to loan me their kitten traps but I'm not quite sure how to proceed. Do I set them all up at the same time and hope for the best?

Kat0121 · Dec 9, 2015

Sparkie said:
Well, when I was near them, she'd walk by them and growl like "you'd better watch out", but I'm sure it's just her teaching them to be wary. I'd always talk softly and get her used to the fact that out of all the houses she could've picked to bring her babies, she picked the best one. I've been reading and watching everything I can about feral cats. Dear husband is not too keen on me leaving food out because he fears it will attract rats. I plan on putting the trap together tomorrow but I'd just like to set it out, unarmed (for lack of a better word) so that she gets used to going in it. If they do come back, I doubt I'll have much luck catching them all at one time. A local feral cat organization has offered to loan me their kitten traps but I'm not quite sure how to proceed. Do I set them all up at the same time and hope for the best?

Thinking more about it, If you can touch and hold the babies, I'd just grab them to be honest. Grab them and put them in a carrier and then use them as bait to lure Momma to a trap or another carrier. You can put the carrier with the kittens in in into the trap and get her when she goes to check on them. You're really doing them all a favor. Momma's gonna be mad but she'll forgive you in time. I think that deep down they really know when we are just trying to help them.

And again- thank you for caring about all of these cats. They are lucky to have a friend like you.

zed xyzed · Dec 9, 2015

Kat0121 said:
Thinking more about it, If you can touch and hold the babies, I'd just grab them to be honest. Grab them and put them in a carrier and then use them as bait to lure Momma to a trap or another carrier. You can put the carrier with the kittens in in into the trap and get her when she goes to check on them. You're really doing them all a favor. Momma's gonna be mad but she'll forgive you in time. I think that deep down they really know when we are just trying to help them.

And again- thank you for caring about all of these cats. They are lucky to have a friend like you.

I agree with this post 100%, there is a small possibility that a humane trap might hurt the kittens as they are very tiny. I also want to thank you for being so kind and caring to these kitties.

ginny · Dec 9, 2015

You didn't do anything wrong necessarily, but it sounds like mama kitty didn't like you nosing around "her" nest and that may be why she moved her kittens. I remember my Gracie moved her kittens a number of different places before they ended up on my back porch. Feral cats take their own sweet time warming up to you, believe me sometimes it takes months to be able to pet them or even let you stay near them while they eat.

If they babies are 2 months/2 pounds, some vets will spay/neuter them. Some say 3 months/3pounds. It would be better if you could catch all of them by hand if you could and then try to get mama in the the trap. As far as how to use the traps, I know one thing. They become acclamated to the thing if they see it, especially if they see one of the family get caught in it and they will avoid it. Hopefully others will have some successful tips to give you on that. Good luck. Let us know how things go!

sparkie · Dec 9, 2015

Well tonight I think I know what happened. I went out to check and see if momma and babies were around and saw a HUGE possum eating the cat food I had left out for momma and babies.

I called animal control to come get this possum in the morning since I know where it is coming from but would a possum hurt a cat or kittens, especially as skittish as the kittens are. I hope the family is safe but I also hope the possum didn't scare them off permanently.

Kat0121 · Dec 9, 2015

Sparkie said:
Well tonight I think I know what happened. I went out to check and see if momma and babies were around and saw a HUGE possum eating the cat food I had left out for momma and babies.

I called animal control to come get this possum in the morning since I know where it is coming from but would a possum hurt a cat or kittens, especially as skittish as the kittens are. I hope the family is safe but I also hope the possum didn't scare them off permanently.

I wouldn't worry about a possum. They coexist with feral colonies quite well. It's raccoons that you need to worry about. Those suckers will kill a cat over food without batting an eyelash. Possums are pretty peaceful creatures. You have to really try hard to get one to attack.

zed xyzed · Dec 9, 2015

possums are very timid animals and usually mild mannered. A momma cat protecting her kittens is as fierce as fierce can be. So I don't think the possum would hurt the cats; if it tried it would have been in for a world of hurt. Momma probably moved the kittens just to be on the safe side. I suspect she will be back, a source of food is too precious to walk away from. Let us know how things work out

sparkie · Dec 9, 2015

I Really hope she returns. I miss taking care of them. Any tips for putting out food for mom and babies that's out of reach of possums?
Also if they do return should I use the opportunity to trap them to avoid scenarios like this in the future?

ginny · Dec 9, 2015

Sparkie said:
Well tonight I think I know what happened. I went out to check and see if momma and babies were around and saw a HUGE possum eating the cat food I had left out for momma and babies.

I called animal control to come get this possum in the morning since I know where it is coming from but would a possum hurt a cat or kittens, especially as skittish as the kittens are. I hope the family is safe but I also hope the possum didn't scare them off permanently.

Please don't call animal control for a possum. This can backfire. Here's what happened in my situation with my feral kitties. One of the kittens went missing after I saw a huge dog enter our neighborhood one day. He looked like a pit bull. I called AC and told them to please catch him. One or two weeks later one of the kittens went missing. I found out later that AC had trapped and killed that kitten. They kept a record of it. There was no record about any dog being caught during that same time. I suppose the dog was just traveling through but he looked vicious and I was scared for my kitties. As it turns out my action cost one of them his or her life.

sparkie · Dec 9, 2015

No worries. I told them about the situation with the kitties so we are all clear

sparkie · Dec 10, 2015

Some good and hopeful news to report!

I talked to the animal control guy this morning. He was very receptive and understanding of my trying to catch the kittens. He even helped me set out and bait small traps for them and momma Flash. He also put out a separate trap for our nosey possum. He seems to think we'll catch that possum tonight.

This morning I saw momma Flash in her usual spot in my garage/carport. I didn't even get a hiss or a growl - but a MEOW. I call that definite progress! I haven't seen the kittens though at all. She didn't seem distraught or cry out for them, so I can only hope they are somewhere safe. Is it common for just the mother cat to come back for food without bringing her babies?

sparkie · Dec 11, 2015

More news!

No sign of momma or babies this morning, but we did catch that possum AND another cat (who I'm guessing might be one of the babies' daddy). I don't know if he's feral or not. He didn't thrash around in the trap, just sitting near the back as calm as can be. When I got near him, he didn't freak out like I'd expect he would. He's also quite large and plump. I don't even know if he's a he. What should I do about him? I can't afford to get a bunch of cats fixed. Was hoping if I could catch and fix the momma and babies, at least that would prevent more kittens from being born.

I hope he didn't scare them off either. Thank goodness for unusually warm weather lately (very not-December like). I wonder if they'll ever feel safe enough to come back.

ondine · Dec 11, 2015

I would have him vetted and fixed, if needed. If you have a low-cost clinic nearby, that's going to help. If he's a he, he is most likely impregnanting females, so he's adding to the population explosion. If he's a she, chances are she is contributing, too.

You can only do one at a time. Do what you can. Call around and see if there are resources that can help you. That way, if mom and kits return (or you get other visitors), you may have help.

Thank you for helping them!

sparkie · Dec 11, 2015

Well, he seemed to be fixed from what we could tell. And well fed and calm. So he might belong to someone nearby. So he might have just been an innocent bystander looking for a tuna snack. No sign of momma or babies so far.

dee01 · Dec 11, 2015

Hi Sparkie, I am following your story about Flash and her kittens with interest. I am crossing my fingers and wishing you luck.

I have recently been able to catch (with the help of a neighbor) 2 kittens, but not the mother cat yet. I thought it would be better to catch the mother first, but it was EASIER to catch the kittens - one in a carrier, and one in a humane trap.

I don't know much to be able to give you tips, since I am new at this. Though I did feed the kitties treats in a cat carrier every day for the past month. So the kittens at least were used to the cat carrier, and not afraid of it.

Kat0121 · Dec 11, 2015

Sparkie said:
More news!

No sign of momma or babies this morning, but we did catch that possum AND another cat (who I'm guessing might be one of the babies' daddy). I don't know if he's feral or not. He didn't thrash around in the trap, just sitting near the back as calm as can be. When I got near him, he didn't freak out like I'd expect he would. He's also quite large and plump. I don't even know if he's a he. What should I do about him? I can't afford to get a bunch of cats fixed. Was hoping if I could catch and fix the momma and babies, at least that would prevent more kittens from being born.

I hope he didn't scare them off either. Thank goodness for unusually warm weather lately (very not-December like). I wonder if they'll ever feel safe enough to come back.

Let's see- you got a meow from Momma cat- that IS progress.

Did you relocate the possum? They really are pretty gentle animals. They are not a danger to your cats. They are also not susceptible to rabies so I'd call them a non issue.

I doubt that this cat you trapped scared off Momma cat and the babies. She probably made them a nest somewhere. Next time you see her, try to follow her and see where she goes. She could very well lead you right to them. I'd keep putting food out for her. If she's still nursing, she needs all the calories she can get and she knows you are there for her. The only thing that would keep me from keeping food out after sundown would be if raccoons started coming around. You don't want them anywhere near Momma and the babies and you definitely don't want them to see you as a food source.

Since the cat you trapped seems to be a neutered pet, I'd put fliers up with FOUND CAT on them. NO pictures. if someone is missing this little guy and they are looking for him, make them describe him to you. You can also bring him to your vet and ask them to scan him for a microchip. Don't be surprised if he doesn't have one though. He could be a dumped pet. It's really sad but it happens more than any of us would like to know about.

Keep your eyes peeled for momma cat. She's around and she'll come back when she thinks it's safe.

sparkie · Dec 11, 2015

Kat0121 said:
Let's see- you got a meow from Momma cat- that IS progress.

Did you relocate the possum? They really are pretty gentle animals. They are not a danger to your cats. They are also not susceptible to rabies so I'd call them a non issue.

I doubt that this cat you trapped scared off Momma cat and the babies. She probably made them a nest somewhere. Next time you see her, try to follow her and see where she goes. She could very well lead you right to them. I'd keep putting food out for her. If she's still nursing, she needs all the calories she can get and she knows you are there for her. The only thing that would keep me from keeping food out after sundown would be if raccoons started coming around. You don't want them anywhere near Momma and the babies and you definitely don't want them to see you as a food source.

Since the cat you trapped seems to be a neutered pet, I'd put fliers up with FOUND CAT on them. NO pictures. if someone is missing this little guy and they are looking for him, make them describe him to you. You can also bring him to your vet and ask them to scan him for a microchip. Don't be surprised if he doesn't have one though. He could be a dumped pet. It's really sad but it happens more than any of us would like to know about.

Keep your eyes peeled for momma cat. She's around and she'll come back when she thinks it's safe.

Yep possum is relocated. The other kitty ran a few houses down and to the backyard so that might be his home. I've put out tuna for the kitties but haven't seen them at all. I really hope they are safe and know they can come back for food, water and shelter.

Feral mom and kittens - Did I screw up?

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