Seeking advice: Feral cat nested in my laundry room

I don't know if this post belongs here, or if it belongs in 'Caring for Strays and Ferals.'

I live in an apartment, and our washer and dryer are in a storage room or closet out on our balcony. Long story short, I have a mama and four kittens living behind my washing machine. They've been living there since February 28th, and I know they were born on or before the 21st (I heard one mewling and found it in the closet sans mom). I have not used the washer or dryer since they've been there because I've been afraid to scare mom or overheat the kittens. Mom goes under the laundry door. We've lived in the same place for 2 years and never had this happen until now.

I've let them stay where they are because they are a pain to reach, and mom sometimes hisses at me when I lean over the laundry to take a peek. My boyfriend and I pulled the dryer out on March 4th to get a closer look while mom was away from the kittens. We've got two black and two gray/tabby. We've only handled the kittens the one time.

Mom has food and water checked and filled regularly. I've been feeding her wet food and some kitten chow. I'm getting to the point where I know I need to start preparing what will happen next. My boyfriend and I agree that we want to take them all to the vet. We want them all to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. We want to find or give them all homes, even mom if she'll warm to people. 

I will take a closer look at the kittens to give more information. I know for sure that they are over two weeks old. Their ears have opened. They all are gaining weight and look much bigger than they did at first. They look to be trying to walk, but aren't good at it yet. I talk to mom soothingly whenever I open the door, and so far the kittens do not respond to my voice.

I don't want to wait until they're exploring and crawling under the closet door. We live on the second floor so I'm concerned about them falling. I'd put something under the door to keep them safe, but mom likes to come and go as she pleases. I've also noticed a gray cat interacting with mom, and I'm suspecting he may be the dad.

Question time:

1. How long should I leave them as is? I don't want to antagonize mom, but I don't want her to move them somewhere else. I live in Texas, and it's warmer here than other places. 50-70 F

2. How do I get/coax mom to get into a crate or something? I haven't been able to pet her yet. I put a box with towels near her, but she avoided the box so I removed it. Do I wait until the kittens are being weaned and separate them??

3. When I do corral the felines, do they go to the vet right away? I do need to start trying to find an affordable vet with a pay scale or someone affiliated with a charity.

Those are my main concerns for now. I'm sure they will only increase the more information I receive! This is coming during a stressful time for me. I was in a car accident on Friday, and I'm interviewing for jobs. I appreciate any or all advice or help.

I don't have any experience with kittens or feral cats. I don't have kids or any pets currently. I haven't owned a cat (or had a cat own me) as an adult, and I am definitely feeling the weight of responsibility for their well-being.

Thanks!

All of these pictures are from March 4th taken at different times of the day:





Dad?

Thank You for taking care of them and letting them stay.  It's a big inconvenience to go to the laundry mat.

First things first, the kittens can be spay/neutered when they reach 2 lbs about 8 weeks old.  Mom can be spayed at the same time.  the dad can be neutered any day.  Cats can become pregnant as early as a week after giving birth.

Would you consider bringing the kittens and mom into your house?  they would need a room of their own.

My other thought is to contact a rescue in your area or a TNR group for help and/or advice on local low spay/neuter clinics.

Handsome Kitty said:

 
Thank You for taking care of them and letting them stay.  It's a big inconvenience to go to the laundry mat.

First things first, the kittens can be spay/neutered when they reach 2 lbs about 8 weeks old.  Mom can be spayed at the same time.  the dad can be neutered any day.  Cats can become pregnant as early as a week after giving birth.

Would you consider bringing the kittens and mom into your house?  they would need a room of their own.

My other thought is to contact a rescue in your area or a TNR group for help and/or advice on local low spay/neuter clinics.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply! I have already started searching for nearby TNR groups after reading your post. I'm near a big city so it looks like there are resources available. We have talked about bringing them inside, though we'd probably have to keep them in a bathroom.

I've only had to do laundry once so it hasn't been a huge hassle. I don't mind losing the convenience in exchange for their safety. I will look into catproofing the door after we've gotten them situated inside, though.

Bless you! Thank you for caring for the kittens and mom. It looks like you put a towel down for the kittens. That's got to be softer and warmer than the concrete floor!

As for your questions:

The kittens are between 2-3 weeks old. Once they reach 3 weeks they are able to regulate their own body temperature. Right now they can't. They will be ready to begin weaning at about 4-5 weeks. They need to come in from the porch soon, ideally mom needs to come too, as they still need her for a few more weeks.

What you need is a dog crate and put the kittens inside of it. Set up mom's food, water, and litter pan, and when she goes in you close the door. Then you bring them all inside. If you do this you'll need to cover 3 sides of the crate with a blanket so it's more like a cave. Wondering if setting up the crate in the laundry room for a couple of days first might help, before trying to close the crate door. And you would have to move the dryer out onto the balcony for a couple of days.

However, moving the kittens is the easy part while they are little. What you don't want is mom moving the kittens off your balcony if she feels her kittens are threatened, or falling off as they begin to walk more.

Another idea might be to put the kittens in the box or crate inside your apartment with the balcony door cracked, and mom's food and water nearby. Hopefully she would come in and you could close the balcony door.

Let us know how things develop. The kittens really need mom for a few more weeks, but they could be separated in another week if necessary.

It much depends on what tune you want to play...  

Say you let them be, and hope everybody stays in place.  With a semiferal shy defensive mom the kittens will too be semiferal.  Even if they will get somewhat accustomed to you - as you are their food source and protector.

Why,  its common the semiferale mom whom gets help but has the litter hidden somewhere, she comes to the food giver with the whole bunch, typically  between 5/6-8 weeks...   Sometimes its possible to socialize them when they are on free foot, but its much work and unsure. The most sociale will be prob socialized, but not the more shy ones.

A safer bet is, if you DO have foster or adoption homes lined up,  to take the kittens earlier, at about 5-6 weeks, perhaps even 4 - when they begin to wean, and arent not longer as desperately dependant of moms milk. They are also easy to catch.

And above all - they are easy to foster, much easier then when they are 8+.

This with shy / defensive semiferale moms, is one of the few exceptions from the holy rule of minimum 8 weeks.

The other exceptions is dire need in sheer emergencies....

So, part of this whole is,  ARE you willing to foster them yourself?.  If so, collect them when you think its time - and you can manage them.  And foster, foster foster. Which should be fairly easy when they are young.

Good to trap (yes, you will need a trap) for momma, and spay her.  You can release her along the TNR-ideas.   Ideally, the same for the dad - but this is for extra.

If you arent ready to foster them, it depends on if you do have foster homes lined up. (some suitable rescue group or humane shelter may help you, probably).

If you havent any of these, it cant be helped. You play it by the ear, they are in your laundry room / or other place you can help them with,  and try to socialize them as well you can on free foot.

Something like that.   In some variations you can use a crate, as mentioned in earlier posts.

OK, the danger mom takes her children and leaves... Its common, in nature they DO change the nest now and then.  they have at least got the 3 weeks safe and sound.  That is a big consolation to you.  Also, there is always the possibility she will return to you later on with surviving kittens, when they are 6-8 weeks...

You can also step in NOW as skissed in earlier posts, say confine the whole family in one room.  When mom has landed, and realized you arent mean, and you are still her protector and food source, she will copy and accept the situation.  Even accepting you foster the kittens...  But its more work to do.

Ps.  I see on the pics, you had apparently not just peeked on the kittens, you have handled them too.  and momma apparently not minding it much.  Im not surprised, its a myth a (semiferale) cat abandons the kittens if a human touches it.  It may be true for wild rabbits, but its not true for cats, and perhaps even not roedeers.

Anyway, nice to see it proven for real.  And it may perhaps hint it may be fully possible to foster the whole family.  Momma is shy and hissing at you, but apparently she does accept your protection and help.  Otherwise she would move them by now.