HELP NOW WHAT

So my boyfriend and I have been feeding these feral cats outside of his house since about October.
One of the cats (Rufus) has warmed up to us enough to start coming inside the house to eat through the sliding glass door. S/he will eat cat food from a container as long as it is by the door. We can walk by and s/he won't move but if we watch and approach, out the door the Rufus goes.
Boyfriend is a mechanic who works out of his house; he's often working in the garage and he leaves the door open for the cat to wander in and out to eat.
Past few days however the cat has been exploring the house.
About a week ago we were suspicious he was in fact a she due to the chubbiness the Rufus was displaying, thinking kittens may be the cause however the cat disappeared fro a few days and after searching the yard we found two dead kittens. Figured that was that, felt bad for baby Rufina but what can you do.
So today the cat came to visit with a present, brought a tiny kitten into the house and pretty much lay next to the kitten while Rufus ate. Cat then wanders off with kitten then this afternoon is suddenly back with two.
Rufus darted into the house super fast and deposited the kittens behind one of the couches in the living room.
Rufus is outside wandering around and now the back door is staying open but we have two baby kittens (eyes aren't even open yet omg) what now what do we do

This is a huge freak out for me and I've been pacing trying to decide if I should move them or leave them alone.
Anyone having advice can post here or PM me.

Kitty emergency omg

I unfortunately don't have any experience with newborn kittens.  Here's an article that may help you:

 [article="29659"]Hand Rearing Kittens What You Need To Know To Save A Newborns Life​[/article]  

Good luck with the little ones!

What a smart mother. She wants to keep her kittens safe and she knows they'll be safer in your house.

I would strongly recommend keeping the mother cat inside with the kittens, even if she doesn't like it. Contact any local rescue groups if you can't take care of these kittens and their mother yourself! And it might not be a bad idea to reach out to local groups for help regardless.

The basics are: feed the mother LOTS and keep the kittens WARM! You can fill a sock with rice and heat in the microwave for a few minutes, and this will keep them warmer than a hot water bottle.

The mother cat can get pregnant again even now or very soon, and you don't want to risk her getting hurt outside and not being able to take care of the kittens, so that's why I'd say to keep her inside, confined to one room if that's feasible. You can move the kittens to a better spot in the house, but do it with the mother watching. She sounds like she trusts you, but she'll probably want to follow her kittens wherever you take them and that way you can get them all in the same room. You can make a nest out of a box and towels or blankets and hopefully the mother will like it. You can set up a litter box (even just a box filled with dirt for now) a few feet away from the nest for the mother.

Kitten milk replacer is something you can buy at pet stores if they're not getting enough from their mother.

If you do decide to take care of the mom and the babies or you can't find a rescue group that will take them, it will be about 10-12 weeks until the kittens can be weaned, separated from their mother if they're going to be adopted, and taken in to get neutered/spayed and their first round of vaccinations. You'll want to keep the mother cat indoors throughout this time so she'll stay with the kittens, not bring the kittens outside, and won't get pregnant again. Then you can get the mother spayed as well and she can go back to being your occasional visitor or be adopted herself if she because habituated to humans enough.

Rufina should do most of the work of raising the kittens to this age, but some cats are better mothers than others or some kittens need a little extra help, in which case you'll have to do more feeding and cleaning yourself. To make sure kittens are getting enough nutrients, you need to weigh newborns every day. A kitchen scale is good for this. Do it everything involving handling the babies in front of the mother so she can keep an eye on them herself. They should be gaining at least 7-8 grams a day.

Lots of other users here can help you more with the details of newborn kitten care. I'm not very experienced myself. It's kitten season, so there are lots of active threads right now of people asking and answering questions about new kittens that you can read through for more advice!

how often is the mama coming in to feed them? they really need to eat every 2 hours around the clock..

mummified said:

So my boyfriend and I have been feeding these feral cats outside of his house since about October.
One of the cats (Rufus) has warmed up to us enough to start coming inside the house to eat through the sliding glass door. S/he will eat cat food from a container as long as it is by the door. We can walk by and s/he won't move but if we watch and approach, out the door the Rufus goes.
Boyfriend is a mechanic who works out of his house; he's often working in the garage and he leaves the door open for the cat to wander in and out to eat.
Past few days however the cat has been exploring the house.
About a week ago we were suspicious he was in fact a she due to the chubbiness the Rufus was displaying, thinking kittens may be the cause however the cat disappeared fro a few days and after searching the yard we found two dead kittens. Figured that was that, felt bad for baby Rufina but what can you do.
So today the cat came to visit with a present, brought a tiny kitten into the house and pretty much lay next to the kitten while Rufus ate. Cat then wanders off with kitten then this afternoon is suddenly back with two.
Rufus darted into the house super fast and deposited the kittens behind one of the couches in the living room.
Rufus is outside wandering around and now the back door is staying open but we have two baby kittens (eyes aren't even open yet omg) what now what do we do

Click to expand...

You are talking about the "Rufus" here right? Whom is really a female momma?  Its not two different adult cats you talk about?

OK, you essentially got already the advices for now.

The best course is to keep momma with her kittens inside. She will surely accept this after a while.  You take care of her, she takes care of the kittens.  You do monitor them, but hopefully, you dont need to do much.

This way you will also be sure you can spay her in due time, before she gets preg anew.

The second best course having it as its is, you make sure the kittens are comfortable, monitor them closely - by weighting them every day, etc.

Momma wont abandon them just because you are handling them.

The problem is as its is, you cannot know when she is back, how steadily the feeding, washing, eliminating is...  And thus, you are essentially in charge.

It depends in much, how much work and trouble you are willing to invest...

I hope there arent more kittens outside.  She didnt seemed very big, and got four.

Did you notice why these dead were dead?  Were they perhaps premature?  hairless, thin?  Or fully furred, decently rounded?

How are these alive looking?  If they looks premature, you must fight actively for them to have a chance.

Please come back with further questions and reports.

You are very honoured that Rufus has decided you are safe people to trust her kittens with! There is something wonderful when a feral feels secure and confident enough to do that. Right now I would first make sure the kittens inside are warm and safe by putting them in a box with towels or blankets, and leave it where Rufus put them. Leave the door open for her to get in and out until you are sure she is not bringing any more kittens in, then I would shut the door and keep her in. Meanwhile get down to a pharmacy or a Walmart and buy some KMR (kitten replacement milk), a small scale that weighs in grams, aneedleless syringe and some feeding bottles for kittens, and a litter tray and packs of kitten food (at this stage to give to the mother for extra nourishment). Try to see how oftne Rufus is feeding her kittens, and whether they are showing signs of hunger 0 crying, restless movement, trying to suckle each other, and feed them the KMR| as necessary. They need feeding adery two hours, and you will knoe if they are getting enough by them sleeping happily after their feed and gaining weight every day.
This article may help, and you will find other helpful links at the top of this forum.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens-what-you-need-to-know-to-save-a-newborns-life

Please update and let us know if you need any additonal help! Hoping you were able to keep kittens and mom inside.

How is it going @mummified   ?

Please report and continue with your questions