new: was i wrong?

hi im new here. im sorry this is so long I work at a restaurant and there have been stray cats there for quite some time. one of the younger females we noticed was pregnant. my boyfriend went outside and heard kittens. i wasnt sure what to do. she seemed ok with me there but when my bf tryed to go back she ran. she was still giving birth to one but dropped it as she ran. he backed off and she came back. i got the lost one back and placed it with the mother. there were 7 and 3 seemed dead. she was doing nothing to clean or care for them. it was cold and began raining. the kittens were very cold. i wanted to move her some place warmer. i tryed to touch her and she ran. leaving the kittens. i left to see if she would come back. she didnt. they were dying so i decided to take them home. i fed them kitten formula and kept them warm with a heating pad and rubbed them. help arrived and took them away. only 2 dead now. my friend called and said the mother was crying and searching for her babies. the spca is going to try and catch her. what should i have done? i feel horrible.

oh sweetheart, I bet you do feel horrible - but you did what you thought was the best thing at the time - the kittens will now be safe and in good hands, and I am sure will go to loving wonderful homes once they are old enough

are the spca the ones with the babies? If the momma cat is caught will she be taken to her babies?

I am totally no expert on kittens or anything, but know that we are all here for any support you need right now.

the spca has the kittens. they said they want to catch the mother to give them a better chance. *tears* seeing little dead kittens is so sad.

Originally Posted by vegodin

the spca has the kittens. they said they want to catch the mother to give them a better chance. *tears* seeing little dead kittens is so sad.

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its always hard to see a dead kitten, sometimes the younger they are the harder it is, but they are completly healthy playing at the rainbow bridge now. Maybe if you feel up to it, you could post a tribute to them in the rainbow bridge forum, that way they will be always remembered

oh you tried your best - kudos to you for trying!

You did what you thought was best. Hopefully they can catch the Mommy and reunite her with the babies. The SPCA will try their best to keep them alive until then. Let us know what happens.

Next time, leave the mom cat alone while she is delivering babies. You were lucky that no one was bit. If it happens again, provide a safe place for the momcat to go and still remain outside, a cardboard box out of the elements, flipped on it's side with straw is usually something a feral or a stray will go to. They generally stay away from things that are human scented, because of their fear of people- depending on what they have had to endure while they live outside. Provide food and fresh water for the mom, but let her have her babies in peace. It would be wise to get this female trapped as soon as possible and get her spayed. She is deeply in mourning, confused and should she get pregnant again before someone traps her, she may not know what to do with the second litter because the first was interrupted.

Your best bet when you observe a cat in the wild giving birth, is to stand back and let her do what nature intended. After the kittens arrive, she will hide them and so it is up to you to provide for the needs of the mom (if you can). That's kitten chow 5-6 times a day, and fresh water daily. Once you set up a schedule and a routine, she will be able to count on you and when the kittens are old enough she will bring them to food. THEN you start trapping and catching the kittens, because they are older, weaned and can be socialized and placed into homes. If you try and find a momcat's kittens she will simply move them far away from danger, and sometimes if you touch a newborn, she will end up neglecting that kitten because it smells funny.

I realize that you and your boyfriend did not know she was giving birth, I am just giving you tips so next time you will know what to do that will cause the least stress to the momcat, the kittens and the caregiver who ultimately will have to become a surrogate mom for these tiny ones.