Thank you all for your help. I wish I could say that I was as helpful as the rest of you toward your ferals!!
Here is my story. I have a garden in my apt (can enter by doors from 2 bedrooms) and one day I noticed a mom with 4 kittens out there. The maternal instinct in me kicked in and I immediately starting leaving milk out for it, did some research and then got involved, stopped the milk, bought cat food, left out water. I know nothing about cats other than they are considered to be rats in this country for eating in garbage cans and breeding like crazy. These kittens seemed adorable, playing with each other all day. I would put food in the doorway and they were getting better at approaching, but very rarely could I pet them without them running away. If I ever walked outside, they would run in a waterhole and the mother would hiss like crazy. When I would try to pet them in my doorway, they would hiss. The mother would still disappear for food since she either didnt trust me to always provide, or the dry food (I would mix with canned) wasnt tasty compared to garbage food.
So... I then started thinking about taking one in the house, I really wanted 2 since they are so cute together. I spoke to a neighbor who has a garden adjacent, had all his weeds cut and saw the newborns there (they since moved into my weedier garden) and I figured the kittens to be around 7 weeks old today and after some internet research and talking to a vet, I decided to try to get one or two today. When the mother went out, amazingly I tiptoed quietly enough to grab the one I really wanted. I took him in with a towel and he was pretty calm in my arms - at first. Then the mother came back, started meowing like crazy, jumping up on our windowsills (she has NEVER done that), and I tried to keep the kitten away. I put him in a bathroom with food, litter, and had a vet come and give him the shots, flea stuff, etc.
He is hiding in the bathroom, hisses, snorts, when I come near, and I am suffering from a broken heart that I separated him from his mother and siblings. I keep saying I am doing a good thing getting him off the streets, but will he ever come around? Did I take him too soon? Should I go ahead and grab another one so he has a companion (my hubby doesnt want one, I would do 2 for the kittens sake, but no way more). There are tons of ferals always walking around out here, and this is the first time I really took any notice. I am not in the position to catch the mother (wow - I can hear her now in a huge catfight with some other cat - hope she is ok - last time, she came back with a HUGE gash on her face)
So sorry for being so long. I just want to know if I should return the baby to its mom or how to go about this?
Thanks for your help!!
Andrea
Here is my story. I have a garden in my apt (can enter by doors from 2 bedrooms) and one day I noticed a mom with 4 kittens out there. The maternal instinct in me kicked in and I immediately starting leaving milk out for it, did some research and then got involved, stopped the milk, bought cat food, left out water. I know nothing about cats other than they are considered to be rats in this country for eating in garbage cans and breeding like crazy. These kittens seemed adorable, playing with each other all day. I would put food in the doorway and they were getting better at approaching, but very rarely could I pet them without them running away. If I ever walked outside, they would run in a waterhole and the mother would hiss like crazy. When I would try to pet them in my doorway, they would hiss. The mother would still disappear for food since she either didnt trust me to always provide, or the dry food (I would mix with canned) wasnt tasty compared to garbage food.
So... I then started thinking about taking one in the house, I really wanted 2 since they are so cute together. I spoke to a neighbor who has a garden adjacent, had all his weeds cut and saw the newborns there (they since moved into my weedier garden) and I figured the kittens to be around 7 weeks old today and after some internet research and talking to a vet, I decided to try to get one or two today. When the mother went out, amazingly I tiptoed quietly enough to grab the one I really wanted. I took him in with a towel and he was pretty calm in my arms - at first. Then the mother came back, started meowing like crazy, jumping up on our windowsills (she has NEVER done that), and I tried to keep the kitten away. I put him in a bathroom with food, litter, and had a vet come and give him the shots, flea stuff, etc.
He is hiding in the bathroom, hisses, snorts, when I come near, and I am suffering from a broken heart that I separated him from his mother and siblings. I keep saying I am doing a good thing getting him off the streets, but will he ever come around? Did I take him too soon? Should I go ahead and grab another one so he has a companion (my hubby doesnt want one, I would do 2 for the kittens sake, but no way more). There are tons of ferals always walking around out here, and this is the first time I really took any notice. I am not in the position to catch the mother (wow - I can hear her now in a huge catfight with some other cat - hope she is ok - last time, she came back with a HUGE gash on her face)
So sorry for being so long. I just want to know if I should return the baby to its mom or how to go about this?
Thanks for your help!!
Andrea