Need Advice on Stray Cat and Kittens

I am new to this board and lost to say the least. My husband and I have always had Dogs, but about 3 months ago a stray cat started coming around and refused to let my dog loving husband ignore her.
She is wild but he can pet her and has earned her trust.
Well about a month into their relationship she decided to try to get him to follow her to a shed behind our house where she showed him her 3 kittens.
So ok we live in the boonies with just a few neighbors and figured it wouldn't hurt to keep laying out cat food and water on the porch to see that was fed while trying to nurse her kittens.
Well fast forward to now and they are about 7-8 weeks old and sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s started bringing them out and even all the way to our porch so she can let them eat some food and lay in a box with a blanket my husband put on the porch.
I saw them all for the first time the other day, but I noticed there were only 2 that I saw, never the 3rd one.
Yesterday I went out by the shed to try to see if I could see a 3rd one as we thought maybe it didn't make it. So I put some food out and the 2 that are always out playing by the shed started eating.
I sat quietly and watched as the 3rd one stuck its head out from under the shed and tried to eat with the other 2 , and they were mean to it and wouldn't let it eat.
I also notice when mom now brings them up on the porch at night, the 3rd one is never with them?
Why are they not having anything to do with the 3rd one?
We are going to try to take the Mom and babies out to my brother in laws who is willing to let them be barn cats on his farm but were worried about
how to handle the situation with the 3rd baby.
When I got a quick look at the 3rd baby it looked healthy but very timid.
If its sick, its made it almost 8 weeks. So is this normal?
Also any tips on trapping them and getting them out to the farm would be appreciated! We do have a trap that will not hurt them?
But right now my biggest worry is that other kitten that never seems to be included in the group.
Do you think the mom takes care of it and nurses it? Like tonight the mom and 2 kittens are all cuddled up in the box, and the 3rd one is no where in sight. ITs sad.
Thanks for any help.
Jean

I would say that if she lets you pet her and the kits, the easiest way to catch them is just pick them up. If you could lock them in a room in your house, or in a dog crate for a few days, you could observe how the last kitten is being treated. It is quite normal, IMO, for kittens to express their status, and the stronger kits will chase the weaker ones off from the food until they are done eating.

But if he is being neglected, maybe you can give him to someone else who will give him some extra attention. Be sure your bil has her spayed, or she will keep having litters! In fact, she is likely already pregnant, and should be spayed soon.

Thanks for taking time to care for this little family. Sounds like your dh is a good man!

Originally Posted by emptynestmomma

I am new to this board and lost to say the least. My husband and I have always had Dogs, but about 3 months ago a stray cat started coming around and refused to let my dog loving husband ignore her.
She is wild but he can pet her and has earned her trust.
Well about a month into their relationship she decided to try to get him to follow her to a shed behind our house where she showed him her 3 kittens.
So ok we live in the boonies with just a few neighbors and figured it wouldn't hurt to keep laying out cat food and water on the porch to see that was fed while trying to nurse her kittens.
Well fast forward to now and they are about 7-8 weeks old and sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s started bringing them out and even all the way to our porch so she can let them eat some food and lay in a box with a blanket my husband put on the porch.
I saw them all for the first time the other day, but I noticed there were only 2 that I saw, never the 3rd one.
Yesterday I went out by the shed to try to see if I could see a 3rd one as we thought maybe it didn't make it. So I put some food out and the 2 that are always out playing by the shed started eating.
I sat quietly and watched as the 3rd one stuck its head out from under the shed and tried to eat with the other 2 , and they were mean to it and wouldn't let it eat.
I also notice when mom now brings them up on the porch at night, the 3rd one is never with them?
Why are they not having anything to do with the 3rd one?
We are going to try to take the Mom and babies out to my brother in laws who is willing to let them be barn cats on his farm but were worried about
how to handle the situation with the 3rd baby.
When I got a quick look at the 3rd baby it looked healthy but very timid.
If its sick, its made it almost 8 weeks. So is this normal?
Also any tips on trapping them and getting them out to the farm would be appreciated! We do have a trap that will not hurt them?
But right now my biggest worry is that other kitten that never seems to be included in the group.
Do you think the mom takes care of it and nurses it? Like tonight the mom and 2 kittens are all cuddled up in the box, and the 3rd one is no where in sight. ITs sad.
Thanks for any help.
Jean

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Welcome Jean....first, thanks for caring for this family. I recommend you trap this family only because if you attempt to pick up mom..she may be scared off OR even worse..you pick her up and she scratches or bites you. Without knowing her history...I believe it is best to trap her. The trap shouldn't hurt her (many cats have been successfully trapped without incidence) but I would see if someone can assist you since this will be your first time. You can also read about trapping here:

http://www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html#3

My inclination regarding the kitten is that it should be seen by a vet...in fact, all of the kittens should be seen by a vet. You want to rule out that these little ones are sick or have FIV/FELV (the vet can do a combo test). I would trap them as well given that you do not know their history. If you think they wouldn't fight with you...you can try to catch them but buy long, thick gloves (I'm not sure where you can purchase them...but they are used to catch wildlife and are made with thick leather).


When you catch the mom cat, she needs to be spayed (make sure the vet is aware that she is going to be a barn cat and have him/her use dissolving stitches so she doesn't have to come back to have them removed).

Moving cats to a new location should be done carefully or you could find a situation where mom and kittens disappear which wouldn't be in the best interest of this family.

Here is a PDF on how to safely relocate ferals:

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/relocate.pdf

You should also make sure that your brother in law is planning on spaying/neutering the kittens when they reach the right age.

Katie

Originally Posted by emptynestmomma

I am new to this board and lost to say the least. My husband and I have always had Dogs, but about 3 months ago a stray cat started coming around and refused to let my dog loving husband ignore her.
She is wild but he can pet her and has earned her trust.
Well about a month into their relationship she decided to try to get him to follow her to a shed behind our house where she showed him her 3 kittens.
So ok we live in the boonies with just a few neighbors and figured it wouldn't hurt to keep laying out cat food and water on the porch to see that was fed while trying to nurse her kittens.
Well fast forward to now and they are about 7-8 weeks old and sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s started bringing them out and even all the way to our porch so she can let them eat some food and lay in a box with a blanket my husband put on the porch.
I saw them all for the first time the other day, but I noticed there were only 2 that I saw, never the 3rd one.
Yesterday I went out by the shed to try to see if I could see a 3rd one as we thought maybe it didn't make it. So I put some food out and the 2 that are always out playing by the shed started eating.
I sat quietly and watched as the 3rd one stuck its head out from under the shed and tried to eat with the other 2 , and they were mean to it and wouldn't let it eat.
I also notice when mom now brings them up on the porch at night, the 3rd one is never with them?
Why are they not having anything to do with the 3rd one?
We are going to try to take the Mom and babies out to my brother in laws who is willing to let them be barn cats on his farm but were worried about
how to handle the situation with the 3rd baby.
When I got a quick look at the 3rd baby it looked healthy but very timid.
If its sick, its made it almost 8 weeks. So is this normal?
Also any tips on trapping them and getting them out to the farm would be appreciated! We do have a trap that will not hurt them?
But right now my biggest worry is that other kitten that never seems to be included in the group.
Do you think the mom takes care of it and nurses it? Like tonight the mom and 2 kittens are all cuddled up in the box, and the 3rd one is no where in sight. ITs sad.
Thanks for any help.Jean

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Just to update everyone!! WE still have the kittens and they are now about 13 weeks old. However I do have a couple issues I need help with.
In the beginning there were 3 babies until about a week ago, then one night we come home and on the porch sits a kitten and I looked at it and knew it was not one of the momma cats babies. It was only about 4-5 weeks old.
So we kind of just watched to make sure the other kittens accepted it and that the momma cat would not hurt it. The kittens quickly adopted the orphan that came from who knows where, and cuddled with it. The Momma cat really could take it or leave it and didn't hurt it. Although she did hiss at it and bat at it when it tried to nurse once or twice.
But I have seen her do that to her own that are now about 13 weeks old.
We are going to take the momma cat Tuesday to get spayed and we really
need to decide what were going to do with the kittens.
We were all set to take them out to the farm then the orphan kitten shows up
and we felt it would be best to let them teach the orphan kitten some things that maybe her mommy whereever it was didn't get to show her.
So that was the plan, now for the past 3 days one of the momma cats babies has turned up missing. The runt that was timid, so now shes minus one baby, and I hate to move them all and she returns to no mom or siblings!
I have no cat knowledge, so i need advice.
I am worried about the winter coming because we don't have a barn for them to get into to stay warm.
However we do have a covered large dog kennel full of straw with a flap for them to get inside and cuddle.
I know the momma and her 2 babies that are 13 weeks old could fend for themselves with mice and bugs, trust me they showed me that already and I could have done without a gift of a mouse at my feet!!! But the orphan one worries me because she don't seem to hunt like the others.
I guess my question is, would you pack all 3 remaining kittens up with momma cat and take them to the farm or leave them with us where they are fed and given a warm kennel for winter?
As I said before I am a dog person and I have no clue as to what to do with kittens but we are trying. So please advice! If someone could tell me how to post a photo I have one to share of them. Thanks Jeannie

I guess my question is, would you pack all 3 remaining kittens up with momma cat and take them to the farm or leave them with us where they are fed and given a warm kennel for winter?

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Ideally....I would keep the kittens until they can be spayed/neutered before placing them on the farm. It is ideal for the kittens to learn from mom and not be taken until they are weaned...but given that these are outdoor kittens....best to ensure that they are all spayed/neutered.

Katie