Feral has litter in shelter, I open shelter and scare Mom

I really blew it..this morning when I was checking the shelters, I pull open a roof (the roof is its lid) and a nursing cat stared up at me! As I closed it she shoot out of the shelter.
The cat is one that joined the colony sometime ago. I knew she had had her litter but had no idea where.
Yesterday I saw her coming out of the shelter but it didn't ocurr to me she had them there, she's very wild and these shelters are on and off occupied by several other ferals. And they've marking contests on them too..maybe her litter couldn't wait to be born anywhere else..
I did think maybe the litter didn't survive if she sleeping in the shelters, but no, she has abt 5 babies, abt 2days old.
Now I think she'll move them, correct? I feel bad because the shelter makes such a good lair for her and the kittens, there are 2 more but I doubt she'll move the litter to another similar place

She *could* move them... but maybe you'll be lucky and she won't. Messing with anything is probably going to make things worse, so just cross your fingers, I guess.

just cross your fingers, I guess

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Yes, I think that's all I'll do..thanks

I just did something very similar myself.

I care for a colony of seven...2 females I have not been able to trap yet and both are known to have large healthy litters

I went outside just yesterday to feed the colony and Smokey (one of the females) was nowhere to be found. Well...I lifted up the towel that is nailed to their doghouse/shelter...and sure enough there is Smokey with 4 beautiful little babies. She did run out but thank God, she returned and has been with them ever since. I fed them again this morning but was very quiet this time. To my surprise, Smokey crept out from the doghouse/shelter, ate her breakfast and went right back to the "nesting" area.

Intend to let her do all the hard work over the next few weeks, snatch her babies for fostering and eventual adoption...and then finally trap that girl!!

Intend to let her do all the hard work over the next few weeks, snatch her babies for fostering and eventual adoption...and then finally trap that girl!!

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Yeah! ..this one is young so I guess it's her first litter so I've no idea how it'll turn out. I wished I could foster and adopt out but not sure if we'll be able to ..
I hope she didn't move them, they are 5 plump kittens and she might leave somebody behind or the toms might get them. This morning she (Mom, I call her Insua) was chasing another female all over the place, I guess the other got too close to her nest maybe..

All you can really do at this point is keep an eye out for her moving those babies. I have a pair of binoculars permanently at my windowsill just in case the mamma cats start moving around their babies. My neighbors must think I'm insane

I am very active with my Humane Society, besides volunteering at the adoption center, I do quite a bit of fostering. The best thing for those little-ones is to let mamma pump them up with vitamins & calories, take the kittens, clean them-up, foster & adopt them out. If you are unable to foster, there may just be a Humane Society or organization that will take your kittens in & foster for you. If you just let them be out there, well...your little colony is going to grow so fast you won't know what to do!!

I'm more limited than you are but yes, I'll keep trying..and thanks for the binoculars tip, I've been peeking with my camera, never thought of binoculars ..