‘Feral’ Momma cat and kitten in backyard

[Katelyn K]

As I’ve said before, please put the family on the porch as soon as possible where they will be safe from predators and protected from the weather.

I will when I have time, it’s a little hard at the moment tho as I have no idea how many kittens there are and I don’t accidentally want to leave one behind, they’re just newborns after all. Doesn’t help that Bastet was trying to bite at me when I was trying to place an umbrella over them when it started raining this morning.

I will do it, just, I just gotta wear like three layers of clothes. Maybe four. Just in case.

 

[CatladyJan]

I will when I have time, it’s a little hard at the moment tho as I have no idea how many kittens there are and I don’t accidentally want to leave one behind, they’re just newborns after all. Doesn’t help that Bastet was trying to bite at me when I was trying to place an umbrella over them when it started raining this morning.

I will do it, just, I just gotta wear like three layers of clothes. Maybe four. Just in case.

. As one who has worked with feral cats you do not want to get bitten. I believe you said you are not even 18 yet so don’t do anything to that could hurt you or push momma away.

 

[CatladyJan]

Katelyn K does the SPCA assist in situations such as this? Are there TNR groups in your area?

 

[Katelyn K]

Katelyn K does the SPCA assist in situations such as this? Are there TNR groups in your area?

I’m not sure, but right now my aunt says she knows someone who can help and take the momma cat and her kittens when they’re old enough so they can find good homes and get the help they need. Right now I’m just working with that.

 

[CatladyJan]

I’m not sure, but right now my aunt says she knows someone who can help and take the momma cat and her kittens when they’re old enough so they can find good homes and get the help they need. Right now I’m just working with that.

That is great! Right now, just make sure momma is given kitten food and water and don't force yourself on her especially since she just had kittens. True feral moms and some semi feral moms will relocate the babies if you bother them too much. Take this time to earn their trust. I would focus on the first kitten getting her away and starting her socialization.

 

[CatladyJan]

Katelyn K how are things going?

 

[Katelyn K]

Katelyn K how are things going?

Uh, the best way I can describe it is chaotic, chaotic and very confusing. The first night Bastet was on her own in the bush she had them in, but unfortunately the next day it kept raining off and on and because of that she relocated the kittens. I know where they were, she took them to the back of the washing machine and dryer in the garage. I’ve been terrified of doing laundry for almost a week now, really need to do it. Momma cat refused to give me a good look at the kittens and I don’t even know how many there are anymore. My aunt thought she would give birth to like five or six of em. But I’ve only gotten to see two at most at the same time. Yesterday behind the washer their were two of em. Now I only see one. I don’t know if she’s moving them again or if they’re in a different place I can’t see. And if she is moving them again or has them in two groups I am very paranoid and scared cause I don’t know how to handle that. I don’t want to risk moving the ones I know where they are to the porch to attract the momma if there’s a possibility I might leave some behind. I’ve only been looking in like once a day due to my paranoid nature and I think I might have made it worse. And I don’t know if any of them have passes since the momma cat had em, very scared of that being a possibility too. Just very paranoid and scared.

Other than that, momma cat comes out every once and a while to get food, she knows where it is, she’s been eating well. She seems to be in good health.

 

[CatladyJan]

Uh, the best way I can describe it is chaotic, chaotic and very confusing. The first night Bastet was on her own in the bush she had them in, but unfortunately the next day it kept raining off and on and because of that she relocated the kittens. I know where they were, she took them to the back of the washing machine and dryer in the garage. I’ve been terrified of doing laundry for almost a week now, really need to do it. Momma cat refused to give me a good look at the kittens and I don’t even know how many there are anymore. My aunt thought she would give birth to like five or six of em. But I’ve only gotten to see two at most at the same time. Yesterday behind the washer their were two of em. Now I only see one. I don’t know if she’s moving them again or if they’re in a different place I can’t see. And if she is moving them again or has them in two groups I am very paranoid and scared cause I don’t know how to handle that. I don’t want to risk moving the ones I know where they are to the porch to attract the momma if there’s a possibility I might leave some behind. I’ve only been looking in like once a day due to my paranoid nature and I think I might have made it worse. And I don’t know if any of them have passes since the momma cat had em, very scared of that being a possibility too. Just very paranoid and scared.

Other than that, momma cat comes out every once and a while to get food, she knows where it is, she’s been eating well. She seems to be in good health.

It's hard to say how many kittens she had/has it can be anywhere from one - ??? She will continue to move them and it's probably not a bad idea if she does move them from under the washer and dryer. If you saw 2 then saw 1 she may have been in the process of moving them or one is actually under the washer dryer. Feral moms keep their kittens away from humans and basically teach them feral behavior. Here is what I suggest at this time, but I'm going to tag someone more experienced than I that will give you better advice.

1. Keep an eye out on what's going on in the garage by the washer and dryer to see if she moves all of them or you see more still there.
2. My suggestion is you DO NOT move them to your desired location as mom may refuse that location as it is not one she has chosen and will likely move them again.
3.. If your porch is open I would put a box for her to hide in and start putting her food there and then just keep your distance. If it's a closed in porch if there is a way you can leave an area propped open and still put a box and her food there.
4. I've found that trail cams are awesome in seeing what is going on and how many you may be dealing with, but I also understand you probably do not have one.

Jcatbird fionasmom

 

[fionasmom]

You aren't being paranoid about this. These situations are very stressful and I can't tell you the number of times I have canvassed the neighborhood looking for where a feral mother put the kittens. Sometimes it is not as chaotic as this. I had one years ago who was more than happy to use a neighbor's wash house/shed with the neighbor's approval and, despite her feral nature and dislike of humans, she somehow realized that this was a great place to keep the kittens until we got them adopted out when they were old enough. The next family was an completely feral mother who moved the kittens repeatedly after they were born under a lavender bush in my front yard. That was the time that I was running all over the place, at night, early morning, with flashlights, using a step stool to look into back yards, trying to look casual so the neighbors would not think I was a complete nut. As the kittens got a little older and did not need to nurse, I trapped them and put them in a large bathroom where they stayed for several months due to work going on in the house. They were fixed later, and the mom was trapped and fixed as well.

The last litter, my avatar and her sister, were born under a neighbor's house, as I have said, but the mom was very faithful to that spot so it was not too much trouble to transition them all to my yard for food which made them realize that they were better off here and my neighbor was able to close up the window well for good. In that case, having a feeding station is what gave some organization to the situation.

Most litters I have had experience with have been 4 or 5 but the shed mother only ever had 2 at a time and I am quite sure that I did not accidentally miss dead kittens lying around someplace.

In the case of this mom, I would try to make an appealing place for her to get food and a bed/shelter for the kittens in a place which is agreeable to you. If you can find a place where she won't continue to move them, someplace out of the footpath of your daily life, it will be more likely she will stay there. If she thinks that she picked it, that will be more successful. If she will pick the porch, that would be great but she may not if there are too many people coming and going or it is not big enough to have a private section.

If this fails, as it did for me with lavender cat mother, a trail cam would be a good idea. There are a lot of options. You can search on TCS and you will find posts about various kinds people used, certainly not all expensive. If you establish a feeding area for them, eventually the kittens will come there on their own, as might the mother, as they will figure out that it is the only spot on earth to get food. If you can get a routine going with that, you can begin to trap them, get the mom fixed, and work with the kittens.

 

[Katelyn K]

You aren't being paranoid about this. These situations are very stressful and I can't tell you the number of times I have canvassed the neighborhood looking for where a feral mother put the kittens. Sometimes it is not as chaotic as this. I had one years ago who was more than happy to use a neighbor's wash house/shed with the neighbor's approval and, despite her feral nature and dislike of humans, she somehow realized that this was a great place to keep the kittens until we got them adopted out when they were old enough. The next family was an completely feral mother who moved the kittens repeatedly after they were born under a lavender bush in my front yard. That was the time that I was running all over the place, at night, early morning, with flashlights, using a step stool to look into back yards, trying to look casual so the neighbors would not think I was a complete nut. As the kittens got a little older and did not need to nurse, I trapped them and put them in a large bathroom where they stayed for several months due to work going on in the house. They were fixed later, and the mom was trapped and fixed as well.

The last litter, my avatar and her sister, were born under a neighbor's house, as I have said, but the mom was very faithful to that spot so it was not too much trouble to transition them all to my yard for food which made them realize that they were better off here and my neighbor was able to close up the window well for good. In that case, having a feeding station is what gave some organization to the situation.

Most litters I have had experience with have been 4 or 5 but the shed mother only ever had 2 at a time and I am quite sure that I did not accidentally miss dead kittens lying around someplace.

In the case of this mom, I would try to make an appealing place for her to get food and a bed/shelter for the kittens in a place which is agreeable to you. If you can find a place where she won't continue to move them, someplace out of the footpath of your daily life, it will be more likely she will stay there. If she thinks that she picked it, that will be more successful. If she will pick the porch, that would be great but she may not if there are too many people coming and going or it is not big enough to have a private section.

If this fails, as it did for me with lavender cat mother, a trail cam would be a good idea. There are a lot of options. You can search on TCS and you will find posts about various kinds people used, certainly not all expensive. If you establish a feeding area for them, eventually the kittens will come there on their own, as might the mother, as they will figure out that it is the only spot on earth to get food. If you can get a routine going with that, you can begin to trap them, get the mom fixed, and work with the kittens.

Thanks for the advice and reassurance, I’m just scared at the moment cause I don’t know where they all are if there are even any more of them.

A few days ago their were two kittens behind the washer, a white one and a black one. Now when I look I only see the black one. I don’t know if something happened to the other one or if the momma cat just moved it, I’ve been trying to listen for mews to see if they’re anywhere else but so far no luck. I’ll have to ask my neighbors that connect to our yard if they’ve seen anything.

The cam idea is probably a good one but I don’t exactly have my own Amazon account, and my dad isn’t too keen on spending money on the cats. Just this morning I was going to the vet to get my inside cat Molly his ‘defo injection/shot’ or something like that for his asthma and my father gave me some money to use as the shot itself was only $25, I expressed my worry to him about how they might have to sedate him this time as he’s usually not the best behaved at the vet. Long story short my dad said if it costed more than twenty-five dollars at the end Molly would have to go without his shots.

I can try reaching out to some of my family for help if it’s a good idea, I’ll see how it goes.

 

[CatladyJan]

Katelyn K a couple of questions:
1. Are you able to reach the black kitten since it's under your dryer if she is not coming how is it getting food?
2. Do you have someone who can carefully assist you in moving the washer dryer to ensure there are no kittens in unsafe areas so you can do your laundry?
3. Is momma still eating the food?
4. Where is the kitten from the first litter?

 

[Katelyn K]

Katelyn K a couple of questions:
1. Are you able to reach the black kitten since it's under your dryer if she is not coming how is it getting food?
2. Do you have someone who can carefully assist you in moving the washer dryer to ensure there are no kittens in unsafe areas so you can do your laundry?
3. Is momma still eating the food?
4. Where is the kitten from the first litter?

I am able to reach the kitten yes, and I can always ask family for help moving the washer if necessary. And I don’t know if I explained it wrong but the momma cat is feeding the little black kitten, whenever I look back their she usually meows at me to leave. Momma cat is eating well, she usually visits the porch 2-3 times a day to get some food then leaves. I’m more concerned what happened to the second kitten that was back there before.

By the kitten from the first litter I assume you mean Taffy. I’ve sort of unofficially adopted her, she usually just runs around our house playing most of the time and annoys my house cat Molly.

 

[CatladyJan]

I am able to reach the kitten yes, and I can always ask family for help moving the washer if necessary. And I don’t know if I explained it wrong but the momma cat is feeding the little black kitten, whenever I look back their she usually meows at me to leave. Momma cat is eating well, she usually visits the porch 2-3 times a day to get some food then leaves. I’m more concerned what happened to the second kitten that was back there before.

By the kitten from the first litter I assume you mean Taffy. I’ve sort of unofficially adopted her, she usually just runs around our house playing most of the time and annoys my house cat Molly.

Great news then if momma is meowing she is not that feral and she is not hissing or growling.
It’s hard to say what became of the other kitten which is why I suggested moving the washer and dryer when momma goes for food. I would wear gloves if you are going to pick up the black kitten so not to have your scent. Sometimes the momma rejects and even eats her own. Please keep up the great work.

 

[Katelyn K]

Great news then if momma is meowing she is not that feral and she is not hissing or growling.
It’s hard to say what became of the other kitten which is why I suggested moving the washer and dryer when momma goes for food. I would wear gloves if you are going to pick up the black kitten so not to have your scent. Sometimes the momma rejects and even eats her own. Please keep up the great work.

I don’t know if it was her or a wild animal or something. I mean I didn’t see any blood on her or signs of a fight, and my god if I managed to miss any dead kittens I’d just feel horrible. Best case scenario she just moved the others somewhere else. I definitely saw a white one and could have sworn an orange one too on the first night.

 

[Katelyn K]

I can only hope that she just moved the others.

 

[fionasmom]

Don't get too upset about this. The sad fact is that newborn kittens sometimes do not survive for lots of reasons, none of which have to do with anything that you did. As you said, try to alert people along your property line, listen for soft mewing, and as CatladyJan suggested see if you can investigate the washing machine area.

 

[CatladyJan]

I’ve never known a cat to leave them in more than one place unless she rejected them. As fionasmom said it happens and ask around your neighbors.

 

[Katelyn K]

I’ve never known a cat to leave them in more than one place unless she rejected them. As fionasmom said it happens and ask around your neighbors.

I’ve asked a few neighbors and the ones who did answer said they’ve never even seen a black cat in their yards before. I hate to say it but I think the white kitten is long gone. It’s been like 3-4 days since I’ve seen it even tho I haven’t found a body or anything. If she does have a thing with rejecting kittens it would unfortunately explain why Taffy was the only kitten she showed up with when she made her first appearance in my yard.

God I feel horrible, I should have just trapped her in the porch before she had her babies. Then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. God o feel so bad about this. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to that advice.

 

[CatladyJan]

I’ve asked a few neighbors and the ones who did answer said they’ve never even seen a black cat in their yards before. I hate to say it but I think the white kitten is long gone. It’s been like 3-4 days since I’ve seen it even tho I haven’t found a body or anything. If she does have a thing with rejecting kittens it would unfortunately explain why Taffy was the only kitten she showed up with when she made her first appearance in my yard.

God I feel horrible, I should have just trapped her in the porch before she had her babies. Then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. God o feel so bad about this. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to that advice.

No, it is not your fault and you did listen to advice everyone here has an area they are more experienced in. You posted in the stray and feral forum because you have at least a semi feral momma.

I'm going to tell you my own personal story, Last year my feral mamma at work eluded me for 2 years and last year she had a litter of kittens 4-5 (depends who you ask) Well, I ended up trapping 4 of them and now they are all socialized and have homes, Lo and behold she got pregnant again and like yourself I thought it best if I could trap her prior to giving birth and have all the kittens in one place. (sound familiar). Well, I did a lot of research and discovered it was NOT in their best interest to trap momma while pregnant and let her give birth in captivity because that would more than likely cause her to be under a lot of stress and things could have really gone wrong. I'm glad I didn't capture her before birth as ideal as it seemed. She did have 4 kittens and even though she was very familiar with me she moved them and yes I found them lol, Well, when the time was right to trap one kitten went missing and only God knows what happened. I carried on to rescue those I could including momma (finally) those 3 kittens are in great homes and momma has been TNR'd .

Do not beat yourself up you did the right thing and need to focus on taking care of what you are able,

Did you ever get to look behind the washer/dryer?

What is the current status?

You are doing great!!!!!

 

[Katelyn K]

No, it is not your fault and you did listen to advice everyone here has an area they are more experienced in. You posted in the stray and feral forum because you have at least a semi feral momma.

I'm going to tell you my own personal story, Last year my feral mamma at work eluded me for 2 years and last year she had a litter of kittens 4-5 (depends who you ask) Well, I ended up trapping 4 of them and now they are all socialized and have homes, Lo and behold she got pregnant again and like yourself I thought it best if I could trap her prior to giving birth and have all the kittens in one place. (sound familiar). Well, I did a lot of research and discovered it was NOT in their best interest to trap momma while pregnant and let her give birth in captivity because that would more than likely cause her to be under a lot of stress and things could have really gone wrong. I'm glad I didn't capture her before birth as ideal as it seemed. She did have 4 kittens and even though she was very familiar with me she moved them and yes I found them lol, Well, when the time was right to trap one kitten went missing and only God knows what happened. I carried on to rescue those I could including momma (finally) those 3 kittens are in great homes and momma has been TNR'd .

Do not beat yourself up you did the right thing and need to focus on taking care of what you are able,

Did you ever get to look behind the washer/dryer?

What is the current status?

You are doing great!!!!!

Thanks for reassuring me, that helped a lot. I’ve just never really felt with anything like this before.

The momma cat moved her kitten to another part of the garage after my cousin forced me to do a load of laundry. Luckily it was just another part of the garage and not another place entirely. Momma cat seems healthy and well, same for the little kitten.