giving away kittens

[John Burkett]

I adopted 3 stray/ferral kittens a year ago and they are great outdoor cats who have rid my garden of gophers. The female has two 11 week old kittens that I am giving away to two friends who live beside each other that have gopher issues. The problem is that the momma cat is very attached to the kittens. She stopped nursing them weeks ago but watches out for them, calls them when she doesn't see them and they come running, and grooms them frequently. Call me a softie but I don't want her to be traumatized when they are suddenly gone. Should I wait another couple weeks or will she be more attached? She should wind up pregnant again soon so maybe she won't be so attached. Please give me some insight. Before I get two dozen replies that say "GET HER NEUTERED" let me explain that I have a waiting list for the next batch of kittens as semi wild cats that are good hunters are in demand out here.
Thanks!

 

[Norachan]

I'm going to be the first person to tell you to get her spayed.

There is no shortage of feral or domestic cats and kittens in need of good homes in your state. Just a quick Google search turned up shelters and barn cat programs desperate to rehome some of their cats. Not only does allowing your cat to repeatedly have kittens lead to over crowded shelters and more animals being euthanized, it also puts her health at risk too. Every time she goes through a pregnancy or heat cycle her chances of developing cancer or other life threatening conditions increases.

Please take a look at these articles.

Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Post-birth Complications In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

We usually recommend that kittens stay with their mother for at least 12 weeks before being re-homed. You should also make sure the kittens are blood tested, vaccinated and spayed or neutered before allowing them to go to new homes. Please don't make the feral cat and over crowded shelter problem any worse than it is.

Here are some clinics that offer cheap spay services in your area.

Prices

Spay & Neuter Assistance - Peter Zippi Memorial Fund, Inc.

Top 10 Best Low Cost Spay Neuter in Menifee, CA - Last Updated September 2021 - Yelp