Lost kittens

[edenann]

I have a mama cat that was brought to me with 2 kittens. Then someone found 5 nursing orphan kittens so I gave them to the mama to see if she could take them. It went well and for about 3 weeks they've been a family. She tends all of them and they along play together. Today 3 of the orphans went missing. They werent here for breakfast. And the mama cat has missed 2 feedings which is not like her at at all. She did have breakfast but I haven't seen her since. They usually all crowd together for feeding time. The kittens are so small I really can't see them going off on their own. They had just started to venture away from the flower bed they sleep behind a couple days ago. I mean they might walk 2 feet away then go back. The neighbor has a cat we call daddy cat. He looks like he's been fixed, very plump and indolent, always lolling about like other neutered males I've seen. He never approached the kittens or mom that I saw. He comes in our front yard sometimes, but they are in the back. I think he knew they were back there and just stayed away cause we haven't seen him as much since the mama and babies came. I saw no signs of a struggle and the remaining 4 kittens have been frolicking as usual. They are all now to the point of eating soft food and starting on hard food. Did they run away? No one has seen them and I looked all over in case they got stuck somewhere. Do you think the mama is moving them? Seven kittens is a lot I know. We live in close together suburbs, maybe they went to another house but idk why. If one was gone I would think lost. But 3 gone and mama missing a lot? My 4 year old said a couple days ago she saw a big old black cat in our front yard chasing the Daddy cat but I did not see it and didn't think anything of it at the time. Is there anything I can do to try to recover them? It is 100 degrees here during the day, I just can't see them striking off on their own. I have never had a pet before so this is all new to me.

 

[Norachan]

Outdoor cats, particularly young kittens, are very vulnerable. Once they start wandering around on their own the mother cat can't keep an eye on them all and so they fall prey to other animals or large birds. It's very unlikely that a male cat would kill a kitten and eat it, but there are lots of other things out there that will. The only way you can keep them safe is to bring them indoors. If you can't bring them into your house, how about a shed or an out house or even a large dog crate?

I'm sorry to tell you this, but very few outdoor kittens make it to their first birthday.

If mother cat gave birth a month or more ago she is probably in heat now and has gone off to mate. You need to get her spayed ASAP. You can do this even if she has already mated as it takes a few days before she becomes pregnant.

I suggest you Google low cost spay and neuter clinics in your area and take her there. Try the Humane Society if the neuter clinics don't have an appointment this week.

Please bring the other kittens indoors as soon as you can. You'll save yourself a lot of heart break.

 

[edenann]

The mama cat has come back at night, but still gone for long stretches of time. She used to always be here.

 

[edenann]

Thank you. I am still hoping they may turn up. I will take the four babies left in. Do you think it is okay for them to be out during the day? They do have so much fun frolicking around.

 

[edenann]

They came back ! I gathered up the 4 kittens I had left and took them inside.I set them up in our laundry room I am allergic and can't have them all over. When I went back out the mama cat was there watching the 3 lost ones eat. And they are ravenous. I am so relieved ! Idk if she led them off then brought them back, or if they are at odds with the other kittens and were scared. Idk where they could have been I looked everywhere. I am thinking I may just keep the two groups separate until they get to good homes.