Mom cat and baby cat without a home

[squirtle]

Hi guys, I have a bit of a dilemma and need some advice.... well, really I know what I need to do but need some back up to know that it is the right decision.

Over the past two months or so I realized that something had been getting into our trash (sometimes I left it on our patio until the next morning when I could take it around the the cans). I actually thought it was Brody and got on to him a few times. Then last week I noticed that there was a mom cat (dark colored tortie) and her baby hanging out on the back patio. I brought them a bowl of food and put it way out into the yard because I didn't want to encourage them to stay on my patio. The mom cat is very protective of her baby who is approx. 6-8 weeks old. Instead of running off when I went outside she kept coming at me hissing, spitting, etc. Anyway, I have been feeding them for the past few days and I thought they were only coming around at about the same time each evening and then leaving. I wasn't sure what to do, but thought that maybe if I fed them they would be ok since I saw the mom cat around our house a few months back as well.

Anyway, this morning I went to put Brody out and they were laying in a flower bed on my patio. I carried Brody out past them so he wouldn't bother them. Both cats ran off my patio and climbed onto the shed that is in the backyard of an abandoned house.... I got to thinking and I remember seeing the mom cat in their backyard before the neighbors moved out... maybe they left her behind

Here is my issue... it is very hard for me not to take care of these cats but I absolutely can't take them in. I have been thinking about them constantly. My husband thinks I should call around to the no kill shelters and see if anyone has room for them. If I can find one that will take them, is that the best thing to do for them? What if I can't find anyone to take them? Me keeping them is not an option as money is an issue (especially with Brody's health problems) and Dori only gets her rabies shots since she had such a reaction way back when she was a kitten. I can't put her at risk of acquiring anything.

Thank you for your help.

 

[opilot]

Get Mama and baby in a trap, and have them fixed at a low cost spay neuter ... here is the number to clal to find out about low cost in your area:

1-800-spay-usa http://www.spayusa.org/


You can also apply fo ra ONE TIME grant for monies to care for
homeless animal from United Animal Nation UNA http://www.uan.org/

Those are the only 2 I know of that are national. There may also be feral "friends" in your area who might help, contact Alley Cat Allies for this
information.

Others who live in FL might be of more assistance.

If it were me, I'd make sure mama and babies are fixed, and baby gets taken in and socialized - you can be a "foster" temp. parent - sponsored by a feral group or other cat rescue group. (I just did this for an adorable Siamese Flame point who was born to an abandoned unalter Siamese momma cat. My foster just went to Siamese Rescue for adoption! Yayyy!!)

If you can't be a long term foster for the poor wee ones, you can at least get them fixed, release them to live in the abandoned shed, and just
feed them. When they do TNR they usually also give a rabies shot. I have low cost 45 dollar spay/neuter in my area, which comes with a mandatory
rabies shot.

Hopefully others can advise you with more local groups, but please, at least consider the Trap Neuter and Release/feed.

You might even get food assistance from feral care taking groups.

And/or if this baby proves to be tame cat (former pet) you might even
be able to get the rescue groups to re-home it and the baby!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[opilot]

Oh, I forgot to add - if you are worried about things your cat might catch, and you trap and TNR.

They will combo test for FelineLuke etc. That is standard - also they will do distemper for you usually. Those are the major things you need to worry your babies might catch.

Calci vaccine is also something you can give.

Try alley cat allies though for "feral friends" contacts and try for feral rescue groups - and also don't forget to ask UAN for a one time grant - to cover the costs of vaccine.

Feeding etc. is cheap, just use dry kitten chow 3.99 a 3 lb bag OR if you
are a memeber of Costco - Kirkland brand drive cat food for a 25 lbs
bag is 12.99 - that will feed a LONG time, and the food is actually off brand version of Science Hill Diet (so I hear tell anyway).

Sometimes Petco, Petsmart, Albertson's and other pet stores, will allow you to take food that is at its expiration date (so cannot be sold) and/or damaged dry chow bags. Its worth asking about!

I wouldn't worry too much about your cat catching things however -
in my 40 year experience my cats (fully vaccinated etc.) never caught anything roaming. Except the occassional kitty upper respirtory cold, which is viral in nature...

Hugs and best wishes!

 

[catsknowme]

I can't add anything to Opilot's excellent suggestions, so I'll only send {{{{prayers and vibes}}}} that you get some good answers soon. It would be best for the baby to get trapped and fostered, so s/he can find a good home with a real people family.

 

[glitch]

I agree to try to catch them but I also understand that this really isn't an option for you... Have any friends you could sucker in to doing it??

 

[catsknowme]

any updates on the mama kitty/baby situation??? Hopefully, the miracle of Christmas will open up minds, hearts & HOMES for those kitties

 

[shorty14788]

I sent you a PM about helping...

 

[squirtle]

Thank you all for the suggestions!
I made some phone calls to a couple of no kill shelters this week. Two of them didn't have any room and a couple have not responded to me yet. I plan to call around Wednesday (due to Christmas).
Things became a bit complicated last night. I found out that there were two other cats coming over the fence and eating the food I had put out for the mom and baby... there is only one baby with the mom. On top of that, I let Brody outside to use the bathroom before bed and the mom jumped over the fence to attack him. I had to run and grab him before she got a hold of him. She is very skittish, hissing and making a fuss when I walk outside. She doesn't back away, she actually walks toward me. I can't let Brody out there now which is making things very hard. The front yard isn't fenced in and we live on a fairly busy neighborhood road.
Hubby thinks we should quit encouraging them to come into our yard, quit feeding them and dump out the planter they are sleeping in occasionally, and just make phone calls at this point. The whole thing is so frustrating

 

[catsknowme]

I'm continuing to send vibes that you find a rescue group to help you out and that Brody be able to enjoy his yard again. As long as you keep feeding them, the chances of them getting help are that much stronger. Your DH is a lucky guy to have such a compassionate, determined wife

 

[happy cat]

best case scenario for you (because of your other cat) would be to use a havahart trap.
See if a local rescue will take them, neuter/spay them and re-home them. the momma sounds like a good farm cat, the baby is probably young enough to tame down.

as a last resort, there is the local animal shelter. Rescues sometimes pull from there, so the kitten would have a really good chance.

And DON"T feel guilty. Remember, somebody else didn't do the right thing, so now you have to do the best you can.

 

[sakura]

I would be calling feral rescue type places and trap-neuter-release programs before I contacted any shelter. Shelters are going to be beyond full.

I would get a trap and then have them both spayed. I would release the mom after spaying or see if a rescue group or shelter can take her to list as a barn cat. I don't know a ton about ferals but the baby should be easy to socialize to be around humans and could be adopted. If a shelter can't take the baby, you can foster it and they can do a courtesy listing of the baby on Petfinder (or whatever they use). It might be worth mentioning that option to the shelters you contact because they might be more willing to help you if you can foster the baby.

Any more updates?