need advice on very pregnant, very feral young cat in my home

[allresq]

Kittens are 2.5 wks old & doing well! I really didn't have to do anything for the 1st 2 weeks except feed mama cat - she took exceptional care of them - but now things are getting more interesting. Last week, she moved them out of the tiny fleece playhouse where she had given birth, ignoring the 2 other nesting boxes I had provided for her, & set up camp with them behind the litter box. Sigh. Not what I wanted, but clearly my nesting boxes aren't up to snuff. I immediately washed & replaced the little fleece house but she ignores it. Just over the last 2 days, when she comes out to eat, the babies start tottering out as well. I have managed to handle them a little. I have to be careful because she is obviously furious that the minute she tries to get some food, all this bad behavior is going on literally behind her back. The thing that unhinges her the most (besides me reaching for the kittens) is eye contact, so I keep my back to her & my movements slow, & try not to think about her jumping on me from behind. The kittens are wobbly & just crawling. Three of the kittens are very much like, "Hi! We're kittens. What are you?" They seem comfortable with my touch. The 4th kitten, an orange tabby, hisses & spits at me so he/she is going to get extra attention. When he spits at me, he sometimes falls over, so he really can't walk the talk yet. This kitten also has one eye that seems very slightly smaller than the other. I'm trying not to worry about that. Fingers crossed that all is well & he just needs some more growing time. If the difference is still noticeable in a few more days I may consult with our veterinary ophthalmologist, but obviously kitty can't leave mama unless it's an emergency. Has anyone had experience with this slight difference in eye size in kittens before, especially kittens whose mother did not get good nutrition while she was pregnant?

 

[mani]

How is it going, @allresq?

 

[allresq]

Thanks so much for asking! It's going to be a big project for the next few wks! Kittens are fat and healthy and starting to play. They will be 4 wks old in a few days and socialization is underway. It's challenging - mama cat is gradually letting me handle them more but only when she's eating. I can slide in quietly behind her and spend 5 min petting and handling them twice a day, which is good but not enough. Three of them seem a little timid but they don't object to being petted and picked up. The 4th one (orange tabby) is the same one who started hissing at me as soon as his eyes opened and he continues to hiss, so I'm trying to give him extra time. The little stinker cries for help when I hold him, which gets mama's attention. As soon as they are a little older, I will start tucking them into my shirt and taking them out of the pen for 10 minutes or so at a time. They need to be exposed to lot more new things.

They all have visible fleas, which is driving me crazy, but I doubt there's much I can do until they are older. I'm going to check with my vet tomorrow. Despite the fleas and probably a load of other parasites, everyone appears to be thriving. Mama cat's coat has started to shine. I'm feeding a combination of dry kitten food soaked in water and canned kitten food. Just yesterday, the smallest (and boldest) kitten started eating from the dish with mama.

Mama hisses less at me in recent days. She leaves the kittens in the corner and sits up very straight out in the open next to the dish to let me know it's time to bring more food, so she's trying to communicate with me.  I hope eventually we will work out some sort of tolerable relationship.

So, parasites and socialization are my current concerns. I need to get my hands on them more than 5 min twice a day. I'm starting to consider weaning them a bit early - don't want to do that but it might be best in terms of their future relationships with humans. Advice is welcome!

 

[mani]

I love the fact that you can see the mother cat's coat so improved.

You're doing such an amazing job.

 

[smokem]

I dont know- I think you are doing incredible job!

In the natural order of things -when does Mama cat let the kitties go??

We being human-seem always to want to rush-I think its because we have so much to do.

 

[allresq]

Thanks for the encouragement! In the past, I've seen mama cats keep nursing for a long time. I'm sure someone on this board knows all about that. If they were all staying with me and mama was tame, I'd let her nurse as long as she wants. But since I have to find good homes for them, I'm concerned that the longer they stay with her, the more she will teach them to be skittish and fearful. I've only got a short window to get them to love humans. Plus, I'm sorry to say that most people want to adopt younger kittens and don't look at the older ones. It would be better for their health to let them grow up longer and be spayed/neutered later before going to their forever homes, but they'll be harder to adopt at an older age and possibly less friendly. So I do feel a sense of urgency, but it's not about me - I'm trying to figure out how to balance socialization with physical development. It's better for socialization to take them away sooner, but better for physical development to let them stay with her longer. On a positive note, one tottered over to see me last night. It was the first time that one has willingly approached me. And mama cat only hissed at me once yesterday! Progress!

 

[ondine]

That is progress.  I suspect she may be a little more mellow as she realizes you aren't out to hurt her or her babies.