Our feral cat just had kittens today.

[don1945]

I feed some feral cats every night who come to my shop and have started rescuing them when I can catch them.   One of them is a little female and she was looking a little pregnant to me, so just after Christmas I caught her in a trap and moved her into the office of the shop.

For the past month she has been getting bigger and today when I arrived she had given birth to 3 little ones overnight.   I have never seen newborn kittens, they are really cute.  One is white (just like the kitten I trapped and adopted out a few months ago......also from this Mama cat), one is black, and the other looks just like Mama.

If I didn't already have two at home I would keep them all, but I can't, so I will find good homes for the little ones when they are older, and then I am going to get Mama fixed and try to find her a good home too.  I made her a box with towels in the bottom, but she seems to prefer it under the futon.    Here are some pictures from today.

Don

new baby kittens born today 007.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 24, 2013

new baby kittens born today 004.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 24, 2013

 

[StefanZ]

Nice!

I wish you all, mom, kittens and the protector all the best!

 

[missymotus]

Well done trapping her and giving her a safe place to raise her kittens, and also ending the cycle when she's able to be spayed.

You can spay her and the litter when the kittens are 8-12 weeks old. If you aren't already aware many areas have low cost options.

 

[don1945]

Thanks for that info......I'll have to look into a group rate. 

Don

 

[don1945]

The kittens are now about 5 days old and have tripled in size.   They are nursing a lot and their bellies are really FAT !  Mama is eating a lot too and is getting more used to me and to being in my office.  I can now get my hand right up to her nose with treats and she doesn't pull back.  I figure when the kittens start coming out and playing she will become even more friendly, when she sees them being not afraid.

Here are some pictures from today.

Don

dans carbs kittens 005.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 29, 2013

dans carbs kittens 006.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 29, 2013

dans carbs kittens 008.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 29, 2013

dans carbs kittens 009.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 29, 2013

 

[ekosmacz]

Hi Don! 

I think its great that youve taken these cats in and given them a chance at a good life. Very admirable!

I'm looking to get a kitten, I was wondering if you would be willing to let me take two of the kittens overnight to see if they get along with my older cat, and then possibly adopt them. I'd like to get two so that they are together and adjust more easily. My other cat is 7 years old, a black and white long haired girl who's always been very friendly with both cats and dogs. She goes outdoors whenever she pleases, so she's well experienced with other animals.

Please let me know if you're comfortable with this sort of arrangement! 

Thanks,

Emma

 

[missymotus]

Cute kittens, glad things are still going well

 I was wondering if you would be willing to let me take two of the kittens overnight to see if they get along with my older cat

Many cats take longer than overnight to adjust to newcomers, some can take months. Some cats will adjust instantly, others need a much slower introduction .

 

[StefanZ]

Emma, an interesting proposal.  It may work, if it works!

Are you and Don neighbours, or how did you plan it done, practically?
 

 

[jennyr]

Lovely kittens and well done with getting mama to accept you. As for adopting the kittens, they must stay with their mother until at least 10 weeks, and 12 is desirable. This is so they are fully socialised and disciplined (by mama, not by you!) and mature enough to make good house cats. And as already said, it can take (and usually does) several weeks for them to become acclimatised and accepted in a new home, especially with other strange cats. It would be very upsetting for them to be sent somewhere new and then to come back a day or two later.

 

[don1945]

Emma, I am in Ft Myers Florida, where are you ?  As Jenny said, they obviously have to be older to adopt out.   When I found Snowball her new home she was about 3 months.

Don

 

[shandazzle]

cute babies! still waiting for my queen to have hers its been a long waiting game
 

 

[don1945]

Haha, for a while I was doubting if Mama cat was even pregnant.  I took her in she shop right after Christmas because she looked ready to have them.  A month later still nothing.  My family was questioning if she was really pregnant, but I could tell she was getting bigger.   Finally, she had them and it was a relief.   Toward the end she was really fat. (see picture below that I took a few days before she delivered.

Don

Mama cat jan 21st 001.JPG

• don1945
• Jan 30, 2013

 

[bellesmama]

They're too cute!!!!

 

[don1945]

They are getting cuter by the day.

kittens feb 6th 001.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 7, 2013

kittens feb 6th 002.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 7, 2013

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Congratulations on the cat family. I love the buff colored one.

 

[don1945]

I got to pet them tonight, and they were fine with it, and so was their Mom.   She is trusting me quite a bit now, and the kittens walk up to the edge of the hammock where she seems to like having them, and they look at me when I talk to them.   They are starting to romp and wrestle with each other.   Any day now they will be crawling out of that spot and will be all over my office.

Don

 

[don1945]

Well, the kittens had their one month birthday yesterday, and they are really starting to have the run of my office.  They are pretty comfortable with me and will come up and sit beside me and let me pet them.  Mama is still a little leary but she loves treats and will come up close to me to get some of those.  In the next couple of weeks I am going to start looking for homes for them and by the time they are 8 weeks or so old they should be good to adopt out.  Gonna miss the little guys.  We have determined the white and black ones are males and the little tabby is a girl.  I may keep Mama as an office cat once this is all over, I can't just put her back out into the wild to meet an uncertain future.  She is just too nice of a little cat to do that.

Here are the most recent pictures.

Don

kittens feb 19th 003.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 21, 2013

kittens feb 19th 009.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 21, 2013

kittens Feb 18th 010.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 21, 2013

kittens Feb 18th 006.JPG

• don1945
• Feb 21, 2013

 

[shandazzle]

they are sooooo adorable!!!! hope you keep the mama
 

 

[don1945]

I'm probably going to end up keeping Mama and letting her live in the office at my shop.   I would take her home after having her spayed, when the kittens are adopted out, but I already have two at home and just can't take another one there.    It would take a special person to adopt Mama because she is still pretty feral and won't even let me touch her yet.  They would have to understand that she will probably never be a lap cat, but in time I think she would become more sociable and make someone a great housecat.    But I really can't see myself putting her back out in the outdoors again.

Don

 

[vball91]

The kittens are so cute! I am so glad you are keeping and spaying Mama. I hope you find great homes for the kittens although if you could keep them with their Mama until 12 weeks, it would be better for them. They are so lucky to have you!