The Barn's Gonna Get Busy

[Sarthur2]

Please get the females spayed.

 

[KittenBarn13]

Please get the females spayed.

Dunnit with Jethro, but not with Hoot (we couldn't find her the day of ultrasounds or spay surgeries), and not with Marshall (she was pregnant)

 

[KittenBarn13]

Here's pictures of baby number one! Born on Easter of 2022! We call him Jesus (pronounced Hey-Zoos for fun) because of his birth date. If he ends up being a girl later on (it's obviously too soon to tell his gender, but we are just guessing), we'll call her something else

Little turd didn't want to hold still, he just wanted to climb on Marshall, his mama. So these are the best pictures you have

I had to leave the barn for Easter dinner and couldn't get back. I have work with my dad tomorrow, but I'll try to swing by tomorrow morning to check on them and see if we have more. If not then (and even if I can still make it there then), I'll swing by when I'm done working

 

[KittenBarn13]

Hey y'all! I have some concerns about my new kitten

So for awhile now, we have had a pregnant blue-grey cat, Marshall. She gave birth yesterday to one light grey tabby kitten. I have been assuming he's a boy and calling him Soos. It's short for Jesus (if it's pronounced Hey-Zoos), since he was born on Easter, when Jesus was born... Kind of... Resurrected, not born. But still, his name is Jesus, pronounced Hey-Zoos, Soos for short. Unless he ends up being a she... Emergency female name suggestions?

So, first off, can I handle him or should I wait? If I should wait, how long? When he gets older, he's living with my grandma and her cat. I want him to be socialized and tame

Second, Marshall sits to nurse, not lie down. Soos then climbs on her to nurse. Is that a concern?

Third, she only had one kitten. She hasn't acted like she's under the distress of having more kittens, but I know that it's super rare for a single kitten to come out of a litter. Should I be concerned about that?

Anything else I should know?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I'm not an expert regarding newborns, however I wanted to ask if your mama and baby have seen a vet for a wellness checkup?

 

[KittenBarn13]

Hi - I'm not an expert regarding newborns, however I wanted to ask if your mama and baby have seen a vet for a wellness checkup?

Not mama and baby. Mama was in for a wellness check with the ultrasound last Wednesday, though

 

[HeyKat]

But still, his name is Jesus, pronounced Hey-Zoos, Soos for short. Unless he ends up being a she... Emergency female name suggestions?

How about Susie if it's a girl? Then you can keep calling her Soos for short.

If you post a pic we can probably tell you if it's a boy or a girl tho.

So, first off, can I handle him or should I wait? If I should wait, how long? When he gets older, he's living with my grandma and her cat. I want him to be socialized and tame

You should be weighing the kitten daily to make sure he's gaining and doing well - about 10g per day. Other than that, there's no real reason to handle him right now. Once he gets a little bigger and starts interacting with the world around him, at around 4 weeks, you can start socialising him. At that age it will only take about 10 minutes for him to get used to you, especially since he'll already be comfortable being handled from the weighing.

 

[KittenBarn13]

How about Susie if it's a girl? Then you can keep calling her Soos for short.

If you post a pic we can probably tell you if it's a boy or a girl tho.


You should be weighing the kitten daily to make sure he's gaining and doing well - about 10g per day. Other than that, there's no real reason to handle him right now. Once he gets a little bigger and starts interacting with the world around him, at around 4 weeks, you can start socialising him. At that age it will only take about 10 minutes for him to get used to you, especially since he'll already be comfortable being handled from the weighing.

He's already doubled in size from birth! He's doing great weight wise

 

[KittenBarn13]

Those of you who have been following my posts know that on Easter, we had a kitten born to our barn cat Marshall. We named the baby Soos, short for Jesus, but pronounced Hey-Zoos

Long story shirt, Soos is missing

Short story long, I think Marshall decided she wants to have a new home for Soos. She's been showing up. But Soos isn't in his nest box. Marshall seems to have been nursing, and has her usual nursing mama appetite. So I think she moved Soos and is caring for him elsewhere

What should I do? What's the best way to find him? And what do I do when I find him?

 

[Sarthur2]

I think it was discussed early on in your thread that unless the cats and kittens are contained in a room in the barn that this situation will go on and on.

 

[StefanZ]

Best is probably to be nice to Marshall the momma, and hope she will bring him back sooner than later..

You COULD try to follow her talking sweetly, and hope she will lead you to him... But probably, by any reason, she doesnt feel baby is secure at your place... She perhaps suspects somebody is planning to kill the baby?

This scenario is common with farmers, whom routinely drown infants... So a wise momma takes them away and hides elsewhere, and brings them back when they are 7-8 weeks. Adorable and no farmer will no longer have stomach to drown them...
Im not saying its so in your place, but the idea did sprung forward to my memory...

 

[KittenBarn13]

Best is probably to be nice to Marshall the momma, and hope she will bring him back sooner than later..

You COULD try to follow her talking sweetly, and hope she will lead you to him... But probably, by any reason, she doesnt feel baby is secure at your place... She perhaps suspects somebody is planning to kill the baby?

This scenario is common with farmers, whom routinely drown infants... So a wise momma takes them away and hides elsewhere, and brings them back when they are 7-8 weeks. Adorable and no farmer will no longer have stomach to drown them...
Im not saying its so in your place, but the idea did sprung forward to my memory...

If she's worried, it's probably because of my neighbor's dog, Neeko. They were at the barn one day. Neeko is super sweet, wouldn't ever try to hurt another animal. But the cats didn't seem as fond as he was. And poor boy, he doesn't wanna fight, so he's pinned against a wall, with Miss Mama Marshall letting all Hell break loose on this poor dog That was about a week before this, though

 

[KittenBarn13]

I think it was discussed early on in your thread that unless the cats and kittens are contained in a room in the barn that this situation will go on and on.

We talked about breeding. Nobody got bred, nobody is getting bred. No one was talking earlier about a cat moving her kitten somewhere

 

[Norachan]

K KittenBarn13 Having read through your thread it seems that you have several cats that live outdoors and in a barn, one who has been spayed recently, one who just gave birth and one that is still un-spayed, is that correct? As you said in your first post allowing these cats to breed unchecked will result in 30+ cats this year, then more every year after this. I'm sure you know how important it is to get all of the intact cats, males included, fixed as soon as possible.

The one mother cat who has a kitten has probably moved her kitten to a safer location. Cats regularly move their litters. This is to avoid infestations of fleas as well as to protect them from predators, who would be attracted to the smell of the nest. With you regularly going to check on her she probably decided she needed to move the kitten to a place you wouldn't be able to find him.

Unfortunately those of us who care for outdoor feral cats or barn cats don't have as much control over what happens to the cats as those that keep their cats indoors do. Your options are either to bring pregnant females and kittens indoors and care for them as pets, or to take a step back and accept that young kittens may disappear.

Either way, if you are providing the cats with a home and food you need to get them all fixed as soon as possible.

You can get the mother cat fixed now. Female cats come into heat soon after giving birth and she will be pregnant before her first kitten is weaned if she is outdoors where there are tom cats. She will continue to lactate even after being spayed. If your clinic will spay her and release her the same day try and get her fixed now. If they want to keep her overnight after a spay wait until six weeks after the kitten was born (even if you don't see him around any more) and then get her spayed. There is a slight risk that you might have to spay-abort, but that is preferable to her having another litter outdoors where they are at risk to predators and disease.

The male cats and the remaining female cat need to be fixed right away too. The cats don't know that your neighbour's dog is friendly. Years of evolution have taught them to be wary of dogs, with good reason, so please make sure any dogs near the barn are kept on a leash away from the cats

Good luck, I hope Soos turns up again.

 

[Sarthur2]

Thank you Norachan !

 

[KittenBarn13]

K KittenBarn13 Having read through your thread it seems that you have several cats that live outdoors and in a barn, one who has been spayed recently, one who just gave birth and one that is still un-spayed, is that correct? As you said in your first post allowing these cats to breed unchecked will result in 30+ cats this year, then more every year after this. I'm sure you know how important it is to get all of the intact cats, males included, fixed as soon as possible.

The one mother cat who has a kitten has probably moved her kitten to a safer location. Cats regularly move their litters. This is to avoid infestations of fleas as well as to protect them from predators, who would be attracted to the smell of the nest. With you regularly going to check on her she probably decided she needed to move the kitten to a place you wouldn't be able to find him.

Unfortunately those of us who care for outdoor feral cats or barn cats don't have as much control over what happens to the cats as those that keep their cats indoors do. Your options are either to bring pregnant females and kittens indoors and care for them as pets, or to take a step back and accept that young kittens may disappear.

Either way, if you are providing the cats with a home and food you need to get them all fixed as soon as possible.

You can get the mother cat fixed now. Female cats come into heat soon after giving birth and she will be pregnant before her first kitten is weaned if she is outdoors where there are tom cats. She will continue to lactate even after being spayed. If your clinic will spay her and release her the same day try and get her fixed now. If they want to keep her overnight after a spay wait until six weeks after the kitten was born (even if you don't see him around any more) and then get her spayed. There is a slight risk that you might have to spay-abort, but that is preferable to her having another litter outdoors where they are at risk to predators and disease.

The male cats and the remaining female cat need to be fixed right away too. The cats don't know that your neighbour's dog is friendly. Years of evolution have taught them to be wary of dogs, with good reason, so please make sure any dogs near the barn are kept on a leash away from the cats

Good luck, I hope Soos turns up again.

The males have all been fixed, and I haven't seen the other unspayed female in a month or so. Neighbors haven't either. I've been looking for awhile now and can't find anything

Thanks for the advice!