OT: Asking for advice from cat owners here. - YouLookFab Forum

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OT: Asking for advice from cat owners here.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I know we have a lot of cat owners here so I would like to ask you all for the advice.
This summer a stray cat began to live in our backyard under the shed. My hubby began to water it first and then to feed her (he is a softie :-)) After a month or so we discovered that she has two adorable kittens!
As you can guess we began to feed them all and got quite attached to those babies. The cat is completely wild: after living and being fed for 4 months she still does not allow us to get close to her and hisses. All her behavior tells us it is a ferral cat and I am a bit afraid of her.
Kittens however are getting pretty tame now, they come into the kitchen and let us pick them up and pet. Of course they are getting a firm place in our hearts and we are ready to adopt both of them now when we are back from our travels. While we were away my mom was coming every day to feed them! I don't know exactly how old they are now, I guess somewhere between 3-4 month old.
So these are my questions to you, experienced cat owners / lovers as I have never owned a cat in my life:
1. Does anybody have experience with adopting kittens in situations like this? What is the right way to do this?
2. What should we do with the mother cat? We cannot get 3 cats and anyway she is too wild. I am afraid to call the shelter: what if they pick her up, nobody wants to adopt such a wild cat and they put her to sleep? What should we do? We are OK to continue feeding her after we take the kittens indoors but what if she has more kittens there? I am even willing to pay the vet fee to get her spayed but I am afraid even to get closer than 1 yard to her...
Any advice is greatly appreciated by this cat newbie!:-)

General

20 replies

Latest reply was from RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Isis

Veteran

Sveta, Having a cat is a wonderful experience! The two kittens will make wonderful pets!

As for their mom, you are correct that many shelters will euthanize a feral cat. Another option is "trap neutar release". You will have to trap the mom, take her to a cooperative vet to be spayed, and then release her. I am sure she will appreciate your continued efforts to give her food and water. Many cities have advocates that can advise you on how to do this (perhaps even loaning you a trap, helping you with the trapping process, finding a vet, etc). If you do not spay her, you are correct that she will soon have another batch of kittens.

Here is a really great website that explains the process, and perhaps even has a link to your city!

http://www.alleycat.org

I commend your heart in reaching out to these vulnerable creatures!!!

Jjsloane

Veteran

How kind of you (and your DH) for looking after these cats. I have always had cats and found each one is quite unique. I had a cat who was quite unsocial (enough that she lived with us, but would let noone touch her and swiped her claws out at any passerby to her hiding spots. She escaped one day and eventually there were kittens born (2). My mother fell in love with one of the kittens, but we could not have all 3 either. We found some people with a farm that took the other kitten and the mother. We were told the mother ran away and they never saw her again. The kittens were completely fine and both lived long and happy domesticated lives. One of the cats I have now was found in the woods as a newborn so not sure of his real lineage, but assume a stray mother. He is a good people cat but he must have freedom to go outside. We kept him in for years with our indoor cat and he tormented her daily. Now he goes out when he wants and they are both quite happy to share owners and food dishes.
I'd say you need to have the kittens checked for diseases etc.. and given their proper shots and spay/neuter when the time is right for them. Unless you have an association which helps round up and spay stray cats I'd not try to get the mother yourselves, but if there are people who do this near you (we have several organizations here) tell them and at least she can spayed.

Isis posted at the same time and has much better (although similar) information.

MNsara

Veteran

Awww, you're such sweethearts

Have you called an animal shelter to ask about spaying the mom cat? I agree about not wanting to get too close to a hissing feral cat!

It seems rather natural to bring the little ones inside as it gets colder. I'm no expert, but if 3-4 months old, they're at the age when they could be separated from their mom.

Here's a link that seemes to have some sound info:
http://www.homeatlastrescue.or.....feral.html

I wonder if the mom would leave on her own if not tending to the kittens. Or maybe she enjoys the feedings?

Anonymous

Sveta, bless you and your husband!

I recommend trap; neuter; release for the mom; and socialization and adoption for the kittens.

Check out the information on this page: Kittens with a Feral Mother

http://www.austinpetsalive.org.....d-kittens/

Here's info on socializing wild kittens:

http://www.nycferalcat.org/info-kittenssoc.php

We had the exact same situation twelve years ago. I borrowed a raccoon trap from a rescue group and trapped the mommy; had her spayed and got her shots; and released her. (She still lives in our back yard after all these years -- I can pet her a bit, but nobody else can get near her.) I feed her and we have a little dog house for her for shelter. The kittens were socialized inside and adopted out.

Good luck and thank you for your kindness.

Louise

Veteran

Ah bless you and DH.

My understanding is that kittens can leave their mother at 8-9 weeks so they should now be able to come live in the house with you.

I agree wholeheartedly with the others who say trap, neuter and release mum. I doubt she would be able to be rehomed and would probably be put to sleep by a shelter though they may help you catch her to get her neutered, I doubt they will insist on euthanizing her when you have offered her a home? x

ironkurtin

Veteran

Second the T-N-R for the mother, and the intensive vet visit (and neuter) for the babies. Cats have a way of falling into your life and worming into your heart, so congrats! And enjoy!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I'm not a kitty-mom (yet; although we have a kitty picked out); just wanted to comment about what a wonderful think you are doing

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Just posting to agree with the others. We had a huge feral cat issue when we moved into our house, and I trapped and spayed/neutered several of them and released them. Check to see if there are any local organizations that can lend you a trap, or get you low cost spay for the mother. You will also have to do some calling to find a vet who will be willing to work on a feral cat. I bought a trap at the hardware store, and got my use out of it, but since you only have one- borrowing would be better. Bringing the kittens in while mom is recovering from surgery would be the logical way to proceed. We had one kitten born to a feral mom who we adopted when she was about that same age. She never really got fully socialized, but you already have a head start since you have been working on them already.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I will check what services are in my city: I really pity this cat, her life is not easy to raise kittens in the wild that often. I hope it will be an act of kindness for her to get her neutered (even if she would not agree)
We plan to take kittens indoors this Friday night so we have the whole weekend to spend with them. They are so funny and so different! They have the same coloring: grey and white - but one is short-haired and mischievous and another one is fluffy and cuddly. This is not the best picture but it will give you an idea...

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rae

(website)

Veteran

Adorable furbabies! I do not have anything to add to the stellar advice already given, but I just wanted to cheer you on and say that you won't regret sharing your home with cats. They are so intelligent, funny, and full of personality! For general reference, this site is wonderful:

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/

MsMaven

Veteran

A neighbor's barn cat had kittens on our roof several years ago. She made a nest n an overgrown vine and kept the kittens there. A couple of tiny kittens died during storms--we found one on the ground and one in the pool, but we weren't sure where they were coming from--literal meaning of raining cats and dogs.

A few weeks later on Mother's day one tiny kitten fell down the trellis onto the ground and headed for the pool. I was home alone and after walking away, thinking I would let Mother Nature decide her fate, soon returned and picked her up. I don't think she was more than five weeks old. I was sure she would die. I put her in a box and set her outside where her Mom could find her, but Mom, who was lurking around, ignored her and that night I brought her in and gave her some milk. She had the strongest will to survive of any animal I have ever seen. A week later two more kittens got into our attic from the roof. We fed them with KMR and an eyedropper and they all survived. We were going give them away but they won our hearts.

The first kitten, Rufina, lived 19 years. The second, Skylight, lived 18 years and the third, a male we named Atticus, lived 13 years. They were all indoor-outdoor cats. They soon adopted our black Lab as a stepmother and loved her to pieces. She never knew quite what to think about it, but endured their love.

I saw the presumed mother around that first summer, then she disappeared. Cats in the wild generally live about a year, so whatever you can do for the kittens and the Mom will be a good thing.

The "three Mouseketeers" added much happiness to our lives. I'm certain you will enjoy your little ones.

New owners soon moved into the neighboring house and had all the barn cats neutered and given their vaccinations. I think the kindest thing anyone can do for a cat is to have it neutered ASAP. Good luck with yours.

Anonymous

Sveta, those kittens are sooo cute! Have you given them names yet?

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

MsMaven, what a great story, very encouraging!
Alicat, we called them Winnie and Pooh: shorthaired rascal is Winnie and fluffy "dirty face" is Pooh. It is a word play really: Pooh means "Fluff" in Russian and it gave us an idea of "Winnie the Pooh"...

Anonymous

I love the names!

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I am really looking forward to this Friday when we decided to bring them in. I hope it all goes well...(fingers crossed).

Louise

Veteran

Oh those kitties are adorable. Mum is so lucky to have ended up in your garden x

kellygirl

Veteran

Fingers crossed, Sveta! We have a new addition in our household too. We've always been dog people so Davey is doing his best to re-train us. Keep us posted : )

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morethanbeige

Veteran

Sveta, how kind! It made me feel really good to hear you are doing this. Cutie kitties!

Irene

Veteran

I think there are two ways of 'having' cats. If you own a house with a backyard, they can stay around and eat and drink from you and let you pet them yet stay wild and free. If you have a flat, you cannot do that. Our cat was found in the backyard of a house we own away from the city. She was living in the neighborhood together with other cats, and fed in every house that was willing to give them food. However, my kitty had a fractured leg, and that's why we took it to town to get her fixed. However, you know how it goes... she never left home afterwards. She's been with us for like sic or seven years now, and I can't imagine our lives without her. She's become really sweet though, and super dependent. She actually has a bit of a dog's behavior, follows you around, asks you for cuddles like all the time and tries to communicate with you, she literally answers with a 'mew' to anything you may tell her. She even comes to say hello to every stranger that gets into the house -say, mailman or the guy who painted the walls.
Regarding your kitties, it's a pity you are separating them from mum, but I guess that's how life is. You cannot suit everybody, can you? I would still feed her though, but don't force her into being a pet, she's just too old for that. As for the little ones, I would let them free. A friend of mine who has always had cats -different cats- lets her pets go away and come back for food, cuddles and shelter when they feel like it -daily, really. Yes, they are wilder, but I feel they are happier too, I don't like it that my cat can't really leave home at all, i find it really sad. She would literally die of a heart attack if she set foot on the street.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Airin, don't feel badly. Wild cats have difficult, dangerous and short lives. Highly interesting and enriched? Yes. But cats on their own face numerous dangers including cars, dogs, coyotes, poison bait, lack of vet care, parasites... The list goes on. I think we tend to romanticize it.