more help with stray cats?.....a whole litter!

[Rukh O'Rorke]

today's adventure.....stepped out into the yard to do some cleanup. Startled a cat and found that there had been 5 kittens under her!


they look about 3-4 weeks. eyes open, dark blue, moving alot but only churning in a pile. no real walking. likely about a week.


mom is very spooky. been feeding her fancy feast and she likes that. my monster cat been moaning at her through the door.


My worry is that mom will move them now she knows we know where they are. I've transferred them all to a box with a nice blankey on the bottom, put it as close to her spot near the fence as branches would allow. Will that and the food tell her I am here to help?

Lows in the 30's coming up.....tuesday and wednesday. Would welcome them all in for fostering if I could get them in!

We were thinking put box in our tiny back porch and leave door open for mom. Will she find them?

[busymom]

I like your idea, but is there a local humane society, or veterinarian you could check with?  Kudos for trying to help those kitties!  

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Apr 18, 2021 15:15:42 GMT -5 mollyanna58 said:

I volunteer with a local rescue.  The head of our cat division said you could email her for advice:  [e-mail].

thanks! I have solicited advice!

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Apr 18, 2021 14:35:51 GMT -5 busymom said:

I like your idea, but is there a local humane society, or veterinarian you could check with?  Kudos for trying to help those kitties!  

evereything I'm accessing says the kittens chance of survival is greatest with mom right now. there is no catching mom, without some elaborate, professional trap.

[TheOtherMe]

If someone points you in the right direction, there are rescue groups who will do that.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Momma was in the box and looking for breakfast this morning!  She has accepted my help. what a relief!

[grumpyhermit]

Do you have any TNR programs in your area? They may be willing to come out and trap her so she, and her babies, won't keep adding to the local cat population.

Good news that she didn't take the kittens and run; amazing what a consistent food bribe will do!

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Apr 19, 2021 9:49:39 GMT -5 grumpyhermit said:

Do you have any TNR programs in your area? They may be willing to come out and trap her so she, and her babies, won't keep adding to the local cat population.

Good news that she didn't take the kittens and run; amazing what a consistent food bribe will do!

I will be finding homes for all the kittens and hoping to take care of momma too. We have one taker already. Will consider the the TNR if we can't get her to the vet ourselves. 

as I've been googling around looking for info on finding a litter of kittens, a lot of shelter type places are having decreased outreach due to covid, so I think I'd best try to wrangle these as my contribution to animal charity this year..

[minnesotapaintlady]

Even though she's cool with your messing with the kittens now,  there's a good chance she could still end up moving them at some point before you can rehome them.  Our barn cats used to do that all the time, even when they were tame and the kittens were tame.  We'd come out one day and they'd just be gone moved to some other part of the barn/farm.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

thanks MPL, I'll have to consider that angle. 

glad I did a shelter for them as it is colder and drizzling today...not the greatest shelter, but more than they had.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

38 degrees tonight and 31 tomorrow overnight low. I'm washing a cat hut for them, put it in box with a gallon of hot water, but not sure if momma is trusting enought to venture into the porch with door propped open, thinking to wait for tomorrow for that.

I'd rather not move them. If momma doesn't follow them into the porch they will be much worse off. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Can you try some of those chemical warmers you break to put in gloves?  A bunch might provide enough heat and last long enough.....especially if you bury them under old towels.

I think that these might stay warm longer than a gallon of hot water.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

I would certainly move them to the porch if I was sure momma would join them. Without her, they are not going to make it. I worry she might take them back out also, and then not have these protections. 


within the house, a gallon jug filled with hottest tap water and with a blanket still is warm 24 hours later. I'll put two out - one in the box and the other on the outside next to it. 

I'm really besides myself on this. I can't take them into the house as they need to be fed every 3 hours, and I have nothing to feed them. And likely couldn't manage it if I did, especially with 5 of them. If I put in porch and mom doesn't join, they're done. I can only pray that I do this and it works out ok, and that momma doesn't feel too crowded or interfered with and move them...

the responsibility is weighing on me...

[mamasita99]

Hoping mama remembers the good meal and will come back for more...

[Rukh O'Rorke]

I may be over thinking this. I put out wet food and momma did not come, so after waiting about 10 mins I went out to try to do the set up but momma did not want to leave box. I kind of went closer and then she left, but hissed at me and was staying near, so I just put the two water bottles on the outside of the box, and put the towel the inner one was suppose to be wrapped in on top of the box that is covering half the top opening of the box they are in. It's 46 out there and they seemed fine.

I think momma knows best. But at least since she was distrubed she decided to eat the canned food after I went in. 

[Tiny]

Apr 19, 2021 19:29:16 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

I would certainly move them to the porch if I was sure momma would join them. Without her, they are not going to make it. I worry she might take them back out also, and then not have these protections.  

Is this an enclosed porch - so once she's in you close a door and you've got them "trapped"?

If it's an enclosed porch and you just need to get Mama Kitty (I like Mama Pajama - it's a Paul Simon kind of night here...) can you borrow a "trap" from someone or from a rescue group or a local shelter? Heck, a local business that deals with critters might be willing to lend you a trap. I wish you were closer - I've got one I lend you.

I would totally talk to your local shelter/rescue - maybe you can work something out (as in they might not want to take the kittens and Mama Pajama BUT they might be willing to HELP you be a foster and help you get Mama Pajama and the kittens fixed when the time comes. Mama possibly becomes a "TNR" cat that isn't gonna make more kittens - and the kittens will most likely find homes (and not make more kittens) - everyone wins.

It's not hard to trap critters - I caught a possum (probably the same one) several times before I got the "stray cat" that was hanging around my house. (the stray was chipped and her people where looking for her- she'd been missing for 6 weeks) .

(and yes I screamed like a little girl  (eeeeee!!!! eeeeeee!!!! eeeeee!!!)  as I was letting the possum out of the trap.   And I kind of like possums - just not up and close and hissing at me... we both survived the ordeal. ) 

[Tiny]

Apr 19, 2021 21:08:06 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

I may be over thinking this. I put out wet food and momma did not come, so after waiting about 10 mins I went out to try to do the set up but momma did not want to leave box. I kind of went closer and then she left, but hissed at me and was staying near, so I just put the two water bottles on the outside of the box, and put the towel the inner one was suppose to be wrapped in on top of the box that is covering half the top opening of the box they are in. It's 46 out there and they seemed fine.

I think momma knows best. But at least since she was distrubed she decided to eat the canned food after I went in. 

Have you googled how to make a "cat shelter"?   You may just need to "insulate" the box she and the kittens are in...  Cardboard and newspaper work well if it's not going to get wet.   Straw works well, too.  

Basically her body heat trapped in the "shelter" will keep everyone warm.  

Just google - a plastic bin and a cardboard box (or boxes) to line the interior with will do great. 

If you've got one of those "emergency blankets"  - shiny silver that reflect heat?   You can cut that up and  tape that to the interior walls  of  whatever you use.   

There's LOTS of options.      It doesn't have to be pretty or perfect - it just needs to keep mama and kittens dry. 
 
(it's kind of freakish how cat shelters and solar ovens work on some of the same principles (the insulation of the box part - be it cardboard and newspaper  or insulation or styrofoam....(ok no styrofoam in sun ovens - but still)   it's like a little cat "roasting" box    ) 

[toomuchreality]

Apr 19, 2021 19:29:16 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

I would certainly move them to the porch if I was sure momma would join them. Without her, they are not going to make it. I worry she might take them back out also, and then not have these protections. 


within the house, a gallon jug filled with hottest tap water and with a blanket still is warm 24 hours later. I'll put two out - one in the box and the other on the outside next to it. 

I'm really besides myself on this. I can't take them into the house as they need to be fed every 3 hours, and I have nothing to feed them. And likely couldn't manage it if I did, especially with 5 of them. If I put in porch and mom doesn't join, they're done. I can only pray that I do this and it works out ok, and that momma doesn't feel too crowded or interfered with and move them...

the responsibility is weighing on me...

I understand why you feel this way.  But you've already given them more than they had, or would have had, if it weren't for you. You're doing all you can, given the circumstances and have had good results! They may not stick around long after they are weaned, but give yourself credit for helping. Don't beat yourself up if things don't go perfectly. At least you tried.

You are amazing! Thank you for caring. 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Thanks toomuchreality!

I ended up doing less rather than more. Whenever I fussed about with the hot water bottles, it took momma 2 hours to get back in the box so I thought that was not good for the kits.

Babies are still doing good! I think the coldest night was last night so my focus is keeping momma well fed so she spends more time with them.

Based on trying to research kitten ages. I think they were much younger, maybe 10 days when I found them.

Once they get mobile, will need to get them to vet and keep inside/constrained somehow.

[imawino]

Apr 21, 2021 10:16:47 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Thanks toomuchreality!

I ended up doing less rather than more. Whenever I fussed about with the hot water bottles, it took momma 2 hours to get back in the box so I thought that was not good for the kits.

Babies are still doing good! I think the coldest night was last night so my focus is keeping momma well fed so she spends more time with them.

Based on trying to research kitten ages. I think they were much younger, maybe 10 days when I found them.

Once they get mobile, will need to get them to vet and keep inside/constrained somehow.

Good luck with the kitties, Rukh!  So sweet of you to look after them.  I will want to see some adorable kitten photos. 

[toomuchreality]

Apr 21, 2021 14:07:02 GMT -5 imawino said:

Apr 21, 2021 10:16:47 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Thanks toomuchreality!

I ended up doing less rather than more. Whenever I fussed about with the hot water bottles, it took momma 2 hours to get back in the box so I thought that was not good for the kits.

Babies are still doing good! I think the coldest night was last night so my focus is keeping momma well fed so she spends more time with them.

Based on trying to research kitten ages. I think they were much younger, maybe 10 days when I found them.

Once they get mobile, will need to get them to vet and keep inside/constrained somehow.

Good luck with the kitties, Rukh!  So sweet of you to look after them.  I will want to see some adorable kitten photos. 

Me too!