Stray with Kittens

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alfiecat
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Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Hello, really could use some advice!

There is a stray cat that was living over the road from my mother in a public building that had kittens that people were feeding. The kittens were a couple of weeks old. She disappeared a couple of weeks ago just before a rescue organisation could take her, but has been spotted in my mother's garden. She looks to be quite a state, very thin and desperately hungry. We have put food out for her and would like to bring her in if possible and get her neutered. The problem is that there is no sign of the kittens at all, although it looks like the cat still has milk. We are leaving food and water for her and have put out a shelter, but I am worried as there is also a large catcoming that looks to be an unneutered tom cat, I've no idea if he belongs to anyone.

So my dilemma is do I TNR this cat now and hope she survives okay and risk not being able to catch her in future; or do I wait a few weeks until the kittens could survive without her if they are still about? Would that be about ten to twelve weeks of age? I'm really stuck with what is best, my heart says to wait until any potential kittens are able to cope without her, we are of course trying to locate an owner and will check for a chip just in case, but it's looking unlikely that anyone will come forwards I think. What would you all do?
alfiecat
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Forgot to add that she does have an old collar on so has obviously been tame at one point, it is hanging off her now though poor thing.
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Lilith
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by Lilith »

Hi and welcome and good on you for being so concerned. She'll have the kittens tucked away somewhere - but if anyone feeds her she may bring the kittens to a source of food; if you're providing food and shelter you might get a nice surprise one morning and this will make the situation a lot easier as then you could trap the whole lot and get them to safety.

In the meantime, what about trapping lover boy first? If he could be got to a vet they can check for a chip and if no trace of an owner (which sounds likely given his unneutered state) then he could be neutered so as to head off any further litters.

Sorry to make it sound so simple by the way - have been in this situation myself and know it's not (I'll never forget the time Emily, my avatar cat, brought me 5 kittens - all ginger!)

And if you haven't already done this, PESTER your local CP and rescues for help - link here - https://www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-r ... uk-ireland

All the very best and please let us know how you go on - hopefully other people will have more info and advice but hope this helps for now :)
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by booktigger »

Going off those timescales they are around 4 weeks old? If so, you need to leave it a couple of weeks as they won't be able to survive without mum
alfiecat
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Thanks for your replies and the welcome! The situation is a bit tricky as I live about 10 miles away from my elderly mum and she has severe rheumatoid arthritis, so the trapping needs to be done when I'm about too as she couldn't manage to carry a trap with a cat in it. She also has a cat hating neighbour that we are worried will chase her off. (the cat not my mum) :D

I would like to trap and neuter the tom cat too, but I'm a bit concerned that we will trap the female first and then not be able to get her again! My plan was to put out two traps at the same time, and if we got the tom as well, which I think is likely as he scoffs the food down first, then take him to get him done. He looks very like the cat in your avatar Lillith, he's enormous and a pale ginger and white, his jowls are huge, I've never seen any so big on a cat, he looks as if he's got mumps! :lol: A beautiful cat though. My local cat rescue has offered to pay for the neutering, which would help, but if my mum keeps the female then obviously we will fund everything for her, it is just the time and commitment in getting everything done, but we will sort it out. How soon can you release back outside after neutering a tom?

We had a wildlife camera out and were surprised to see at least four cats turn up the first night, so I think a feral population could be a real issue down the line :(

I think the kittens will be about four or five weeks old if they are still about booktigger, apparently the food bowl that had been in with them has vanished, so nobody knows if anyone has taken the kittens or not . and mum has had no food supplied for at least two weeks. My mum is hoping to take the female off the streets I think, so I need to be sure the remaining kittens if there are any are going to be okay fending for themselves. It would be ideal if the kittens turned up too and I could trap them with her, but finding homes would be an issue as they will need taming by now I should think. I was thinking of trapping mum when they were ten to twelve weeks, but I'm pretty clueless really.

I'm finding it really difficult as I've trapped feral cats before, but always tamed and kept them, the thought of turning them out in the cold after surgery is awful when I see how they can make lovely pets. But with six already I'm at capacity. :( I take my hat off to everyone who does this permanently, it is so stressful!
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Kay
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by Kay »

I am no expert but I believe it is OK to release a tom after castration as soon as the anaesthetic has worn off - it takes another 4 to 6 weeks for all testosterone to leave the body, though, so he could be a nuisance for a while longer

big ginger boys, once neutered, seem to turn into soppy lap cats eventually, so perhaps someone will be up for giving him a home down the line
alfiecat
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Oh that makes things a bit easier then, I'm sure the vet told me to keep the last feral tom in for 24 hours, but they are so stressed I think an earlier release would be better. I'd love them all to have homes, it's heartbreaking seeing them out and scared.





This is a link to the page she was on, it shows the kittens a couple of weeks ago, sadly mum is much thinner now.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... pe=1&ifg=1
booktigger
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by booktigger »

Most vets will keep strays overnight after being neutered, to make sure the anaesthetic has worn off before releasing - while it is a smaller op, I wouldn't want to release a male the same day. If mum has had no food supplied for 2 weeks, she may not have been able to produce enough food to feed the kittens. I'd definitely look at trapping mum when they are 7-8 weeks, mainly because she can get pregnant again while feeding
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Lilith
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by Lilith »

Aww bless him - while Emily and her Aunt Tess and their two litters were my chief concern 15 years ago, an all-ginger tom was hanging about, hated everyone and was scared as well - but he'd clearly fathered some of the kittens. Like your boy he too had huge face-pads; he disappeared after the girls were neutered but turned up a few months later and I enticed him into a carrier with a bit of tuna (by then he'd do anything for food) and got him to the vet for neutering (he also had disgusting inflamed ears and a running abscess on his backside.)

I know this was wrong, but when he came back I couldn't keep him in; he was in so much distress, and to make matters worse, Emily came downstairs and hit him. (My bad management!) He went off - but returned within the week - and moved in, and turned into a complete teddy-bear. Loved everyone. I used to say he was half golden labrador! It took a while to (gently) train him out of spraying but he became clean as the testosterone levels fell - and he lost his face-pads and developed elegant high cheekbones. I still have Tess's older daughter, Mouse, and I'm certain Finn (as I called him) was her father; Mousey's very Siamesey looking.

I WOULD have preferred to keep him in after neutering; I think now I would persevere for at least 24 hours.

Emmy's kittens were a month old when she brought them to me so you never know - your Mama cat may be planning to move the nest (mother cats often do.) These kittens were mostly tame from the start, except for Red-haired Mary, who bit me, but even she calmed down and by the time they were old enough to leave they were placid and practised in the arts of socialising with my dog and climbing my jeans. Tess's kittens, captured from a derelict garage at maybe 6-7 weeks, were a lot wilder (except for Finn's daughter who was soppy from the start and looked just like him) but calmed after a few days and all found homes courtesy of the CP.

Hope that Mama cat puts on some weight soon - but this could be a sign that her kittens are taking it all out of her - even the most pampered brood queen will go heartbreakingly thin, despite the best of everything and lots of it - does sound to me like she's got those kittens holed up somewhere.

Again good on you - and truly you're NOT clueless, all the very best with this gang and please keep updating, all paws and tails crossed here for you all! :)
alfiecat
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Aw thankyou, worryingly the food hadn't been touched last night and the wildlife camera stopped working. It could be that we've just put the shelter out for them, so might have made them wary. Fingers crossed the camera works tonight and I can see what's happening.

We'll persevere with feeding for now and see what happens; if the tom needs keeping in for 24 hours then I'll probably be better doing that at my home, I think my mum would struggle with a huge tom cat and she has a cat that isn't keen on other cats at the best of times! I'm sure he'll cope and I've a crate I can use which gives him a bit more space. I might have to wait as my son is home for Christmas so the spare room will be filled. My lot will probably be totally disgusted by the idea though :roll:

Wouldn't it be so much easier if everyone just neutered their pets? There seem to have been loads missing lately that aren't neutered. :(

I'll update as we progress and hope for a good outcome. xx
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by Sniper1 »

It usually best to keep males overnight after neutering then feed and release if the vet will do overnight accommodation all the better if not beware of trying to transfer him between carriers and crates etc he will be very strong and untouchable and very stressed as for mom a feral cat can feed her kittens on her milk for several months so beware of trapping her too soon I would never before kittens were 12 weeks if I were unable to locate them as mom will be away for several days and milk will dry up after spaying if mom is trapped when kittens are twelve weeks if she were already pregnant again shouldn't be more than six weeks maximum so can still be spayed not ideal but difficult situation good luck with them and thank you so much for your care
alfiecat
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Re: Stray with Kittens

Post by alfiecat »

Thanks sniper1, I would be very cautious about transferring into crates etc, I've done it a few times with ferals that I've trapped in the past and it is always amazing how fast and strong they can be! (and scary!) :o

That is my worry about removing the mother too soon, I've heard different things about the milk drying up, but the thought of leaving the kittens abandoned haunts me. I wish I knew where they were or even whether they are alive or not. :( It's also difficult as we don't know their exact age, so everything is guesswork and I just hope we do the right thing.
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