Feral Kittens Living Under Neighbor's Deck

Hi I am in need of some advice please. I have been feeding a stray cat since February and suspected couple months ago she was pregnant but was not sure. I live in a townhome so my home does not have a deck or anywhere cat can hide, so this cat has been staying under someone's deck and coming to my house to be fed. The house is nearby across a street from me. It's not too far but not entirely close either. Anyways, so this morning I followed the cat to the house/deck it's staying at and I saw there are kittens there with her ! they were outside the deck playing while she was keeping an eye on them. I am so sad and stressed out because I want to help save the kittens and get them to a shelter but I don't know what to do. It's not my house so I cannot even go there to give them food. The cat has to leave her kittens to come to my house to be fed and the house is off of a street where cars frequently pass by. I don't even know what the kittens will eat. I don't believe the homeowner is aware the cats are under his/her deck. What should I do?? I'm worried she might move the kittens now that she knows I saw where they are. I don't know who to call to help with this. I'm worried if I tell the homeowner they might be upset and scare them or something . I don't know them but I need to do something before they get older! I cannot keep them at my house , I live with my parents and they are against any other animals. We have a dog and cat also so would not work out. Don't have a spare room to keep them in. If we do a live trap I'm worried of trapping mom instead not the kittens. Actually I'm positive that would happen. Any suggestions?

Could you talk to your parents about speaking to the people at the house where the kittens are? Maybe they would be willing to help trap them or allow you to feed them over there.

Hi!

That's great advice, and also, we can help regarding feeding the kittens if/when you get to that point, just let us know.

The mama probably won't move them since she doesn't see you as a threat or a predator, but of course, to be honest, there's always the possibility something else may make her wary enough to move them.

Have you checked your area for rescues and/or TrapNeuterRelease (TNR) organizations? I would do this and explain the situation, and then approach the homeowner in a friendly way with information or ask the rescue/TNR organization to do so for you.

I was in a similar situation last summer with kittens born under my neighbor's house. Fortunately, the neighbor did not want to hurt them but only wanted them out and I started to TNR when the time came. In your situation I would try to get a rescue or TNR group to help as I think this is more than you can do by yourself.

A coyote came one night and apparently killed one of the kittens early on and at that point the mom did move the litter; however, she moved them back in a day or two to the crawlspace under the house.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'm so stressed out and worried about the cats I barely got any sleep . Does anyone know how I can trap the kittens without trapping mom? If I set a live trap, I am sure mom will go in there not the kittens. I don't even know if they are eating anything , I'm worried they will starve. Yesterday I put a big bowl of wet food near the house and I saw mom eating it but I'm not sure if the kittens are also because I could not stay long and I was watching from a distance. Still have not mentioned it to the neighbors . I'm hoping to come up with a plan first. Unfortunately I highly doubt they are feeding it , iv been walking by the house and they never even come outside. I just really hope they are nice people and will not mind . If they say they don't want me to do anything then I will be miserable. I am already so upset and stressed out by all this. I just want to save the kittens but don't know how without getting mom first.

Have you found a local organization that can help you? I personally don't know how to get just the kittens.

No there are not any organizations here that will help. They loan you the trap but have to do it yourself.

This post and thread might help a little, but you'll of course still need to ask your parents to talk to the homeowner or do it yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised at their reaction, but definitely go into the conversation with that positive attitude

Trapping Mom Cat And Kittens

Good advice so far. Talking to the homeowners seems like a "must" and they may be very happy to help! Maybe they will even adopt a kitten or two!

Do you think the kittens are still nursing? That would impact your timing! I am not an expert on this, but it is best if they are with their mom for a certain period of time. Saving the kittens while they are still young enough to socialize is important, but it is also important to at least get the mom spayed. If she is at all friendly, she could become a good indoor pet, too.

If you haven't done this already, take a look at the web page below from Alley Cat Allies. There is a form to fill out (no charge and they don't bother you afterwards), and they will immediately e-mail a list of people or groups in your area who could help. You may see one you didn't know about! Can't hurt!

Feral Friends Network Connect

Thank you everyone

Let us know what happens and how things are going

If the first feral friend or two from Alley Cat Allies do not respond, keep emailing anyone who is even generally in your area. Life circumstances change and not everyone updates their availability. When I had to start trapping, the mom was the first trapped which worried me as well because the kittens were just old enough to know where the food was located, but they all made it.

So today I went and knocked on the homeowner's door . I was soo scared of how it would go but she is actually really nice about it! She said she had no idea and that she was actually just talking to her husband about wanting to get a cat. She said I can go there to put food for the cat , which I named Jazzy by the way
So there is actually only 2 kittens... Doesn't a cat usually have at least 3 or 4 kittens? So maybe the other ones didn't make it. They are very small but out from the deck and playing. When I put food , only Jazzy eats it, not the kittens and I put alot just in case they would eat also. Is that weird?? Maybe they are not old enough to eat yet or does she not know ? They are small but are walking around and playing so I thought that's a sign they can start eating wet food.
Well now I can start feeding them there which is good news and next step is to get the kittens which I have no idea how I will do that since Jazzy is always there and very protective. She hissed at me when I got close b/c the kittens are there.

I'm so glad she was nice about it! Good for you!! I think they might not quite be old enough to eat yet, but soon.

You have a little time now to catch the kittens, if you're going to separate them ...? You would be better to wait until they're approximately 9-11 weeks old if possible.

Kitten Development Stages - Illustrated Guide

How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?

Catlover579 said:

....there are not any organizations here that will help....

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Hi Catlover579!

What's the large city/town closest to you ?
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Catlover579 said:

Hi I am in need of some advice please. I have been feeding a stray cat since February and suspected couple months ago she was pregnant but was not sure. I live in a townhome so my home does not have a deck or anywhere cat can hide, so this cat has been staying under someone's deck and coming to my house to be fed. The house is nearby across a street from me. It's not too far but not entirely close either. Anyways, so this morning I followed the cat to the house/deck it's staying at and I saw there are kittens there with her ! they were outside the deck playing while she was keeping an eye on them. I am so sad and stressed out because I want to help save the kittens and get them to a shelter but I don't know what to do. It's not my house so I cannot even go there to give them food. The cat has to leave her kittens to come to my house to be fed and the house is off of a street where cars frequently pass by. I don't even know what the kittens will eat. I don't believe the homeowner is aware the cats are under his/her deck. What should I do?? I'm worried she might move the kittens now that she knows I saw where they are. I don't know who to call to help with this. I'm worried if I tell the homeowner they might be upset and scare them or something . I don't know them but I need to do something before they get older! I cannot keep them at my house , I live with my parents and they are against any other animals. We have a dog and cat also so would not work out. Don't have a spare room to keep them in. If we do a live trap I'm worried of trapping mom instead not the kittens. Actually I'm positive that would happen. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Talk to the owners, I doubt they will have any trouble with you taking the kittens off of their hands. How old are the kittens? I am surprise that the mother cat hasn't brought them over to you place since you are her food source. Take the kittens to a rescue group, not any shelter.

white shadow said:

Hi Catlover579!

What's the large city/town closest to you ?
.

Click to expand...

I live in Rochester Hills which is a suburb near Detroit, Michigan

I just wanted to say "Good job!" If there are only two kittens, maybe that nice homeowner would want to adopt them?! If she is interested in helping you with the feeding, she just might fall in love with them!

Catlover579 said:

I live in Rochester Hills which is a suburb near Detroit, Michigan

Click to expand...

OK.
From my experience with most communities, there always seem to be a number of small animal rescue groups that go 'under the radar', unlike Humane Societies or large and well-known shelter groups.

I've just Googled "cat rescue in Rochester Hills Michigan" and the results appear to indicate that your 'neck of the woods' isn't very different in this way. There seem to be at least ~10 organizations in that area.

Try for yourself...Google exactly this: "cat rescue in Rochester Hills Michigan" - are there any groups in those results that you have not approached for assistance with rescuing these cats ?

None of us can do this work 'solo' - the more and better we can partner with others, the most effective we will be.

Ideally, mom cat & kittens should be trapped, assessed and put into a foster care situation where they (or, at the very least, the kittens) can be socialized and eventually adopted. If separated, then there needs to be a plan for Mom.

What has been your plan for these cats?

Your own cat, you said, came from the Humane Society - do they have a foster program? Are they a strictly no-kill organization? Do they work with any other community organization?

I'm also wondering if this mom cat is the same cat you wrote about in September last year. What became of those cats?

Now, just reviewing what I've written, I must tell you that my intention is to support all your efforts so far to rescue these cats, exploring every possible avenue to find the broader community supports - which exist almost everywhere. Again, none of us can operate successfully alone!

Avery - that homeowner is someone who is "just talking to her husband about wanting to get a cat" and who had "had no idea" that there were a cat and kittens living under her deck.......clearly, someone with little/no cat experience - perhaps not the best choice to take in this group of ferals. Perhaps, though, she could be introduced to one of the rescue groups in the community, and be assessed for an appropriately matched cat. Catlover579 - this might be something you can use when approaching one of the groups - the lure of a potential adopter. It might help your case in enlisting an organization's help.

What do you think?
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Just as an example of one of those Googled results....and, this one was not on Page One results, I think: Furever Tails

They are strictly foster-based...i.e. they have no shelter and instead use a network of folks who just foster.
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