Do feral kittens remember their siblings ?

[Crabbysquatch]

Let’s play a game. Why is Stanley’s paws all wet ?

 

[Norachan]

Well Mama cat isn’t pregnant anymore. She isn’t tolerating me being towards the back of the barn or near her in general. Also she doesn’t look as plump.

I guess she`s had her kittens then. What`s the plan Crabbysquatch, are you able to bring them indoors? If you can find where the kittens are it`s possible to use them as bait to catch a feral mother.


You`ll need to get the mother spayed what ever happens, or she`ll keep getting pregnant and you`ll be inundated with kittens. You don`t seem like the kind of person who can just turn a blind eye to kittens in these kind of situations, but I understand you`ve already got your hands full.

Have you already tried all the shelters and rescues in your area?

If no one can help you and you`ve already got all the indoor cats you can manage, the best option would be to bring them indoors or keep them crated in the barn until the kittens are weaned. Keeping them contained means you`ll be able to work on getting the kittens used to you, which makes everything so much easier down the line. Get them all spayed and neutered as soon as they are old enough (Mother cat six weeks from now, at the most, as she`ll get pregnant again soon after. Kittens when they get to 1 kilo in body weight) Then you can let them live out their lives as fixed, friendly barn cats.

Some of mine are too feral to live indoors, but I have a large enclosure and an insulated cat house for them. They do pretty well outside and they`ve got access to clean water and food whenever they need it. Having kittens that let you pet them and pick them up is an advantage in case they ever need to go to a vet later on in life. 2 of mine have to be trapped and sedated if ever they need vet care, which is a bit of a nightmare. Semi-ferals that you can at least get in a carrier are way easier to deal with.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

lol. I still have the last batch she had terrorizing my house. She was a little more accepting of me being close by when she ate today so trapping her isn’t a problem. I have a general idea where the kittens are but I don’t want to get close to them. She moved them about 5 times on me last time. I want to give her a few weeks before I do anything so the kittens are stronger. For now she is fine where she is at and I’m the only one who goes in the barn. I have a few different plans but they all end up at a shelter and her being fixed. There is no way I can bring more cats into the house. 8 cats are already 5 more than I really can afford. I see the dad cat skulking around so I know it’s just going to keep getting worse. Maybe I’ll trap him and get him fixed. I think that’s cheaper anyways.

 

[Norachan]

Yes, if you can trap dad now and get him fixed there won`t be such a rush to get her spayed as soon as her kittens are weaned. She'll still need to be done of course, because tom cats can smell a female in heat from miles away, but getting dad fixed will be one less thing to worry about.

Do you have a humane trap? If you can wire the door open and start leaving food in it from today they`ll both get used to going in there to eat. Then you can unwire the door and set the trap when you have spay/neuter appointments arranged.

Good luck! I know it`s overwhelming to think about, but getting all the cats fixed is going to make life much easier in the long run. I TNR'd around 40 cats at my last address and found homes for three liters of kittens, but ended up keeping around 20 of the more socialized ones as I worried about them being loose on the road.

Getting them fixed now will save you a lot of trouble.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

lots to update here. Kept feeding the mom cat while low key looking for kittens. One day I’m in our smaller barn I keep the boat in and I hear a kitten meowing its head off. I look in the boat and sure enough there is a kitten fumbling around. Next day I bring water in so mom cat doesn’t need to go too far for a drink and I look and see two kittens. Next day I bring some treats because the mom was in there and I look…FIVE kittens.
A few days ago I was at the back of the boat looking at the kittens and the mom was there. I had some treats so I put them on the back of the boat and the mom came up and ate them as I put them down. Then one time she rubbed and head butted my hand. Not gonna lie it scared me the first few times. But now we are best buds and she lets me scratch her all over and she rolls around on my feet. Today I even picked her up a little with no issue. She even lets me pick up the kittens in front of her.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

A few days ago I was in the boat and the kittens were wobbling around my feet and the mom cat got up and left me in charge. That lasted all of about a minute when two of the kittens started fighting and on of them started squealing. The mom was back up in the boat in a flash. Of course I got a few growls and a hiss like it was my fault. But I can handle them pretty much whenever and the mom doesn’t seem to care. Strange cat. I can steal her babies without issue but if I try to pet her I get a growl and hiss first then purrs and headbutts. She even brought me half a chipmunk the other day.
I sure hope I can find a rescue or someone who can afford to take care of them.

 

[Norachan]

Those are great updates!



I think the most important thing to do is get mom cat spayed now, before she has another litter of kittens. Do you know a vet who will spay a feral cat? Do you have access to a Humane trap?

 

[Crabbysquatch]

Those are great updates!



I think the most important thing to do is get mom cat spayed now, before she has another litter of kittens. Do you know a vet who will spay a feral cat? Do you have access to a Humane trap?

The kittens are still nursing so I don’t want to get her spay just yet. I’m reaching out to every shelter and rescue I can find to see if they will take them in. I’m already way past my limit on vet bills with my 5 original cats plus the first litter of 3 I still have. We are bringing them all in for a quick checkup and maybe something for the kittens goopy eyes. That’s the best I can do for them.
the kittens are pretty small yet so they are easy to catch. I’ve been making great progress with the mom petting and handling her. I’m hoping I can get her in a carrier without resorting to the trauma of a live trap.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

8/28/24. My boat has become a kitten nursery. Note to self…do more fishing.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

IMG_1471.MOV

• Crabbysquatch
• Aug 28, 2024

Mama and her crew

 

[DeesCats]

Crabbysquatch , the link above didn't work for me but I went to your gallery and was able to view it with no issue.

They are adorable and Mama cat seems very at ease also.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

Goober has found a forever home. Wooohoo. I’ll be sad to see her go because she has become my little buddy following me around and sitting with me watching tv but I know it’s for the best.

 

[Crabbysquatch]

Crabbysquatch , the link above didn't work for me but I went to your gallery and was able to view it with no issue.

They are adorable and Mama cat seems very at ease also.

I can’t ever remember which link to copy

 

[Crabbysquatch]

Had to move kittens out of my boat. They were close to getting out and falling a good distance. Not sure mama cat is on board with the new arrangement so I might be on a kitten hunt shortly.

IMG_1480.MOV

• Crabbysquatch
• Aug 30, 2024

Kittens in the cat room

 

[Norachan]

Oh wow, great job with the kitten room!

They`re all so sweet, they look a lot like their older siblings, don`t they? How many of them are in the house now?