I need help with a feral mom and her kittens

Sweet-Waffles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
5
Purraise
13
Hi I’m new and this is my first post!
I hope anyone can assist me on this matter and I appreciate so much for it.
Several months ago my mom and I have been feeding some feral cats at our apartments at our back patio (we didn’t know anything about feral cats). Later, I made them a shelter home (it’s those plastic bins shelter homes) for them because they would sometimes sleep on the ground at night and I felt I needed to make them safe and warm. Lets skip to now, around March or April of this year, I notice one of the cat (we were feeding the cat but I didn’t see the cat that much during those months) was big in the tummy and I assumed she’s pregnant. I was right. And also I notice one of the feral cats that we have been feeding that looked like it had some infection to the eyes (there were discharge from the eyes) and eventually spread some to the other cats including the pregnant feral cat. She gave birth on April 15. She gave birth to 6 baby kittens but 1 had passed away. The baby kittens has been staying inside of the shelter home ever since.I’ve been feeding the momma and looking out for her and her babies. Her eyes were getting pretty bad were she barely opened her eyes and I couldn’t get close to her to clean her eyes. She would back away from me. But now her eyes are looking better. She has her eyes open and I don’t see that much of the eye discharge but one of her eye at times gets it though. The kittens are going to be 4 weeks old this Thursday and I know I need to do something. I don’t know much about feral cats, especially a feral mom cat and her babies. She doesn’t 100% trust me. And probably some of you guys are going to tell me to bring her inside of my home? But I can’t because I already have 3 cats and two of them are trouble makers. And it’s just too much for me because I’m working a lot as well. I just want the momma and her babies to be safe and someone to care for them.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
Have you seen the kittens? The kittens‘ eyes may be infected as well. And mom sounds like she still needs her eyes treated also.

This is a tough situation, but mom needs to be trapped and taken to a shelter for TNVR. This is trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release (back to you so that she is returned to her “home” territory.)

You’ll need to call shelters in your area to see which ones are willing to work with you. They may also be able to find a foster for the kittens until they are old enough to be fixed and adopted. Some shelters may come out and trap for you, or they may loan you a trap to trap her yourself. You can also purchase a trap.

At four weeks the kittens will be coming out of the shelter you made soon to eat cat food, and they will then be exposed to predators, and if not quickly socialized to humans, will be feral and continue the breeding cycle. Mom will continue to breed also.

So, bottom line, mom and kittens need a rescue shelter ASAP. It may be easier to nab the kittens while inside the bin. If you can’t trap mom at the same time you’ll need to go ahead and take the kittens to a shelter without her. It’s young, but they’ll be okay.

Trapping mom will involve feeding her inside the trap for a couple of days before setting it.

Thanks for caring for mom, making the shelter, and feeding her. Antibiotics can be put in her food as a last resort for her eyes, but she needs spaying.

Call shelters for your options and keep us posted, but act quickly.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

Sweet-Waffles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
5
Purraise
13
I can see them from a distance but not 100% because my mom moved the shelter home more on the dirt side and the shelter it is surrounded with these plants that has thorns in it. She moved it so people wouldn’t notice too much and we wouldn’t get in trouble with the office.
Yes I’m afraid the kittens could be infected as well
:(
Thank you so much for taking your time and helping me! Last night I was in distressed and thinking so many bad situations with them. I’ll try to call today and it tomorrow. And I’ll try to update as well.

I took a video last night and I screenshot to show you how I see them.
0FC90DBB-FA2E-4792-A858-1F4FFA9314D6.jpeg
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
Yes, the kittens need veterinary help right away for their eyes. They look adorable. I hope you are able to get mom soon too. It is sad to separate them but it must be done quickly to save the kittens.
 

Sylvia Jones

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 11, 2019
Messages
471
Purraise
659
Nextdoor app is a great resource Look at the groups section there is usually one for cats They look like little colorpoints (siamese looking) A shelter or rescue my have a foster to take mom and babies Then mom can be fixed and given care too Mention that they are colorpoints when asking for help because they are usually easily adopted Thank you for helping them!!!!! Please keep us updated
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

Sweet-Waffles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
5
Purraise
13
Thank you everyone so much!
I didn’t even know there were other replies.
The kittens started to get out of the box. They look so adorable!!
But not to worry, we talked to some organizations today and one of them are willing to help!! Tomorrow someone will come and put a trap and talk us through it. From there I don’t know but i know the organization can’t take them in because they are full but they will take it to a shelter here in the city where I live and foster them. And I believe the momma cat will come back to us when the kittens don’t need her anymore. Tomorrow I’ll know more. I just hope the shelter will take care of them well.
890E7032-F27E-4575-B491-F2172BD2C60C.jpeg
1998C2DC-88FC-4E06-A5D3-5517D0921D1B.jpeg
9F7F0B2C-79F0-46FA-BD4E-81361C40D4CB.jpeg
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,986
Purraise
17,680
Location
Sunny Florida
That’s fantastic news! I hope you can get mama cat too, but saving the babies is great! Keep us posted on what happens, and thank you so much for all your efforts! 😊
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

Sweet-Waffles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
5
Purraise
13
Yes it is! Thank you as well 🙏🏻 And yes of course I’ll update more!
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,364
Location
Los Angeles
People will definitely want to adopt those babies! You did a great job helping this family.
 

dahlia

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
396
Purraise
299
Do you have any updates? Hoping everything went well.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

Sweet-Waffles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 12, 2021
Messages
5
Purraise
13
Oh my… I’m so sorry! I haven’t posted any update for a year!!! I am really really sorry. In a summary, Mama cat got taken away, got the care she needs and eventually the kittens got adopted and got homes! They are so hugeeee now! Lol
 
Top