You are certainly dealing with a lot but here at TCS, you will find yourself in good company. Tragedy, chaos, horror, disaster, disabilities, illness can often be found in the survivors' situations (often in a combination of several -or even more- concurrently) but I believe that is what gives many of us the compassion, determination and ongoing courage to valiantly care for kitties in need. And although the social status for cats is improving, in many areas dogs get more resources and less vilification than cats.
For your current situation, one of the most urgent questions needing answers is: Are the kittens, and also the mama kitty, spayed/neutered? If not, your relative might not yet be considered the sole owner of the kittens. Your local animal control officers could probably give you some guidance about local ordinances - you don't need to give them specific details, just ask for general information.
My next question/suggestion is about preparing yourself to continue the daunting task of finding wonderful homes for the kittens. Are you able to consult your primary healthcare provider about getting a temporary medication to help take the edge off of your stress? Dealing with such a negative (dare I say "toxic"?) living situation on top of all the other dynamics can cloud the mind and overburden the heart & spirit. It took me decades to finally accept the advice that worked best which was to discover a medication that didn't interfere with my pre-existing conditions & therapies & extraordinary family responsibilities; as certain medications are used more & more, it gets discovered that there are "off-label" benefits as well. For example (and this in no way is inferring that these apply to you or me): certain antidepressants are now used to ease chronic pains. The antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion) was approved in 1997 by FDA for smoking cessation and is now being studied, and indicated, for weight loss, PTSD, social avoidance and ADHD! And semiglutide which is popular in treating Type 2 diabetes is now so popularly prescribed for weight loss that there is a shortage of the injectable form Ozempic and the oral form Rybelsus is quickly following suit. Anyway, I found that waiting a few weeks to give my new med a chance to work has helped me to think more clearly and be more decisive which is giving me much more energy and feel a lot happier.
Please keep us updated....and don't forget: we TCSers love pictures!
For your current situation, one of the most urgent questions needing answers is: Are the kittens, and also the mama kitty, spayed/neutered? If not, your relative might not yet be considered the sole owner of the kittens. Your local animal control officers could probably give you some guidance about local ordinances - you don't need to give them specific details, just ask for general information.
My next question/suggestion is about preparing yourself to continue the daunting task of finding wonderful homes for the kittens. Are you able to consult your primary healthcare provider about getting a temporary medication to help take the edge off of your stress? Dealing with such a negative (dare I say "toxic"?) living situation on top of all the other dynamics can cloud the mind and overburden the heart & spirit. It took me decades to finally accept the advice that worked best which was to discover a medication that didn't interfere with my pre-existing conditions & therapies & extraordinary family responsibilities; as certain medications are used more & more, it gets discovered that there are "off-label" benefits as well. For example (and this in no way is inferring that these apply to you or me): certain antidepressants are now used to ease chronic pains. The antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion) was approved in 1997 by FDA for smoking cessation and is now being studied, and indicated, for weight loss, PTSD, social avoidance and ADHD! And semiglutide which is popular in treating Type 2 diabetes is now so popularly prescribed for weight loss that there is a shortage of the injectable form Ozempic and the oral form Rybelsus is quickly following suit. Anyway, I found that waiting a few weeks to give my new med a chance to work has helped me to think more clearly and be more decisive which is giving me much more energy and feel a lot happier.
Please keep us updated....and don't forget: we TCSers love pictures!