Scared feral rescue cat

[katemary]

Hi all,
I've taken in a pregnant mum via a rescue shelter to foster until the kittens are old enough to be adopted. I think she'll give birth soon as she's pretty big, has stopped eating as much and her kittens are moving a lot in her belly.
She's still really scared of us... we've had her for two weeks and she glares at us whenever we enter the room, occasionally hisses, hides, etc. I have managed to get close with treats but she definitely doesn't want hands near her.
Does anyone have any tips or advice for me? I'm concerned about her needing help during the birth, but also later down the track that she might not let me socialise the kittens.

 

[StefanZ]

What have you done so far to get her trust, save coming in with food and treats?

 

[katemary]

What have you done so far to get her trust, save coming in with food and treats?

Not much else! I've been sitting in the room with her every now and then, like three or so times a day, for 20 or so minutes just looking at my phone or a book or something to try to get her used to me and to see me as a non threat. It's sort of working as after a few minutes of watching she will turn away from me or maybe snooze and she's on her side a lot showing her belly which I think is a good sign. But then as soon as I have to do something like make a noise in the room she's back to hissing and looking very stressed. What else can I do to earn trust?

 

[StefanZ]

Its good beginning!
Talk a lot friendly, or make friendly noises. Sing if you wish. Do not have radio on, just your friendly voice. But you can have relaxing music on... blink slowly looking at her chest or side... yawn and stretch yourself. Alike friendly cats do to their pals. Next step Pet her with a wooden spoon. It may be easier than with the hand. Brush with a brush perhaps a teeth brush...

 

[katemary]

Hi again,
She's given birth!! Yesterday evening! She's given birth in the nesting box I made (a large carrier) but she turned it a bit so the opening is almost at the wall, making it difficult to get close and see things. When I got an okay look last night she was nursing 4 or 5 babies. It did look like one was struggling (it was mewing and facing away from her) but eventually it looked like it latched on. This morning she's got her back to the opening and the babies nursing between the back wall of the carrier and her... making it virtually impossible to see how many there are and if they're all OK. I'd especially like to see that they're all nursing. She growls every time I enter the room. What's the right balance between trying to check to see if they're all OK and giving her space for bonding and feeding? I don't want to stress her so much that something goes wrong, but virtually the only way to check right now would be to get right next to the carrier and shine a torch in!! Thanks for any advice!

 

[Sarthur2]

I would leave her be for a couple more days. New moms are in a high hormonal state the first 2-3 days after giving birth, and nursing puts a new strain on them.

However, they do usually calm down and settle in more after about 48 hours, so just make sure she has plenty of food and fresh water, is eating and using the litter box in the meantime.

Frequently, we can check on kittens and change bedding when moms get up to eat and use the litter box, so perhaps that might be a good time soon.

K katemary

 

[katemary]

I would leave her be for a couple more days. New moms are in a high hormonal state the first 2-3 days after giving birth, and nursing puts a new strain on them.

However, they do usually calm down and settle in more after about 48 hours, so just make sure she has plenty of food and fresh water, is eating and using the litter box in the meantime.

Frequently, we can check on kittens and change bedding when moms get up to eat and use the litter box, so perhaps that might be a good time soon.

K katemary

Thank you!! Should I be trying to weigh them at all now or wait a few days?

 

[Sarthur2]

I would try to weigh them as soon as you can to get a baseline, especially if she has 5 kittens, as with more than 4 there is usually a runt.

I would weigh them in front of mom if possible, but the scale needs to be on a flat surface. Try to move slowly, reach slowly, speak softly, blink slowly at mom to let her know you are friendly.

Since she sounds generally nervous, make every visit soft and slow - even when changing the bedding and feeding mom and scooping her litter.

Also, changing the bedding requires putting the kittens in another box briefly. Have another nest prepared to put them in during the changing.

Leave it nearby after the change in case mom decides to move her kittens, or in case she decides to get in with them during the changing. If she does just let it happen.

 

[katemary]

Hi all, me again!
The kittens are doing well and nursing is looking really good. I still haven't managed to weigh the kittens. Mum will tolerate me sitting right next to the box and looking in (although she watches my every move), but if I put my hand inside she starts growling and hissing. If I happen to enter the room while she's out of the carrier eating, she hisses straight away and gets back in and takes a pretty defensive stance.
In this situation, should I be pushing it and possibly upsetting mum and causing her to potentially attack me by taking the babies (there are 6 of them) to weigh them? They're also still inside the carrier she gave birth in. I was able to take two of the three towels away but one is still in there and the base if the carrier is soiled as well as the towel.
Thanks!

 

[Sarthur2]

I would not weigh yet under the circumstances, but is there a chance you could get a clean towel in the carrier?

Good the kittens appear healthy and nursing well!

 

[katemary]

Hi everyone,
Just checking in with some updates and a new question.
The kittens are looking great - little eyes beginning to open! They're all still nursing really well and mum cat is taking great care of them. While she has relaxed a bit around me (doesn't always watch me when I'm in the room, will eat and even use the litter tray in front of me, and she came right up to me for a tube treat), she does still warn me away from the kittens, e.g. if my hands get too close to the carrier she hisses, or if I happen to enter the room when she's out of the carrier she hisses to let me know my place. I did manage to scoop up the kittens and put down a fresh blanket last week (like a ninja, did it in 5 seconds while her back was turned eating), and I have weighed three of them (their weight was good for their age).
So now to my question - they are getting bigger, eyes are opening, starting to crawl, etc. They're in a large carrier. I think by next week, they will be able to crawl out of the carrier. I've set up a big box with an inner box right next to the carrier (it's been there over a week). There are towels and blankets in it that smell like mum cat. I put treats in there once and she got in to get them (but ignored them the next time I tried that).
I really think they need to move into that box by next week as I cut an entrance that she'll be able to use but the kittens won't, so they'll be safe to crawl around inside. Do I move them into the box? Do I move them out the carrier with the blanket and take the carrier away so she moves them into the box? Would love any advice on moving kittens with an anxious and very protective rescue mum whose trust I'm still building!!

 

[katemary]

this is the set-up and a pic of mummy taking a break from being a milk bar.

 

[katemary]

And this is the carrier the kittens are currently in - you can see it's going to become too small and easy to get out of soon

 

[Sarthur2]

As the kittens are only 11 days old, I would wait for now. Kittens will probably not stray much until they are closer to 3 weeks, at which point they may not want to be contained in a box either. They’ll want to explore the room.

 

[katemary]

Hi everyone, checking in with a few photos. Our six babies and mumma are still all travelling well. I'm able to handle the babies, although mum will still hiss or growl occasionally (especially if they are crying as I weigh them or something). I've even had some kitties crawl into my lap for snuggles. My question is - I would like to start occasionally taking the kittens out of the cat room and into other parts of the house to socialise them and expose them to new environments etc. I would take them out for more than an hour at a time and probably in pairs or threes and would use a playpen to start. Is 4 weeks too early to do that? I don't want to unnecessarily upset mum cat or kittens but also want to make sure they have the best socialisation experience ever so they make awesome pets in their forever homes. Pics attached for cuteness.

 

[Sarthur2]

The box they are in looks too tight. Four to five weeks is okay to socialize them, but an hour is a long time. They must be supervised or they can get into lots of trouble!

 

[katemary]

The box they are in looks too tight. Four to five weeks is okay to socialize them, but an hour is a long time. They must be supervised or they can get into lots of trouble!

Thank you! That's a box they have to play in (there are kitten sized holes they come in and out of and an adjoining box - so far they've loved to play in it and sometimes fall asleep piled in!). I would of course supervise them, but maybe I'll start with shorter trips outside of the cat room soon to get them used to it.

 

[katemary]

Hi,
I'm fostering a litter of 6 kittens with their mum. They're 5 weeks old. They've begun to wear and eat solid food in the last couple of days, and also begun to toilet on their own. I'm concerned because I'm seeing a real range of poos, some a bit liquidy and just now a white-ish poo. The kitten who did the white-ish poo has done two normal (but to me, seemingly large!) poos today. I just happened to be in the room. I contacted the rescue shelter yesterday just about the diarrhoea and they said it was normal as they're bodies adjust to the solid food. I'm concerned about about white/grey poo though. Attached is a picture but only some of it is there - the mum.licked it up before I could take a pic (). You can see there was more of it. I'm a bit hesitant to contact the shelter as I just did yesterday and they were a bit dismissive. Is a range of different poos pretty normal for weaning kittens? I should add that all the kittens are lively, playful and nursing. The kitten whose done the two big poos and now this white poo was weighed yesterday and hasn't gained weight since then.

 

[katemary]

Just editing to add that it was really more pale yellow/pale brown than white (took a closer look as I cleaned it up). I tried to get a whiff and couldn't smell anything.

 

[katemary]

Okay he's just vomited. Maybe it was vomit the first time. Then he went straight to the toilet and did a liquid poo. I'll contact the shelter.