There are stray kittens under my sink

AMay4K

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I live in a trailer park. We've recently had 2 people move out and leave a load of cats behind. So lots of strays. I woke up this morning to the loud sound of kittens. I thought my cat had given birth in the night. I looked all over for the kittens. Well I traced the sound to the compartment under the underneath but above the floor part of my bathroom sink. I don't know what to do. Leave them since they're technically strays? I'd have to cut a chunk out of my sink and seal it up before my cats could get in. My husband won't tolerate how loud they are. Our kittens will be put on the opposite side of the house when born. These kittens are near our bed and very loud. He's going to tell me to move them so he can sleep at night. Any thoughts on to go about this?
 

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Any idea how old the kittens are? How would they have gotten in? Is a mother cat still nursing them?

Your best bet is to get them out and turn them in to a no-kill shelter so they get spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and rehomed, and do not grow up to breed and create more strays in your park.

Let us know what happens!

A AMay4K
 

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You need to find out why they are crying. Kittens are taught to be silent and only cry when distressed, they may not have access to their mother. How does she get in, is she seen at all tending to them? If you are sure the mother is present you could move them into an enclosure outside and make sure mama finds them. They may need to be helped, brought to a shelter, etc. if you don't see mama.
 

Sarthur2

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Right! If they are crying, they may be hungry. The mom may be out searching for a meal herself, or she may have abandoned them. If the mother cat was used to being fed regularly before the people moved, you may want to put food out for her until you can get the whole situation resolved, as its best if they can stay with mom until they wean, even if the whole family, mom included, goes to a shelter.
 
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AMay4K

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Any idea how old the kittens are? How would they have gotten in? Is a mother cat still nursing them?

Your best bet is to get them out and turn them in to a no-kill shelter so they get spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and rehomed, and do not grow up to breed and create more strays in your park.

Let us know what happens!

A AMay4K
The mother was under the sink with them. There is a very small gap where I can see in. I could see her but not them. I can definitely hear them though. They haven't stopped since they woke me up this morning at 6am.

The kittens were born sometime between April 13-23. I know this because the mother is a very friendly stray I like a lot. I feed the strays when I can. I know, probably not a good habit, but I feel bad for all these cats abandoned like that. One lady left 12 cats when she moved away. Miss grey (the mother) was one of those cats to be left behind.

This is the first time I have ever heard them. I knew she had given birth because she was pregnant and then she wasn't. I assume the kittens were dead because thay time period had a long cold period. Plus she's always hanging out with me in the yard. I figured how could the kittens be alive if she's always following me.
 

Sarthur2

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It sounds like the kittens are getting ready to be mobile and come out soon if they are 3-4 weeks old. Will the mom let you put her in a crate with her kittens? Then you could get them to a no-kill shelter.

It’s so sad when cats are left behind to fend for themselves, and when not fixed, they have back to back litters. It’s not a great life.

I understand because I have several cats - all former strays and all fixed.
 
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AMay4K

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Might have a lot of typos. Im working off a busted screen so bear with me. Here's some more info. The mother always looks starving. Like sickly skinny. No matter what I feed her and it got worse after she had her babies. Her super skinny figure made pregnancy made her look very odd. I've often wondered if she has some issue that makes her so skinny because I see her eat often. I think if anything, the mother's milk might be drying up and that could be why they're crying? Because they were crying while she was under the sink with them. I could see her through a crack. The crack was too high to see them.

She is getting into my sink because it's an old run down trailer we rented for cheap while passing through this area for a job. Under the trailer, there's a big sagging spot she crawls into and it's right below the sink. Also, the heat ducts are all messed up in this trailer. One duct is wide open into the insulation. So I often hear the mother cat walking through our vents. Never thought anything of it. Figured she was trying to stay warm. My husband hates cats but tolerates the 2 we have. He would never let me adopt her even though she is so sweet. He would also never let me spend money on strays so all I can do is sneak food to them from our cat's bag lol.

Last year there was a litter of kittens left on top of a lawnmower. A man shot the mother because she was "annoying" him. I asked what he was doing to do with the kittens. He said nothing. So I took them. Bottle fed them. Husband hated them being there so I found them homes. I mention this because y'all mentioned calling a shelter or rescue. I did that last year with those kittens and they all said they were overwhelmed. I found some farther away who would take them but only if I delivered...well I didn't have a car. So I did the best I could.

Now I need someone to tell me what to do please. I cannot leave them under the sink. The meowing will cause my husband to open up that crack and take them out and move them wherever he pleases. He gets about 4 hours of sleep due to work and he won't tolerate losing sleep. I'm no cat expert. I'll admit it. Only reason I have 2 cats is because someone who was abandoning their cats, abandoned 2 small ones who needed bottle fed. I couldn't just leave them outside like I did the others. Yes, the trailer park cat situation is a mess. Most of the cats left behind have died. We are down to 7 or 8 (lowest it's been in a year and half)that I see frequently. But now that they're breeding, the cycle will start all over.

Should I leave them be? Should I open up the sink and check on them? If I move them, where to? What do I do? She probably put them there so the other cats wouldn't find them. She's the only cat I ever see go under our house and into the vents. It's her spot. Also, I'm out in my shed right now and I can hear the kittens. Please help.
 
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AMay4K

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It sounds like the kittens are getting ready to be mobile and come out soon if they are 3-4 weeks old. Will the mom let you put her in a crate with her kittens? Then you could get them to a no-kill shelter.

It’s so sad when cats are left behind to fend for themselves, and when not fixed, they have back to back litters. It’s not a great life.

I understand because I have several cats - all former strays and all fixed.
Yes, mother is very nice to me. She follows me all over the place. She will let me do whatever with her. Not so sure how she will react to me opening up the sink to mess with the kittens though. Also, if they're mobile then they can also get in the ducts. Our heat was on this morning. If they run away into the ducts, I'll never be able to get them. It's just not possible unless they stay within arms reach of the sink or the numerous vents
 
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AMay4K

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Might have a lot of typos. Im working off a busted screen so bear with me. Here's some more info. The mother always looks starving. Like sickly skinny. No matter what I feed her and it got worse after she had her babies. Her super skinny figure made pregnancy made her look very odd. I've often wondered if she has some issue that makes her so skinny because I see her eat often. I think if anything, the mother's milk might be drying up and that could be why they're crying? Because they were crying while she was under the sink with them. I could see her through a crack. The crack was too high to see them.

She is getting into my sink because it's an old run down trailer we rented for cheap while passing through this area for a job. Under the trailer, there's a big sagging spot she crawls into and it's right below the sink. Also, the heat ducts are all messed up in this trailer. One duct is wide open into the insulation. So I often hear the mother cat walking through our vents. Never thought anything of it. Figured she was trying to stay warm. My husband hates cats but tolerates the 2 we have. He would never let me adopt her even though she is so sweet. He would also never let me spend money on strays so all I can do is sneak food to them from our cat's bag lol.

Last year there was a litter of kittens left on top of a lawnmower. A man shot the mother because she was "annoying" him. I asked what he was doing to do with the kittens. He said nothing. So I took them. Bottle fed them. Husband hated them being there so I found them homes. I mention this because y'all mentioned calling a shelter or rescue. I did that last year with those kittens and they all said they were overwhelmed. I found some farther away who would take them but only if I delivered...well I didn't have a car. So I did the best I could.

Now I need someone to tell me what to do please. I cannot leave them under the sink. The meowing will cause my husband to open up that crack and take them out and move them wherever he pleases. He gets about 4 hours of sleep due to work and he won't tolerate losing sleep. I'm no cat expert. I'll admit it. Only reason I have 2 cats is because someone who was abandoning their cats, abandoned 2 small ones who needed bottle fed. I couldn't just leave them outside like I did the others. Yes, the trailer park cat situation is a mess. Most of the cats left behind have died. We are down to 7 or 8 (lowest it's been in a year and half)that I see frequently. But now that they're breeding, the cycle will start all over.

Should I leave them be? Should I open up the sink and check on them? If I move them, where to? What do I do? She probably put them there so the other cats wouldn't find them. She's the only cat I ever see go under our house and into the vents. It's her spot. Also, I'm out in my shed right now and I can hear the kittens. Please help.
Should I get them out first, then find a shelter? What do I do if the shelter says they can't take anymore again? What do I do if they tell me to leave them be since they have their mother? Taking them out could be dangerous due to the other cats. They can't live inside because we have kittens being born soon. I only have 1 safe and secluded spot for those kittens to be born. Sorry if I sound stupid. Like I said,never owned a cat in my life until moving here. Never even ever liked cats honestly. But watching the strays being left broke my heart so I've done what I could.
 
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AMay4K

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Found 3 kittens under the sink so far. I put the boards back on so if there are more and they come back under the sink, they will maybe stay there. Now what do I do with them?
 

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Sarthur2

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Oh, fantastic, you’ve got three! How did you manage to finally get them?

Can you get the mom?

Do you know a friend who might be able to take mom and babies? Have you called the shelters to see if they can take mom and babies?

Will the kittens eat soft food? Do they have their baby teeth?

Poor mama kitty sounds like she desperately needs more food in order to make milk. Kittens will need hand feeding otherwise.
A AMay4K
 
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Sylvia Jones

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Do u have a Nextdoor app where you live There are usually cat groups on there who could help with finding someone who could foster these precious ones It is wonderful that you are trying to help them even though it is obviously hard for you Facebook would be another place to look for rescues Keep us updated pls
 

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A AMay4K
Thank you for helping the kittens. I agree, with the others, try FB, Nextdoor or another site to see if anyone can help. There may be cat people or groups that can foster or deliver to a no kill shelter for you. Even if a shelter is overwhelmed, it is better than not going but make sure the shelter is no kill.
Mother should go to, she may have an illness but at the least she should be spayed and the shelter can do that.
What area are you? Maybe someone can recommend a shelter or way to get help.
 

StefanZ

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It sounds like the kittens are getting ready to be mobile and come out soon if they are 3-4 weeks old. Will the mom let you put her in a crate with her kittens? Then you could get them to a no-kill shelter.

It’s so sad when cats are left behind to fend for themselves, and when not fixed, they have back to back litters. It’s not a great life.

I understand because I have several cats - all former strays and all fixed.
yes, if they are at that age of 4-5 weeks, and are becoming more or less indenpendent, they wont be automatically pts even at a high kill shelter... As they are fairly easy to adopt out.

So, if you cant foster them yourself, leaving them to a shelter is a realistic and feasible option.
 
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AMay4K

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I got the kittens and mom to the local humane society. I was able to get them fine because they were all under the sink as far as I could tell. I'll let them know if anymore show up from the ducts. They said they were about 4 weeks old. I made calls for a few hours and the humane society was the only place that had room to take them.
 
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AMay4K

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Thanks for working so hard to help them!!!!
Oh yes, no problem. Like I've said, I have never been a cat person. Never owned a cat until we moved to this trailer park. I keep finding myself in situations where I end up taking care of cats. Last year there were stray kittens left without a mom because a neighbor shot her and left the kittens to be played with by small children. Seems to just be part of life now. I walked outside a bit ago and saw 3 new cats wondering around 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Who knows what the future holds, but I may end up on here again asking for advice on situations with these strays. Thanks everyone for all the help.
 
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