The new place I'm moving to in two weeks has a cat living under the house! She also has two kittens. This is out in the country and the house hasn't been lived in for two years, so I'm guessing that the mother was abandoned by the previous owner (the owner also left three sheep and a llama, so I guess abandoning animals is no big deal to her
) and I'm guessing there are only two kittens because all the other kittens she's ever had get eaten by the residence family of great horned owls before they get big enough.
Anyway, the mom seems sort of friendly. She won't let you pet her, but she'll sit a few feet away and curl up and squint her eyes at you. It seems like she's accepting, but cautious of people. She also keeps going to the sliding door on the deck as if she expects to be fed or let inside, which is very sad, because it has obviously been a long time since anyone did either!
As for the kittens, they have obviously never ever had human contact. I'm no expert, but my best guess is that they are about a month old. They are obviously still very dependant on mom and never go farther than a foot or so from their little den.
So... what should I do? I will have two indoor cats of my own, so how should I work this? I plan to have mom spayed and then maybe try to rehome the kittens, but I think they need human socialization very soon or they will be feral.
Anyway, the mom seems sort of friendly. She won't let you pet her, but she'll sit a few feet away and curl up and squint her eyes at you. It seems like she's accepting, but cautious of people. She also keeps going to the sliding door on the deck as if she expects to be fed or let inside, which is very sad, because it has obviously been a long time since anyone did either!
As for the kittens, they have obviously never ever had human contact. I'm no expert, but my best guess is that they are about a month old. They are obviously still very dependant on mom and never go farther than a foot or so from their little den.
So... what should I do? I will have two indoor cats of my own, so how should I work this? I plan to have mom spayed and then maybe try to rehome the kittens, but I think they need human socialization very soon or they will be feral.