Will Mom Cat Be Upset With Me For Taking Her Kittens?

Catlover579

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I've been feeding a stray cat for a while now and she had kittens which I've also been feeding recently and I am hoping to get them inside soon and get them homes. But at the same time I feel horrible taking her kittens away. It's 2 kittens. I am wondering if she would lose her trust in me for taking the kittens and be scared to come by to eat. I mean I am sure she does not understand I am trying to give the kittens a better life and she might think I hurt them. Also I am wondering if anyone knows , if I pick up the kittens while they are next to her eating, would she attack me? Someone said to just leave the kittens with her mom so that way she has a family to be with and help stay warm during winter.. Which I agree would be nice for her but I think getting the kittens a home would be better ? But then she would be all alone in the freezing cold, so I'm not sure what to do. The kittens are only about 8-9 weeks and its already starting to get cold here at night in Michigan and pretty soon winter will he here. I just don't want the mom to hate me :bawling:
 

catsknowme

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Is there a reason that you cannot bring mother cat in as well? or at least get her trapped and spayed? The kittens need to be brought in ASAP. A drop trap would be ideal, especially if you can enlist the help of experienced, successful TNR rescuers. Unless they all are spayed and neutered, the kitten problem will perpetuate. I have let the mom keep a kitten or two and build them shelters. Whatever you decide, we are here to help :cheerleader: :grouphug:
 

tnrmakessense

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I've been feeding a stray cat for a while now and she had kittens which I've also been feeding recently and I am hoping to get them inside soon and get them homes. But at the same time I feel horrible taking her kittens away. It's 2 kittens. I am wondering if she would lose her trust in me for taking the kittens and be scared to come by to eat. I mean I am sure she does not understand I am trying to give the kittens a better life and she might think I hurt them. Also I am wondering if anyone knows , if I pick up the kittens while they are next to her eating, would she attack me? Someone said to just leave the kittens with her mom so that way she has a family to be with and help stay warm during winter.. Which I agree would be nice for her but I think getting the kittens a home would be better ? But then she would be all alone in the freezing cold, so I'm not sure what to do. The kittens are only about 8-9 weeks and its already starting to get cold here at night in Michigan and pretty soon winter will he here. I just don't want the mom to hate me :bawling:
Mom might take a swipe at you. I've had that happen. As far as her being upset, I rescued a mom and her three kittens a year ago and now she wants nothing to do with them. It's probably some biological wiring to be protective when they're babies but I sure wouldn't let that stop you from rescuing the babies.
 

maggie101

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A few years ago I took care of a mama cat and her 2 kittens. The mom cat trusted me. I fed her on my porch before her first litter. She showed the kittens to me when they were 5 weeks old. I could not take them. I posted them at a variety of places and got them adopted. The mama cat did not mind at all
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image.jpg
 

maggie101

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I could not afford to take care of them so when the mom had her second litter of 4 soon after I finally found a rescue to help by posting a video on youtube and another friend to help with the fixing
 

Talien

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If it's already getting cold at night where you are I'm guessing you're in the northern part, or the UP? Either way, mother Cats don't normally stay with their offspring once they mature. If they're 8-9 weeks now that gives them probably another 2-3 weeks that she will take care of them, after that she may or may not want to continue being around them.

If you can't bring all 3 of them inside then keep an eye on them as much as possible and watch for any changes, if she starts to show signs that she's taking less of an interest in them then take them in ASAP.
 

Caspers Human

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At some point, the mother and kittens will naturally separate.

The kittens will grow old enough to fend for themselves and the mother will no longer need to care for them. In nature, the mother cat would have another litter and no longer have the resources to expend on, both, the new kittens and the now-grown cats.

The grown cats might still be part of the clan but, otherwise, on their own or the mother might actually run them off. It depends on circumstances.

If these cats are living outdoors without a human to care for them, one or more of them could end up dead. They could get killed by a car or something. They could end up as a meal for a coyote or an owl, etc. They could be hurt by some unscrupulous person or they could just get sick and die.

If any of those things happen, the mother would undoubtedly lose her kittens.

The bottom line is that the mother and the kittens will, some day, become separated, one way or another.

Wouldn't you rather have them become separated under better circumstances where the kittens have good homes and are properly cared for.

Otherwise, the inevitable separation is more likely to occur when one or more of the kittens comes to a bad end.

Which would you rather have happen?
 
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Catlover579

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Hi everyone thank you for your replies. I agree it is best to get the kittens a home but unfortunately it looks like that won't be happening and I am so upset. I've called so many foster based rescues and even the humane society. No one will take the kittens in. They're getting older by the day and it's getting colder :frown: I can't believe it, I thought at least the humane society would take them at least . They said to call every day in case a spot opens up , other than that it would be over a month at least to consider. And even if a spot opens up, they have to be able to "handle" them or they give it back to you. So they would need to be socialized first with humans . And the longer I wait, the older they get and harder to tame them. I'm going to feel horrible seeing these kittens suffering in our brutal winters. I wish there was something I could do, like foster them at least until a spot opens up and get them socialized but the problem is I have a cat that does not like other cats. I don't have a spare room to keep them in where my cat doesn't go. I'm worried if I bring the kittens inside he would be freaking out hissing and screaming like crazy. It would be stressful for the kittens too. None of the foster based rescues will even return my calls or emails and I've contacted a lot! I just don't know what to do at this point.
 

jen

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I would get them set up in that spare room you have. Put everything in there they need, put them in and give them a day or so to relax. Then start socializing. The mother can and will get pregnant again fairly quickly if she isn't already.

At bare minimum you could have them all TNR'd and they can just stay out side but at least they would be UTD and not reproducing.
 

maggie101

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I just remembered that I got a rescue to take in her second litter by posting a video on youtube. I also posted pics at small restaurants like Starbucks,vets,and pet stores
 

catsknowme

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jen jen - she does not have a spare room. Do you think that a catio might be a suitable suggestion? I am in a rural area where sheds and outbuildings are common but I haven't yet worked with ferals in a catio. Also, I know that urban and suburban areas have C.C.R.s to deal with.
 
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Catlover579

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Hi everyone, just thought I would give an update on the kitten situation.. So I have found a foster to take the kittens in! I got them in a carrier this morning and just dropped them off at the foster. I am happy but still sad at the same time because the kittens were soo scared and the mom is looking for them :( but I know it's for the best. At least now they have a chance of getting a home. As far as the mom cat, I named her Jazzy by the way. The lady that's in charge of the rescue, she wants to loan me a trap to get Jazzy spayed and is willing to work with her to see if she would be able to be tamed and get adopted eventually. This is all so overwhelming for me because it's just stressful since I feel bad for the cats but I don't want to see them freezing in the winter either so I think this is the best choice.. I'm just worried that getting Jazzy a home doesn't work out and she gets abandoned once again and get more distrustful of people. Hopefully it will all work out. Thanks everyone for your support! :lovecat:
 

Caspers Human

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If you can catch Jazzy I think it would be a good thing to get her spayed and cared for.

If the rescue place can take her, more's the better. They will do what they can to acclimate her to living with people and, if she's receptive, will make sure that she finds a good home.

Every cat rescue organization that I have had experience with tries to make sure that their adoptees are placed in homes where they will be taken care of and not abandoned again.

When we adopted Casper we had to give references and they DID follow up on them. In fact, we joked that it was almost as difficult to adopt Casper as it might have been to adopt an orphaned child from Asia. ;)

Yeah! They were pretty strict!

So, yes. If Jazzy can be rehabilitated and rehomed, you should not have to worry that she will be taken care of. :)
 
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