The neighborhood strays like our backyard because we don’t have a dog, while nearly every other family on the block does. I’ve been saying this day would come since we moved in, and it’s finally happened. I thought that grey cat looked a little thick through the middle a few weeks ago.
Not a very good picture… but please note sleeping balls of fluff under squirrel feeder. They crawled out from under the deck today. There’s a black one tucked under the iron plants to the left there, too, and I think one had already gone back under the deck.
I don’t have the slightest idea what to do. I don’t think they are abandoned. I saw the putative mommy cat going back there just the other day, and my hub has seen her today. They look really young, like maybe four weeks old, so I don’t want to bring them in and have to bottle-feed them. I actually can’t, since both my hub and I work full time. Oh, and did I mention we have three full-grown, spoiled cats already?
I’d like to be a total heartless bitch and just call Animal Control, but we have the worst possible situation in this area. It’s a total kill shelter, and it’s a horrible kill shelter at that (carbon monoxide). I won’t do it. There are some cat rescue organizations, and I think it’s going to come down to us having to trap the mommy and spay/release her, and trap and foster the kittens into homes. I don’t think my husband is thrilled with this idea at all, at all, at the spaying/neutering/vaccinations will probably be done on our dime.
I have a call in to one local organization, but please… any advice or support is needed. Give me an idea of what’s best to do at this point. We’re thinking to just leave the kittens strictly alone unless we see them in danger, because if we handle them, we’re afraid the momma will move them.
I lived in Baton Rouge years ago and was part of a cat rescue group. We trapped stray cats, placed the tame ones and spayed/neutred the wild ones. The group was based out of LSU and I think they were called Alley Cat Allies. Please call them, they will help you out.
As for the kittens, I encourage you and your husband to try and interact with them. From my experience, mother-cat will not reject them. She may be a stray, but she is familiar enough with humans to have her kittens under your deck. Set out food, sit with it and left the little fuzz balls approach you. Getting the kittens used to people will make them adoptable. Wash your hands after being around this little family! They may have ring worm (its a fungal infection), fleas and other things you don’t want your spoiled cats to get.
Oh, now you’ve done it. You’ve given me an excuse to go play with them! Yay!!! I’ll have to stop at the pet store on the way home and see about getting some appropriate kitten-aged food or formula mix. All the stuff we had said specifically it was for aged one year or older.
You mean you needed an excuse to go and play with a bunch of kitties?
Are you sick? Have you a temperature? You need some pills?
I know what you need…4 units of “kitty time”. That should cure what ails ya.
Mama cat can use kitten food while she’s nursing - and if she’s a stray/feral it would be a big help to her. Many feral females literally breed themselves to death if they don’t have a steady food supply.
I second getting the kittens used to you. The younger they are accustomed to people and to being handled, the better pets they will make.
Hopefully there is a rescue organization in your area that can lend you a trap, and may be able to point you to a vet who does feral trap-neuter-release for a reduced fee. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping these animals instead to just consigning them to death. Many Karma points to you!
I agree with Mouse Maven. Interact with them or they will end up feral and homeless at best. Hopefully in about two to four weeks you can find homes for them. I urge you not to give them away for free, lest someone take them for reasons other than giving them a good home(you don’t want to know, I swear. There are some sick people in the world) but call around to your local vets and pet stores. You are almost guaranteed to find someone who is doing rescue and will take them, give them a check-up and their shots, then put them up for adoption for a fee. Meanwhile, enjoy them. If there is anything on the planet more fun than kittens, I don’t know about it.
I second the Karma points!! Also, leaving food will encourage the mother to stay at your place and not move the family elsewhere. If mother is a stray, she maybe friendly and needs some TLC. If that’s the case, maybe you can get the whole crew into homes.
Ah, a common worry of SO’s. I have fostered 4 litters of kittens. I have only kept one. They’re cute, they’re sweet, but they are **a lot ** of work, especially if you’re “mommy.”
Teach the kitties that people are OK, get with a group that will help you place them in good homes, and then relax. You get all the benefits of kittens and none of the long-term responsiblities.
Whatever you do, you must take and post more pictures.
If they’re not hurting anything outside, make them social deck kitties until you can find new homes. Perhaps with a little shelter help under the deck in the form of an extra cat carrier without a door, a wooden lean-to with some extra lumber, or something that they can shelter from wind and rain in. If you keep them around much longer, you’ll want to vaccinate to protect your kitty overlords. See if your vet will swing you a volume discount. I also second rehoming through your vet clinic if they are so inclined…that’s how I got my kitty and the clinic I used to work for placed several litters a year for clients who found themselved with a case of the kittens. Attach the cutest one to an e-mail and send it to me! (Not really, my cat is a princess who’s world revolves around her being the only cute fluffy cat in the universe.)
This is why I love to foster the little furballs for the local shelter. (It’s a lot like being an aunt really, which I also love.) Out of the thirtysome kittens I’ve had so far only one stuck, so it’s a fairly small risk for much gain.
I’m very sympathetic to your “problem.” You see, we just had one of the neighboring “roamers” litter under our house. I admit, I feed her every day, and talk to her, and try to make her feel welcome. I shouldn’t, I know, but looking out the bedroom window, I saw this scene. I really need to bushwhack the grass back there, but they look so cuuuuute!
I spend a lot of time watching the ASPCA shows on Animal Planet (good knitting TV–everything’s narrated, and quite often, you don’t want to see what they’re showing, it’s so disturbing). I’d like to warn you that pretty often, on these shows, people who take in strays who then get sick–and are reported by neighbors–get in serious trouble. Apparently you’re supposed to either take in the pet as your own, and get it veterinary care and a microchip and the whole shebang, or you’re supposed to turn the animal over to the local shelter.
From the sound of it, your local shelter isn’t particularly into the whole “animal welfare” thing, so it might not be an issue where you are. I’m just warning you, in some places it can be a problem.
Very cute fuzzballs! Maybe you could put an ad on your local Craigslist. I’ll bet you could find them new homes - maybe get them spayed/neutered first and then ask the new owners to cover that cost.
Gradually get them used to contact. Laser pointers, sticks and the like are good distance toys.
Mom might be too feral for recovery; the kittens can be socialised.
Early care is critical: parasites, FIV/FeLV/FIP screens and the appropriate vaccines and anti-parasitics.
Capture/Spay/Adopt or Release may be a good idea for Mom.
If you google “No-Kill Shelters”, with your local area keywords, you’ll get a list of no-kill/foster resources. Municipal/County/“Gubmint”/Humane Society facilities frequently have kill poliicies, and some have alarmingly high kill rates.
At a minimum, adopt them out if you can. otherwise, socialise them as outside cats, at a minimum, get’em all spayed/neutered.
I’ll have to stop at the pet store on the way home and see about getting some appropriate kitten-aged food or formula mix. All the stuff we had said specifically it was for aged one year or older.
