# Feral Momma and baby question



## bobbimcd (Jun 8, 2005)

I have been feeding feral cats since last fall. The past 3 months a young female cat, who appeared to be pregnant, has been appearing on my deck four times a day to be fed. Over time she has become to trust me and stays close when I bring her food out, although she is still a little guarded. She peers into our sliding glass door to see if I am home and when I open the slider, she has, on several occasions, rolled over on her back and stretched out her body and "kneaded" her paws in the air, as if to ask me to stroke her swelling tummy. I am very cautious to not scare her or invade her space, but I have become very attached to her, realizing this relationship may never reach the touching stage.

About two weeks ago we saw two kittens (guessing to be about 4 wks old) peering out from under the neighbors deck, where Momma cat always went after eating at my house. The neighbors looked under the deck that evening with a huge flashlight, which must have spooked Momma and she promptly moved the babies the following morning to under my deck. I have been putting kitten food and water under the deck, bought kitty toys and everyone has been happy as a bug in a rug.

I have planned to live trap Momma, take her to be spayed and capture the babies to be socialized by a local humane society board member who has agreed to take them, then adopt them out to an appropriate loving home (hopefully, mine <G>)

She is still nursing and babies have only shown mild interest in the kitty food, at this point. She allows them out to play in the mulched area behind the shrubs around my deck three or four times a day, but they are fearful of the grass and stay in the mulched area. A few times recently they have come up on our deck with Momma. She is an excellent mother.

Early this a.m. I saw Momma trying to coax the babies to leae the mulched deck area and follow her out of my yard. After several attempts, she gave up because they would not leave the deck mulch area. A couple hours later, she tried a second time and after many returns to the deck area to coax the babies, she managed to get them to follow her, but they seemed terrified. Our house is located adjacent to a golf course fairway. Momma Cat took the babies along the treeline along the golf fairway and on further into a wooded area on the golf course that is used for maintenence. 

My concern is #1: Will she bring the babies back? Unfortunately, her timing was terrible because a horrible thunderstorm with 60 mi. hr winds, thunder and lightening moved in about an hour after she left with the babies. The storms are supposed to continue off and on the rest of the day and into tomorrow.

I am sick with worry about the babies and where she could take them for safe shelter. Could she possibly have taken them out for a little first time "seeing the outside world" adventure. They seem too young to be teaching to hunt. 

I had planned to wait until the babies were starting to eat the kitty food and cut down on nursing before I trapped Momma and then capture them, but I have no previous experience with cats and litters, so I am clueless of when I should do this. And then.... I am torn with massive guilt to be taking these adorable babies away from their mother and dreading the trauma of capturing her and the babies, yet knowing this is the right thing to do. I'm hoping someone can reassure me that she will return with the babies and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Bobbi


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Bobbi, I believe mother cat will return to the source of her food and bring the kittens eventually. Most kittens will start eating softend food by 4 weeks, but will nurse until mother weans them. I like to see the kittens stay with mother longer, but most shelters adopt the kittens out at 6-9 weeks, because people want kittens when they're younger and "cuter." 

My guess is that with a bit of patience, mother cat would allow you to pet her. I think she could learn to live in the house with you, if you want. She might not have a good chance of being adopted out if she goes to the shelter. If you can't keep her, I would spay her, get her vaccines and release her. If you would like to make a pet of her, we can help you with that. I wish you the best.


----------



## bobbimcd (Jun 8, 2005)

Jeanie, 

Thanks for responding. I hope that you are right and Momma will return with the kitties. So far, it's not looking good. She always comes on the deck for supper between 4 and 5 p.m. and there's been no sign of her or kitties.

I do want to ask IF she returns very soon with the babies to take up residence under the deck again, should I plan to live trap her ASAP before she takes them away again? Our plan was to live trap her and take her to be spayed right away and after she is gone try to capture the kittens. I may have mentioned in my previous message that we have a lady experienced in socializing the kittens prepared to take the kittens. 

When Momma is able to be dismissed from the vet we will bring her back to our house and keep her in inside in a confided area until she has recuperated enough to be released. Our hope is that she will continue to stay around our house, but she may be so mad at us for removing her from her babies and subjecting her to surgery, she may be afraid of us.

We are just sick that she has taken the kittens away. We miss all of them so much already. We have never had a cat as a pet and Momma and the kittens have stolen our hearts. The kittens have been such a joy to watch
We were hoping that the kittens would be able to be adopted and live a happy, pampered life, unlike what their Momma has had to endure to survive. I'll have to keep hoping that she will turn up soon with the babies in tow.

Bobbi[/i]


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Since the kittens are old enough to eat pureed food, I think I'd trap mother cat and the kittens. It's sad, but it's best for her and the kittens.


----------



## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

*Catch em*

You should really try to catch that little family. A feral life is harsh and the kittens should be in a loving home. If she brings back the kittens you could probably catch them & Mama with a humane trap. If Mama is trap shy, try collecting the kittens and put them in a humane trap closed, and put another open trap, back end facing the back end of the trap with kittens, place a blanket on both cages so the only way the mom can see her babies is by going through the open trap. Since Mama is showing you affection without touching that is the first step torwards trust! I bet she would make a wonderful house cat!


----------



## bobbimcd (Jun 8, 2005)

Gina, 

Thanks for your response and grat suggestions on trapping Momma and Kitties. Unfortunately, Momma Kitty has moved the babies since I first wrote. In fact, she has moved them three times. Cart path construction equipment on the nearby golf course (when she moved the babies from our deck) frightened her so she moved them and just when we found where she has moved them, she moved them again. Then, we thought we were all set to trap her and the kitties when she brought the babies back to our house for one day... only to have her move them back to the wooded area on the golf course after the cart path construction was completed. Could it be that she returned to the wooded area because it was secluded and a more conducive environment for her to teach them to hunt?

She continues to come to eat but doesn't bring the babies, which is so contrary to what our vet and everyone else who knows feral cats had said would probably happen. I continue to keep fresh water and dry kitty food under the deck daily in case she decides to bring them to eat. She may be bringing them during the night, but, from the quantity of food left each morning, if she is, they are not eating much. Could it be that she is forcing them to learn to hunt for their food in the wild and then, once learned, will bring them to eat with her?

After the most recent time she moved the babies (back to the wooded area) she only came once each day to eat (in the evening just before dark). Now, the past couple days, she has returned to her old schedule of coming three times a day to eat.......no babies in sight. This eating schedule change has really puzzled me. Sometimes she will lay around on the deck sleeping for 1/2 to 45 min. after eating.....seeming to not have a care in the world and in no hurry to return to her babies. She might be easier to trap now, but, not knowing where the kitties are has kept me from following thru with trapping her. *Am I wrong in my thinking?*

Because of the density of the wooded area where she has stowed the babies away it’s impossible to find their little hideaway. They are quickly approaching 10 weeks; time is short to give them their best chance for socialization. Should we set a trap in the wooden area, on the sheer luck that they would be near and go to the trap? If we only catch one, will the other be so scared that they will not approach the trap later to be caught?

I wish we had someone local who has the expertise in humane trapping that could help me to catch them, but, unfortunately, that is not an option.

If anyone has any advice for me, given the change of circumstances, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks so much for your interest.

Bobbi


----------



## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

*Good Luck*

Hi Bobbi,
Hmm that is a problem. Perhaps you could leave food out directly where you feel the babies are hidden. Since they are approaching 10 weeks they should be trying food. Once you spot them maybe you can try catching them. Put a small amount of food at the same time at night or early evening, when ferals are most active and feel secure. once they get a feeding pattern it will be alot easier to spot & catch. You could put a large amount of food (in case mama eats first) in one trap and tether a string with hook so you can manualy close the trap yourself, this way you can get all or most of the babies in the trap and close it yourself thus getting the job done more quickly without getting them trap shy. 

Look at the mama's belly and see if her belly is still showing signs of milk production, or if she is drying up. Most feral kittens stay with their mom alot longer then their house cat counterparts. Usually around 3 months if the mama is eating good and has good milk flow. So chances are she still has them but is just being secretive about them.

Worst comes to worst and you feel the kittens are on their own, spay mama and release her, eventually the babies will come to you for food. Feral feeding station gets through with cats and they quickly learn where there is an easy meal. Even if you get them at a later age, they can still be tamed. I socialized 4 kittens at different ages, one at 3 months, one at 5 months, one at six months (now the most outgoing) and a semi feral one close to a year. It will take more time but it is well worth the effort when the feral that was hiding in the woods is now laying in your lap :wink: Good luck with the kitties!


----------

