# Feral kittens



## loveregardless (May 4, 2005)

Hello everyone. I'm new here, and I have a few questions to ask. lol. Imagine that!!

So my story is, one of the strays that hangs out here at my office (we leave food out for them; her picture is my avatar) had kittens. She actually found her way through a hole in the roof into the building's garage and had them right here in the office. They are probably nearing 7 weeks, and although she is very freindly, she is also very protective, and doesn't really let me handle them. Because of this, they are very skittish around me, and usually run away if I make an attempt to pick them up. So my question is, lol, I have found someone who has offered to take both the kittens (there were only two), but I'm not sure if I should let her take them NOW, or wait any longer. I am afraid that if she doesn't get them early, they will have a hard time adjusting to people. So give them to her NOW or wait a few more weeks. (They are also starting to eat solid food now, and going to the bathroom all over the garage!)

Another quick question/concern I have is. Is it possible for the nursing mother to be pregnant again? Her stomach is rather large and swollen, and I'm not sure if thats just her milk, if that means her milk is drying up, or if shes pregnant again?!


----------



## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Yeah, that's a hard one. Take them away and they won't be socialized toward other cats or leave them with her and they won't be socialized toward people. You're right that they develop their socialization toward humans early. And yes, she could be pregnant again.


----------



## loveregardless (May 4, 2005)

Oh great! I really hope she's not, but I have a "feeling" that she is. 

I think I'm going to have her take them home the middle of next week actually, then they will be almost 8 weeks, and will have been eating solid food for a bit longer. 

I really hope she's not pregnant. She worries me sick!!

What should a nursing tummy look/feel like? As apposed to a pregnant tummy?


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

A nursing tummy looks just like her normal tummy, except that her nipples will be more prominent. As for pregnancy, enlarged, pinker nipples are also the first sign, but it's difficult for even a vet to tell you yes or nor on the pregnancy until she's at least 21 days.

Do you have a litter box in the garage for the kittens? I would socialize those kittens now, because the longer you wait, the harder it will be. Yes, it's best if they stay with mother, but I'm sure she's not with them 24/7. I wish you had been handling them these last few weeks. Yes, they'll spit and scratch out of fear, but you are huge in comparison to them. So wear thick gloves, then take them to run free in a room and sit in that room with tasty food nearby, and allow them to make the decision to come and eat. They will; just be patient. Eventually, with patience, they'll come to the food as you move it closer, and their curiosity will lead them to investigate you. It will probably take weeks, but it is the best of both worlds, mother cat and people.

This will be more difficult now, because you'll have to do this in shifts, and I know that's difficult, but it's the most responsible thing you can do. The kittens can learn how to be cats from mom and litter mates and how to get along with people from you. Good luck. You'll probably have to put them in the litter box (no clumping litter) yourself, and scratch their little feet. You have a job ahead of you, but you can do it. I wish you the very best.


----------



## Feral Fan (Feb 9, 2005)

Hopefully mom cat isn't pregnant again, possible for sure though. Generally they do not go into heat again so soon after having kittens so keep your fingers crossed! Best bet is to try and get a live trap and get her to the vet as soon as possible to be spayed, right after the kittens go for sure. 

As for the babies... it is GREAT that you have found them a home. I am a big advocate of kittens being with mom until 12 weeks, but socializing them is very important in cases like this, and getting them into a nice safe home would also be good for them. I think in this case that 8-9 weeks would be ok in these circumstances. If they are eating well and existing well without mom then they should do fine. It will make it a lot easier on the new home to start training them to be housepets at 8 weeks. Often at that age they will grow up forgetting any feral history and be pretty much like "normal" kitties. 

Best of luck with these little ones!


----------



## loveregardless (May 4, 2005)

I just put a litter box out for them today, and since I've been picking up their poo for the last few days, I rumaged through the garbage and put what I had picked up in the box(since they started going in the garage all of a sudden so is mom!?). I know, that's really gross, lol. Antibacterial! 

But anyway, the problem is that she IS there almost the entire time I'm here at the office, and I can't really be back there all day long, being that I am at work. But she absolutely will not let me get at them if she's there, and although they've started to come up to me now and I can actually pet them some, she is always waiting to swat me if I spook them. She is absolutely the best mom in the whole world, and for that I couldn't be prouder. I have handled them here and there when I happened to catch her being gone for some reason, but that wasn't for more than a few minutes before she returned.

And as far as getting them litter box trained, that, would be impossible! I cannot pick them up and put them in that box in front of her, besides the fact that she's protective, I think I should be clearer on the state of the garage their living in. My grandfather who owns the office, is a pack rat, an insane pack rat. The garage is absolutely un-enterable. I can sit on the ledge from the laundry room and they'll come out of the mess in front of me, but going after them, in that mess, just isn't possible. I have already cleared so much dust and spider web madness, not to mention an insane assortment of clutter already, and it's still just nearly an impossible situation. The roof is falling, I mean, I can't even walk back there! They were originally in the laundry room but as they got bigger moved into the "jungle", it will be all I can do to have someone brave the mess and grab them for their trip to their new home. 

I've been doing absolutely everthing I can to make things perfect for them, but they run the show, I just happen to be lucky enough that Darla let me be involved at all.

I am going to let her take them home at the end of next week, that will be 8 weeks, and the safest decision I beleive. The older they get, the more they are going to venture out, and out, means out of the office, and of course my biggest fear is out of the office and into the road. At least they won't be ruined to living with people if they go at 8 weeks, and the lady's horse trainer is planning on "working" with them very closely. 

I cannot even tell you how much this has had me stressed and confused....and tearing up on a few occasions.  All I want to do is the best thing for them, because I hate to see them become strays like the rest, I just love Darla so much, I knew I had to save her kittens from what she's had to live. I'm just an emotional basket case when it comes to animals.


----------



## loveregardless (May 4, 2005)

BTW, here are some pics of the babies at about 4 1/2 weeks.

http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=187610#187610


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I'll bet it's tempting to keep them all! I hope you can get Darla spayed before she gets pregnant again, but nursing mother cats can get pregnant. Let's hope she's not. You're doing the best you can for these babies under those circumstances.


----------



## loveregardless (May 4, 2005)

Yes, lets! :? And omg, the grey kitty used the litter box today! I'm so proud. (Too bad it's a wasted effort because they are going to be farm cats anyway, lol.)


----------

