# Feral family under my shed



## LucyCat

A couple of days ago, I woke up to find a mother cat and 4 kittens sleeping on my back porch. They looked healthy and happy so I decided to let them be, for now, while I figured out how to get them spayed/neutered. The kittens were nursing, although they looked big enough to be eating on their own.

Yesterday, I got a better look at them. Mom cat did not look so healthy and happy. She looked skinny and tired. I wondered if the kittens were still nursing because they were having trouble finding food, and, that's why they are healthy while mom is skinny.

Anyway, I changed my 'leave them alone' policy and put out a plate of dry food for the mom. All 5 of them dove on it and gobbled it up like they were starving animals. Well I guess they were starving animals. :?

They don't let me get anywhere near them. I tap on the glass door to let them know I'm coming out, to give them warning. Then I slowly open the door and they all dive off the porch, into the bushes. Today, I followed them off the porch to see where they go. They were squeezing under my shed. So I guess that's where they've been until now.

So here is my dilema. I don't really want 5 new cats. I have my one inside kitty and we are very happy together. I do, however, feel obligated to help these cats that have apparently been living under my shed. 

I live outside of the city limits in the country. My yard is big and filled with trees and thick shrubs (and tall grass because I'm lazy). I have lots of turtles and frogs and various vermin living back there. I think it's a great place for wild cats. While I don't want them to be 'mine,' I'm very happy to have them sharing my land.

Is it reasonable and/or responsible to get them fixed and then let them go to live wildly in my back yard? If I do this, should I supplement them with cat food? Does that make them too dependent on me? Does that make them 'my cats?'

There are organizations in my area that will spay/neuter ferals. They offer to supply traps to help bring the cats in. This is part of a 'fix and release' program for ferals.

Our shelters and humane society are not 'no kill' as far as I know. I'll double check on this. 

I'm worried about mom cat undergoing surgery while she is so thin. Any thoughts on this? I was considering putting it off until she had put on more weight, but, there is risk that she becomes pregnant again in the meantime. 

What about the kittens? How old should they be before I take them in? I would guess they are about 8-10 weeks old now, but, that's just a guess. I could try to take one in with me when I take in the mom to see how old they think the kittens are. 

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks!


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## Jeanie

LucyCat, The shelters like to get the kittens young, so it would be best if they went to a no-kill shelter now. They need to get socialized, and it is easier to place a younger kitten. If the shelter thinks it's unlikely they'll find a home, then you can get them neutered and released. 

I agree that mother cat could get pregnant, so it's probably best to have her spayed now, if the vet approves. However, I would definitely supplement her diet with cat food. As you said, she is very thin now,  and she has been living on what she can catch. Better that she have inexpensive dry foor and leftover meat scraps than depend on nature to feed her. 

I'm so glad you're caring for them.  Please keep us updated.


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## LucyCat

Thanks for your reply, Jeanie. It got me thinking more about the kittens and how they would be better off in a nice home.

I did some more searching and found that there is a local organization that will take a cat family and clean them up with shots and spaying/neutering and then put them in foster families until they can be adopted. They hold adoption shows a few times a month at local pet stores and seem to have good results.

Their website tells how to adopt a cat but not how to get one into their program. I'll try to find a contact who can tell me more about this. Maybe I can get the mom and all of her kittens into service with this organization. At the very least, maybe they will take the kittens and I will take responsibility for the mom cat. 

Thanks again

I'll let you know how it turns out. 8)


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## Sweetvegan74

If the babies are under 3 months of age, it is a high chance that they can be domesticated. The sooner you catch them the better off they will be. Last summer I caught a little russian blue I called Shadow. She was not pregnant but the nurse said she just completed rasing a litter as her milk was dried up. (Later found the 3 kittens at 4 months of age got them neutered and kept the runt) She is 4 years old and because she did nothing but have kittens she was very thin plus probably could of been wormy. So after spaying and some worm medicine she now had filled out nicely and comes to eat everyday. :wink:


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