# Mom and her kittens



## JazznMurphy (Dec 1, 2005)

We have a feral mom cat who decided to deliver a litter of three kittens under our back deck. Unfortunately, both Jazz and Misha know something suspicious is out there, so we have to keep them off of the deck.

That said, I've been feeding mom a high protein wet food -- it's the Nature's Variety duck that I originally bought for mine that they won't eat.

Can they be domesticated? As soon as I open my back door, mom runs out of the way and sits and hisses and growls until I'm out of her way and the kittens scramble for cover. If I can handle them, I'd like to be able to trap mom and the kittens, get mom spayed and take the kittens to my girlfriend, who's a vet tech and see if she can give them a home. They are adorable. :luv My husband knows if I could, I'd scoop them all up for my own. I don't think, however, that my two would appreciate that ... 

Thanks for your help! :mrgreen:


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

That is *exactly* what I did with Malibu and her litter and with Pretty and her litter!
_I never did get near Pretty's litter until I trapped them, but Mallie would growl, hiss and stalk around me, watching me closely and muttering dire threats under her breath every time I brought out canned food for her and the babies._

As soon as the kittens were at weaning age, I trapped them and put them in my bathroom (_with food, water, litterbox and a safe-cave for them to hide in and feel safe_) and began the process of socializing them, which went pretty easily once Mamma wasn't around to tell them to keep-their-distance. Both Mallie(2003) and Pretty(2004) were spayed and returned to our property and *they* even allowed me to tame and socialize them. They are both happy housecats in my home right now. The kittens from their litters were all tamed/socialized and adopted through the cat rescue that operates out of a local PetsMart. 
I don't forsee any problems with catching the litter and having your vet-tech friend foster them for socialization skills to prepare them for new homes. Even the mamma kitty may come around when she realizes she doesn't have to live by her instincts to raise litters of kittens. Sounds like a win-win situation.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Terri, how kind of you! I'm sure you'll be able to tame those ferocious little ones.  They're young, and you will be their source of comfort, food, and love. And mother cat won't have to spend her life having kittens and probably dying young. Keep us updated, please!


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## JazznMurphy (Dec 1, 2005)

Well, she's skin and bones and very small. She came up to my husband and let him pet her this afternoon! I think he's hooked now -- I heard him telling my son we had a third cat. :wink I also think she's domesticated. When I took out a bowl of dry food tonight ~ in the hopes of getting some weight on her ~ she came right up to me and let me pet her and she was purring, purring, purring! I'm gonna check tonight to see how much the office where my girlfriend works will charge for a spay and get her shots up to date. Something tells me we just might have a third cat after all! :luv   

Will keep you posted!!!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Yay! That sounds like wonderful news! *_jumps up/down with happiness!_*


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Great! She must be a stray, poor baby. I think she has a home now...and you're a grandmeowmie!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I kinda got Shadow that way, too. She was very pregnant and walked right up to me the first time I saw her at the back of our property, next to a shed I would put catfood under. She let me pick her up and I called to my husband to look as I showed him her belly and he told me I better get her in the house before she birthed outside. 
I went in to prepare the bathroom and when I came out she was gone, but I left the bathroom set up. She was there again the next morning and let me put her in a cat carrier I carried down to the shed and brought her up to the house. 10dys later she gave birth to 5 black and b/w kittens. Then, about 3wks later she allowed me to put an *orphaned* litter of 5 on her several times a day for two days, just enough time for me to get the orphans transferred to KMR bottle feedings. I think she is a hero!
_Shadow's kittens and the orphaned litter went to the Cat Rescue Adoption Center and after Shadow healed from her spay surgery, she went to the CRAC weekend event, but she didn't do well at all. She was scared and hid the entire time, even though she was an adorable and friendly cat. When I picked her up at the end of the weekend, she ran to the front of the display cage, pressing her face against the bars with her paws reaching for me while she meowed at me. When I told my husband about it, we decided to just keep her._ 

Like your skinny-minnie-mamma-kitty, I think my Shadow was a former pet that was dumped off and abandoned because she was pregnant. So I'm glad she found us and I'm glad your skinny-minnie found you guys, too.


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## ThreeCatzGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

You guys are lucky that you get to touch the feral kittens. 

Brave kitty lets me touch him with my finger...then he walks away. I put my hand out and let him sniff it..but thats it. Oh .. the other night brave kitty touched my hand with his paw.. so cute. I told him good boy. The other 2 cats are still shy about me coming near them. But all 3 of them are fine with me when i sit on the grass to watch them play. 

I have a cat toy for brave kitty and i play with him from time to time. He loves the toy...he purrs and purrs.


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## JazznMurphy (Dec 1, 2005)

I don't think mom cat is feral. She doesn't like to be picked up, but she comes right to me in the afternoon when she knows she's going to be fed. The kittens are still very wary, but they don't go run and hide anymore they did a couple of weeks ago.

I'm hooked. They are soooo cute! :luv


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## JazznMurphy (Dec 1, 2005)

*Re: Mom and her kittens *Update**

Well, mom and kittens are doing fine. They're much more social than they were a month ago. Only one will let me pick him up while the female does figure 8s around our feet. When I pick the male up, he purrs like crazy. We got them a medium igloo-style dog house, put it on top of foam padding to act as insulation and put some old blankets inside in order to shelter them from the colder weather. 

The female goes into the vet for her kitten checkup next weekend, and her brothers will go in another month or so. So far they're doing fine. They eat like horses and are always there in the morning and evening at mealtimes.

My hope is to adopt the female. She's been named Abby. Keep your fingers crossed! :luv


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Fingers, toes-es, whiskers and noses crossed over here, for you!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

This is such a great situation! Hope all works out for you and the kitties. I bet the momma will come around fast esp once her babies are adopted out. One of the sweetest cats I know is a former feral.. he was really a dump male tabby I neutered and returned him outside and he worked his way into my sisters house afterwards. Took a long time before he let me touch him but now he calls me to love him up and give him scritches. He taught me alot. hes in the house 95% of the time. Your Momma cat is just looing for an opertunity to settle in with you and blossom!


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