# Feral I've trapped/spayed may be nursing kittens - what now?



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Well, I'm a little uncertain what to do and need some quick answers from cat people. I've had two feral cats, I've always assumed were sisters, that I've fed in my barn. 

Two weeks ago I found feral kittens born in my barn. I've since taken them and brought them inside, they're happy and healthy and will make fine pets when I find them homes.

Last week I successfully trapped and spayed their mother. She's been recovering in a large dog crate in my spare bedroom. I do know that it's best to keep them quiet after surgery if possible.

This morning, I trapped and spayed the mother's sister.

She appears to be bagged up as if she may also be nursing a litter somewhere, who knows where. They aren't in my barn. Initially, I was told by this clinic (the clinic specializes in low cost spay neuter of ferals) that if she was in fact nursing a litter I can't find, that she could be turned back out to tend them even after the surgery... that it's not the best, but sometimes we do what we can and hope for the best. 

So I had been thinking I would keep her tonight until I was sure she had recovered from the anesthetic, and eaten a good meal, and then turn her back out. She would have been away from the kittens less than 24 hours that way.

Now I called to check on her, and now a different tech is telling me I can pick her up in a couple hours, but that I should keep her 7 days to recover, that she can't be reunited with the kittens or nurse them now, regardless.

That's not what I was told before I did this! I didn't know I would be condemning a litter of kittens to starve if I did this.

I'd appreciate the thoughts of some of you... I'm sure this isn't a new issue.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Call back and ask to speak with a vet. Explain to the vet what the situation is and find out if the reason the tech said 7dys is because of a problem, or if that is just 'standard' what they tell clients. If the vet confirms there is a problem, I'm sorry. That would kill me to have to sacrifice a litter like that and I feel for you. I hope it doesn't come to that.
There is a chance you could walk around and see if you could locate the litter nearby by making cat-meow or kitten-cry noises and listening for them crying.

I had a feral mother killed in front of my house and it took 2 days to locate her litter; they were orphaned at 9dys and found at 11dys old. However, this was in Georgia in mid/late April, without the heat much of the country has been experiencing.
Good luck, I hope this has a happy outcome.
Heidi


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

No, it's not new. I took in a stray who was about 6 months old. It never occurred to me that she would be pregnant, as she was so young. Well, she had 6 kittens, but one got stuck, and had to be removed by Caesarean section. 

The vet allowed her to go home early to care for her kittens. This is my experience. If you decide not to allow her to nurse the kittens, try to find them and raise them on a bottle. I had no problem with my stray, but I don't like contradicting your vet's office.


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks - I'm leaving now to go get her, I'll try to talk to the vet when I'm there. I'm told the surgery went well and there were no complications, so I _think _this is this tech's standard answer.

I am curious though, if what I was told before, that she would continue to lactate, is true.

I'll check back when I get back.


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

You could pick up some kitten milk and a bottle, to take some of the work from mother cat.


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Jeanie said:


> You could pick up some kitten milk and a bottle, to take some of the work from mother cat.


Jeanie... I don't know where this momma's kittens are, or none of this would be a problem. :?


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

OK - back from the vet with the cat. She's still in the back of my pickup (with a canopy) inside the live trap.

The consensus now is that I should keep her seven days regardless of the kitten issue. The original tech I talked to was rather snippy with me now, so I think she's been over-ruled and chastised for telling me I could turn her back out the same day to return to her kittens. She now says she never even told me that, that I must have misunderstood. No I didn't. The issue of the potential nursing kittens was always the issue with this cat. 

But anyway... it's done now. It seems to me my options are:

Turn her loose tonight, at considerable risk to her, but potentially better for her kittens.

Keep her seven days and transfer her to a dog crate where she'll have more room:

(a) Let the first momma (Sister2), who's now been six days since her surgery, loose in the spare bedroom she's in and put this new one (Sister1) in the crate Sister2 has been in. It's nice... has a litter box and a shelf. Tomorrow, I could open a window and let Sister 2 go, it will have been a week.

or

(b) Make up a new crate and put Sister1 in it, leaving Sister2 be. The other big dog crate I have is in rather rough condition and would need to be put back together, but it could be done.


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Testing whether I can post pictures from snapfish here... here's Sister 2 in the dog crate, she's the mother of the kittens that I have.

On edit... I guess I can't... I'll upload them elsewhere to post if people would like to see...


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Just upload them to Cat Photos. 

Here are the directions:

http://www.catforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7780


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

OK - will do a little later... I've got my hands full now getting her crate prepared (I decided to go with option b above)


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Hopefully, she'll find the kittens. If so, you can try to trap her again, or let her go. The problem is that the kittens will also have to be spayed/neutered.  

Good luck.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Jeanie, I don't think she is letting Sister cat out. Option B is leaving Sister2 in her crate and making up another crate for Sister1 (the cat who just got spayed).
I'm sorry if you will be unable to locate the litter, but it probably is best for the cats. Save what is in front of you and let God take care of the rest.
Heidi


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

That's right Heidi... at the moment I've got both mommas in dog crates. 

The new one that is of issue ate right away when I was still standing there, she was really hungry. Now she's laying quietly.

I'm leaning toward letting them both go sooner rather than later, question is tonight or tomorrow morning. The kittens would have been without her since last night. Tell me what you would do and why, I'm open to suggestions!


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

I don't have the energy to figure out how to post pics here, but their whole story, and _pictures_, is/are posted here also:

RE: Feral kittens - update second momma caught!

I'm WashingtonBay on that forum. This is page 6 of the thread, the whole back story is on the pages prior.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

What I would do and why.
I really don't know!

There are two paths I could take:
Keep both kitties indoors to tame or until they are properly healed for release with no complications, most likely dooming the litter.

Release the nursing mother after a day or so, so she can return and care for her litter. My orphaned litter was found almost exactly 48hrs after having been orphaned. They were screaming hungry and I'm sure dehydrated, but active and alert. I think if the mother cat can be released at 24-36hrs, she should be able to return to and care for her litter...but I would be concerned about her not having been nursing for such an extended period of time...I don't know how that would affect her milk or production. 
I suppose that (milk production) would be how I would decide what to do. However, there is also the chance the incision site may not heal properly if released too early and/or the kittens could have been found by a marauder or predator while the mother was away.
I guess if it came down to it...I would have to keep the recently spayed cats inside until they were properly healed and not in danger of infection at the time of release. I would search the surrounding area for the litter, but I do not think I could endanger the recent spay with too early of a release. Hindsight would have prevented me from having her spayed if she was nursing and waiting until the kittens were at weaning age.

I'm sorry, I don't seem to be much help.
h


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Heidi n Q said:


> What I would do and why.
> I really don't know!
> 
> Hindsight would have prevented me from having her spayed if she was nursing and waiting until the kittens were at weaning age.
> ...


It's helpful just to hear what other people think. You're all (here and on the other forum I linked to) saying things that I'm thinking, but I'm conflicted in my own thoughts.

Yes, I could have just left well enough alone till I was sure she wasn't nursing, but not knowing where they are or how old they are, she could have two more litters this summer doing it that way, so I decided there would never be a 'good' time.

I'm concerned about her tearing her stitches, because my house cat tore hers when she was spayed, just by being too active. I guess I'd hope she'd eat well now, go to her kittens if I release her, and just hole up there and rest a few more days. That is how I hope it would go anyway if I did turn her loose tonight. 

I'm too much of a control freak for all these unknowns, it's making me nuts.


----------



## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I understand. It's a difficult problem.


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

Well, she's sleeping now. We'll release her first thing in the morning... both of them.


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Best of luck to them and I hope she returns for food and eventually brings her litter for TNR, too.
Regardless, good job for getting them both spayed.


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

They're loose. I hope they care care of themselves, it's a hard world for the little things. All the best to you gals, and your kids... Now I need to find homes for these kittens! 8O


----------



## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

It is a hard life, but now you've made it easier for them because they won't have the demands of coming in season, mating, pregnancy, birthing and raising a litter and starting the entire cycle over/over again.
Good job!
h


----------



## HairOfTheDog (Jun 9, 2008)

And they've got a constant free food supply and comfy beds in my barn if they choose to stay. I hope they do. _That's_ not such a hard life. 

Thanks for all your advice and moral support. When things settle down around here I'll take a look around the forum and share the rest of my cats. - the ones that are actually mine. :lol:


----------

