help! Just found kittens in the backyard

[weeze]

Hi everyone,
I just found a stray cat with 4 kittens in my backyard.. They look to be a week or two old. The mother hasn't abandoned them so I feel bad taking them away (she's hard to catch) What should I do? I don't know what will happen to them if I leave them outside.. Please give me some advice..
Thanks!

[Catsnclay]

I wouldn't try to catch her just yet, you might frighten her to where she may not come back and the babies need her now.

I would just make sure there is plenty of food & water for them, keep other pets & people away from that area, if possible. When the kittens get older then you can TNR or put them up for adoption.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[angelkitty023]

Try leave them there where they r.
try to rent a trap for then put
Mummy & babies in big cat carrier.
When the babies r older can give to good homes.
That what my friends do when
this happens,
but try it maybe it works
in the trap put food
the trap has be the self closing 1...
It be ok for both dont worry......

happy hunting the mummy

[L. Wayne]

weeze, if the mama and kittens are in a safe place, you might want to set up a covered box or something of the sort with soft towels, and place the kittens in it at the place where you have found them. If they are exposed to danger, then I would attempt to trap mama by placing the kittens in the large cage-trap and then remove them to someplace indoors where she and her brood will be safe. Keep her and her kittens confined in a safe room. Be sure there is plenty of good food for her to eat. You might purchase a few cans of meaty cat food, such as tuna, when you move them. Don't forget their fresh water.

[weeze]

I just saw momma again this morning eating the food I left for her. The kitties are actually inside an old dog house so at least they are sheltered. I wanted to put a blanket in there for them but I was afraid that I would scare the mother off. I will try again when I get home from work.. I hope they are still safe.

[Russian Blue]

You can also call the Toronto Cat Rescue for more information on what to do. This organization helps out many cats in the Toronto area. They also have traps but I'm not sure if they loan them out.

Here's their website:


Toronto Cat Rescue

[micki76]

Leave her kittens alone. Don't touch them. We just had the same thing happen. I found out last night my nephew was touching her kittens and so she moved 2 of them, but left the 3rd behind. The momma was a feral (wild) cat and so he instincts told her that her kittens we’re in danger. If she feels threatened at all by you, she'll move them. Best thing you can do is leave them totally alone until they are about 4 weeks old, then when momma leaves to go hunting, take the kittens. They will have to be bottle fed, so I would contact a rescue group before you take the kittens so that they can have fosters ready for them.
Of course, if you have a good humane society, they'll send someone out with a trap and they'll place the kittens inside. When momma goes in, they'll all be trapped and can then be placed for adoption. Good luck!

Here's a very helpful site that YLL gave me:
http://www.kittenrescue.org/handbook.htm

[K & L]

You should trap and sterilize the whole family. How you proceed depends on the age of the kittens.


Don't trap a mother who is nursing her kittens unless you can catch the kittens, too. Tiny kittens cannot survive away from their mothers for long.

If the kittens are newly weaned (usually four to six weeks), ask if your veterinarian can perform surgery and return the mother within 48 hours. Even though eating solid food, very young kittens are unlikely to survive without their mother for body heat and protection. (If your vet cannot meet this time frame, wait until the kittens are older to trap the queen.)

Try to trap the kittens no later than eight to ten weeks of age. The sooner they have human contact, the easier it will be to socialize them.

At twelve weeks and older, kittens can be sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to the location where they were living outside.

[catmandu]

i aree with the threads and youshoud let them be , until they are a little older and they may come to you. Put a box out , withan old swaeter so they get used to your scent . when this happened to me , I put out canned and dry Kitten Food , which has extra nutrition.Bless you and please keep us advised!

[weeze]

I checked on the kitties last night, and they were asleep in a big heap in the corner of the dog house. They are absolutely adorable.. Anyway, I didnt' see the mother anywhere but I assume she is around because they seemed content and healthy. I will continue to keep an eye on them until they're old enough to be moved..

[Randi]

We had a similar situation in our backyard some years ago - before we got Fister. A cat had given birth to 5 kittens in a box attached to someones bicycle. We didn't know how the owner would react to that (the box was used to have a child in, while cycling) so a group of us build a house and put blankets in and put the 5 kittens in there. The mom saw it and followed us to her new house and moved in. But sadly, she would not feed them. We all checked 3-4 times a day, but after 3 days, the ones having cats themselves, decided it was the best to have them put down. She totally neglected them. We think the reason was that we'd touched them. Really sad!

I hope you'll find happy homes for them, when they're old enough! - 12 weeks!

[moosmom]

Micki76 is absolutely right - do not touch them!!!If you do, the mother may abandoned them and then you'll have 4 orphaned kittens on your hands.

Are their eyes open yet? If not, then they're probably about 2 weeks old. These kittens and the mother are feral (wild). In order to socialize them easily, they need to be taken from their mother before they are 4 weeks old. Otherwise it gets more difficult. If you can find them in the same spot like you just did, in the dog house all huddled together, just put them in a box and take them inside. By 4 weeks, they should be able to start eating canned kitten food mixed with KMR (a milk replacement).

If I were near you, I'd be more than happy to help you out.

[weeze]

I am distraught.. I just called my next door neighbour to see how the kitties were doing and she said they were gone! The last time we saw them was at 9 pm last night, then when she checked this morning at 10am, the dog house was empty. The kitties were way too small to wander off, so I am guessing that the mother moved them somewhere else. Do you think she moved them far? I feel so frustrated because I'm at work and I can't even look for them. My husband said he will help my neighbour look around when he gets home from work..

[K & L]

Originally posted by weeze
I am distraught.. I just called my next door neighbour to see how the kitties were doing and she said they were gone! The last time we saw them was at 9 pm last night, then when she checked this morning at 10am, the dog house was empty. The kitties were way too small to wander off, so I am guessing that the mother moved them somewhere else. Do you think she moved them far? I feel so frustrated because I'm at work and I can't even look for them. My husband said he will help my neighbour look around when he gets home from work..

The mother will move the cats if she knows they have been discovered. If you're feeding her & kittens, she probably didn't go far.

[Russian Blue]

Most likely the mother got fearful and moved them to a safer location.