Lizbud,

The birth came as a surprize to us because she was only 42 days in gestation and had another 20+ days to go. She was kept in the trap because she was scheduled to go to the vet on Tuesday. She gave birth at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning.

She and her two surviving kittens were in a cage with a birthing box in it. I checked in on her last night and one of the kittens was still alive. The other one was dead and partially gone. I buried him. I took the box out to get the dead kitten and the black one was still squirming around and squeaking, he's a real fighter. I called my vet this morning and she said that unless I want to go out and get replacement milk and feed him every 2 hours, it's probably best to let nature take it's course. If the kitten is healthy, the mother will care for it herself. If he is sick, she will push it away and let it die.

She also told me that a kitten born at 42 days is the same as a baby born at 6 months. The chances of survival are almost nil.

So, we'll have to take it one day at a time and see what happens. If the kitten dies, then it was meant to be. I'm just glad that we were able to trap her and get her fixed. Because she is VERY feral, she will be going to the same home that her son Grump Dave is at.