Housesitting - cat missing leaving kittens

[kittendilema]

Have name changed as outing.

DD1 is house/pet sitting. Cat went out yesterday evening and not come back yet. She has young kittens (not weaned) who are now getting hungry. DD1 has to work today. Should she 1) leave window open hoping cat will return or 2) take the kittens to the vets to be fed and looked after? If vets - who should pay DD1 or the owner?

You dumped the kittens at the vet

You think it would have been better to leave them to potentially starve at home? Since when is taking kittens where they will get medical attention "dumping" them anyway?

How worrying, the mother cat would want to get home to young kittens, so could be injured, trapped somewhere, or have been run over. I really hope she returns soon. Can you knock on doors and ask people to check sheds ! When are the owners home ?

I'm another one who would assume something had happened to the mother cat. Cats don't tend to go out and leave their kittens for a prolonged amount of time so I think she was right to take them to the vets. I am however amazed at the owners lack of awareness over keeping the poor cat inside she doesn't sound like a responsible owner to me.

The kittens haven't been dumped at the vet! They've been taken to a place where they can receive medical attention and most importantly be fed, rather than being left to starve. The DD didn't have any means to feed the kittens.

And I read it that the window had been left permanently open, so theoretically the cat could have been back to feed to kittens, but it doesn't sound like she has.

You think it would have been better to leave them to potentially starve at home? Since when is taking kittens where they will get medical attention "dumping" them anyway?

God no not at all. Not sure why you would think i meant they should have been left to starve.

Not sure why you would think i meant they should have been left to starve.

In all fairness to soupdragon the alternative to not taking them to the vets would be leaving them to starve. Their mother has not come back and the daughter is off to work so if they were not taken to receive medical treatment then the reality is they would indeed starve.

Not sure why you would think i meant they should have been left to starve.

Because that's what would have happened to them if left at home...?

I was more referring to the financial dumping as nobody seems to be willing to pick up the bill. The whole situation seems ridiculous, but of course I wasn't suggesting kittens were left to starve to death.

The kittens should have been seen to long before the time the OP posted asking about what they should do

Of course the owners pay the vet bill! It’s their cats and they should have given specific instructions about what to and not do if they were leaving kittens!

Any sign of the mummy cat yet ? So worrying.

Thanks for all your input. The kittens were lively and appeared in good health when we took them to the vet. Vet declared the fit just in need of toileting and a feed. Mother cat return home about three hours later and was reunited with kittens. Apparently not necessary to keep mother inside although risk them getting pregnant again. Main thing - all is well with both mum and kittens.

Of course she needs to be kept in.
And spayed.

Oh so relieved to hear that. Maybe first time mother?

Glad mother cat came back but she really needs to be kept in now for the sake of the kittens.

Yes definitely keeping her in