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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Mum and five kittens......

33 replies

scottswede · 15/08/2013 08:28

We have a large stray cat problem where I live. (Whole other thread...) I have been taking care of a mum and her five little ones since they were born. Living outside, but feeding them and trying to get them used to humans. They are 11 weeks now and I finally got them inside. I have arranged for a cat home to take them all in a week or so.
Problem one. Mum won't use the litter box but is peeing and pooing on the floor on the chairs. Kittens all seem to love the box by the way.
Problem two. Two of the kittens seem much more feral than the rest, don't like human contact at all. I spend a lot of time with them but these two are fighting me all the way. The cat home won't take them if they are not friendly.
Suggestions, advice please EXCEPT just keep them...... We have 4 already, all strays, who we have fixed. We were feeding a total of 13 at one point.

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GetStuffezd · 08/09/2013 21:08

Oh God - what an experience! It must be awful to give them up when you've become so attached! And I cannot get over the ridiculous price of neutering. My boy cost £29 to do, which suited me fine. I hope all your little ones find loving homes and secretly hoping you get the 2 shy ones back

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issey6cats · 08/09/2013 15:11

awwwits hard when you have got attached to them but they will im sure find fabulous homes for all of them and mom as well :)

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scottswede · 08/09/2013 14:41

My five little terrors went to the cat home today. They called on Friday to say they had a place. Very mixed feelings. Know I have done the right thing but miss them terribly already.
We will call in a week to make sure the 2 little shy ones are doing ok, if not then we will take them back. Then we will call again in a few weeks and if there are any left we will also take then back. I would hate them to spend their lives in a cat home.
Dh took them in as I couldn't and said they settled in fine, even my little timid ones.
I have one set of fingers crossed that they all get homes and the other set crossed that they don't

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thecatneuterer · 02/09/2013 11:23

Sorry I didn't see your earlier message about moving. Oh god I would hate to live somewhere with that sort of problem. I know I would spend every penny I had on trying to sort it out, but it would just be overwhelming. I do feel for you and well done for trying to do something at least.

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scottswede · 02/09/2013 11:17

If they stay then yes we will obviously neuter them all. I doubt very much we can recoup though. They are giving them away here and nobody wants them so asking for 130GBP is going to go down well...... Thinking about it it may make them more appealing to give away already neutered. Didn't think of that aspect.
We are looking at around 600GBP ( around 100 for females and 70 for males) to fix them all but I suppose the kids can do without christmas pressies this year JOKE
If we knew for sure about the move then it would be easier, but we don't so........
It will all work out in the wash as my gran used to say, just can do with out the anguish.

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thecatneuterer · 02/09/2013 11:06

Oh dear. But really would having to keep them be so bad? I know it's expensive, but apart from that you really would hardly notice you have a lot of cats after a while. Honestly ....

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cozietoesie · 02/09/2013 11:04

I just don't know whether there is a kitten glut/dearth in Sweden. If they're not going to have them neutered (and what a gormless lot they sound!) then I'd suggest that you go for as early a neutering as you can (finding the money from somewhere) and then advertize/sell them personally for that cost to recoup the money. Sadly, they'll likely go quicker the younger they are.

I don't think you have a whole lot of options to neutering them, frankly. If you keep them, you'll have to do it and if you have to give them away, they'll also need it from somewhere.

Heck of a situation for you given the prices across there.

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scottswede · 02/09/2013 10:55

I would love to keep them, don't mind being know as the cat lady who lives on the corner BUT we are possibly moving country again in a couple of years. Only allowed 5 pets with PETS. We already have 3, so we will be faced with a much larger problem then.
I have had a few inquiries from around the village, but when I ask if the would prefer a male or female ( cheaper to fix a male) they blatantly say it doesn't matter as they wouldn't be getting them fixed anyway. My calculations are next summer I will have a possible 20 kittens on my doorstep. :-&
I am trying to stop this ridiculous unwanted cat problem here, not encourage it.
There are currently 5 adverts for kitten homes in the local stores, so don't hold out much hope along that avenue.

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cozietoesie · 02/09/2013 09:27

Can you actually keep them/want to keep them or would it just be for lack of an alternative? If the latter, have you started advertising or asking around for new owners?

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scottswede · 02/09/2013 08:59

Update: really peed off at the moment. Cat home have said they have no space for the 5 kittens and mum now. We should have booked a place She distinctly told dh that if they were tame and over 12 weeks then no problem.
I understand if they have no space but she should have explained the procedure better from the onset.
They are now 14 weeks, thriving, chucking all the dirt out the plants, break things, basically trashing the house on a daily basis ( but who can stay mad huh ???) and we are all getting very attached. Even one of our teenage boy cats is initiating play time with them.
We are trying one more place and calling daily to the first place, but I'm getting really stressed that we will end up keeping them.

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cozietoesie · 17/08/2013 22:21

Sorry, OP. I have no experience with contraception in cats - perhaps another poster can contribute. Or could you ask the vet who supplied it?

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scottswede · 17/08/2013 15:50

Mummy has started her weekly pill today. I have about 6 weeks supply left from the last cat (who is now neutered, we had to tame her enough that the vet would consider neutering her)
Will she still feed this litter if she is already pregnant ?
If she is pregnant and I give her the pill, what will happen to that pregnancy ?

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Fluffycloudland77 · 17/08/2013 12:10

I was going to say she's not hanging over the reins she's getting ready to mate again.

She needs to be kept in until neutering really.

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MumnGran · 17/08/2013 11:54

Agreeing with Cozie .... she may already be pregnant again.
If she is already disengaging, then its definitely time to send her to the home ....if she is not staying.

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sashh · 17/08/2013 09:17

A bit late to this.

Biological washing powder gets rid of the smell in carpets when you are cleaning up.

Do you have a university near by? Student vets must learn somewhere and would be supervised.

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Wereonourway · 17/08/2013 09:00

I've got no advice not already given op but just wanted to say what a lovely person you sound.

There should be more like you, good luck x

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cozietoesie · 17/08/2013 08:49

PS - it sounds as if Mom might have been out on the razzle. Have you heard any noise outside? (I'm thinking that you might need to get her neutered ASAP if you don't want another litter on your hands in the near future.)

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cozietoesie · 17/08/2013 08:44

She'll be starting to disengage with them now - if they're 11 weeks plus, it's time - so there may be the opportunity for you to make human bonds with the two shy ones while they're feeling a bit lonely and unloved.

Well done you, anyway - and sorry about your poor hands.

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scottswede · 17/08/2013 08:28

Mum has changed the rules. She has decided to stay outside for longer, overnight too. I let her in as often as she wants. She visitsthe kittens, gives them the once over, then goes out again. She came and lay beside me yesterday to let them feed, and I was able to make physical contact the the two little shy ones. I feel she is handing over the reins. I was quite touched. Even though my hands look like I've gone a few rounds with a cheese grater I'm making progress with the touchy feely stuff.

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scottswede · 15/08/2013 16:03

I'll definitely keep you posted about the progress.
Thanks again.

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MumnGran · 15/08/2013 14:37

Do keep us posted !! ... would love to hear how they do

Are you sure Mum can't sneak her paws under the table ...............

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scottswede · 15/08/2013 13:40

Just come back from the Petshop. Stocked and ready to roll. I am prepared for slow and steady with the little shy ones, We have a week so the purring within a week line for issey is very reassuring.
I bought odour remover too.
Thanks you guys, feel less despondent about the whole thing now.

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cozietoesie · 15/08/2013 12:38

I know they're a charity and have to cover costs but - some rules!

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moonbells · 15/08/2013 12:36

cozietoesie Cats Protection is really variable due to being divided up into regions. If we'd adopted from the area we live in (which didn't have kittens available) then they would have given us a neutering voucher when we'd paid the £80 adoption fee. The area next to it where we did find some cats had a £100 fee per cat and if one wasn't neutered when you picked them up, you had to foot the bill. I have to admit being a bit miffed but them's the rules. They both came vet checked, de-flea'd and wormed and fully immunised, none of which is particularly cheap! Mummycat was spayed as soon as her litter started being adopted, so we didn't have to get her done, and her fur is almost grown back now.

Fortunately having had a cat before, we (mostly) knew what we were in for. The only shock for me was how much they flipping eat - our old lady ate like a mouse (even when young) in comparison! Mummycat is already a way bigger cat and I suspect kittencat will be a bruiser. We thankfully can afford it. Wouldn't have adopted if we couldn't. Though whoever recommended vetuk in another thread, thankyou. Shall be getting worming tabs from them from now on!

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issey6cats · 15/08/2013 12:35

hi mom yes put dirt in the tray and she may be more inclined to use it as that is what she has been used to recently,

the two kits who are still not friendly, you need to get a cage for them, split them off from their siblings, as in a bunch they will try to get away with not being handled, put on gloves and make sure your clothes are nice and thick, and take each one one at a time from the cage and cuddle them close to your body so they cant wriggle and just basically hold them and talk softly to them, hopefully as they realise they are not going to be harmed they will start to relax,

feeding treats while in your arms will help aswell

11 weeks is definitely within realms of being tameable.

talk to them when you go near the cage i do baby talk sounds daft but low high range voice works,

hopefully the cats home will be able to lend you a cage

i would send the friendlier ones to the rescue and ask them to let you foster the non friendly ones for a couple of weeks longer on the understanding that they will take the other two when tamed
sorry trying to think of everything to say.

the two kist i have at the moment are 13 weeks and while not as feral as yours very timid due to not having had any handling, and what i have suggested above has turned them from hissy spiity kits to little purrers in less than a week

you mainly need confidence when handling them and not standing for any daft kitty behaviour let them know you are not scared of them as they will feed from this and it will make them more nervous ,

hope this has helped