New kittens

[Pennina]

I need advice - we're in a difficult situation due to timing here!

We've got 2 cats, Mum and daughter ages 7 and 6.

This week we took in another Mum and 4 kittens. They're 8 weeks old. We took them in because the barn they were living in (stray Mum) was about to be filled with hay and they're we're just not safe with tractors and farm machinery everywhere. Their barn home needed to be cleared for hay and equipment - farmer kind but wanted them out ASAP so they didn't get hurt.

We've kept them in for a few days separately from our existing 2 cats.

We were going to neuter Mum when kits were 12 weeks but unfortunately she escaped last night and hadn't been seen. She's friendly with me but otherwise v shy. So sad, she was going to go back to the farm once neutered to be a resident mouser after harvest. Farmers like her and cool with that. Hoping we find her ...

Meanwhile, kittens ok and eating kitten food. 3 out of 4 friendly, 1 very shy. My kids want to keep 2 which we're fine with-ish. (I'd prefer not but we've always had between 2 and 4 cats so it's ok really). If we can't find homes for the other 2 they can also go back to the farm.

I'm stressing because got a holiday booked in 6 weeks time, kittens will be 14 weeks by then. We normally leave our cats at home with neighbour and my mum popping in twice daily. However, we can't leave kittens can we?! Do you guys think a cattery would be better?!

They could go back to the farm too but I don't want to "lose" them. The farm cats are friendly but not house pets IYSWIM.

Advice appreciated.

For starters mum cat will almost certainly be back for her kittens. You need to leave food outside for a start. How did she escape? Could she get back in the same way?

Whatever you do you can't return the kittens before they're neutered. it would be fine to leave the kittens, with feeders coming in, but you need to trust that they won't let the kittens escape.

She climbed the curtains and got out through a tiny window near the ceiling! However I just enticed her back in. Phew.

She's hanging out with the kittens but hasn't fed them despite looking like a nursing Mum. Ie swollen breasts. Maybe her milk is drying off - kittens were born 1st week in May.

She's v grumpy and hisses at everyone except me who she allows to stoke.

I feel like, despite having had cats for my whole life with this semi feral batch, I've bitten off more than I can chew.

Sounds like your doing well

I think cattery or experienced cat person with a spare room

That's a relief. Well get her neutered in the next few days. There is no need to wait. Then, after a few days recuperation, return her to the farm. Without their mother the kittens should be easier to tame. And yes that was a rookie mistake. Cats, particularly semi feral cats, will escape through absolutely any opening, anywhere. It's incredible what they are capable of.

My tip for taming kittens, although it sounds a little bit cruel, is to separate them one by one. So put one on it's own, without it's siblings, for a few days. Then it will be so desperate for security and attention that, without it's siblings or mum, it will turn to the people around. Then, when that one's tame. Do the same with the next one, and then, when that too is tame, put it in with the first one. And so on.

Tbh I'd be surprised if any cattery would accept any cat/kittens that are not fully up to date with all their vaccinations.

And if you don't manage to get them tame you could consider putting at least two of the 'worst' ones back once they've been neutered. We neuter kittens once they are over 1kg, so at around 10 weeks, so if you can find a vet willing to do that at say 12 weeks that would be an option even before you go away. Assuming that, by that time, the barn stuff would have been done and, in any case, they will be bigger and better able to take care of themselves.

You may need to ring round a few vets and explain the situation, as most will only neuter at 16 weeks, but for stray/ferals they might make an exception.

It's great that you're doing this by the way.

What exactly is your concern about leaving the kittens with the feeders coming in?

Get mum neutered within a week or so now she's been out, in case she's met a tom and got herself pregnant...

Thanks for the great advice. I've got myself in such a tizz!

Yes, I'll get Mum neutered ASAP! Kittens - been looking at CPL site and there's a vet on their database who will neuter ferals at 10 weeks. So I'll call Cpl and vet on Monday - I understand Cpl will help with cost (hope so!)

It's difficult cos it's so hot we can't really keep the house closed up 24/7!

My concern is that the 2 kittens we want to keep will be 13 weeks old when we go away. Is that too young to leave them just with twice daily feeders? They've all got a safe home at the farm now they've finished the work in the barn. My kids would just like to keep a couple. I'm fine with that as long as they're tame enough to be pets.

To make it worse my 17 yo boy cat died this morning 😢

Feeling overwhelmed and like I've taken too much on. Arghh! I'm sure I'll figure something out with Cpl help

Sorry about your boycat. No, you can't keep the house closed up all the time, but you can keep one room closed up - and I presume they're only in one room. You must keep all windows closed in the room they are in at the moment. I'm afraid you have no choice.

Another option would be to see if you could borrow a hospital basket from CPL. You could put them in there while you air the room, or even just to keep them safe while you are away (there is enough room for a small litter tray and a bed and food and water). You could keep them all in there with mum for just a few days, particular if they have a queen cage they could also lend which attaches to the end to make it bigger.

It will be fine to leave the kittens alone, just being fed/litter changed, for a while. How long is your holiday?

thecatneuterer. Thanhs for all this - really appreciate advice, got a 1 metre x 1 meter x 0.5 meter cage. Holiday 2 1/2 weeks. Would be a relief to kids to keep them. I'm half tempted to get the lot neutered and returned to the farm and hope that when we come back our select two will still be friendly enough to come home with us as a result of all the fuss and they'll get from stable girls up there! Oh dear none of it ideal!

Does your cage look like these in the photo? They are hospitalisation baskets and specially designed to hold cats and kittens. Other types might not work as the bars can be too far apart.

You could consider putting all the kittens back if the people there will continue to socialise them. Six weeks is quite a long time from now. Make sure everyone is neutered and then you have options and time to decide, depending on how things are going.

The one option you won't have is a cattery, unless they have had both vaccinations, three weeks apart. They are probably just about old enough to have the first one now, or certainly in a couple of weeks, so if you want that to be a serious option it's something you need to look into. However leaving them to be fed twice a day and returning to the farm are both reasonable options.

No it's like this - v big. They're actually all out on the patio at the moment and scampering in and out a lot more relaxed with some fresh air. Mum was just too stressed to keep in - awful to see. They coming for food with mum (who would let me catch her if I had food) so still planning neuter. This approach has calmed them all. so I will see how things go and I will take them back to the farm and neuter and rehome when we come back. I'm feeding and watering in cage so they're v used to it.

Well they're obviously not actually feral then. That's good. You're still getting mum done next week aren't you? Personally I wouldn't risk letting mum out at all until she's done, just in case she decides to disappear, but then I am paranoid about unneutered cats. As long as the kittens are easy to catch again then that's as good a plan as any.

So far so good - no not truly feral but very unhappy locked in house (sounds like me!)