6 week old kittens.

[Bargebill19]

I’m furious with hubby and he knows it.

6 weeks ago a feral cat I’d been feeding for several months, decided to give birth under my car. On vets advice mum and 3 kittens were transferred to a box in our shed.
Kittens only just weaned this week but are still wanting mums milk as top up. As such the vets have refused to neuter mum until kittens are no longer wanting mums milk.

I returned from work tonight to find hubby has deliberately let Mrs cat out of the shed for ‘fresh air’. Predictably she has run off. I doubt she will come back. He is convinced she will return and somehow I will ‘sort this out’. Mrs cat has and does refuse to come anywhere near us, even in the shed she likes to sit under the wheelbarrow out of reach. I can’t magic this ‘better’!

We have always intended to neuter and home the kittens with us - once they no longer needed mum. Sorry, but I don’t trust other people to look after them responsibly. I always though Mrs cat would likely return to the wild but AFTER she had been neutered.

So my question - what do I do now? Do I bring the kittens in from the shed immediately or hope that Mrs cat somehow plucks up enough courage to return and allow me to open the shed door for her?

Mission aborted. Total refusal to cooperate with getting in the basket. (Tried blocking all routes/ towels/food in basket to tempt etc) Booked for next Thursday.

You could try tipping the carrier on its end and put them in but first

bum *

I used to corner mine in the en-suite and bring the basket over him while he was against the wall.

Gardening gauntlets, block all exits and eith put it over her, back into corner or drop her in. Also get a local rescue to put a cat trap out for fat Sam, that’s what we did with the local unneeutered stray Tom, he’s now living happily with no knackers in a friends garage with bed and food.

We put the basket in the shed yesterday and she was quite happy sniffing it and even had a mid morning snack in it. That was yesterday. ...
We start we her overnight as per vet instructions. This morning tried the treat trick again ... she was not falling for it. So we emptied the shed .... towels blankets and wood panelling to try and catch her.
So far we have lost everything on the shed shelves- she literally climbed the walls and hubby had several nice scratches when she pogoed across his back.. his glasses also suffered some damage. After an hour and a half we have admitted defeat.
She’s with her kittens, now sat in the middle of the shed eating felix.

This brings back memories for me, we trapped a pregnant feral who then gave birth to three kittens in my daughters bedroom three days later!

Mum was spayed, and as she had to be kept in after the op, we decided to keep her indoors and just see what happened. Nine years later she comes for a fuss, is a totally happy housecat, although will run from strangers and won't be picked up.

I think you'll find that mum will become a family member too if given the chance with time and patience.

Fat Sam has done his thing and gone walkies for three days at a time.
We have been outsmarted by two cats and three kittens. Plus my own two are looking aggrieved in the bedroom.

I hope so- she deserves to be fed, warm and dry and loved even if that’s at a distance. All cats do.

Try putting food in the carrier, string attached to the door, when she goes in pull the string taught making sure its firmly held to stop her pushing out, the other option would be to borrow or buy a trap.

Some people also use pillowcases to catch them, you literally scoop them up in it if you can get close enough and pop them in the carrier, but it is a definite knack!

The best thing is to probably just feed in the carrier for a while and try to take the pressure off, cats are so psychic they know when we want to catch them!

Ah the joy of ferals! Make sure your hubbys scratches are cleaned and don't get infected, it warms my heart to hear of people caring for our ferals, they have such hard little lives.

I'd just keep persevering with food in the carrier, you will get there, trying to avoid bad experiences is key to getting there eventually.

I’ve left the carrier open, in the shed next to her food bowl. 🙏
She was so fast - literally a blur and she outwitted us I don’t think the pillowcase idea will work. I’d hoped to either entice her in to the box with a tasty morsel or to box her into a corner and get her in that way with towels at the ready just incase.
Ah well another week to try and build her confidence. ...

Can any rescues lend you a trap?.

Not at the moment - I will get her to the vets eventually. She is warm and safe from cars and fat Sam. She clean and fed and has a litter tray emptied almost on demand. Lots of treats. Her kittens are with her. I might just have to settle in for the long haul and accept that at least she can’t get pregnant in the shed.
After her escape and return last week she’s no longer going anywhere near the door -
So perhaps she’s realised she’s caught a good slave?!!

Ah, looks like she knows where her bread's buttered! I'm currently trying to trap a trap shy feral tom, some of the best advice was even if you aren't religious, pray, and if you don't drink, drink!

We started by leaving food next to the trap, then in the trap door, then a few inches further in until he's right inside. If that's the only source of food it will be easier. We're currently up to front paws in, but he got spooked the night before last and rattled the trap before bolting, so we're back to food just in the door, but we will get there! Perseverance is the key! Yours is a very lucky cat!

If you caught her in the afternoon would the vet keep her overnight?.

Don’t be afraid to grip her by the scruff. I could contain a 6.5kg male bengal like that. My dh struggled to hold him at times and he’s 6’3”.

Prying like mad. Drinking - I’ll start after work!!

Praying!! Honestly I’ve only been drinking tea!

@Bargebill19

Fat Sam has done his thing and gone walkies for three days at a time. We have been outsmarted by two cats and three kittens. Plus my own two are looking aggrieved in the bedroom.

That bit about being outsmarted made me laugh. If this was AIBU, you would be getting lots of replies asking why you were surprised at being outsmarted. Seriously, DH has definitely done penance for his mistake in letting Mrs Cat out - hope the scratches are not too bad. Good luck for next week. Looks like this is going to be a process where patience and guile are needed in equal measure.

Yep definitely outsmarted!! 50 years of cats owning my soul has only taught me one thing .... they are still smart then me😂.

Hubby is ok. Wounded pride at being a self appointed cat whisper hurts more than a few scratches.

Such beautiful kittens!

And such lovely people you and DH are. I love the guilt-driven multitudes of toys and treats!

Us slaves know how to placate our furry overlords! (Aka as bribery to let us sleep and wake up with eyelashes intact)

At least she can’t get pregnant in the shed. After her escape and return last week she’s no longer going anywhere near the door

Just be aware that cats morph into Houdini when they feel the urge. My mum's posh indoor cat managed to miraculously get pregnant 3 times by a local lad (instead of the pedigree husband that was lined up). Each time she'd shown no signs at all of being in season and managed to escape out of an apparently totally locked house. The kittens are at the stage that Mrs Cat will be desperate to leave them for a bit and she could get pregnant again any day so she'll be planning her moment.

Good luck getting her to the vet!

You need a rescue to help you. She could be trapped very easily. I haven't RTFT. Have you tried a rescue?

The shed is rat proof - and she’s proved that she can’t get out other than through the door - which I’m keeping locked. At the moment t she is very wary of me so fingers crossed that keeps any idea of bolting for the door (as she would have to come past me) out of her mind.
I can’t blame her for wanting a break from the the three hooligans (I do love them). My fingers are crossed that she will stay for a bit as she still curls up with them and watches over their play. - she didn’t even get cross when tango growled at her for sitting on tangos toy mouse .... she just looked bemused! Tango for her toy and promptly showed mum how to ‘kill’ it.