Question about a stray cat

[sartre 0]

We discovered a young-looking mamma kitty and her three kittens living in the bushes outside our home. Mama is not happy at all when we come near, lots of growling and hissing.

My question, for those who are in the vet profession, or who have a lot of experience with cats, is, what can/should I do to help her?

I put some food and water out; I checked and the food had been mostly eaten. Do I traumatize her by trying to catch her? I worry about bringing a stray into my home, as I have two indoor kitties that I wouldn't want to be exposed to anything the strays may have. But I don't want some critter to get the cats, either. We have plenty of predators out and about and I don't know how well they'll survive.

I don't think Animal Control will come out..they usually tell you to catch it and take it in to the Dumb Friends' League. But I know the DFL winds up having to euthenize a lot of the cats who are brought in.

I can't tell if it's a feral cat that had kittens, or a lost cat, or a cat someone just dumped off. The kittens don't look to be newborn; they're eyes are open, but still blue, and they're a little bigger than newborns typically are.

Any advice on how to best help these cuties?

[skyjumpenfool 2]

Leave her alone... Nothing is going to mess with a Momma cat! Especially if her kitties are near.

Or, call the animal control people.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[LisaH 0]

Not sure if you want to keep them around or not, but what I did at the dz with a pregnant cat and some kittens is keep food and water out for them. Then I'd just sit there to let them know I was not going to harm them. Now they jump up in my lap and purr and are friendly with everyone. The pregnant mom has gone to a new home but the other 2 kittens are still there.

And now the dz has a new crew of cats.

Edited to add: Cats are good with protecting themselves. She'll find a good hiding place if she feels threatened.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[GaryRay 0]

those cats are the shit too, found one in my tent last weekend chillaxing.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[LisaH 0]

Quote

those cats are the shit too, found one in my tent last weekend chillaxing.

Awwww

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[sartre 0]

Unfortunately though, we don't have the temperate weather of So Cal, plus we have foxes and such running around in the middle of the city. So I don't suspect she and her babies will survive long if left alone.

I'd take her in long enough to find her and the kittens a home, if I thought I wouldn't be endangering my own boys.

The kittens are really cute; I'm sure once old enough, I could take them to the Dumb Friends League and they'd be adopted. And I would keep the mama, or my boyfriend would, if she's not feral and can be litter box trained.

If I didn't know about them, I could just let nature take its course....but now I'd really like to help them. Just not sure whether or not it's the right thing to do.

[LisaH 0]

Is there someplace you can stash a crate with blankets and food in it? Close to the house where you know the foxes won't come near? Cats will usually go anywhere.

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[Nightingale 0]

Trap her and the kittens and take them into the vet for bloodwork to make sure they're not a threat to your kitties, and then bring them in until you can find them a home.

[maadmax 0]

It would be good to at least get the mama cat a rabies shot and spayed. The kittens need to be handled in order to become socialized and adoptable. It would also be nice to give them some revolution to get rid of fleas and worms. Most vets have kitten samples they can give you.
GOOD LUCK

[boinky 0]

I'm TOTALLY[/B] hijacking here a minute....


Where is the "half-nekkid man" picture that you owe me?



You may now go back to your stray cat discussion!

Nina

Are we called "DAWGs" because we stick our noses up people's butts? (RIP Buzz)
Yep, you're a postwhore-billyvance

[tetra316 0]

Definitely trap the momma cat and take her in. It sounds like the kittens are at least a few weeks old. They need to be handled now or else they will be really hard to socialize. I had the same problem with a stray having kittens under my house a couple years ago. We put food and water out and tried to befriend them but let them stay. By the time we could touch the kittens, momma was already pregnant again and the kittens were only around 8 or so weeks old. I kept one and took the rest to the shelter. The one I kept never did like anyone else and would always hide if other people were around. I'm sure that was due to lack of socialization right after they were born. Don't let them stay there or else you'll probably end up with a second litter of kittens.

[Jewels 0]

Awwww! Cuties! You might also check with Deer Creek Animal Hospital. They might have some suggestions for you. You're right--it's too dangerous to leave them out there alone. They'll never get past all the beasties.

TPM Sister #102

[hungarianchick 0]

If mom is feral or has been an outdoor cat for most of her life you can't turn her into an indoor only cat. I agree with others though that she should be trapped, checked for FIV and FL, and spayed. Perhaps you can keep her around your home and provide food and shelter. I don't know how old the kittens are but they definitely have a chance for a better life if they get separated from mom at 8-12 weeks and put up for adoption after spay/neuter and a thorough health check

"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food."

[Guest]

I like stray cats - see attchment

Seriously, it's a difficult choice. Some we've fed, others we've trapped. It depends on how agressive they are. If they're feral Toms - they have to go. However, if they're obviously tame and domesticated we try to find them homes, our take care of them ourselves. For years we had a shelter out back for a couple of outdoor cats. They weren't our cats, we just took care of them. The shelter had two doors (so they couldn't be trapped inside), a light for warmth, and a little TV camera connected to a VCR in the living room so we could see what was on KTV that evening.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[sartre 0]

Thanks everyone, for the input. Sounds like I'll be attempting to trap some kitties this afternoon!! I'm not yet convinced that the mom cat is feral, but we'll see how she responds.

Oh, and Boinky, I have not forgotten you!

[tigra 0]

There was a stray kitten by our trailer at the dz about 2 weeks ago. He would stay under the trailer and meow/cry/howl all night long. He's eat whatever we put out for him but would not let anyone close enough to grab him and during the day, he just wasn't around. Just as well because if he had crawled into my lap purring, I would have been stuck with another cat! Anyway, he's not around anymore so either someone managed to catch him and take him home or he became a part of the food chain.

Good luck!

[ryoder 1,590]

Quote

Sounds like I'll be attempting to trap some kitties this afternoon!! I'm not yet convinced that the mom cat is feral, but we'll see how she responds.

Please, Please, PLEASE, do get video!!!

I once captured a feral cat in our porch when I was a kid. It went berserk and was orbiting the porch by running on all four walls about 3 feet above the floor, (rather like the old motorcycle-in-the-cage stunt at carnivals). What made it even worse was the trail of feces it was leaving in it's wake.

I finally made it to the door w/o getting clawed and opened it up to let it out. Then I had to hose down the entire inside of the porch.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Feral cats SUCK!

Cats around the Drop Zone SUCK even more!!

I can't tell you how many times I've had to help someone clean cat piss off of their gear after someone else thought it would be "cute" to take in some strays and have some DZ Cats.

Cats are minions of Satan!!

To the OP... QUIT FEEDING FERAL CATS! Trap it or call animal control!

[sartre 0]

I don't know that she is feral. And if you read my last post, I stated that I plan to trap them this afternoon.

Animal control won't come out, something I also stated in a previous post.

NOW STOP YELLING!

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

You can borrow my Cat Trap, if you'd like.

[millertime24 8]

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You can borrow my Cat Trap, if you'd like.

Ah crap now this thread is going to go to the SC. You should have known better. If a picture of an F-22 raptor goes there what do you think this will do?

Muff #5048

[LisaH 0]

Are you ever nice?

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[tigra 0]

The cats around our DZ stay in the campground, pretty far from the hangar. Unfortunately, some people who live there full time have outdoor cats and don't bother to spay and neuter, which creates more cats. And dropzones tend to be popular spots for the locals to dump their unwanted animals. I don't blame the cats for their irresponsible owners.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

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I don't blame the cats for their irresponsible owners.

But I do blame the cats when their piss winds up on people's gear.

[tigra 0]

Again, that's more of a "people" problem than a cat problem. The cats are just being cats. Just like dogs, they don't belong in the hangar or around gear. We've got a lot of cats at my dz and you'll never see one running loose in the hangar pissing on gear. If people want to allow cats to roam freely around skydiving gear, its their fault if the gear gets peed on, not the cats.

For the record, I agree that feral cats are a nuisance but I can't help but feel sorry for the strays.