The kitten's first clean up/beauty treatment went well

[Siwsan]

They got wiped down with kitten wet wipes and MOST of the food combed out of their fur. They thoroughly enjoyed the process.

No luck in finding that 'pet playpen' at Aldi - all sold out. Smokey is at the point of escaping from this container which means I'm still lugging the huge cardboard box back and forth between the livingroom and en suite bathroom (at night). So I'm on a search for something that I can leave in one place and just move them from night time accommodations to daytime.

It's VERY difficult to get a good photo of Squeaky. He is so solid black that he ends up looking like a shadow.

[zuul]

1. Has Mom been trapped yet?

I bet she's frantically looking for her babies if she is still free.

[Siwsan]

2. I think she stopped by to eat, yesterday

Unfortunately, Spooky normally stays someplace across the street. The most common time to see her is in the afternoon. I've been running around, all morning, so I don't know if she stopped by, today.

And to be PERFECTLY honest, I'm still in the assumption mode as to the maternity because this easily could have been a different black cat. I automatically assumed it was Spooky but on reflection, unlike Skittish, Spooky is a very sleek cat and NEVER looked like there had been any weight gain. It's all very confusing but maybe it's my medication switch. And, in the end it's kind of irrelevant since the kittens are now safe with me. (I'm sure that little Squeaker would never have made it, given his size. He seems to be thriving, now.)

My brother is doing some checking with local rescue places then we are going to set the trap, once we know who we can turn to. I don't want to overly traumatize which ever cat we catch, and there are at least 6. I'm just hoping it will be a cat we catch, and not a raccoon, skunk or opossum - all of which wander through.

[zuul]

3. Oh my goodness! You have your hands full!

[Warpy]

8. The longer she's out there, the likelier it is that she's preggers again

https://www.thesprucepets.com/heat-cycle-after-giving-birth-555430 I've seen feral cats in peak breeding season going into heat when the kittens were only 6 weeks old an just starting to be introduced to solid food and taught how to hunt for it. Being separated from her kittens and no longer nursing will bring that first cycle on more quickly.

If the kittens are going to be tamed down and fostered, the best thing to do is trap Mama for neutering and release back into her territory. Otherwise, she'll be on a treadmill of litter after litter.

Feral cats are working cats, keeping the rodent population down. Neutering increases their lifespans.

[niyad]

4. Thank you for all that you are doing for all the kits.

[Ocelot II]

5. You might consider getting them one of these:

It's a Petstages Purr Pillow and it's a plush toy that purrs. I know a cat rescue that uses them all the time and motherless kittens seem to find them very comforting. You can get them just about anywhere (Amazon, large pet supply stores, Target, etc.)

[appleannie1]

6. I am so lucky I was able to catch the stray female before she gave birth.

She and her 4 kittens are doing great in my oversized garage, safe from predators. The kittens now have their eyes open and love the fluffy cat bed I got for them to keep warm in. The local cat rescue is so overwhelmed with kittens right now that I am afraid I will end up having to keep the lot of them.

Just what I don't need. Five more cats. Wishing you the best of luck rehoming yours.

[Random Boomer]

9. Oh my, I feel for you

A few months ago my wife and I came out of the garage bay and surprised a tabby cat at the outside feeder we've set up for our cats. Right next to her, hiding under a bush, were two teeny tiny kittens. They were so adorable! But I have to confess we were also dismayed, because we have no room in the house for more cats. At the same time, we're both suckers for a hard luck story and we couldn't possibly just ignore them if they were in need of rescue.

Fortunately for us, the mother cat was sufficiently alarmed by our presence to whisk away her offspring and we've never seen any of them again.

[MLAA]

7. Thank you for the update and pics!