Reply #5: sounds like she used to have a home, and someone dumped her.

[fleabert]

nursing takes a lot of calories for any mammal, most mom's need about three times the nourishment they normally take. so the skinny thing doesn't surprise me. She may have worms too, as do the kittens probably. Easy fix usually.
good for you foster mom! keep it up.

your vet or a local feed store can hook you up with a humane trap for cheap, like less than 5 bucks a day usually. Put some food in there at night and check in the am, she should be in there. Drape some towels over the trap to calm her and put her in a secure place, like a garage for 24 hrs then have her fixed the next morning first thing. (vets want them w/out food or water for 24hrs before surgery) Of course, if you have the ASPCA helping, they can advise if this is the best way for your situation to be handled.

I used the kittens to trap the momma, in a carrier, behind the trap with barriers. The only way she could get to babies was thru the trap. worked like a charm.