I found the kittens!

[funkybutt]

Yesterday I was kind of bummed b/c some kittens that a stray had under my back deck had dissappeared. I guess the mom got spooked and moved them. I feared she had taken them under the house where I would be unable to handle them and socialize them.

This morning my dog went to pick up a frisbee that was very near a bush of furns and the momma kitty jumped out of the ferns hissing and spitting at her. I called the dog inside and went to investigate.

There they were...a ball of kittens nestled safely under in a bed of furns. Unfortunately this spot will not provide shelter from rain, so she'll likely have to move them again but it's a great place for me b/c I could easily reach the little ones.

Here's the pic I posted yesterday:

[zanne]

1. Please call your local animal shelter.

These cats (mother and kittens) need to be out of the weather, and with people. Alot of shelters and humane societies will furnish you with a trap--it shouldn't be too hard if the mom is hungry). Please. If these kittens get too much older with no human contact, they'll be feral cats, producing more feral cats. They'll either die of disease or be destroyed eventually. Please see if you can just make that one phone call?

[RebelOne]

5. If the animal shelter takes them, they will probably

be euthanized unless it is a no-kill shelter. The springtime is when the shelters are overrun with kittens.

[Runcible Spoon]

11. yes it's better to find a private org who does cat rescue.

it's vital to keep them out of a shelter environment where they will probably get sick and develop lifelong respiratory problems if they even make it.

[Runcible Spoon]

10. UNLESS YOU CAN CATCH THE MOM, NO DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE THEM

I've done kitten rescue many many times. Unless you can catch the mother too, don't touch them. What will happen when they are this young is that someone (like me :)) will spend weeks of sleepless nights trying to syringe feed them and then they will probably die from infection anyway since they can't get mama cat colostrum. And even if we CAN save a few they usually have lifelong problems such as compromised immune systems from stunted kittenhood. Most of the time we get kittens from well intentioned people who find the kittens and think they are abandoned. They rarely are. If you can't catch the mama cat, feed her so she sticks around and then you can move the kittens when they are a few weeks older.

[funkybutt]

15. Thank you!

I've done kitten rescue a couple of times too. Never had much luck with the syringe feedings so I'm feeding the mom and trying to get her used to me. 2 days ago, she would run off in a panic at the sight of me. Now she just looks at me and if I try to get within 10 feet of her or so, she'll go under the house. She has begun associating me with the food, so I'm sure she'll stay close by. The kittens are healthy as far as I can tell.

Hopefully over the next few weeks she'll grow less and less uneasy at my presence. This morning she ate while I checked out the babies. She could see me near them and while she watched closely, she didn't seem overly concerned. I did touch them..just lightly petted them while they slept. I didn't pick them up or move them.

[Runcible Spoon]

17. you're doing just the right thing.

it's good to know there are people in the world who care. :hug:

[curse10]

2. I want the little orange ones! They are uber-cute

but please call your local shelter! They need to be inside and safe!

[LostinVA]

3. Dogs WILL kill them -- call the shelter ASAP... please?

[pansypoo53219]

4. yup. do it soon.

they are still small enough to make into adoptable.

i captured a mom(who loved my pets) who was very friendly. and then over a few days(new year eve and day foulded stuff up) i got her 3 kittens. we live by a busy boulevard and i didn't want to see any squished kittens.

also you want to prevent worms and bugs afflicting the kittens.


and i want the black one.

[xultar]

6. Can't you grab the kitties and put food out fro the mom to coax her in?

Do you have a garage? leave the door up and leave food in the garage and then close it when the mother comes in for the eats.

[Mutley]

7. Even if you don't wanna take em to a shelter

you could try and capture them once they're around 8 weeks old and find homes for them yourself. Most pet stores and pet supply stores will let you post flyers.

[MuseRider]

8. A ball of kittens.

That is a wonderful description! I don't know if that is common or not but it struck me this morning as a wonderful way to put what is in your picture.

[funkybutt]

9. I'm trying to socialize them myself

I was able to pick them up and pet them this morning while the mother ate. She is becoming less afraid of me. She watched me touch the kittens while she ate.

My dog will not kill these kittens. If she was going to do that, it would have already happened, b/c she's had ample opportunity. She shared the backyard with them for a week (in the mornings) before I was even aware they were there. I will try to keep the dog out of the backyard so that the mom wont' be too spooked

About a shelter, the SPCA here is overrun with kittens this time of year. Last summer I caught some kittens and took them there and they told me they would have to euthanize them. They suggested that I take them back to where the momma kitty had them and bring them back when they are 6-8 weeks old.

I'll try to find homes for them and I'm working on socializing them. If I can't find homes, I will take them to a shelter or vet that offers adoption when they are weened. I think they have a better chance if they stay put for the time being.

There are plenty of safe places the momma kitty can take them to protect them from the rain. While the weather is nice, they are fine in the furn bush.

[Arugula Latte]

12. What state do you live in?

You never know, people here might know someone who might be interested.

God, I would love to have one. We're a little full now, though.

[funkybutt]

13. I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana

I'll be photographing the kittens regularly and circulating those photos. It's not a huge litter, so maybe I can find homes for them myself.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Keep trying to coax them into your house, unless you have other pets

are are worried about diseases.

We never got the mamas to move in with us but did win over many a kitten. Feed them and give them "baths" and purr at them enough and they'll accept you as a surrogate mom.

[progmom]

16. beautiful pictures

and you have a big heart.

thanks for sharing! :)