I am in a pickle!

[princesshannahsmom]

So, my indoor/outdoor kitty, Nala recently "made friends" with another female kitty in the neighborhood. That, in and of itself is kind of odd since all of the female cats I have been around have done nothing more than tolerate each other. Anyhow, they have been like best buddies, pallin' around and coming on our porch to snack together and get water. This other female cat is FAT and I just assumed she belonged to someone in the neighborhood who was totally over feeding her.

Well, that assumption was only partly correct, as, when I went out on our porch early yesterday morning, I heard some "squeeking" noises. When I went to investigate, I found this other kitty curled up under a beach chair on a beach towel of my DD's.......with FOUR babies. OY! This "buddy" of Nala's decided to have her babies right there on my porch. I cleaned out the stand up shower in our spare bathroom, laid down some old blankets in the shower, put a litter box in the bathroom and a food and water bowl and brought the mama and babies in and shut the bathroom door. DH was like WTH!!! DD was of course amazed and awestruck!

Anyhow, I decided last night that I would start asking around the neighborhood about the kitty. Turns out, as I hear from the older lady across the street, she did belong to a couple who lived a few doors down. They moved out a couple of weeks ago and they knew she was pregnant and "didn't want that headache," so they left her! I was so mad I could have knocked those people out if they had been around.

So, now here I am stuck with a mama kitty (I have two kitties of my own AND 2 dogs) and 4 teeny tiny babies. All because of some careless, jackwagons who couldn't take the time to have their animal spayed.

Now, I have ALWAYS had my animals "fixed" and have NEVER had to deal with newborn kittens, dogs or otherwise and I have no idea what I need to do for mama and babies. I am not going to turn them over to the shelter, I just can't, but I will get mama fixed as soon as she is able and try and find someone to adopt them. In the mean time (the next 8 weeks I suppose) what are some pointers for taking care of these little babies?

 

[Uncle Remus]

So, my indoor/outdoor kitty, Nala recently "made friends" with another female kitty in the neighborhood. That, in and of itself is kind of odd since all of the female cats I have been around have done nothing more than tolerate each other. Anyhow, they have been like best buddies, pallin' around and coming on our porch to snack together and get water. This other female cat is FAT and I just assumed she belonged to someone in the neighborhood who was totally over feeding her.

Well, that assumption was only partly correct, as, when I went out on our porch early yesterday morning, I heard some "squeeking" noises. When I went to investigate, I found this other kitty curled up under a beach chair on a beach towel of my DD's.......with FOUR babies. OY! This "buddy" of Nala's decided to have her babies right there on my porch. I cleaned out the stand up shower in our spare bathroom, laid down some old blankets in the shower, put a litter box in the bathroom and a food and water bowl and brought the mama and babies in and shut the bathroom door. DH was like WTH!!! DD was of course amazed and awestruck!

Anyhow, I decided last night that I would start asking around the neighborhood about the kitty. Turns out, as I hear from the older lady across the street, she did belong to a couple who lived a few doors down. They moved out a couple of weeks ago and they knew she was pregnant and "didn't want that headache," so they left her! I was so mad I could have knocked those people out if they had been around.

So, now here I am stuck with a mama kitty (I have two kitties of my own AND 2 dogs) and 4 teeny tiny babies. All because of some careless, jackwagons who couldn't take the time to have their animal spayed.

Now, I have ALWAYS had my animals "fixed" and have NEVER had to deal with newborn kittens, dogs or otherwise and I have no idea what I need to do for mama and babies. I am not going to turn them over to the shelter, I just can't, but I will get mama fixed as soon as she is able and try and find someone to adopt them. In the mean time (the next 8 weeks I suppose) what are some pointers for taking care of these little babies?

You've done well so far 'n mama kitty will take care of the rest.

And if there was a heaven 'n I was in charge, you'd be on the first row.

 

[Hoodie]

Take care of mama. She'll take care of the babies. Check on the babies from time to time to make sure all are doing OK.

watch for fleas. Fleas can kill kittens, esp. newborns, and kittens can't be treated.

I used to foster mamas and kittens all the time. only once did I have a momma cat abandon her kittens. Most do an excellent job.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

You've done well so far 'n mama kitty will take care of the rest.

And if there was a heaven 'n I was in charge, you'd be on the first row.

Awww, well thanks Uncle Remus. Just doin' what I think is right, thats all. I love animals and it makes me sad to think these might have been left in the bushes somewhere if this mama kitty hadn't made friends with my Nala!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Take care of mama. She'll take care of the babies. Check on the babies from time to time to make sure all are doing OK.

watch for fleas. Fleas can kill kittens, esp. newborns, and kittens can't be treated.

I used to foster mamas and kittens all the time. only once did I have a momma cat abandon her kittens. Most do an excellent job.

I have been giving mama a little extra food and water, I assumed she would need it to nurse all those babies!

I didn't think about fleas, and darn it they were outside and our pest control guy said this is the worst flea season he has seen in years. I will have to check them good when I get home. What the heck do I do if I find a flea? By the way....thanks for your kind input.

 

[castmemberb4]

I agree with the PP as long as the Mama kitty has good nutrition and water the babies should be fine. If you need help try contacting a pet RESCUE near you. I'm sure they can answer questions for you and if you can't give them away maybe you can turn them over to them, for adoption my rescue will take Mama and babies.

Good Luck You are a Good Soul !

ETA Post pictures

 

[FredinFL]

You are the awesome. People like you make me hold out hope for the human race.

 

[Hoodie]

I have been giving mama a little extra food and water, I assumed she would need it to nurse all those babies!

I didn't think about fleas, and darn it they were outside and our pest control guy said this is the worst flea season he has seen in years. I will have to check them good when I get home. What the heck do I do if I find a flea? By the way....thanks for your kind input.

Hopefully since momma had owners (such as they were) she doesn't have them.

When they were on kittens, I would remove what I could with a flea comb and bathe the kittens in warm water, just to rinse them off. My kittens were a week or two old though.

A great asset would be the local SPCA or humane society. You don't have to turn them in, but they would have great advice for any issues that come up.

As the kittens get a little older, watch for loose stools. they can dehydrate.

Normally though, esp. for the first couple of weeks, just keep them safe, warm and dry and momma wil do the rest. She will need extra calories so the extra food is a good idea.

I don't know how old your DD is, but I had a great time with my cousins (7 and 10 at the time) with the litter momma abandoned. There were 4 and we had to feed them and bathe them. It was a great experience for them (even when the kittens had to go to other homes). Hopefully all will go smoothly for you!

 

[JessicaR]

Awww you are pretty wonderful! Thanks for helping momma and babies. I hope those neighbors lose LOTS of sleep over their selfish actions.

You can check with your vet but usually there is a shelter or animal rescue program that will neuter and spay stray pets. You should be able to home the kittens that way too when they are old enough. Maybe you can keep the momma since Nala likes her!

 

[SC Minnie]

Thank you for taking care of these babies.

Ask your vet if you can put up a flyer to try to find the babies a home when the time comes.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

I agree with the PP as long as the Mama kitty has good nutrition and water the babies should be fine. If you need help try contacting a pet RESCUE near you. I'm sure they can answer questions for you and if you can't give them away maybe you can turn them over to them, for adoption my rescue will take Mama and babies.

Good Luck You are a Good Soul !

ETA Post pictures

You are the awesome. People like you make me hold out hope for the human race.

Thanks guys. Like I said, I am a real sucker for an animal and one that is in need, well, I can't turn it down!

As requested, here is a pic.

 

[JessicaR]

Thanks guys. Like I said, I am a real sucker for an animal and one that is in need, well, I can't turn it down!

As requested, here is a pic.

Ohh they are too cute! Pretty markings.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Hopefully since momma had owners (such as they were) she doesn't have them.

When they were on kittens, I would remove what I could with a flea comb and bathe the kittens in warm water, just to rinse them off. My kittens were a week or two old though.

A great asset would be the local SPCA or humane society. You don't have to turn them in, but they would have great advice for any issues that come up.

As the kittens get a little older, watch for loose stools. they can dehydrate.

Normally though, esp. for the first couple of weeks, just keep them safe, warm and dry and momma wil do the rest. She will need extra calories so the extra food is a good idea.

I don't know how old your DD is, but I had a great time with my cousins (7 and 10 at the time) with the litter momma abandoned. There were 4 and we had to feed them and bathe them. It was a great experience for them (even when the kittens had to go to other homes). Hopefully all will go smoothly for you!

Awww you are pretty wonderful! Thanks for helping momma and babies. I hope those neighbors lose LOTS of sleep over their selfish actions.

You can check with your vet but usually there is a shelter or animal rescue program that will neuter and spay stray pets. You should be able to home the kittens that way too when they are old enough. Maybe you can keep the momma since Nala likes her!

Thank you for taking care of these babies.

Ask your vet if you can put up a flyer to try to find the babies a home when the time comes.

Thanks once more folks!

I am going to check momma and babies for fleas as soon as I get home. I know my vet is wonderful about flyers, so, when the time comes I will make up a flyer with some adorable pictures and I know they will be adopted to good homes that way.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I'm not an expert but I thought I had read somewhere that you should feed kitten food to a cat who just had kittens. Something about the extra fat or whatnot in kitten food is better for the Mama cat.

 

[bumbershoot]

...it makes me sad to think these might have been left in the bushes somewhere if this mama kitty hadn't made friends with my Nala!

Why does that make you sad? We had outdoor cats when they came to us, and when they came to us the female was pregnant...she had her kittens out in the garden in a place that felt safe to her. It never even occured to us to mess with what she thought was right. Why would a mama cat doing what she felt was right and natural make you sad?

We left food out for her, and she got whatever water she needed however she got it (she was a hunter and that's where cats naturally get their water, from their prey), and they all did well! We never even saw the kittens until they were ready to come out from her hideyhole.

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Ohh they are too cute! Pretty markings.

They are pretty darn cute! Three of them have really nice markings.

Funny story. DH hadn't really looked closely at them yet and was trying to play cool and business like about the whole ordeal. I caught him sitting on the bathroom floor looking at them and rubbing each one with one finger! When he walked out of the bathroom, he said, I have been telling myself all day that we can't keep them, but if there was a solid white one, I would want to keep it. He never expected there was ONE SOLID white one. It was pretty funny!

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Why does that make you sad? We had outdoor cats when they came to us, and when they came to us the female was pregnant...she had her kittens out in the garden in a place that felt safe to her. It never even occured to us to mess with what she thought was right. Why would a mama cat doing what she felt was right and natural make you sad?

We left food out for her, and she got whatever water she needed however she got it (she was a hunter and that's where cats naturally get their water, from their prey), and they all did well! We never even saw the kittens until they were ready to come out from her hideyhole.

I know that it is probably in the nature of a cat to have the kittens outdoors in a place that is safe. But in my neighborhood, there are A LOT of dogs that run around because of careless owners. Most of them aren't nice dogs. I should have explained, but that is why I felt sad.

 

[tazdev3225]

I had a cat sneak out and get pregnant once. I had an appointment for spaying her 2 weeks later. The mommy cat will do everything that needs to be done. Just make sure she is well fed. When the kittens are about 6 weeks they can start eating kitten food. If they do have fleas use baby shampoo. We also wound up with that headache because of the dog. Rinse the babies with warm water, lather them up with the baby shampoo and leave it on for about 15 minutes and then rinse. It may take a couple of washings but it will work. The baby shampoo is gentle enough for the kittens. I will warn you wear gloves they do not like this and their claws are like razors. The kittens are really cute I am sure you will have no trouble finding them a home.

 

[Hoodie]

Thanks guys. Like I said, I am a real sucker for an animal and one that is in need, well, I can't turn it down!

As requested, here is a pic.

So cute!


Now i want one!