I need advice about a friend of mine. It involves 3 kittens and sure what to do

[Dznypal]

I’m sure some of you remember I’ve been writing some about my friend but now I really need advice

The person she lives with is really a friend of her daughter. There both in their early 40s. This person has been living off my befriend on and off for years. She has 3 grown kids like late teens early 20. Who sometimes live there

Anyways they found evidence of mice in the basement so one of this persons kids brought over 3 4 month old kittens they got from a friend
There too young to be much help for mice so now my friend is trying to get rid of them
She has a handyman working for her his mom pased a few months ago so this is where 2 of the kittens are. Not sure about the 3rd one
This house is empty the handyman said he’ll go in once a day to feed and look after them but that’s it

These are babies. They need someone to look after them more then once a day.
Not sure where to go with this issue.
I really hate knowing these kitties are by themselves

Any advice.
The kittens are adorable
I also have no clue where this house is
They’ve been using my friends basement as one giant litter box since said person can’t afford litter

 

[BrianL]

I recommend gathering as much information as possible and contacting a qualified rescue group. I hope they can save those kitties!

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I'd probably work in the shadows here.
Contact some shelters and see if they have room.
Then contact your friend and say omg I'd love to take them.
Then bring them to the shelter.
Who's smart idea was it anyways to say let's toss 3 kittens in the house without litter boxes and yeah they'll get the mic instead of saying hey let's go grab some mouse traps and get rid of the mice?

 

[Suger Mag]

I agree with the others where it might be best for you to take them and work with a shelter.

Or if you do not want to be involved you can try to Contact Animal Control Officer in your area if you have one, they can investigate and if needed intervene with legal authority

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Oh and if you think your friend is being taken advantage of with your friend then I'd consider contacting adult protective services and asking them to do a wellness check.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Hi Disnypal,
You might want to ask your friend if she has any relatives that might take the kittens or your friend might want to call a local animal shelter to see if they can take those kittens because animal shelters often place kittens for adoption and people who are interested in adopting kittens will often reserve one or two kittens and then the new owner can pick up the kittens they adopted once they are ready. Here's some questions I can ask you,
1. When your friend's kids brought the kittens was the mother cat with them?
2. Have these kittens opened their eyes yet? Because I do know that when newborn kittens are first born they cannot open their eyes
3. How long has your friend had these kittens? Because your friend might want to find out where her kids found these kittens. Because it is possible that these kittens are from a lost litter and your friend might want to see if there is an owner somewhere that has been looking for these kittens
Hope this advice helps and good luck with these kittens
Dodger

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks for the advice. I never thought of anything like adult services. My friend has been taken Astor for a very long time. Issue is when you try to give her sound advice she gets real snappy
In answer to
PP questions. There was no mother with the kittens. The friend of her daughters that’s living there kids brought them there. They got them from a friend of theirs
The kittens are about 4 months old so eyes are open

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Thanks for the advice. I never thought of anything like adult services. My friend has been taken Astor for a very long time. Issue is when you try to give her sound advice she gets real snappy
In answer to
PP questions. There was no mother with the kittens. The friend of her daughters that’s living there kids brought them there. They got them from a friend of theirs
The kittens are about 4 months old so eyes are open

BTW at 4 months old (16 weeks) they are still kittens but not helpless needing their mother.
But if they are using the basement as a litter box and no one can afford to actually take care of them properly then they need to go to a shelter.
If you can't convince your friend to "let you have them" so that you can take them to a shelter than I really is time to contact animal control and adult protective services.

 

[DodgerGirl]

What your friend can also do is contact her vet because vets will sometimes know of possible clients who can take those kittens and find good homes for them. My uncle found his cat alone as a kitten and he was coming home from shopping when he found a kitten but the mother died and my uncle's cat had brothers and sisters who were part of the same litter but they went missing and so only my uncle's cat was left. My uncle tried to get his neighbors to take it to an animal shelter but my uncle liked the cat so much that he decided to keep it and they have been best friends ever since

 

[White Cat]

My advice would be to myob and let them figure it out.

 

[Dznypal]

That’s a bit hard to do when you know theres 2 4 month old kittens just left in an empty house with hopefully this handyman person is at the very least going there once a day
The 3 rd kitten is still at my friends house seems the daughter of the person that lives there also is living there and she wants the kitten. Oddly can’t afford litter how can the daughter.
I’m sure the daughter is using the bedroom now as a litter box. I just feel bad for these kittens by thems

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

That’s a bit hard to do when you know theres 2 4 month old kittens just left in an empty house with hopefully this handyman person is at the very least going there once a day
The 3 rd kitten is still at my friends house seems the daughter of the person that lives there also is living there and she wants the kitten. Oddly can’t afford litter how can the daughter.
I’m sure the daughter is using the bedroom now as a litter box. I just feel bad for these kittens by thems

I'm starting to agree with a previous poster at this point of mind your own business.
2 of them are being taken care of by a handyman and you don't really know him and are really just going by what your friend says.
Even if he is only going to check on them once a day that's certainly better than them not being cared for at all. And you don't actually know the extent of that situation.
And if the daughter of the person living with your friend is living there too and is an adult then I'd find it odd that she would be letting the kitten pee and poop all over her stuff... One litter box and litter and food isn't so expensive that it would break the bank.
I think what she would not be as able to afford and therefore would probably just skip is taking the kitten to the vet and getting its proper shots etc.
But again at this point it doesn't seem as concerning.
I think you're just very fresh and still grieving your cat and that makes this more personal to you but it doesn't sound like your friend really needs you to swoop in and help.

 

[Dznypal]

my friend is the type that doesn’t listen to anyone with sound advice but will take the word of her son since he’s so smart. Street smart is what he is. But his word is gold. When he says jump she says how high
He’s the one though take gave my friend th he flack to ask her roommate to leave.
I know this is off subject but sort of ties in
I’m not saying anything to her about the kittens and just see how it goes

 

[neverlandsky]

Agree with this is a stay in your own lane issue. Anyone that has established residency in friend’s home, it’s considered a civil matter and things are complicated from a legal standpoint.

 

[Imzadi]

2 of them are being taken care of by a handyman and you don't really know him and are really just going by what your friend says.
Even if he is only going to check on them once a day that's certainly better than them not being cared for at all.

While it's better than not being cared for at all, young kittens have a short window of opportunity to be socialized to be with humans. And adopted out. If they are semi-feral, their chances of being adopted go way down. If all the handyman is doing is dumping food in a bowl (and possibly dumping out kitty litter,) that's a shame that the kittens' socialization is to only think of humans as a feeding source.

However, if they are being, at the very least, fed, there's not much to be done. Farm cats, owned solely for their mousing abilities, probably aren't socialized much either. Yet, they usually are taught to hunt & kill by their mothers.

Although, the smell of cat urine is one of the things mice are instinctively terrified of. They know that's the smell of their worst predators. So, the kittens may be earning their keep after all. (I would not mention this last part to the owners if you are trying to urge them to rehome the kittens.)

 

[snowwite]

Wow. That’s super helpful.