What should I do with a stray cat and 3 kittens outside my house?
Look for resources to spay and neuter feral cats at a reduced cost or maybe even free. Have all of them done. For every cat that enters a pound or shelter one does not come out. For every cat that finds a home one stray does not. So if you fix, feed and look after them that is the best and nicest thing you can do. If you can find a way to keep them safe as well that would be good too. The kittens will need to be tamed young because it gets harder as they age. Feral acting cats are often killed in shelters and pounds even tame cats can be mistaken for feral because when trapped they act feral. Everyone should do something good and these cats are depending on you for their support. Be a kind person and do the best you can for them. I am sure you can give up some recreational activities such as partying, alcohol cigarettes, chocolate to give them a chance at life.
Stray kitten crying in the bushes outside?
Have you seen the mother cat anywhere? It's most likely feral, so it won't come to you willingly. Plus, if you DO touch it, the mother won't accept it again. She'll refuse to feed it, clean it, etc. My advice, put out a small carrying case with a warm blanket, milk (not too much, as most cats are lactose intolerant) and wet food if possible. If the kitten enters the cage, you can try to catch it inside. Only do this if you actually want to keep it though. Leave the cage alone for awhile, go inside. The kitten won't come with you there.
Can a kitten survive outside in the winter?
First off ... DO NOT call animal control or the animal shelter. 70% of cats that enter the shelters are put to sleep, feral or "wild" cats are almost 100% guaranteed to be put to sleep. It takes time, effort and patience to tame feral cats. The ideal time to take in a feral kitten is before 10 weeks, and even then it's a time consuming task. Do some research on the web and find out if there are any local feral cat or stray cat rescue groups. Look on alleycat.org for more information. I volunteer with Alley Cat Allies and care for a large colony of feral cats where I live. If you are comitted to caring for this cat and the others out there, you can build a shelter for them or buy one of those dog igloo type houses. Never put bedding such as towels or rags in them, they get wet and will freeze. Place clean straw inside for them to "nest" in. Make sure they have access to food and water, but only feed at specific times. Never leave food down all day, especially at night. It encourages rodents and other wild animals (raccoons, foxes etc) to come looking for food and can cause complaints from neighbors and building officials. If you find local rescue groups willing to help you, try to get as many of these cats spayed and neutered to reduce their numbers and territorial fighting. This kitten CAN be tamed, but it would take a lot of time and effort on your part. I've tamed 2 ferals who now live happily inside my home with 2 other cats, a dog and 4 birds. So yes, cats, dogs and birds CAN live together. Best of luck and thank you SO much for having compassion for this kitten. I'm sure she thanks you too.
Stray cat wants to take 7 week old kittens outside?
Your big mistake was letting her out in heat -- it was obvious (or should have been) that she would mate and get pregnant again. Which she almost certainly is, so you need to get her spayed very soon. If she had been kept inside and weren't pregnant, then you would have more time to wait for the kittens to have been weaned. But now you've added another factor in to the situation. It's not good for her growing one litter while still nursing another. Cats can still nurse even after being spayed and with feral cats, spay/neuter clinics will go ahead and spay them sometimes right after they had the kittens to prevent another pregnancy. It works out fine then with tiny kittens, but with 7 week old kittens , they might tear her incision if they nurse. . You could start feeding the kittens formula then start mixing canned kitten food into it and gradually increase the canned food an decrease the formula. Google low cost spay neuter . On the first page are links to a few databases - from ASPCA, neuterspay.org and lovethatcat. I think the ASPCA one has the most listings. The clinics who do this work are pretty understanding about the realities and they may be willing to do the spay sooner than your regular vet. At least call and talk to some people about what's the best thing to do.. It's impossible to say why she wants to take these kittens outside (you may be right about your second guess, though I doubt it is something consciously thought out by her, but could be related to the hormones , she's pregnant again and that may lead her to want the 1st litter out of the house.. But you can't let her do it, you will be undoing the good you've done by kindly taking her in and letting her have her babies inside where they're safe and getting socialization to humans. If she takes them outside they may get hurt, they'll likely turn feral, they'll contract diseases, and in about 6 months the ones who survive will be making more kittens. .
Stray kittens under my porch?
I would leave them, but try to keep as close a watch on them as you can without scaring the mother too much. If it gets too hot under there, the mother will probably move them on her own. I'd also leave out food for the mother - while she's nursing she'll need extra calories and it may help win her trust and you may be able to eventually bring them all inside. Good luck!
Should i leave my newborn kittens outside?
Bring the newborns in - they need to stay extra warm or they can "chill" or "fade" (become so cold their hearts stop beating). Also, being exposed to the elements isn't a good idea for newborns, they need to be in a sanitary environment. Perhaps set up a kitten home for mom and kittens in a spare room or bathroom. Make sure mom is feeding them and keeping them warm. If not, e-mail me! But definitely bring them in. They'll become infested with fleas, become anemic, get diarrhea, become dehydrated (all from fleas which are outdoor little bugers (boogers?). Ah, I read someone above wrote letting them out at 6 weeks was okay. Keeping them indoors is always best, they will live a longer, healthier life. As kittens, they shouldn't be going out at all as they are completely at the mercy of their mother and you, their guardian. There eyes won't even open for 10 days, they have no defense mechanism right now. Yeah, bring them in, please. Precious little babies. :o) Congrats on the new extended family! :-D
What could I do with the stray kittens living under my deck? I have to get rid of them.?
First thing to do is determine whether they are feral or not. If they will come to you, they are not feral. If they won't come near you, they are probably feral. Feral cats, find a local feral colony they can be given to. The people who care for the feral colony can provide you with traps to catch the cats, and then they will come pick them up. If they are not feral, call around the local animal shelters and find out which ones are no-kill or low-kill. No-kill means they will only euthanize if the cat is suffering terribly and there is nothing they can do about it (such as a cat about to die from tumors or a dog that is so badly mangled it could never survive). Low-kill means they will only euthanize the cat if it cannot be adopted out (such as a cat with congenital heart failure or one that is extremely skittish and will not calm down over time [usually they give the very skittish cats about six months to calm down]). After you find the no-kill and low-kill shelters, you'll have to ask which ones have room...they often don't, and since it's kitten season, many will be full, so keep asking around...you may have to go an hour or more away. Once you find a shelter, you can work with them on how to bring them in. In the meantime, put an ad in the newspaper and on Craigslist...you never know, you might find homes for them fast, especially if they are young kittens!
Will a mother cat grieve her kittens? I brought a stray in who gave birth outside. One by one all the kittens have died. Will she mourn them? What should I do to help her?
Yes I believe she will mourn them. She may go looking for them as well. Are thekittens left feeding at their mom’s tits? If all of the kittens have died and she hasno more at her side try giving her a soft stuffed toy about the size of a kitten. Idon’t know if this will help to calm her but it may. Cats aren’t stupid she will know it’s not her kitten but it will give her some thing soft to have beside her. Iwonder why all her kittens died?
How do you take care of a stray cat with kittens?
Your question is unclear,do you want look to look after these cats or are you trying to get rid of them. If the answer you are looking for is to rid yourself of the stray mother cat and kittens my advice would be to contact your local animal control centre or local animal shelter and follow their directive. If your objective is to tend to this stray cat and her kittens,start feeding and watering the mother as soon as possible. Start interacting with the kittens once their eyes are open. I have found through past experience if you handle a feral cat's kittens too soon (before she has become accustom to you) she will probably move them to a different location. Speak to your vet about care and vaccination regimen for the adult and kittens. A lot of vet clinics will let you advertise kittens for give away or sale. Your vet will also inform you when the adult cat can be spayed. Hope this information is helpful.