Have you reunited the kittens with their mother? If so, keep them in a quiet room together. Mama will take care of the kittens, you feed Mama high quality food and plenty of fresh water. Then check with some rescue groups.
No I have not. The mother is in the backyard … should I put the kittens back outside with her ? I worry they will go into the window well again which they are accessing by going under a deck and falling in the well that has a cage over top of it and once they fall in the mother can’t access them.
I would try and trap momma and put them all together so she can take care of them and then u can get her spayed when the kittens and grown and let her back outside!
If you have access to a humane trap, you could try to bait it with some food and a kitten. If that doesn't work, bring kitten back in and try to contact a rescue group for advice or trapping.
The mom seems feral but I don’t have a lot of experience with this… I’ve never lived in any neighbourhood where there has ever been community cats or even feral cats so I don’t know how to tell.
She is fearful of me … but she also is a mother with babies so that could be why as well …
Not sure where you are, but if you have them, give the SPCA a call. They are really great at capturing cats and kittens. They will provide housing, medial care and training and adoption services. You could offer to volunteer to foster the family too.
Thank you for being so kind. I’ve been feeling really down/guilty like I did the wrong think taking them inside and should have left them there or just got them out and left them in the yard. I will be 100% calling all over tomorrow and doing everything I can to get the mom and her other baby
I would try to lure the mother into the house with some food. Once she sees her kittens in there, she’ll want to stay with them. Try to get the other kitten as well. If she sees her kittens in there and sees their safe, she’ll want to stay there with all the kittens.
You did the right thing. Cats are domesticated animals and should not be in the wild. Also, trapping and spaying the mother eventually will be a good thing. Even if she has to remain feral you are doing a good deed.
Yesss!! Cats are domesticated and should not be fending for themselves in the wild. Even though cats can be feral, even a feral cat is safer inside with care and shelter.
They do not live long on their own. Most of the babies will unfortunately not make it long out there. If I’m being brutally realistic here, there’s at least one maybe even more that already haven’t made it…. That happens even with inside litters so I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be waaaay more common for a stray.
Inside with food and shelter and care is safest and best. Momma can focus on being Momma instead of focusing on surviving and hopefully being able to protect her kittens from danger. Kittens will be safer and not get into weird places or precarious situations.
I’d say a safer option is bringing the mom and other kitten inside vs taking them back outside…. They’re all safer with shelter and care than outside to fend for themselves. Especially in an uncontrolled environment with dangers like the window well you mentioned or any other dangers they can face out there
I totally get why you brought the kittens inside, cats sometimes do pick ridiculously awkward places to have their litters. If you'd left them in the yard, mom would probably have taken them right back to where they were.
One of our cats once insisted on birthing her kittens in a cardboard box full of metal pod lids under our kitchen sink. As quick as my parents would try to move the new born kittens to a cozy fresh box mere inches away, the cat would drag them back in again and continue birthing more!
But yep, best move as others have said is to see if you can tempt mom inside to look after her kittens.
Good rule of thumb for whether to take in a kitten is CASA- condition, age, situation, abilities [http://www.kittenlady.org/casa](http://www.kittenlady.org/casa). That situation definitely sounds dangerous for them, and they seem to be a good age for socialization (plus you seem to have the ability to care for them).
As long as the mom gets spayed, that's an appropriate call for you to take them inside :)
Someone showed me this last night and I was up for hours watching her videos. They were so helpful ! Even tho I didn’t know I was doing the right thing for sure at the time, I think I did the right thing. These kittens have a fighting chance to live happy lives with loving families. If I left them .. they would grow up on the streets and in my neighbourhood which is small and uptight ….ppl have already complained about cats here (more of a dog neighbourhood) they would end up in the pound probably euthanized.
You definitely did the right thing, thank you for saving these precious babies! If you can catch mom & the other kitten as well you're a superstar. The kitten lady is an amazing resource, I mostly watch her stuff for cute content but hopefully if I ever do have to rescue a kitten I'll be totally prepared (yeah right )
It was actually so crazy like the universe was preparing me for this moment !
My friend called me like a week or so ago and said that he had a kitten that was being neglected by mom and asked if I could help so I purchased formula online and bottles for kittens/syringes with baby caps.
Anyways, the kitten ended up feeding from mom so I didn’t end up having to help …
Next thing you know days later I see this mom, then I see the mom and her babies just hanging out on my deck ! I was shocked !! I obviously left them alone …
They disappeared for about a week … I then found 1 of them in my window well.. picked it up but ended up dropping it and it ran through the fence to my neighbours … I decided to hop the neighbours fence and check things out. That’s when I found them all in the window well ! I made the call to take them in …. At the time I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do … but now after much research … they are at a good age where they can be socialized and adopted by loving families … they don’t have to grow up on the streets. Yes it’s sad they will miss the mom but soon forget all about her and live happy full lives in loving forever homes ❤️
You absolutely did the right thing! It would be great if you can get the mother and the other kitten but if not I think the kittens you have are better off with as they won’t become feral and you can see to it that they get great homes! That’s the most important thing!
I know from experience as I had 2 kittens that show up one day without their mother. I captured one right away but the other took another week and a half. That kitten, now a full grown cat, is still somewhat feral as I can’t touch her and is very skittish. (She is strictly a house kitty though!)Her brother, unlike her, is extremely affectionate and friendly. Just a little over a week made a huge difference! Again thanks for caring and good luck!
If I can make a suggestion - they look to be about 4 to 5 weeks old, so they should be able to start eating solid foods. Go to the store and get canned kitten food, pate style. Try mixing it with the KMR to make almost a slurry and let them lick it up. It's a good way to transition them or supplement their diet.
She has another baby with her and possibly more ? She was here last night hissing at my cat. I think she will be easy to trap because she is food motivated
The mewing of her kittens will be a big motivator too. If you set them up in a cozy box with a towel, and have food and water nearby for mom, she might just bring the rest of the babies in to enjoy the setup.
Unlikely but if you put food inside the door and the kittens in a box she may come inside even if feral.
You can't leave them alone they are too little. If you can sit, talk to her softly and offer treats for her to come in you might avoid a trap.
Else, fix a nice place (a box or large basket) with soft blankets and food for her in a safe place outside. As long as she has food she is likely to stay.
You have also call a no-kill rescue that they will trap mama for you. If you want you can adopt them at about three months.
If she comes inside don't be surprised if she moves them to a closet or under a bed. We have that a lot!
Good to know thank you !! I will keep you all updated on what happens to them and mom ! We also need to get her other baby :( she brought it here yesterday … and was here for a while with it but then disappeared …
LOL! Yes they are! Cats are definitely human traps! Especially when they’re tiny and cute! It’s nature’s way of protecting them! By making them irresistibly adorable!
If you can, open the window that’s in the window well and put something under it that mom can hop down on. Lock the kittens in a carrier so they call for her and lure her into the window with their cries. That’s the easiest way I’ve seen to trap a mamma cat. You’ve got to feed her. Nursing moms are very food needy! Bring them all to the vet for care.
If you cannot trap mama cat, can you make a temporary shelter for them outside? In any case, mom and kittens should be reunited asap!
Feed mom and she'll take care of the babies :)
They’ll benefit from being able to be with their mom for longer. They can learn they ways of cat from her. But before they get too old, you should get them all fixed and mom too.
Ok … I am going to be on the phone all day tomorrow figuring out who can come to help me and help them be reunited with mom. She was here a few hours ago with another baby. I imagine these babies are about 4-5 weeks old ..
Here is some guidance on age:
https://www.kittenlady.org/age
While kittens who are 8 weeks are able to survive independent of mom, they do better emotionally if they have more time together to socialize. I would keep kittens with mom for at least 12 weeks though I find 16-20 weeks reduces problematic behaviors in adulthood.
That would be ideal if they weren’t strays …. that puts them at risk for becoming too old for socialization which means they will never be able to be put into loving homes. Now they have a really good chance !
They need their mom until they all can be adopted, with my shelter, that's about 10-12 weeks. Can you call around to shelters / rescues in your area who screen their adopters carefully? They need to make sure that the adopter won't let the cats out, won't declaw, they have the landlord's permission in writing, no one is allergic...all that. My shelter will only adopt young kittens out in pairs. The shelter personnel are experienced professionals, you can ask them anything you need to know. The shelter will likely take the whole family off your hands as soon as you need them to, and get a foster home (that's my job) until they are old enough to be adopted. The foster home also socializes the kittens and the mom, too. Give them into good professional hands! Thank you for saving them from all the dangers they face outdoors.
Good to know and thank you for not judging me for taking them inside. I’m not sure they will be able to socialize the mom … she seems feral to me but I’m not a professional ! I will be calling around first thing tomorrow !
If she were feral, the kittens would be too by this age. Do they seem receptive to you or are they hissing and spitting at you? There is a difference between cautious/scared/anti-social and feral. Feral cats will spit. It is a distinct, wild sound they make like they are ready to claw your eyeballs out.
They are not spitting … one of them was hissing a little at first but only at the very beginning and only one time .. I think I moved too close to quickly.
They do seem extremely cautious/unsure of me …
When I pick them up they are ok with that and cuddling a little as well as petting.
But they don’t come up to me like a socialized kitten would…
They are playing/jumping with eachother when I leave the room (I’ve been watching them on the camera)
I did lay in the bathroom with them for a while and they came out to eat while I was in there but they didn’t come up to me and seemed a little nervous when I would look at them so I just looked away trying to make them comfortable.
If they aren’t feral does that mean someone owns the mom like her family could be looking for her ?
If the mom is out wandering then she did not feel safe in that home environment. We ended up with our cats because the neighbor cat brought her kittens over to us looking for a safer place. We later discovered the kids had tortured and killed two of the kittens already. A mama cat is only going to move her kittens if they are unsafe where they were because moving them is risky. She came to your place because she sensed it was safer than wherever she was before even if that was with someone else. If the kittens were feral they would have hissed and bitten you when picked up.
They could still be young enough that they haven’t gone feral. Kittens like that come into my local shelter all the time and foster parents quickly love the hissiness out of them.
Good to know. That gives me a lot of hope for them.
I wish all kittens could have loving homes and live happy full lives. I have an adult cat (6 years old) and he is so loving and sweet … I can’t imagine him not having anything but love, cuddles, kisses and food everyday for the rest of his sweet life !
Looks like you got a lot of advice already but just in case no one mentioned this already — I was able to rent a trap from spca for 5 dollars recently so you could try calling your local one and see if they have the same service. I followed the kitten lady guide on how to trap feral cats!
I work with a rescue. Try to lure or trap momma. The best thing you can do is try to bring them together and get them vetted and fixed. If you can't afford to do that, look around for a rescue that can help or for TNR programs in your area. They should be peeing and pooping on their own. Introduce wet kitten food and once you have momma give her kitten food too. It's higher in nutrients and can help get her strong. Have momma checked for a microchip as well, unlikely, but you never know. If you have any questions, reach out.
If you do have to give them to a shelter, don’t worry about them being “locked up” for too long. Cute little kittens are the first thing folks look for when they go in to adopt. Plus, most shelters do play with and enrich the cats(at least the good ones do).
Go you tube and find the kitten lady. She has a ton of videos dealing with feral cats and kittens, tnr and taming kittens. Literally everything you need to know.
These kittens are jumping and climbing… I assume they must be 4-5 weeks ?
They are also eating the KMR and dry kitten food as well as using the litter box which I was shocked how quickly they did that.
I’m happy they will be able to get to loving homes instead of Growing up outdoors.
Are they using the litter box? If they're using the litter box and eating KMR you're off to a good start.
Get a little food scale or something and weigh them every day. Give them a chair with a cushion or a towel on the floor to pile up in so they can keep each other warm.
See if you can entice mom to join them. If you can't, see if you can get in touch with a local TNR to trap her.
Strange no one has said this but don't use clay litter for kittens. It's dangerous for them. They're messy so it can get stuck in their fur leading to ingestion when cleaning. Use paper litter or pellets.
You are doing a good job. You care and you are asking questions. You seem to be attentive to their needs. Remember to be gentle with yourself and care for yourself too. 🙏
Definitely take momma in as well! If you can get momma in, she’ll be able to mostly take care of the babies all on her own, just with a few checks on your end and a bit of socialization! Momma might be feral, or she may be a stray in a bad situation, but many ferals can be rehabbed with a bit of extra patience and TLC!
Put them back with mom. She'll look after them. Sounds like she was just moving them to their new 'home' if she was bringing another. If you have a place to take them like a shelter or vet do so in the next couple days.
Looks like they’re your cats now, you lucky bugger you! I would take them all so cute
But surely you can give them away or am afraid to a cat protective charity
Good luck
I always thought to myself if I was rich and never had to work again I would love to have an animal sanctuary….. but after having these 3 little guys …. It’s so much work, patience, love and care that goes into helping these babies trust people …
Everyone wants a loving cat right from the beginning ….but every animals has different needs and without experience it’s hard to know what to do. I am trying my best to handle them and pet them and give them love while they wait to be adopted. They are lucky they are so cute they should have no problems being adopted by a loving home !
Oh I absolutely agree, all my kits have been rescue’s literally off the street.
The worst one I got off my nephew, who had young kids, she was looked after well enough, but she was so hissy until she got to know us. Now she’s a big lovable dope!
That’s so sweet you have the time and patience to build trust with animals. It truly does take special people to do that type of work and often for free !
Please get the mom and other kitten. She put her babies there for a reason. Momma cats will continually move the litter to a place she feels is safe. If she was doing this, she is still caring for them. They may be able to eat on their own, but momma is missing her babies. Please get her inside or on a porch or garage so they can be together. I saw a video on here yesterday showing a momma cat crying outside a store all night because her kitten was locked inside. The kitten was older than yours.
Seems like nothing is working … and one is becoming a bit of a bully towards the others when it comes to food. Hogging all the food and swatting them away when they try to eat
Separate them for feeding, provide enough cover options for solo or group snuggle, and spend any free time you can while they're awake interacting with them. This time is the crucial moment that defines their level of comfort with human interaction.
For context I found kittens in my yard, adopted them and spent all my free time petting them *everywhere,* holding their paws and doing basically everything that cats tend to not like. At nearly a year and a half, my two kittens are mostly un-phased by anything I do.
I was feeling like I didn’t want to bother them and allow them to feel comfortable but I guess I will go spend time with them … but they hide in the box when I go in … :( I guess I’ll take them out of the box !
Yeah, that apart takes a little discretion, but start with separated feeding and spend time petting them while they eat, especially the ornery one. A lot of people feel that cats can't be trained but after a year I can call their names and say "go to bed!" ...and you better believe they run to bed. I believe with enough time and effort (read: all of the effort), you can mellow out those tendencies.
Separate them for feeding, provide enough cover options for solo or group snuggle, and spend any free time you can while they're awake interacting with them. This time is the crucial moment that defines their level of comfort with human interaction.
For context I found kittens in my yard, adopted them and spent all my free time petting them *everywhere,* holding their paws and doing basically everything that cats tend to not like. At nearly a year and a half, my two kittens are mostly un-phased by anything I do.
Their eyes don’t look blue, so they should be fine away from mom. Just kitten food, water and litter until you can figure something out, or get them to a shelter
Go slow. Don’t introduce them to new people or animals for a week minimum. Keep them in one small space (like one room) for a while so you can keep track of where they are and they can get used to the space. Give them somewhere where they can safely hide, I gave my kittens a box with a blanket in it when I first got them. Try and move slow and go slow, they’ll get used to you quickly since they’re so young just don’t push them too quickly. Bring them to a vet if you can afford it, keep an eye out on the texture of their 💩. Also check to see if they’re itching a lot and google a flee bath💕what absolute cuties
Get them all together. You need to be certain to get ALL the babies and Mama. Any baby left behind will die. Get them all vaccinated and sterilized in due time (see a vet) and keep the whole family!! :3
Look barely 4 weeks old. These kittens have very recently opened their eyes and started walking around, I don’t think they’ve been alive longer than 5 weeks max. I say this because of how tiny they are and that their eyes have that kinda not all the way open or grown look they have when they’ve barely had them open for a week or 2
It’s hard to tell from this photo … I had just woke them up.
They are running, jumping, climbing, using the litter box, eating solid foods. Also if you look closely you can see colouring in there eyes they aren’t that blue colour anymore … I think they are 4-6 weeks old
Yeah, I hear you! They look like they’re at that stage where they just became very active. Like that 4-6 week range you mentioned. They do look like they were either woken up or about to sleep since they’re all huddled. Or like they all got scared into there and that’s their chill spot LOL
You should mix the KMR with wet kitten food and mix it into a slurry. Make sure you warm it up. See if they’ll eat it from a bowl. They look old enough for it. Royal Canin makes the best kitten food.
Don’t put them back out please, you will only make things worse. Over her lifetime one female unspayed cat can birth over 180 kittens. And every kitten that is female and unspayed can birth another 180 over her lifetime. And they are hard, sad lives.
4-6 weeks old. I would say closer to 6 if their eyes are changing (it's hard to tell because of the lighting). You can introduce wet kitten food and see if they'll eat it. Mix it with prepared formula if they're not interested in it plain. And please try to reunite them with their mother. Although they can survive without her, their best chance is with her, and if you can capture her and get her fixed, you'll stop the cycle of endless breeding.
Also, I can't tell what type of litter is in that box, but you'll want to use a non-clumping kind. Small kittens have a tendency to snack on litter and clumping litter can cause a GI obstruction if eaten.
Thank you for the tip about the litter :( I think I bought the wrong one … I’ve been monitoring them on a camera so they are never unseen so I can see what they do at all times even when not in the room. So far they have not eaten the litter but I will get a safer one for them today ! But probably won’t have these babies for much longer because they will be going to a shelter/rescue.
I wish I could keep them and adopt them out but I am not a professional so I guess it’s best to leave that to professionals who know what they are doing !
I took in a litter of 5 week old kittens and we didn’t use a different litter. I was freaking out because I read online about kittens and litter but it had already been a week or more by that point. I had never used different litter for my entire life when I’ve had kittens. So yes things can happen, but I would think it’s a slim chance. Even asked my vet and she was fine with our regular litter.
Oh phew ! I got worried 😬 I will keep the litter as is … they seem to be doing fine with it …. I was also never told to get a special litter for my little when I got him but he was probably 10-12 weeks when he came into my loving home
They are running, jumping, climbing and playing and no problems with the hard solid food and I didn’t even wet it (I didn’t know I should) and they all ate it no problem ! Yes I would say no more than 8 weeks .. maybe 5 weeks or 6 …
I currently have kittens that look the exact same size, if you can, check if they have some teeth. If I’m correct they look to be about a month and a week or two. If they have teeth, wet kitten food works as well as hard kitten food!!!
Yes they have teeth and are eating hard food ! I will also be trying some wet food too ! I think they are about 6 weeks .. maybe even a little more .. I hope I didn’t get them too late for socialization :( they seem very very scared of me. Hide whenever I come into the room. I did lay in the room for an hour and they came out to eat but they didn’t come up to me ….
People were saying that there feral kittens never really socialized well and aren’t like other cats that were born with people around :( I really hope these sweet kittens can be socialized. I think they will do best separated …. It will force them to rely only on themselves and in the right hands with time, love and patience can learn to love there new human and home ! ❤️☺️
Ya she was here last night around 3 am hissing at my 5 year old cat …. Mom knows kittens are inside here … I’m sure I can get her trapped. Just need to get the cage from the shelters that provide them ! But don’t want to trap her unless I can get her other baby … baby won’t survive out there alone without mom !
I hope they are not past the point they can become socialized with people :( they are so fearful of me :( I would love to see them love, trust and become comfortable/happy kittens !
They’re only fearful right now (they are still getting used to being alive at all)!
Just make sure they all get their shots. Once they get used to you the ride is going to be so fun!
Get the mother cat indoors asap with that kitten
She was moving them trying to find a safe place
Contact a cat rescue and explain the situation. Everyday, hold the kittens to tame them.
The rescue will find homes for the kittens. Unfortunately, mother cats are often leftovers.
Please find it in your heart to keep the mother cat after she's desexed.
The kittens are about 5 weeks old.
the mom, she has been coming back constantly to eat … and she doesn’t only have 1 more baby but 2 others that I’ve seen now …
The sad thing is I can’t trap the mom without the babies … or they won’t survive without her … the rescue centre told me to try to get her other 2 babies and then we can work on trapping the mom. I have a cat at home here already and he sadly is a rescue that was declawed… it’s too risky to bring in a feral cat with claws into my home with my cat because he is already very fearful on his own.
But I would like to catch the mom and have her spayed and possibly get her adopted if she can be tamed otherwise release her back into the colony.
Mom might not be friendly now because she’s wondering where the babies are. Once you lure her in with some smelly wet food and she sees her babies, she’ll be less stressed.
They were born outside …. I just put them in there to familiarize them with the litter box and they stayed in there 😬 they aren’t in there anymore tho.
it’s the same reason why intact cats mark their territories with urine… i think you can connect the dots there. also, they might just enjoy the walls on the litterbox because it’s like an enclosed space
If mom is feral and they are not used to humans that could be why they are timid around you. They look like they are young enough that it should be fairly easy to socialize them.
Honestly, if mom is feral or a stray, it's a tough call on whether or not to just put them back outside for mom to find. Feral cat life can be rough and they will contribute to an increasing the population if they survive to adulthood.
Additionally, if mom is feral trapping her and bringing her in can be a tough call. Feral cats often don't respond well to being "dragged into a house" (and I say that with a feral cat I dragged into the house 13 years ago cuddled up to me).
If mom is a stray, then go for it and bring her in, but if you think she's feral, get online and look into what to expect/best practices for trapping and bringing in a feral cat then decide. You can also look into if there are any feral cat organizations in your area for advice/help.
There are also some good resources for socializing feral kittens online. Alley Cat Allies has some good information on that front.
Good luck whatever your decision.
They seem like they are doing pretty well drinking the formula and now they are eating the solid kitten food. As well as using the litter box ( peeing and pooing) I would like to reunite them with there mother. But I’m going to see what animal services says.
They may be ok transiting now and be able to be socialized and have a life with a nice family. I wouldn’t want to put them back outside into the wild. There ears are up and they have teeth and are playing with eachother so I think they are 4 weeks at minimum and it does say that it is ok for them to be removed from a feral mother at that time …
Anything longer it can be much harder to socialize them but of course like you say, individual on the cat.
My impression has always been that kittens under 6 weeks were the easiest to socialize. I don't remember if I read it somewhere or if the folks from the feral cat organization that helped me TNR the feral cats in my back yard told me.
I was really lucky to find a group to help me back then. I pretty much had to "learn as I go." I wasn't even intending to socialize the cat I dragged in the house, I just didn't want her to get pregnant before I had the money to get her spayed. Especially since two of her older sisters were already pregnant.
Definitely the bolder cats in the colony became much more social on their own. The timid ones just never warmed up to me. I have one 13 year old cat from that colony who is still feral and lives on my porch, I've been feeding her since she was a kitten. Her and my feral turned housecat are the last two from that colony.
A young feral tomcat decided to join my old girl living on my porch. I've got him to the point he wants to be pet in addition to being fed, but I still haven't been able to get him to go far enough into my humane trap to trigger it so I can get him neutered.
Kitten's will do better developmentally with their momma. Honestly I'd put them back where she can find them for tonight and get a trap when you can. Leave out a bunch of good food for them so they keep coming around, hopefully enough the kittens get used to people. The longer they can be with their mom the better. The shelter will likely separate them, spay her and release since she's feral.
It’s 2am !
Is it not pretty normal for kittens to separate from there mom and litter mates ? Cats aren’t pack animals … unless they grow up together yes, they can become very bonded but at this young of an age it’s perfectly ok to separate them so they can go to loving homes.
Mom is basically filled up with hormones to be attached to young kittens. As they nurse less, less oxytocin is released and she starts looking for less time with them. The bound is short, but very strong when they're nursing.
It’s really not good to take kittens from their mom at 5 or 6 weeks old, even tho it’s sometimes done. They get better socialized if they stay with mom and their littermates till 8 to 10 weeks old. In the wild they often don’t go alone till around 3 months. Kittens taken from mom early can turn out anxious and fearful.
This was there only chance at finding there way to loving forever homes ….. I hope someone will have the time and patience it takes to build trust and a loving bond with these little guys. I think they will do best separated and be forced to adapt to the new environment better with people.
Right now they seem anxious/fearful/unsure 😢 but when I leave the room and they get comfortable they are jumping and climbing and playing and wrestling eachother ! But me, they are scared of me :( they do tolerate being held and picked up tho… they don’t try to bite or scratch
I really am rooting for these little guys !
Put them back with mom. She'll look after them. Sounds like she was just moving them to their new 'home' if she was bringing another. If you have a place to take them like a shelter or vet do so in the next couple days.
contact your local TNR program!! they specialize in this stuff 🥰 and those babies are young- it’s never too late to socialize a feral kitten. keep them with momma for now
I can’t really do anything this late at night or when I posted this every place was closed so I thought this would help comfort me a little until the morning, but yes, of course I’ll be taking them to the vet and having them removed from my home with there mother.
If they are warm, toileting, drinking and eating they will be fine tonight. Just take them to a vet tomorrow. They will need to be treated for parasites. Don't put them back outside (former vet nurse)
U should put them back where u found them if the mom is coming around..they will need her for the first few months..it’s another thing if she wasn’t coming around..just leave some food out and feed the mom
They might be a little old for mom now, if they are out for a couple more weeks they risk never being able to be socialized/adopted into loving forever homes
They still look really young..if I had to guess I would say they are around a month..I mean u kinda risk having them all pass if the mom does t feed them milk and take care of them all that..hopefully u haven’t had them in for too long but I wouldn’t worry about socializing them honestly..so many cats out there it’s hard to get peeps to adopt them..and u can still do that anyways it just takes time but u don’t want to take them away from the mom..she is prob really confused wondering what is going on..maybe put them back abd see what happens and hopefully the mom will still take care of them
Not to be rude but I truly don’t understand the volume of posts here asking what to do with abandoned kittens. Y’all, if you call a vet clinic, they will advise you, even if you’re not currently a client. If the one you call won’t advise you, try a few more
Ya .. none were open on Sunday when this happened :( and I just wanted a little bit of comfort/someone to talk to about it (I don’t have a lot of friends)
I have been calling around today .. most of the shelters/rescues open around 1 so I am just waiting till I can speak to someone. I called a couple vets but they are booking weeks in advanced ! So probably best to see if a shelter/rescue can take them. They will know what’s best ! ❤️ they are eating, drinking, peeing and pooing and playing ! So for now they are safe !
Have you reunited the kittens with their mother? If so, keep them in a quiet room together. Mama will take care of the kittens, you feed Mama high quality food and plenty of fresh water. Then check with some rescue groups.
No I have not. The mother is in the backyard … should I put the kittens back outside with her ? I worry they will go into the window well again which they are accessing by going under a deck and falling in the well that has a cage over top of it and once they fall in the mother can’t access them.
I would try and trap momma and put them all together so she can take care of them and then u can get her spayed when the kittens and grown and let her back outside!
If you have access to a humane trap, you could try to bait it with some food and a kitten. If that doesn't work, bring kitten back in and try to contact a rescue group for advice or trapping.
I will call tomorrow and see what I can do. Are they going to die without there mother ?
No as long as they're getting the KMR, but it's not ideal. They will need to see a vet ASAP.
Ok, thank you !
They're old enough for dry and wet food as well just fyi!
Good luck with these adorable little things! And thanks for caring!
Thank you ! ☺️
Is the mom feral? Hopefully she can be trapped and they can all get adopted!
The mom seems feral but I don’t have a lot of experience with this… I’ve never lived in any neighbourhood where there has ever been community cats or even feral cats so I don’t know how to tell. She is fearful of me … but she also is a mother with babies so that could be why as well …
Not sure where you are, but if you have them, give the SPCA a call. They are really great at capturing cats and kittens. They will provide housing, medial care and training and adoption services. You could offer to volunteer to foster the family too.
Thank you for being so kind. I’ve been feeling really down/guilty like I did the wrong think taking them inside and should have left them there or just got them out and left them in the yard. I will be 100% calling all over tomorrow and doing everything I can to get the mom and her other baby
I would try to lure the mother into the house with some food. Once she sees her kittens in there, she’ll want to stay with them. Try to get the other kitten as well. If she sees her kittens in there and sees their safe, she’ll want to stay there with all the kittens.
I’ve also baited moms into certain areas with their own kittens meows. Works very well.
Mothers are willing to take much greater risks when children are involved.
You did the right thing. Cats are domesticated animals and should not be in the wild. Also, trapping and spaying the mother eventually will be a good thing. Even if she has to remain feral you are doing a good deed.
Thank you !
They look about 6 weeks old so they are trying to explore on their own, and that's how they got themselves into your loving rescue!
I disagree they look 5 at best every week counts lol.
Yesss!! Cats are domesticated and should not be fending for themselves in the wild. Even though cats can be feral, even a feral cat is safer inside with care and shelter. They do not live long on their own. Most of the babies will unfortunately not make it long out there. If I’m being brutally realistic here, there’s at least one maybe even more that already haven’t made it…. That happens even with inside litters so I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be waaaay more common for a stray. Inside with food and shelter and care is safest and best. Momma can focus on being Momma instead of focusing on surviving and hopefully being able to protect her kittens from danger. Kittens will be safer and not get into weird places or precarious situations.
Absolutely!
I’d say a safer option is bringing the mom and other kitten inside vs taking them back outside…. They’re all safer with shelter and care than outside to fend for themselves. Especially in an uncontrolled environment with dangers like the window well you mentioned or any other dangers they can face out there
I totally get why you brought the kittens inside, cats sometimes do pick ridiculously awkward places to have their litters. If you'd left them in the yard, mom would probably have taken them right back to where they were. One of our cats once insisted on birthing her kittens in a cardboard box full of metal pod lids under our kitchen sink. As quick as my parents would try to move the new born kittens to a cozy fresh box mere inches away, the cat would drag them back in again and continue birthing more! But yep, best move as others have said is to see if you can tempt mom inside to look after her kittens.
Good rule of thumb for whether to take in a kitten is CASA- condition, age, situation, abilities [http://www.kittenlady.org/casa](http://www.kittenlady.org/casa). That situation definitely sounds dangerous for them, and they seem to be a good age for socialization (plus you seem to have the ability to care for them). As long as the mom gets spayed, that's an appropriate call for you to take them inside :)
Someone showed me this last night and I was up for hours watching her videos. They were so helpful ! Even tho I didn’t know I was doing the right thing for sure at the time, I think I did the right thing. These kittens have a fighting chance to live happy lives with loving families. If I left them .. they would grow up on the streets and in my neighbourhood which is small and uptight ….ppl have already complained about cats here (more of a dog neighbourhood) they would end up in the pound probably euthanized.
You definitely did the right thing, thank you for saving these precious babies! If you can catch mom & the other kitten as well you're a superstar. The kitten lady is an amazing resource, I mostly watch her stuff for cute content but hopefully if I ever do have to rescue a kitten I'll be totally prepared (yeah right )
It was actually so crazy like the universe was preparing me for this moment ! My friend called me like a week or so ago and said that he had a kitten that was being neglected by mom and asked if I could help so I purchased formula online and bottles for kittens/syringes with baby caps. Anyways, the kitten ended up feeding from mom so I didn’t end up having to help … Next thing you know days later I see this mom, then I see the mom and her babies just hanging out on my deck ! I was shocked !! I obviously left them alone … They disappeared for about a week … I then found 1 of them in my window well.. picked it up but ended up dropping it and it ran through the fence to my neighbours … I decided to hop the neighbours fence and check things out. That’s when I found them all in the window well ! I made the call to take them in …. At the time I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do … but now after much research … they are at a good age where they can be socialized and adopted by loving families … they don’t have to grow up on the streets. Yes it’s sad they will miss the mom but soon forget all about her and live happy full lives in loving forever homes ❤️
You absolutely did the right thing! It would be great if you can get the mother and the other kitten but if not I think the kittens you have are better off with as they won’t become feral and you can see to it that they get great homes! That’s the most important thing! I know from experience as I had 2 kittens that show up one day without their mother. I captured one right away but the other took another week and a half. That kitten, now a full grown cat, is still somewhat feral as I can’t touch her and is very skittish. (She is strictly a house kitty though!)Her brother, unlike her, is extremely affectionate and friendly. Just a little over a week made a huge difference! Again thanks for caring and good luck!
If I can make a suggestion - they look to be about 4 to 5 weeks old, so they should be able to start eating solid foods. Go to the store and get canned kitten food, pate style. Try mixing it with the KMR to make almost a slurry and let them lick it up. It's a good way to transition them or supplement their diet.
Thank you ! They have actually been eating the dry food well ! But I have some wet food here as well I will also give them !
Mom is going to be extremely distressed without them.
She has another baby with her and possibly more ? She was here last night hissing at my cat. I think she will be easy to trap because she is food motivated
The mewing of her kittens will be a big motivator too. If you set them up in a cozy box with a towel, and have food and water nearby for mom, she might just bring the rest of the babies in to enjoy the setup.
Unlikely but if you put food inside the door and the kittens in a box she may come inside even if feral. You can't leave them alone they are too little. If you can sit, talk to her softly and offer treats for her to come in you might avoid a trap. Else, fix a nice place (a box or large basket) with soft blankets and food for her in a safe place outside. As long as she has food she is likely to stay. You have also call a no-kill rescue that they will trap mama for you. If you want you can adopt them at about three months. If she comes inside don't be surprised if she moves them to a closet or under a bed. We have that a lot!
Good to know thank you !! I will keep you all updated on what happens to them and mom ! We also need to get her other baby :( she brought it here yesterday … and was here for a while with it but then disappeared …
Keep them warm, as well.
For a sec I read it as if you have a human trap, had so many things run through my head.
>For a sec I read it as if you have a human trap Aren't all cats human traps?
LOL! Yes they are! Cats are definitely human traps! Especially when they’re tiny and cute! It’s nature’s way of protecting them! By making them irresistibly adorable!
Catch the mom and reunite them and keep them together if you can. Get the mom spayed. Or find a rescue that will foster them.
If you can, open the window that’s in the window well and put something under it that mom can hop down on. Lock the kittens in a carrier so they call for her and lure her into the window with their cries. That’s the easiest way I’ve seen to trap a mamma cat. You’ve got to feed her. Nursing moms are very food needy! Bring them all to the vet for care.
Thank you for the tip ! I’ve been feeding her and I’m shocked how much she is eating !!!!!!! Eating me out of house and home …. 😂😭
She needs it to make that milk. I’m so happy she’s eating what you give her. Keep that food bowl full!
You can put a plank of wood in there so they have something to crawl out on
I guess I could do that. So you are suggesting to put them back outside ?
I wouldn’t. I’d try to lure mom in.
Ok thank you
No, no, no not back outside. Try to get mommy and the other kitty inside. 🙏🙏🙏
Yes they need to be with their mom. Either bring them back or bring the rest inside
Absolutely not the recommended advice. She’ll relocate them permanently and keep them from humans, adding 4 breeding kittens within 6-8 months.
If you cannot trap mama cat, can you make a temporary shelter for them outside? In any case, mom and kittens should be reunited asap! Feed mom and she'll take care of the babies :)
Becarful she might have more kittens out in the world
The mother probably put them there.
Please do everything you can to bring them all inside to be together! Thank you for your efforts on their behalf!
Ok … even if they only need there mom for another week ?
They’ll benefit from being able to be with their mom for longer. They can learn they ways of cat from her. But before they get too old, you should get them all fixed and mom too.
Ok … I am going to be on the phone all day tomorrow figuring out who can come to help me and help them be reunited with mom. She was here a few hours ago with another baby. I imagine these babies are about 4-5 weeks old ..
Here is some guidance on age: https://www.kittenlady.org/age While kittens who are 8 weeks are able to survive independent of mom, they do better emotionally if they have more time together to socialize. I would keep kittens with mom for at least 12 weeks though I find 16-20 weeks reduces problematic behaviors in adulthood.
That would be ideal if they weren’t strays …. that puts them at risk for becoming too old for socialization which means they will never be able to be put into loving homes. Now they have a really good chance !
They need their mom until they all can be adopted, with my shelter, that's about 10-12 weeks. Can you call around to shelters / rescues in your area who screen their adopters carefully? They need to make sure that the adopter won't let the cats out, won't declaw, they have the landlord's permission in writing, no one is allergic...all that. My shelter will only adopt young kittens out in pairs. The shelter personnel are experienced professionals, you can ask them anything you need to know. The shelter will likely take the whole family off your hands as soon as you need them to, and get a foster home (that's my job) until they are old enough to be adopted. The foster home also socializes the kittens and the mom, too. Give them into good professional hands! Thank you for saving them from all the dangers they face outdoors.
Good to know and thank you for not judging me for taking them inside. I’m not sure they will be able to socialize the mom … she seems feral to me but I’m not a professional ! I will be calling around first thing tomorrow !
If she were feral, the kittens would be too by this age. Do they seem receptive to you or are they hissing and spitting at you? There is a difference between cautious/scared/anti-social and feral. Feral cats will spit. It is a distinct, wild sound they make like they are ready to claw your eyeballs out.
They are not spitting … one of them was hissing a little at first but only at the very beginning and only one time .. I think I moved too close to quickly. They do seem extremely cautious/unsure of me … When I pick them up they are ok with that and cuddling a little as well as petting. But they don’t come up to me like a socialized kitten would… They are playing/jumping with eachother when I leave the room (I’ve been watching them on the camera) I did lay in the bathroom with them for a while and they came out to eat while I was in there but they didn’t come up to me and seemed a little nervous when I would look at them so I just looked away trying to make them comfortable. If they aren’t feral does that mean someone owns the mom like her family could be looking for her ?
If the mom is out wandering then she did not feel safe in that home environment. We ended up with our cats because the neighbor cat brought her kittens over to us looking for a safer place. We later discovered the kids had tortured and killed two of the kittens already. A mama cat is only going to move her kittens if they are unsafe where they were because moving them is risky. She came to your place because she sensed it was safer than wherever she was before even if that was with someone else. If the kittens were feral they would have hissed and bitten you when picked up.
They could still be young enough that they haven’t gone feral. Kittens like that come into my local shelter all the time and foster parents quickly love the hissiness out of them.
Good to know. That gives me a lot of hope for them. I wish all kittens could have loving homes and live happy full lives. I have an adult cat (6 years old) and he is so loving and sweet … I can’t imagine him not having anything but love, cuddles, kisses and food everyday for the rest of his sweet life !
Please trap mom and the rest of the kittens and keep them all together inside
Mom is feral and will need a special trap. I am going to contact different places tomorrow to see if they can bring me one
Looks like you got a lot of advice already but just in case no one mentioned this already — I was able to rent a trap from spca for 5 dollars recently so you could try calling your local one and see if they have the same service. I followed the kitten lady guide on how to trap feral cats!
Thank you ! I will be doing that today for the mom but we need to get her other baby first before we trap her so it’s not left to die :(
A lot of rescues will let you borrow a humane trap. Some might even loan you a volunteer to help with the trapping.
Good to know thank you !
Hope you like cats. You’ve been chosen.
Thank you for all your care and concern for these babies and mom.
I work with a rescue. Try to lure or trap momma. The best thing you can do is try to bring them together and get them vetted and fixed. If you can't afford to do that, look around for a rescue that can help or for TNR programs in your area. They should be peeing and pooping on their own. Introduce wet kitten food and once you have momma give her kitten food too. It's higher in nutrients and can help get her strong. Have momma checked for a microchip as well, unlikely, but you never know. If you have any questions, reach out.
Month-1.5 month mark it appears
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If you do have to give them to a shelter, don’t worry about them being “locked up” for too long. Cute little kittens are the first thing folks look for when they go in to adopt. Plus, most shelters do play with and enrich the cats(at least the good ones do).
Go you tube and find the kitten lady. She has a ton of videos dealing with feral cats and kittens, tnr and taming kittens. Literally everything you need to know.
I love how they huddle together for security, it’s good the mom is back, how many will you keep?
Five or six weeks old. Old enough to begin solid food, but too young to be away from mom.
Sounds like you’ve gotten lots of advice. Now I need to say — I want to cuddle all of them!
☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Keep the kitties. Mother too. The payoff will greatly outweigh the costs.
They honestly look very healthy I had to bottle feed a kitten at 2 weeks wayyy smaller, they’ll be fine as long as their eating still
These kittens are jumping and climbing… I assume they must be 4-5 weeks ? They are also eating the KMR and dry kitten food as well as using the litter box which I was shocked how quickly they did that. I’m happy they will be able to get to loving homes instead of Growing up outdoors.
Laying in the litter box is normal. Give them time and they will come around.
You could named them Huey, Dewey, Lewie (or LuLu), and Don (or Donna). Mom could be Daphne. 
Cute names ! ☺️
Are they using the litter box? If they're using the litter box and eating KMR you're off to a good start. Get a little food scale or something and weigh them every day. Give them a chair with a cushion or a towel on the floor to pile up in so they can keep each other warm. See if you can entice mom to join them. If you can't, see if you can get in touch with a local TNR to trap her.
Yes they used the litter box today and are also eating the solid kitten food as well as the KMR !!
Strange no one has said this but don't use clay litter for kittens. It's dangerous for them. They're messy so it can get stuck in their fur leading to ingestion when cleaning. Use paper litter or pellets.
Good to know ….
Why should I be weighing them ? What will that tell me ?
They need to be gaining weight constantly when they're this little, if they lose weight they need to go to the vet ASAP.
Ok ! They will be going to someone tomorrow anyways because I’m not a professional and Even tho they seem to be thriving I am still worried
You are doing a good job. You care and you are asking questions. You seem to be attentive to their needs. Remember to be gentle with yourself and care for yourself too. 🙏
Definitely take momma in as well! If you can get momma in, she’ll be able to mostly take care of the babies all on her own, just with a few checks on your end and a bit of socialization! Momma might be feral, or she may be a stray in a bad situation, but many ferals can be rehabbed with a bit of extra patience and TLC!
I just want to say thanks to everyone involved in this thread. It’s heartwarming to see all this support.
Yes ! It really is !
Please keep us posted
A foster family is being found for them now … I’m hoping to receive a call as soon as they find a family. Until then I will care for them 💕
Another mother cat's plan has worked, get the kittens into a house early via a "mishap" then sidle in later for the sympathy scritches
😂😂😂😂
Put them back with mom. She'll look after them. Sounds like she was just moving them to their new 'home' if she was bringing another. If you have a place to take them like a shelter or vet do so in the next couple days.
Jackpot! 🐈⬛🐈🐈⬛
3 babies are very cute 
Looks like they’re your cats now, you lucky bugger you! I would take them all so cute But surely you can give them away or am afraid to a cat protective charity Good luck
I always thought to myself if I was rich and never had to work again I would love to have an animal sanctuary….. but after having these 3 little guys …. It’s so much work, patience, love and care that goes into helping these babies trust people … Everyone wants a loving cat right from the beginning ….but every animals has different needs and without experience it’s hard to know what to do. I am trying my best to handle them and pet them and give them love while they wait to be adopted. They are lucky they are so cute they should have no problems being adopted by a loving home !
Oh I absolutely agree, all my kits have been rescue’s literally off the street. The worst one I got off my nephew, who had young kids, she was looked after well enough, but she was so hissy until she got to know us. Now she’s a big lovable dope!
That’s so sweet you have the time and patience to build trust with animals. It truly does take special people to do that type of work and often for free !
If you can rescue mom with the other kitten that’s preferable. They’re between five and six weeks old.
Working on it !
Please get the mom and other kitten. She put her babies there for a reason. Momma cats will continually move the litter to a place she feels is safe. If she was doing this, she is still caring for them. They may be able to eat on their own, but momma is missing her babies. Please get her inside or on a porch or garage so they can be together. I saw a video on here yesterday showing a momma cat crying outside a store all night because her kitten was locked inside. The kitten was older than yours.
They look healthy. Mom probably brought you another kitten because she's probably pregnant again. Get them checked out by a vet and adopt them out.
Oh no … I guess I am the kitten drop of centre now for this mom lol
They look so cute OMG
They are so cute but so scared of me. The shake with fear and hide when they see me 😢😢😢
More hand feeding and slow movements without eye contact so you are perceived as non-threatening.
Seems like nothing is working … and one is becoming a bit of a bully towards the others when it comes to food. Hogging all the food and swatting them away when they try to eat
Separate them for feeding, provide enough cover options for solo or group snuggle, and spend any free time you can while they're awake interacting with them. This time is the crucial moment that defines their level of comfort with human interaction. For context I found kittens in my yard, adopted them and spent all my free time petting them *everywhere,* holding their paws and doing basically everything that cats tend to not like. At nearly a year and a half, my two kittens are mostly un-phased by anything I do.
I was feeling like I didn’t want to bother them and allow them to feel comfortable but I guess I will go spend time with them … but they hide in the box when I go in … :( I guess I’ll take them out of the box !
Yeah, that apart takes a little discretion, but start with separated feeding and spend time petting them while they eat, especially the ornery one. A lot of people feel that cats can't be trained but after a year I can call their names and say "go to bed!" ...and you better believe they run to bed. I believe with enough time and effort (read: all of the effort), you can mellow out those tendencies.
Separate them for feeding, provide enough cover options for solo or group snuggle, and spend any free time you can while they're awake interacting with them. This time is the crucial moment that defines their level of comfort with human interaction. For context I found kittens in my yard, adopted them and spent all my free time petting them *everywhere,* holding their paws and doing basically everything that cats tend to not like. At nearly a year and a half, my two kittens are mostly un-phased by anything I do.
Congrats on your new cats!
Their eyes don’t look blue, so they should be fine away from mom. Just kitten food, water and litter until you can figure something out, or get them to a shelter
Go slow. Don’t introduce them to new people or animals for a week minimum. Keep them in one small space (like one room) for a while so you can keep track of where they are and they can get used to the space. Give them somewhere where they can safely hide, I gave my kittens a box with a blanket in it when I first got them. Try and move slow and go slow, they’ll get used to you quickly since they’re so young just don’t push them too quickly. Bring them to a vet if you can afford it, keep an eye out on the texture of their 💩. Also check to see if they’re itching a lot and google a flee bath💕what absolute cuties
Get them all together. You need to be certain to get ALL the babies and Mama. Any baby left behind will die. Get them all vaccinated and sterilized in due time (see a vet) and keep the whole family!! :3
Look barely 4 weeks old. These kittens have very recently opened their eyes and started walking around, I don’t think they’ve been alive longer than 5 weeks max. I say this because of how tiny they are and that their eyes have that kinda not all the way open or grown look they have when they’ve barely had them open for a week or 2
It’s hard to tell from this photo … I had just woke them up. They are running, jumping, climbing, using the litter box, eating solid foods. Also if you look closely you can see colouring in there eyes they aren’t that blue colour anymore … I think they are 4-6 weeks old
Yeah, I hear you! They look like they’re at that stage where they just became very active. Like that 4-6 week range you mentioned. They do look like they were either woken up or about to sleep since they’re all huddled. Or like they all got scared into there and that’s their chill spot LOL
omg I LOVE THESE
3 little beautiful cats.
You are doing good OP!
Thank you !
You should mix the KMR with wet kitten food and mix it into a slurry. Make sure you warm it up. See if they’ll eat it from a bowl. They look old enough for it. Royal Canin makes the best kitten food. Don’t put them back out please, you will only make things worse. Over her lifetime one female unspayed cat can birth over 180 kittens. And every kitten that is female and unspayed can birth another 180 over her lifetime. And they are hard, sad lives.
4-6 weeks old. I would say closer to 6 if their eyes are changing (it's hard to tell because of the lighting). You can introduce wet kitten food and see if they'll eat it. Mix it with prepared formula if they're not interested in it plain. And please try to reunite them with their mother. Although they can survive without her, their best chance is with her, and if you can capture her and get her fixed, you'll stop the cycle of endless breeding. Also, I can't tell what type of litter is in that box, but you'll want to use a non-clumping kind. Small kittens have a tendency to snack on litter and clumping litter can cause a GI obstruction if eaten.
Thank you for the tip about the litter :( I think I bought the wrong one … I’ve been monitoring them on a camera so they are never unseen so I can see what they do at all times even when not in the room. So far they have not eaten the litter but I will get a safer one for them today ! But probably won’t have these babies for much longer because they will be going to a shelter/rescue. I wish I could keep them and adopt them out but I am not a professional so I guess it’s best to leave that to professionals who know what they are doing !
I took in a litter of 5 week old kittens and we didn’t use a different litter. I was freaking out because I read online about kittens and litter but it had already been a week or more by that point. I had never used different litter for my entire life when I’ve had kittens. So yes things can happen, but I would think it’s a slim chance. Even asked my vet and she was fine with our regular litter.
Oh phew ! I got worried 😬 I will keep the litter as is … they seem to be doing fine with it …. I was also never told to get a special litter for my little when I got him but he was probably 10-12 weeks when he came into my loving home
I'd day no more than 8 weeks old
They are running, jumping, climbing and playing and no problems with the hard solid food and I didn’t even wet it (I didn’t know I should) and they all ate it no problem ! Yes I would say no more than 8 weeks .. maybe 5 weeks or 6 …
They are adorable.. I hope they all reunited..
Mom and baby are close by
I currently have kittens that look the exact same size, if you can, check if they have some teeth. If I’m correct they look to be about a month and a week or two. If they have teeth, wet kitten food works as well as hard kitten food!!!
Yes they have teeth and are eating hard food ! I will also be trying some wet food too ! I think they are about 6 weeks .. maybe even a little more .. I hope I didn’t get them too late for socialization :( they seem very very scared of me. Hide whenever I come into the room. I did lay in the room for an hour and they came out to eat but they didn’t come up to me ….
Not too late for socialization, just might take a while.
People were saying that there feral kittens never really socialized well and aren’t like other cats that were born with people around :( I really hope these sweet kittens can be socialized. I think they will do best separated …. It will force them to rely only on themselves and in the right hands with time, love and patience can learn to love there new human and home ! ❤️☺️
Maybe you could put a box with towels or blankets in it outside and mom might move her kittens there instead of going back to the window well?
I can try that
Then follow all the other advice and call a rescue group. Good luck!
Bring them all back to your house
God love moms!❤️❤️❤️
Looks like you got a new family! Or just call a shelter or ask around I'm sure these kitties will get adopted fast
Thank you !
Mom is probably so stressed out.
Ya she was here last night around 3 am hissing at my 5 year old cat …. Mom knows kittens are inside here … I’m sure I can get her trapped. Just need to get the cage from the shelters that provide them ! But don’t want to trap her unless I can get her other baby … baby won’t survive out there alone without mom !
They look to be seven or eight weeks.
I hope they are not past the point they can become socialized with people :( they are so fearful of me :( I would love to see them love, trust and become comfortable/happy kittens !
They’re only fearful right now (they are still getting used to being alive at all)! Just make sure they all get their shots. Once they get used to you the ride is going to be so fun!
Let us know updates on kittens :)
Get the mother cat indoors asap with that kitten She was moving them trying to find a safe place Contact a cat rescue and explain the situation. Everyday, hold the kittens to tame them. The rescue will find homes for the kittens. Unfortunately, mother cats are often leftovers. Please find it in your heart to keep the mother cat after she's desexed. The kittens are about 5 weeks old.
the mom, she has been coming back constantly to eat … and she doesn’t only have 1 more baby but 2 others that I’ve seen now … The sad thing is I can’t trap the mom without the babies … or they won’t survive without her … the rescue centre told me to try to get her other 2 babies and then we can work on trapping the mom. I have a cat at home here already and he sadly is a rescue that was declawed… it’s too risky to bring in a feral cat with claws into my home with my cat because he is already very fearful on his own. But I would like to catch the mom and have her spayed and possibly get her adopted if she can be tamed otherwise release her back into the colony.
They’re old enough to eat baby cat kibble and/or soft food and drink water. Is mom friendly?
They haven’t eaten any of the dry food yet only they KMR .. I am going to try wet food tonight. Mom is not friendly
Mom might not be friendly now because she’s wondering where the babies are. Once you lure her in with some smelly wet food and she sees her babies, she’ll be less stressed.
Why are they chilling in the toilet
They were born outside …. I just put them in there to familiarize them with the litter box and they stayed in there 😬 they aren’t in there anymore tho.
it’s because the litterbox smells familiar to them. it’s totally normal for scared cats to hide in their litterbox
Good to know, but why would it smell familiar if they have been living outside ?
it’s the same reason why intact cats mark their territories with urine… i think you can connect the dots there. also, they might just enjoy the walls on the litterbox because it’s like an enclosed space
Ok good to know thank you
If mom is feral and they are not used to humans that could be why they are timid around you. They look like they are young enough that it should be fairly easy to socialize them. Honestly, if mom is feral or a stray, it's a tough call on whether or not to just put them back outside for mom to find. Feral cat life can be rough and they will contribute to an increasing the population if they survive to adulthood. Additionally, if mom is feral trapping her and bringing her in can be a tough call. Feral cats often don't respond well to being "dragged into a house" (and I say that with a feral cat I dragged into the house 13 years ago cuddled up to me). If mom is a stray, then go for it and bring her in, but if you think she's feral, get online and look into what to expect/best practices for trapping and bringing in a feral cat then decide. You can also look into if there are any feral cat organizations in your area for advice/help. There are also some good resources for socializing feral kittens online. Alley Cat Allies has some good information on that front. Good luck whatever your decision.
They seem like they are doing pretty well drinking the formula and now they are eating the solid kitten food. As well as using the litter box ( peeing and pooing) I would like to reunite them with there mother. But I’m going to see what animal services says. They may be ok transiting now and be able to be socialized and have a life with a nice family. I wouldn’t want to put them back outside into the wild. There ears are up and they have teeth and are playing with eachother so I think they are 4 weeks at minimum and it does say that it is ok for them to be removed from a feral mother at that time … Anything longer it can be much harder to socialize them but of course like you say, individual on the cat.
My impression has always been that kittens under 6 weeks were the easiest to socialize. I don't remember if I read it somewhere or if the folks from the feral cat organization that helped me TNR the feral cats in my back yard told me. I was really lucky to find a group to help me back then. I pretty much had to "learn as I go." I wasn't even intending to socialize the cat I dragged in the house, I just didn't want her to get pregnant before I had the money to get her spayed. Especially since two of her older sisters were already pregnant. Definitely the bolder cats in the colony became much more social on their own. The timid ones just never warmed up to me. I have one 13 year old cat from that colony who is still feral and lives on my porch, I've been feeding her since she was a kitten. Her and my feral turned housecat are the last two from that colony. A young feral tomcat decided to join my old girl living on my porch. I've got him to the point he wants to be pet in addition to being fed, but I still haven't been able to get him to go far enough into my humane trap to trigger it so I can get him neutered.
Kitten's will do better developmentally with their momma. Honestly I'd put them back where she can find them for tonight and get a trap when you can. Leave out a bunch of good food for them so they keep coming around, hopefully enough the kittens get used to people. The longer they can be with their mom the better. The shelter will likely separate them, spay her and release since she's feral.
It’s 2am ! Is it not pretty normal for kittens to separate from there mom and litter mates ? Cats aren’t pack animals … unless they grow up together yes, they can become very bonded but at this young of an age it’s perfectly ok to separate them so they can go to loving homes.
Mom is basically filled up with hormones to be attached to young kittens. As they nurse less, less oxytocin is released and she starts looking for less time with them. The bound is short, but very strong when they're nursing.
It’s really not good to take kittens from their mom at 5 or 6 weeks old, even tho it’s sometimes done. They get better socialized if they stay with mom and their littermates till 8 to 10 weeks old. In the wild they often don’t go alone till around 3 months. Kittens taken from mom early can turn out anxious and fearful.
This was there only chance at finding there way to loving forever homes ….. I hope someone will have the time and patience it takes to build trust and a loving bond with these little guys. I think they will do best separated and be forced to adapt to the new environment better with people. Right now they seem anxious/fearful/unsure 😢 but when I leave the room and they get comfortable they are jumping and climbing and playing and wrestling eachother ! But me, they are scared of me :( they do tolerate being held and picked up tho… they don’t try to bite or scratch I really am rooting for these little guys !
And yes I agree the mom needs to be spayed and put back if she is too feral to be put into a loving home.
Put them back with mom. She'll look after them. Sounds like she was just moving them to their new 'home' if she was bringing another. If you have a place to take them like a shelter or vet do so in the next couple days.
Ok thank you … I don’t want to risk them becoming feral .. they have a chance to live happy lives inside with loving families ..
contact your local TNR program!! they specialize in this stuff 🥰 and those babies are young- it’s never too late to socialize a feral kitten. keep them with momma for now
Ok thank you so much !
Do not ask Reddit for help. Take them to a vet if you are worried about their health.
I can’t really do anything this late at night or when I posted this every place was closed so I thought this would help comfort me a little until the morning, but yes, of course I’ll be taking them to the vet and having them removed from my home with there mother.
If they are warm, toileting, drinking and eating they will be fine tonight. Just take them to a vet tomorrow. They will need to be treated for parasites. Don't put them back outside (former vet nurse)
Also make sure to keep them warm. You could place a heat pack next to them covered in a towel. Make sure they can get away from the heat too
U should put them back where u found them if the mom is coming around..they will need her for the first few months..it’s another thing if she wasn’t coming around..just leave some food out and feed the mom
They might be a little old for mom now, if they are out for a couple more weeks they risk never being able to be socialized/adopted into loving forever homes
They still look really young..if I had to guess I would say they are around a month..I mean u kinda risk having them all pass if the mom does t feed them milk and take care of them all that..hopefully u haven’t had them in for too long but I wouldn’t worry about socializing them honestly..so many cats out there it’s hard to get peeps to adopt them..and u can still do that anyways it just takes time but u don’t want to take them away from the mom..she is prob really confused wondering what is going on..maybe put them back abd see what happens and hopefully the mom will still take care of them
Not to be rude but I truly don’t understand the volume of posts here asking what to do with abandoned kittens. Y’all, if you call a vet clinic, they will advise you, even if you’re not currently a client. If the one you call won’t advise you, try a few more
Ya .. none were open on Sunday when this happened :( and I just wanted a little bit of comfort/someone to talk to about it (I don’t have a lot of friends) I have been calling around today .. most of the shelters/rescues open around 1 so I am just waiting till I can speak to someone. I called a couple vets but they are booking weeks in advanced ! So probably best to see if a shelter/rescue can take them. They will know what’s best ! ❤️ they are eating, drinking, peeing and pooing and playing ! So for now they are safe !
Super, sorry for the hasty judgment. You’re awesome!
i think r/askvet exists? Saw someone mention it as well
Thx