Advice needed regarding mother and four kittens

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
Post Reply
zekesmom
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:52 am

Advice needed regarding mother and four kittens

Post by zekesmom »

I rescued a mother cat and five kittens. One kitten got sick and could not be saved. The mother had an injured foot and by the time I was able to catch her it was too late and she is now a very healthy tripod, but must have an indoor home. After catching her and the kittens and quarantining them in my house, they have turned out to be very friendly. She and the remaining four kittens are all mostly shorthair gray with the odd patch of white, and are absolutely loving and adorable. If I were even 10 years younger, I would definitely consider keeping them all. However, I am nearing 70, have three cats in the house now, 17, 17 and 10. My plan/hope was to live long enough to see my existing cats gone of old age and not have to worry about who would take care of them when I'm gone. As much as I love the gray mother and her four kittens, I cannot keep them, but I will take care of them until I find homes. I have built an outdoor cat run in my fenced in yard to keep them until the kittens are done with vaccinations and neutered. The mother cat could be adopted at any time. Even the kittens could if it is someone near me who would be responsible owners and use my local vet until the kittens are neutered (I bought four kitten packages for the discounts). I am willing to pay for all vaccinations and neutering of the kittens at which point the new owners would take responsibility. I am also offering to take any one of them back at any time, no questions asked, to make sure they have always have a good home. They are the most loving and adorable cats and every one of them will be great cats and deserve good homes. Anyway, after I built a cat run for them, it is too hot to put them out. I am trying to figure out if I can put A/C in the 4'x7' shelter part, but that may not be doable or done in time. The summer has just been brutal. Until now I have kept them in the house, but quarantined from my other cats until the cat run was done, but it's done and the heat is awful. I'm considering turning them all loose in the house but I'm not sure my sanity, my other cats, or my house can survive four active 12-week-old kittens. It's always hard to find homes, and the pandemic hasn't helped. I have not advertised except by word-of-mouth of cat-loving friends. I do not trust advertising on the internet. Anyway, I don't want to continue to keep them quarantined in my house, but I fear turning them loose. I am already very stressed out about this and it's been going on since the mother showed up at my house in May with five tiny kittens. Any advice on finding good homes, or whether I should set them loose in my house - ACK!
JulieJulie
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 127
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:58 pm

Re: Advice needed regarding mother and four kittens

Post by JulieJulie »

what a wonderful thing you have done!
You don't say where you are located but you say it's very hot which makes me think that perhaps you are not in the UK??
zekesmom
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:52 am

Re: Advice needed regarding mother and four kittens

Post by zekesmom »

No, I guess I should have said I am Virginia. I thought it was hot everywhere in the Northern hemisphere. I am hoping to put the cats back out in the cat run in early August when temps are supposed to be more normal (90 instead of 100). I will keep them there until the kittens are neutered, but if I can't find homes by winter, I'm not sure what I will do. I really don't want to keep them in the run indefinitely even though it will be warm enough. The mother I will keep in my home for sure if I don't find her a good home with someone else, as she is a tripod and cannot be an outdoor cat again. The other four I don't know. I am just praying to find good homes for all of them. They are the smartest, most loving and adorable cats I've ever met, but I'm just too old to have eight cats again.
Post Reply