Advice Needed - Stray Cat and Kittens in my shed!

[gingertez]

Hi,

At the weekend I found some kittens in my shed. Mummy is still around but flees whenever I approach.

https://www.facebook.com/terry.d.robins ... 863951998/

I'm not sure what to do - my local RSPCA is full and can't do anything, same for my local Cats Protection too.

What I Have Done

• Kept mummy fed
• Supplied water
• Kept my distance

Questions

• From the Facebook video link - how old do you think they are?
• Should I try to take them in so that they can be neutered?
• If I do that, how can I stop it costing me an arm and a leg?

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I'm based in Altrincham, Cheshire.

All advice appreciated!

Cheers,
Terry.

[Lilith]

OMG - five!

I'd estimate them at a month or so - they're still very babyish but taking an interest in the food dish - however feral mothers tend to wean their kittens earlier. They can't leave her just yet of course and so with kitten season starting, the RSPCA etc are jibbing at having to trap a feral mother and provide room for 5 wild kittens.

Having been in this position myself, I would still keep plugging away at every charity I could. I lost my rag with the RSPCA once - they KNEW about the local feral colony but still tried to accuse me of trying to offload little illegitimates of my own. I shouted at them that I was doing their job...a week later they rang me back and offered the kittens I'd rescued (also from a shed but not my shed) a place in one of their shelters. So it does no harm to pester though by god it's exhausting. (By that time the CPL had taken the kittens.)

I did get some useful advice from one rescue organisation and that was to gently socialise the kittens. They stand a far better chance of finding homes then. If you have the time, although the mother cat may be annoyed, they're just the right age now and it can be a good idea to play with them gently - say with a long piece of dried grass or twig, getting them to chase closer and closer to you. Let them catch and 'kill' it, but all the time sitting quietly until they will actually climb all over you and get used to a human presence and scent - and then is the time to attempt quiet speaking and even stroking and eventually hand-feeding and picking up. I managed this with my kitties in 3 days - but they were in the bathroom and stuck with me lol. And they were 6/7 weeks and yelling at me for their grub, which was a great ice-breaker. Mama cat too may get used to your presence and be less wary. She might even start yelling for her grub too. Nursing mothers and weaning kittens have got hollow legs - as I expect your wallet has found out...

Are those grey ones tabbies or are they actually grey? Another plus for rehoming if they're an unusual colour - although again they need to be tame.

I take my hat off to you, you're doing so much and there is no way you should have to consider getting this lot neutered at your own expense - unless you happen to be a millionaire, which I'm sure you're not. There's a list of shelters on this forum - I'd contact the ones in your area too.

Other people on here may have some more ideas for help and rehoming - and a BIG congrats for caring so much, good on yer and all the very very best

[bobbys girl]

Our local animal charity works with CP and local vets. They cover the cost of neutering strays and any emergency treatment. It's early days yet for these kitties, but you could ask around any other charities to see if they do something similar. It will also make your situation known to them.

As for befriending them, I don't know if you have tried feeding them veerrry slowwwly. If they are hungry, they won't wait, they'll be right in there pushing you out of the way. It worked for me! That way I was able to 'accidently' brush against them.

This is what happened when I tried that. Now everytime I visit my friends garden, the Car Park Cats come running!

rsz_012_2.jpg

(200.6 KiB) Not downloaded yet

Mummy and Daddy are in the background and the 'kittens' around me. All are now neutered.

[Crewella]

Well done for taking care of this cat and her kittens. Personally, I'd start ringing round all the local rescues to try and find them a space a.s.a.p., and in the meantime do as has been advised and keep feeding and try to get them used to human interaction.

Good luck!

[gingertez]

Hi,

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'll try to ring round the centres but while I'm at work that's a bit difficult, unfortunately.

Tonight the mummy cat didn't run away as I approached - I got to about 4 feet before she looked like she was about to bolt so I stopped. I had a handful of cat treats so I put them down a little bit closer and then walked away. Seconds after I was out of sight I could see her through a gap in the blinds when I got back inside - she was investigating and munched them up.

Hopefully over the next few days my wife and I can gain her trust enough for her to not run away and then we can get closer to the kittens.

We have put a lovely comfy box with blankets in the shed but at the moment they're ignoring it and snuggling together on the shed floor next to the wall... hopefully they'll realise that the box is much nicer!!!!

Thanks again,
Terry.

[Lilith]

LOL - that's typical but they'll realise about the box and blanket.

Mother cats do tend to move their kittens from place to place - possibly an atavistic thing to deter predators - after the kittens I've mentioned moved on, another feral girl - now my Emily - brought me a litter of similar age to yours, one by one across the street!

They do seem to know the best place to take kittens to a source of food and does sound like your Mama cat is realising which side her bread is buttered and to trust you (in the case of my kitties their mother, my lovely Tess, now sadly departed, and her half-grown kitten Mouse, were already in the process of getting their paws under my table and Tess was content to let me do the work with the young ones lol.)

All the very very best and hope you get them placed soon.

[gingertez]

Sat in the shed with the kittens for a little while earlier - they all scarpered to the farthest corner of the shed except for one who tried to hide in the box we put in earlier. He was shaking but I sat very still and he eventually stopped and looked at me... now that he'd calmed down he figured out how to climb out the box and run away to be with his siblings - I'll try the same tomorrow, and the next day, and so on until they trust me a little more.

Anyway... I filmed them again from a distance in the conservatory... they're really cute!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/terry.d.robins ... tif_t=like" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers,
Terry.

[bobbys girl]

They really are so sweet! Is that the box you were talking about? Looks like they have taken to it. How are you getting on with mummy?

[Lilith]

They're doing well!

Btw I don't mean to fuss, and you've probably thought of this anyway, but in a week or so they'll be jumping and climbing everywhere, so it could be a good idea now to sort out any nooks or crannies that you don't want them getting into, and making sure there's nothing that they can pull over on to themselves - kittens can get where water can't lol.

Also it could be a good idea to provide a tray and litter - though using a tray usually comes as second nature, it will earn them more brownie points with the rescue societies if you can say that they're litter-trained; it'll save your garden as well and if any neighbours try to complain you've got a comeback.

Hope the RSPCA/Cat Rescue do come to the rescue soon but in the meantime good luck with the socialisation and again congrats!

[gingertez]

So they're all still in the shed... mummy is still visiting them frequently but the closest I can get is about 5 feet away before she scarpers - even with a handful of treats.

We're worried because there's a ginger tom cat sniffing around - earlier today he was actually in the shed and the mum has chased him away a couple of times (lots of hissing and swatting).

What do you think the ginger cat wants? The food I've left out? To do harm to the kittens?

Despite what it sounds like I'm not watching them all that much (although I sat in the shed for an hour this afternoon so they could start to get used to me) so I can't keep the ginger cat away.

We could easily grab the kittens and take them inside but we don't really want to do that without the mother - and we're quite worried about trying to catch her.

All the local cat charities that we've tried are too busy to help!

Any advice gratefully received!

Cheers,
Terry.

[Kay]

big danger is that the ginger tom wants to have his wicked way with mummy cat, and that will mean another lot of kittens in your shed

tell CP about the situation - getting an unneutered female spayed should be a top priority with them - also check if you have a local Cat Action Trust in your area, as they are dedicated to getting feral cats neutered

I do hope you can get some help really soon - responsible people like you deserve it

[gingertez]

Okay - actually managed to get them all!!!!!

Put kittens in a cat carrier and left them just inside the conservatory door. Mummy followed about 30 minutes later.

She was mad and stressed and tried to run through the glass conservatory door about 3 times but she's calmed down a bit now.

So... stray cat + 5 kittens in my conservatory so I'm off out to buy some cat litter!!! I'm guessing we won't be having dinner in the conservatory for the next couple of weeks.

When CP opens on Monday I'll give them a ring.

Any more advice????? I think I might need it!!!!!

Cheers,
Terry.

[Meandmymunki]

Ah well done you for helping
My rescue is in Luton so a bit too far to help you (unless you fancied a long drive!) but if you join Facebook page 'nick of time' they have rescues on there from all areas so you might get help there.

[Kay]

that's brilliant - whatever battles and frustrations lie ahead, the first step is under your belt so to speak, and a worsening situation averted

[booktigger]

Good on you for taking them in, they will need a lot of time to socialise. You don't need to wait for Monday to speak to CP

[gingertez]

The Trafford CP don't seem to answer their phone outside of office hours... so I can leave a message but I don't think they'll get back to me. I hope I'm wrong!

Anyway - I'll try.

My main aim is to get mum spayed and the kittens into loving homes - one friend has already said they want one in a few weeks... so 1 down and 4 to go.

Thanks,
Terry.

[Walesgang]

Well done Terry!

I found that I have had more success with small independents - I would ask local vets if they know of any. For example, we have Moggies in Need who took in a farm vat and kittens. Mum neutered (we took back) and theynrehomed kittens. They have links with local vets

Mum is likely to get used to idea of litter tray very quickly. Cats are clean animals.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Lilith]

Wow - you're a hero!

Yes, when feeding strays, the grapevine seems to operate very efficiently - during the days of my involvement with the ferals, I had my cellar window propped open (the local 'drop-in centre' lol.) There were biscuits and water and a tray and judging by the smell, the tomcats used it too. Tess, the mother of litter no 1 had a half grown daughter (my Mouse) who no doubt the toms were watching too.

Yes, food and females (I could put it more crudely but I won't lol) will bring the toms from miles around and I do think you need to stress to all the agencies that the situation needs nipping in the bud, as others have said.

It's great that there's an offer of a home for one kitten and being in the conservatory will hurry up the socialisation - Tess's kittens had had NO socialisation for their first 6 weeks at least and it was extraordinary how they used their tray without a single mistake and learned to shout for their dinner lol - wouldn't surprise me if Mama cat gets used to you as well.

If you've got any large cardboard boxes or similar to make them a hiding place in a corner, this would be a good idea at first. And I'm afraid they'll probably have fleas but that's just one of those things.

Honestly and truly - congrats, you're doing a great job!

[gingertez]

Mum showed her displeasure overnight in typical cat fashion... bodily fluids from both ends (I guess she was feeling very stressed) and broken pots from some of our shelves. Hopefully she'll slowly calm down. Today my wife and I will probably spend quite a bit of time in there to get them all used to us.

Our nice placid 10 year old cat of our own (Morag) is a bit puzzled by what's going on but she isn't showing signs of being stressed yet.

Thanks for all your moral support and advice, it's sincerely appreciated.

Cheers,
Terry.

[bobbys girl]

Just want to echo what Lilith has said. Well done to all of you including Morag for being a good girl.

Hope you get some help soon.

[gingertez]

Huge thanks to "Meandmymunki" for mentioning the "Nick of Time" Facebook group. I posted on there and the Chester Kitty Cat Rescue charity is coming to pick them all up on Tuesday.

This morning I started getting them used to big scary humans... https://www.facebook.com/terry.d.robins ... 2953351998" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for all your help!

Cheers,
Terry.

[Meandmymunki]

No worries- I saw your post and knew it would be sorted as so many rescues are on there and we all know who tag for what area!
Really glad they are getting sorted and huge thanks to you for caring for them and getting them help.

[Lilith]

Ah that's brilliant!

And good on yer Meandmymunki for the timely help too. That is the beauty of forums like this, when you get people in the know - social media at its best.

It's so good they're taking Mama Cat too - when I got involved with this lot it was, 'if you get litter no 1 out of the shed we'll take them' - and then I'm afraid they reneged and had to be prevailed upon - hence all the phone calls. As for the adults it was, 'we'll spay them and return them to site' ie me or the street. However (and I expect the cat rescue could see this a mile off lol) I was catless, having parted from the last of my elderly bunch some months before and saying 'no more cats, since I can't have my old cats back...' ha, famous last words eh? I'd fallen in love with Emily before she even began to bulge and arouse my protective instincts. However, I didn't have to work full time and at that time my only pet was a small cat-loving dog (Em used to dump her kittens on Lizzie and me every evening and take some Em-time...)

Again congrats and what a happy ending. Those kitties are little stunners; they'll get homes sure enough. And good on Morag too, patient girl.

Hey can you get a pic of Morag and also Mama Cat if she'll let you?

[bobbys girl]

Great news Terry. Good that they are taking mummy cat as well.

[gingertez]

Hi,

Lilith you asked for photos of our cat, Morag, and also the stray Mummy...

Here's Morag with her usual "what are you doing? It's dinner time! Feed me!" expression: https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-x ... e=55C4B449" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's Mummy cat: https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-x ... 0054_o.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mummy and 3 kittens got picked up today - Mummy comes back tomorrow night after being spayed and we'll release her back into the garden on Thursday morning.

One kitten goes to a friend and our 17 year old son has decided to give us over half his pocket money every month to go towards vet bills and food if he can keep one - so what option did we have?

Cheers,
Terry.

[Lilith]

Aww thanks for posting those - two lovely girls - I can see a resemblance in those kittens

The kittens are older than I guessed then, if they're spaying the mother - so you'll have three cats now. Good on your son as well.

Again congrats and well done and lovely to hear of a happy ending