stray cat and babies on my back porch

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April - 04 May 2005 19:04 GMT

For the past three days, there has been a stray cat who has made a place
for her and her two (three day old) kittens on our porch. This is
absolutely fabulous to me, but I have to admit that I don't know exactly
what to do. The night we noticed her there, I gave her tuna (thought she
might be a little hungry). She loved it, but I read online that nursing
cats need kitten food, so I went out and got that. She is eating it mixed
with a little tuna, but I ran out of tuna. I'm sure she will be fine with
eating the kitten food, but is it best to give her soft or hard food? Okay,
my real concern is the fact that she is a stray cat. She does comes near
me, and while I am putting food in her dish, comes extremely close to the
point where I can easily pet her. The thing is, I am afraid to touch her
because I don't know her health condidtion. With fleas, ticks, wringworm,
and whatever else is common to cats, what should I do. I am willing to take
her and the kitties to the vet to be checked out and vaccinated, but how
will they get there if I wont touch her. Not to mention I am definately not
about to touch her babies because she may not want that. She is so sweet,
but healthwise, I dont know how to handle her. Any suggestions? Also, I
would like to keep the kitties when they are older. Do the mother cats just
leave them at a certain point, or am I supposed to just take them when they
are old enough?

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M.C. Mullen - 04 May 2005 20:21 GMT

: For the past three days, there has been a stray cat who has made a place
: for her and her two (three day old) kittens on our porch. This is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
: with a little tuna, but I ran out of tuna. I'm sure she will be fine with
: eating the kitten food, but is it best to give her soft or hard food?

Nursing cats *are* hungry! Just feed whatever you have ( thank you for doing
that!)

: Okay,
: my real concern is the fact that she is a stray cat. She does comes near
: me, and while I am putting food in her dish, comes extremely close to the
: point where I can easily pet her. The thing is, I am afraid to touch her
: because I don't know her health condidtion. With fleas, ticks, wringworm,
: and whatever else is common to cats, what should I do.

Just wash your hands and you're fine.

: I am willing to take
: her and the kitties to the vet to be checked out and vaccinated, but how
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
: leave them at a certain point, or am I supposed to just take them when they
: are old enough?

When the kittens are around 12 weeks old you can take them away, no problem!
Would you consider taking mother and kittens to the vet to get them spayed?
This would be the best option and give you the right to keep them.

Carola

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April - 05 May 2005 14:27 GMT

She let me pat her yesterday. This morning, she let me give her a good
scratch around her ears. I was wearing plastic gloves as a precaution, and
she sniffed my gloves, so I guess she is trying to get to know me. How cool
is this?! So I dont see her scratching herself or biting which I suppose
would indicate fleas/ticks, so maybe I'll attempt to let her smell my hand
without the glove. She is getting comfortable around me, but I'm still
going to take it slow. I'll call the vet and see when would be a good time
to bring them in for checkup, shots, and spaying. My goodness, there is
like this whole cat world out here and I never really payed that much
attention to it. This is very exciting. I am however wondering where the
cats are eliminating. I don't smell any urine and see no solid wastes
around. I dont have a litter box yet, but will get one soon. So where could
the mom cat be eliminating? We are on the third floor, and she would have
to go down three flights of stairs to get to the ground... Not sure whats
going on there, but will go to the other floors and investigate.

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Niel Humphreys - 05 May 2005 18:21 GMT

> She let me pat her yesterday. This morning, she let me give her a good
> scratch around her ears. I was wearing plastic gloves as a precaution, and
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> to go down three flights of stairs to get to the ground... Not sure whats
> going on there, but will go to the other floors and investigate.

Why the glove? Cat fleas are different to human fleas. You have absolutely
no chance of catching anything from her, it is totally safe to pet her
properly. :)

Signature

Niel H
Somewhere under the mountain.....

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rpl - 05 May 2005 22:17 GMT

> Why the glove? Cat fleas are different to human fleas. You have absolutely
> no chance of catching anything from her, it is totally safe to pet her
> properly. :)

Occasionally when someone's been out alot longer than they should have I
feel the fleas biting, but they don't like the taste and jump off.

pat

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Kazzia - 08 May 2005 21:27 GMT

>>She let me pat her yesterday. This morning, she let me give her a good
>>scratch around her ears. I was wearing plastic gloves as a precaution, and
>>she sniffed my gloves, so I guess she is trying to get to know me. How

>>is this?! So I dont see her scratching herself or biting which I suppose
>>would indicate fleas/ticks, so maybe I'll attempt to let her smell my hand
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> no chance of catching anything from her, it is totally safe to pet her
> properly. :)

that's not true, ringworm springs to mind...
and it's wise to be cautious... some cats bite...

Signature

Kashia
(*)(*)
----
"Oh Bother", said Pooh as he hid Piglet's mangled corpse....."

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Linda Terrell - 06 May 2005 10:53 GMT

Go get some KMR kitten formula powder. (at most pets stores and
Wal Mart). It's highly recommended to give to nursing mothers
for the calcium.

It mixes with water and most cats enjoy it. Otherwise, you might
mix in a bit of lactose-free, skim milk.

the mother is the only one eliminating now. She drinks the kittens'
urine.

LT

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rpl - 04 May 2005 21:30 GMT

Water, too... I wouldn't worry too much about ticks/fleas, human skin
isn't as nice a place to be as cat skin.

pat

> For the past three days, there has been a stray cat who has made a place
> for her and her two (three day old) kittens on our porch. This is
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> leave them at a certain point, or am I supposed to just take them when they
> are old enough?

Reply to this Message

majcm - 05 May 2005 01:10 GMT

It will be a great experience. Happened to me last summer. I kept momma &
all 4 kittens. Please give a thought to keeping mom as well. If you can keep
all kittens one more can't hurt. Plus older cats are much harder to find
homes for.

As far as picking her up for vet - you can put bowl of tuna in a carrier &
close it behind her, but you might call the vet first to see if she can have
shots this close to birth. If not, he can check blood & trim claws. It's
real hard to scratch after a claw trim and then just pet her first, if she
lets you & seems to like it, just wear long sleeves the first time and pick
her up under her arms to standing on her back feet. talk gently to her while
you try. If she doesn't freak at that, you can probably sit indian style and
put her on your lap. Gradually increase to holding her as she gets to trust
you. She will probably be very needy right before birth and will seek you
out to give her affection.

Good luck & let us know how it goes.

Mary Ann

> Water, too... I wouldn't worry too much about ticks/fleas, human skin
> isn't as nice a place to be as cat skin.
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> > leave them at a certain point, or am I supposed to just take them when they
> > are old enough?

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rpl - 05 May 2005 04:30 GMT

Unless there's something wrong with her, I'd wait until the kittens are
weaning. But do ask your vet if he/she can recommend anything for a
food supplement (bearing in mind she is a stray).

pat

> It will be a great experience. Happened to me last summer. I kept momma &
> all 4 kittens. Please give a thought to keeping mom as well. If you can keep
[quoted text clipped - 71 lines]
>
>>>are old enough?

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BarB - 05 May 2005 20:01 GMT

>For the past three days, there has been a stray cat who has made a place
>for her and her two (three day old) kittens on our porch. This is
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>with a little tuna, but I ran out of tuna. I'm sure she will be fine with
>eating the kitten food, but is it best to give her soft or hard food?

I'd give her both. She will need all the calories she can get.
Provide water and a protected ,dry, clean box filled with old towels.
A cardboard box on its side with three flaps taped open and one flap
taped shut to make a 4-6 inch lip in the front, makes a good birth
box. The kittens won't learn to climb out until about the fourth
week.

> Okay,
>my real concern is the fact that she is a stray cat. She does comes near
>me, and while I am putting food in her dish, comes extremely close to the
>point where I can easily pet her. The thing is, I am afraid to touch her
>because I don't know her health condidtion. With fleas, ticks, wringworm,
>and whatever else is common to cats, what should I do.

Pet her as much as she will allow. Fleas won't like you and when you
can pet her, you can put Advantage on her neck but not on the babies.
Fleas on the kittens will be killed when they jump to the mother.
Ticks won't move to you either. Unless you are in a high-tick part of
the country, I wouldn't worry. If you are, use Frontline rather than
Advantage. Ringworm is seldom a problem with strays. Most are immune
since the spores are in the soil already. In fact there is little
danger of any disease passing to humans in handling strays. There
could be danger to other cats however.

>I am willing to take
>her and the kitties to the vet to be checked out and vaccinated, but how
>will they get there if I wont touch her. Not to mention I am definately not
>about to touch her babies because she may not want that.

In order to socialize the babies, even from a bred cat, they must be
handled early. Many stray moms are so proud of their babies they will
purr up a storm and let you admire them and slowly allow you to
touch. Talk to them. Play it by ear. You don't want to upset momcat
and have her move the babies. By two/three weeks you should be
picking them up and cuddling them. Otherwise they are going to start
spitting at strangers. Your best hope for finding them homes is to
socialize them to humans.

>She is so sweet,
>but healthwise, I dont know how to handle her. Any suggestions?

Keep petting. Strays are amazingly healthy most of the time. Those
which aren't, don't make it. Keep a watch on the kittens for sneezing
( upper respiratory infection) and eye infections which can easily
blind a kitten. A small tube of eye ointment from the vet can save a
lot of future grief. Neither of these are diseases humans can get.

> Also, I
>would like to keep the kitties when they are older. Do the mother cats just
>leave them at a certain point, or am I supposed to just take them when they
>are old enough?

She will start bringing them to the food at about four weeks and they
will stomp around in it and lick it off their paws. This would be a
good time to provide a small litter box if you plan to make them
inside cats. Mom will most likely show them how to use it. By eight
weeks, they may be eating on their own and the mom's milk will start
to dry up.

I'd talk now to my vet about when he wants to spay momcat. I've seen
a female come back into heat within a few weeks of delivery.

At eight weeks the kittens should see a vet for their first shots.

I have three stray moms at the moment and 15 kittens between two and
five weeks old. All the moms tamed immediately, so it's probable they
were pets owned by idiots who were too stupid to get them spayed and
dumped them when they got pregnant. All were quite happy to let me
pet their babies after a few days.

Good luck and enjoy those delightful kittens.

BarB

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April - 05 May 2005 20:58 GMT

Thanks so much! This is all very helpful. You guys are great! I have taken
off the gloves and given her that good scratch behind the ears and she
couldn't get enough of it. She kept following me around. It did scare me at
first, but I figure she is just really excited to be given affection. I'll
get the Advantage and put it on when she is ready.
Thanks

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