Newborn kittens

oscarBravo

A stray cat (quite a tame one) arrived at the house a while ago, and we got into the habit of feeding her - naturally she adopted us. She had two kittens last night, and I'm not sure what to do with them.

I'm not really a cat person, and I didn't mind too much having one cat hanging around, but three is going to be a bit much. I feel it's a bit cruel to keep them around if I'm not prepared to take full responsibility for them. Any suggestions?

(I have to say, even though I'm not a cat person, she is a very pretty cat: jet-black, with a white bib and socks. The kittens seem to be black all over.)

Georgiana

I once took in a stray cat and she crept into a drawer under the bed unknown to me one night- I awoke in the morning to the sound of purring under the bed and there was pussycat with several kittens sitting in the middle of my clothes- so I know how you feel!

Some options are

Take them to a vet to have them put down, which will cost you money and poor mother will pine for a few days

Keep them until strong enough to leave mother-you'll get lots of fun from them- and in the meantime try to find good homes- advertise in shops etc-ask at work,- you can advertise for free in the Buy and Sell- (this worked for me) talk to people who already have cats or pets- go for a walk arond your area and chat to anyone cutting grass etc where you see pets (women living alone and older people are often fond of cats and tend to look after them well) - If you have or know children or elderly relatives etc -get them to ask around as well- this also worked for me-Be sure to check out the homes so that they are not going into a neglectful or cruel situation. You will have a better chance of finding homes if you have them neutered but this will cost money and I'm not sure at what age it can be done. I would suggest not giving them to teenagers or children unless you meet an enthusiastic adult in their company.

Once the kittens start to move around, try to tame them as much as you can to get them used to people.

Check out the Animal services- I had a stray dog for a while and when I could not cope any more -I brought him to an animal welfare place on Charlemont St-they tried to re-home him but unfortunately it was not successful and he was put down but it did not cost me anything.

And if you keep mother - get her to the vet as quickly as possible so she does not produce another family- cats breed almost as fast as rabbits- she could have another lot before you know it- I also know this from experience !!

Falkorre

what Georgiana said

B

oscarBravo

Thanks, Georgiana - damn their furry little hides, they're growing on me! I can already tell them apart...

I'll probably hang on to them until they're weaned - should be what, four or five weeks? I'll look at my options then.

As for Mother, it's not so much that I'm going to keep her, as I think she's going to keep me - I'll get her neutered as soon as the littluns are weaned.

Falkorre

8 weeks before u can seperate them from mom im fraid

B

RainyDay

Cats Aid or your local SPCA should be able to help you in finding homes for them. Just make sure that they are going to someone responsible, i.e. someone who will neuter as soon as they are old enough (and not let them outside until neutered), to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself.

The_Conductor

Jet black little kittens- they sound adorable.
But for the fact that I live in an apartment I'd take them from you in a flash- they sound lovely.
In all honesty- when the time comes to give them away if you advertise them in your local newsletter there will probably be no end of takers. A big plus, and a sensible thing to do, would be to ensure they are speyed.

Good luck with your kittens,

Shane

Falkorre

i also recommend having ur vet take a full bloodwork before u rehome them.
our cat died from a genetic disorder that literally killed her in one day when she hit two. all the pain an grief coulda been avoided with a single bloodtest. (She had had bloods taken before but they need to be specifically to check for hereditary diseases.)

B

Nala

They grow up SO fast, don't worry.

-Mammy Cat will look after them all by herself for the first 3 or so weeks, start them on Weetabix w/warm milk, and mashed-up cat food (the cheap own brand stuff should do).
-Do NOT let strangers touch them while they are still dependent on their mother, it generally upsets the mother and one of our lot abandoned her litter of SEVEN kittens when they were 2 weeks old...Basically have only 1 or 2 ppl the mother trusts handle them for the first few weeks.
-Don't be surprised if the mother moves them...try not to interfere if possible, she really does know best.
-Their eyes open at 10-14 days-if there's excessive mucus around the eyes, warm salty water on cotton woll(fresh cotton wool for each eye) does the trick.
-Check they don't have fleas(look for the dark brown droppings on the scruff of their necks and their throats-your vet can advise on this and worming.
-Advertise for homes about 3-4 weeks in advance-they must be 8 weeks when they leave though-try to rehome them together.
-Post up a pic of them!!!

***Best of luck*** don't worry kittens are great fun.

hadook

I'll take one (or possibly two - working on bf on that point!).

I have 3 cats already - neutered black tom aged 4, neutered female aged 2 & meiko (got her thru boards), recently neutered aged around 1 year.

All fully vacc, microchipped, tagged & spoilt rotten. I'm a sucker for cats!

oscarBravo

One less to worry about, sadly - one of them died yesterday.

I've attached a picture of one of them, taken when they were a day old.