Anyone want a kitten?

[Allegra]

We were wondering why our bunny family that usually lives under our shed has been hanging out next to our driveway. Now we know. We have kittens under our shed. We think there are four of them and they are about a month old. We haven’t seen the mother yet and we don’t know if she is a neighbor’s cat or a feral cat. What should we do? Should I can animal control? I don’t know how I would go about getting them out from under the shed and I don’t want to be bitten or scratched by a possibly feral cat. On the other hand, if they are good cats, I don’t want them to get euthanized. I have heard of female cats going off into a secluded place to have kittens, so they could actually belong to someone. Should I hang up signs in the neighborhood? “Has your cat had a crisis pregnancy? Well, come and pick up your kittens!” Should I just leave them alone and hope they go away? They look like they are in robust kitten health. I see them tossling and playing together in the yard, but if I open the back door, they dart under the shed again.

 

[Burt_Macklin]

The Humane Society recommends a trap-neuter-return policy for feral cats. If the kittens are young enough, they may be tamed and placed for adoption. But I really, really doubt that you will find a shelter with the time to do that, so you’re pretty much on your own if you want to try and tame them. If you don’t have the time for the kittens you can let nature run its course or you could euthanize them yourself if they are too much of a pest and you have the guts.

 

[Allegra]

I called animal control and they told me that they have people who tame kittens so they can be adopted, but I have to catch them myself. Is there a really easy way to catch a kitten under a shed, or should I go buy a cat trap and hope for the best?

 

[mommamaree]

I had this problem once. A feral cat mother with her babies starting taking shelter around our house. She was exhausted and so skinny. And as it turns out, she was already pregnant with another litter.

I started leaving cat food out for her and within a few days she started bringing her babies right up to the door of our house. She became very affectionate because she was so thankful for the food, I think. Poor thing would have died, and her babies with her.

So we took her to the vet (we used a carrier in the car) and after a checkup and round of vaccinations, she became our pet. That was when we realized she was expecting again. So we had a total of 9 kittens to find homes for. You would be shocked at how fast we found homes for them all, once they were weaned. Within just a couple weeks!

And then she remained our pet for years. She was super sweet and quite a beautiful cat after she put on some weight.

Anyway, that is my story with a feral cat mama. Hope you have similar success in taming and finding homes for the ones that have sought shelter at your home. Good luck!

 

[mommamaree]

I called animal control and they told me that they have people who tame kittens so they can be adopted, but I have to catch them myself. Is there a really easy way to catch a kitten under a shed, or should I go buy a cat trap and hope for the best?

I would just put soft kitten food out and try to coax them out. And put out some adult cat food to nourish the mama. Put it out the first day really close to their shelter. Next day a little bit further away. Continue to do this daily, making soft noises and calling gently, and see if they will come to you after they get used to your presence. It is way better to get them to come to you than to go in after them or to use a trap, which could be traumatizing.

 

[Allegra]

This is the problem though. I detest cats. The thing I like best about these kittens is that they are outside. I also have an infant who needs to be able to crawl on the floor unmolested. There’s no way I’m bringing cats into the house. However, I’m fairly certain that someone, somewhere would like to take care of these cats. I’m not even convinced that the mother cat isn’t someone’s pet. I just saw her and she looks pretty fat and happy. She’s walking around my yard in broad daylight. I wish people wouldn’t let their cats run wild like that. You never know if you are dealing with a beloved pet or a dangerous, diseased feral cat.

 

[mommamaree]

This is the problem though. I detest cats. The thing I like best about these kittens is that they are outside. I also have an infant who needs to be able to crawl on the floor unmolested. There’s no way I’m bringing cats into the house. However, I’m fairly certain that someone, somewhere would like to take care of these cats. I’m not even convinced that the mother cat isn’t someone’s pet. I just saw her and she looks pretty fat and happy. She’s walking around my yard in broad daylight. I wish people wouldn’t let their cats run wild like that. You never know if you are dealing with a beloved pet or a dangerous, diseased feral cat.

Ah, okay, well disregard my advice then. We don’t have any pets at this time either, but since I am a cat-person, I would follow the same routine just to coax them out and see if they were friendly enough to give away to friends. I didn’t bring the feral cat mama into the home until after she was checked by the vet, but when I did bring her in, it was because we wanted to keep her. So it sounds like my advice would be all wrong for your situation.

Could you put up posters in your neighborhood about finding a female cat, maybe with a picture (since you said you have seen her in the yard)?

We actually have a feral cat who lives under our house. We let him be. He hunts squirrels. But he is otherwise a reclusive cat. He will come and look in our windows sometimes, but if we come outside to play, he runs away. Again, not your situation. Just sharing.

Good luck to you!

 

[Allegra]

I don’t mind the cats being there. However, I’m concerned that if I don’t catch the kittens, they will go feral and they won’t be able to be adopted ever. I guess I’ll go and rent a cage from the animal control people. Hopefully, they will be able to tell if the mother cat is a pet or not.

 

[thequietsinger]

Do you have a friend you could call to help get them out?

 

[His_helpmeet]

You might also be able to see if your local animal control or Humane Society/SPCA has Hav-A-Heart traps or something similar. These are traps that are intended to allow people to safely capture feral animals without the animal being harmed. Depending on the age of the kittens, it’s probably best to trap them together with the mother, if at all possible. Then you have the option of getting them fixed and releasing, or bringing them to the animal shelter. (Spaying/neutering can be done at as young as 6 weeks old now.)

It’s best not to advertise “free kittens” because sometimes you’ll get unscrupulous people who do things like sell them to animal testing labs and worse.

Just a note about cats and babies - if you’re not a cat person, I can understand that. Some people aren’t. But it’s not impossible to bring up a cat with a baby. We had cats around babies when I was a kid, and nobody got hurt or sick. If you do decide that you want a cat, though, these are probably not the best ones to adopt. The mother might be impossible to tame, and kittens, although they’re adorable, can be very destructive when they’re young.

(Public service announcement: SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PETS if you don’t intend to breed them! This is important even if your pet NEVER goes outside. It only takes a moment for a door to be left open and an animal to run off. Spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infections in females, as well as heat cycles, and it substantially reduces the risks for breast and ovarian cancer. Neutering tends to reduce spraying, roaming, and aggressive behaviour. If you can’t afford to go to a vet clinic, you might see if there’s a vet in your area who will spay/neuter for a reduced cost. (If you have a male cat and want him neutered, you might even be able to find a vet who will do it in his/your home - it’s not a complex operation.) Sometimes the Humane Society/SPCA offers spaying/neutering for a reduced cost for low-income families.)

 

[pianistclare]

Two of our cats are feral cats. They’re fine. Happy, well-adjusted. But FIXED.
Put out a sign. A kid who wants a cat will coax one out and take it home.
The others will hunt for food. Likely, when they get big enough they will adopt a family in the neighborhood on their own. Cats domesticate themselves. But I would give them some food so that they will have a fighting chance.
May the love of St. Francis for God’s creatures guide you.

 

[kmuestwin]

Buy a trap and put some cat food in it.

It’s easy!

 

[Allegra]

So, as a Catholic, is it moral to spray a baby animal with a garden hose in order to coax him out from under a shed so my husband can catch him and take him to a facility where they will cut his testicles off and then release him back into the wilds of suburbia? Cause that’s the option I’m leaning toward.

 

[mommamaree]

So, as a Catholic, is it moral to spray a baby animal with a garden hose in order to coax him out from under a shed so my husband can catch him and take him to a facility where they will cut his testicles off and then release him back into the wilds of suburbia? Cause that’s the option I’m leaning toward.

That sounds pretty horrible when you say it like that.

But the general idea of removing a feral animal from your property, even if you have to spray with water (they will dry) is morally acceptable.

The spaying and neutering of animals is morally acceptable.

And allowing cats who are neither diseased nor aggressive to remain feral is morally acceptable.

While it sounds bad phrased as you have here, the fact remains that you are intending to do what is ultimately best for the cats, for the neighborhood, and for your family and property. Even if others might do things differently, there is nothing actually morally unacceptable about the plan.

Are you intending to carry out this plan because it is a faster method to retrieve them from their hiding place? Please be aware that cats do hate to get wet, and they may become more defensive and attempt to claw or bite if they feel threatened. So be careful.

 

[His_helpmeet]

So, as a Catholic, is it moral to spray a baby animal with a garden hose in order to coax him out from under a shed so my husband can catch him and take him to a facility where they will cut his testicles off and then release him back into the wilds of suburbia? Cause that’s the option I’m leaning toward.

It’s not wrong for us to spay and neuter animals. They don’t have inherent “rights” because then they would also have to have duties. That said, we are called to be stewards of creation and to treat animals with kindness.

They’ll give the kitten a general anesthetic during the surgery. He won’t feel a thing. You also have to remember that animals don’t have the same understanding of sex and procreation as humans do. They can’t control their behaviour. One intact female cat can lead to HUNDREDS if not thousands of other cats, by the time you factor in all of her litters of kittens and all of THEIR litters of kittens.

 

[Allegra]

Are you intending to carry out this plan because it is a faster method to retrieve them from their hiding place? Please be aware that cats do hate to get wet, and they may become more defensive and attempt to claw or bite if they feel threatened. So be careful.

We have to get them all at once and a trap will only catch one at a time. If we catch the mother, she won’t be able to nurse and the kitties might still depend on her milk. If we catch the kitties first, they might not be ready to eat. We also have no place to store them while we wait for the other cats to be caught. Also, if the trap takes too long the kittens might be too old to be adopted.

 

[Catholic1954]

Try and take a picture of the Mom and put up some found cat posters. There may a good chance that the cat does belong to someone around your neighborhood and they would be happy to come and take the problem(s) away for you.

 

[AClaire11]

Definitely try to catch them and give them to the Humane Society or another animal shelter. Outdoor cats have a much shorter lifespan than indoor cats. If you just leave them there, they’ll be vulnerable to parasites and predators. And, once they can wander away from their mother, they’ll be vulnerable to cars, bikes, and animal-haters. (I’ve heard horror stories about what people’s neighbors have done to their innocent animals. Poisoned meat, food with nails in it…) Please, please don’t leave them there.

As to the logistics of actually catching them, there have been some good suggestions. I haven’t had any experience with actually catching cats. They just seem to find me.

 

[Allegra]

Definitely try to catch them and give them to the Humane Society or another animal shelter. Outdoor cats have a much shorter lifespan than indoor cats. If you just leave them there, they’ll be vulnerable to parasites and predators. And, once they can wander away from their mother, they’ll be vulnerable to cars, bikes, and animal-haters. (I’ve heard horror stories about what people’s neighbors have done to their innocent animals. Poisoned meat, food with nails in it…) Please, please don’t leave them there.

As to the logistics of actually catching them, there have been some good suggestions. I haven’t had any experience with actually catching cats. They just seem to find me.

The ferral cat people told me not to take them to the Humane Society because they have a 70% euthenasia rate for cats. Apparantly, if I can’t find a home for the kittens, the only thing to do is to have them fixed and invaccinated and turn them loose again.