'[She] immediately picks up a kitten and tries to escape with it': Woman intervenes to save a stray mama cat and her litter to turn them into full-time feline family members

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  via Bilder von YuM

  Mother cat is looking at her kittens, who are nursing from her. They are very young, no more than a few days old.

  ^{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}

• “Help!”

  I took in a mama cat and her 5 babies about a week ago. The kittens are approximately 2 weeks old now.

  Mama was perfectly content the first few days but has been trying to take them outside. She is mostly enclosed in my bathroom with food and water and a litterbox, along with the kittens in a bucket with a blanket. I let her out a few times during the day as she begs to be let out, but she comes back after a few hours and immediately picks up a kitten and tries to escape with it.

  I know she is more comfortable and familiar with being an outdoor cat, but it is very rainy and hot here. Is there something I can do to make her feel more comfortable keeping her babies indoors? Any advice is welcome! I’ve never taken in a lil family like this before.

  -Kab4ng

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  via Kab4ng
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  via Kab4ng

• inacharmedlife777

  No, please don’t let her out. She and the kittens have a chance of a safe, good life if they remain indoors. Every time you allow the mother cat outside, you only extend the adjustment period for her of living inside and raising her kittens inside.

  I’ve done this with pregnant ferals who had litters in my home. I’ve gone through this several times, and I promise you, keeping the mother cat inside might initially seem stressful to her and unkind, but she will settle down soon. It’s the greatest kindness you can offer both the mother cat and her kittens.

   

  Kab4ng

  Thank you for the insight!!

   

  thecanadianjen

  She will yowl and be upset for a while. But it truly is a kindness keeping cats inside and giving them windows to peer out and high spots to sit in and toys and treats and ample food and water. Yes, they want to hunt and explore but I promise you as someone who has turned many (maannyyy) ferals into housecats, it gets easier. She will try to rush doors to slip by you - it doesn’t mean she is unhappy being an indoor cat it’s just their nature. She will complain. She will probably try to dart out until she’s an old lady. But I promise you if you give it time you will see she will adapt and be so happy. Just make sure she has a litter box in the bathroom you’ve got her in and don’t put it right beside her food and water they don’t like that.

   

  hypergonomic

  Cats that have been outside need a lot of stimulation to adjust to indoor life. The outdoors has all sorts of exciting things to see, smell, hear, scratch, and chomp.

  I recommend getting a few different types of toys and see what she likes best. Even mamas need to play! A string wand toy, a laser pointer, a crinkly ball, kitty spring toys, fake mice, stuff like that. I found a variety pack online for under 20 bucks since each of my cats likes different kinds of toys. She might enjoy a little catnip, too! A scratching pad or post is important for their claw health. Having things that promote activity should help keep her tension down.

  It's a bit of work and adjustment, but very possible to keep them inside and help her feel more comfortable!

  And please get her (and her kittens!) fixed as soon as you can. She is able to get pregnant again already.

  Thank you for caring for these precious beings! 💖

   

  Crazyguy_123

  Absolutely agree. Took in a stray who had kittens. Captured the 3 kittens and locked their mom in our garage with the kittens. She wasn’t comfortable coming in the house yet but we figured the garage was better than outside. She would howl, try to run out, glare at us with angry eyes, even hit us. But eventually she warmed up to us. Let us bet her and the kittens. She began going in the house. And now if she gets out she only goes 10 feet from the door and comes back in. She doesn’t want to be an outdoor cat anymore. She does prefer the garage but she comes in the house too.

• 04
  
  via Irina Kononova's Images

  Kittens are nursing from their mother, all of them are on a blanket.

  ^{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}

• Per_Lunam

  Don't let er back outside. Seems cruel, but she'll get used to it & it keeps her & babies safe!

  Do see if she'll try to move a kitten to another part of your place. She just may not like the bathroom. Follow her, bc that will be where she feels safer w them. Then set up a spot for them all there. You can ise a big box, sideways, blanket on the bottom, see if she likes it.

  I got mine a foldable cat playpen/enclosure, zips up on the top and a side door, so she can still pop in or out from the top, kittens are still safe & can't wander (at this age). With that, you can put a blanket on the bottom for them all & 1/2 drape a blanket on top so they're still "covered". It was about $50 on amazon & they love it. But put it in the spot where she takes her kitten to (inside!!) bc its her safe spot.

  Hope this helps! If you want the one I got, DM me, I'll send you the link. Glad you're doing this for them! 🥰❤️

   

  TychaBrahe

  This gets my vote as well. Mama cats will naturally move their litters several times so that predators do not hone in on the smell. Can you move her to a different room?

  If not, give her a different nest in that bathroom. A different container, different soft materials, etc.

• 05
  
  via GeryCarnation

  Mother cat is nursing three kittens. They all lay inside a round container lined with colorful blankets.

  ^{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}

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  via Kab4ng

• mizushimo

  You could make the bathroom a little more inviting, if there's a window, give her a way to look out of it and maybe something enclosed like a box with an entrance cut out I'd it so she can hide

   

  cturtl808

  Letting her take them outside is just a no go. If the bathroom is in use, the constant traffic may be making her feel unsafe. It’s hard to tell from the pictures but she seems right out in the open without a place to retreat to. Can you possibly provide her more of an enclosed space?

   

  honeybeebutch

  You may just have to keep stopping her. She'll get used to it eventually.

   

  Asobimo

  You can try to get a big box and lay it sidrways and put the bucket in it. So she can still jump out, but her and kitties are more hidden. She probably feels too exposed from the top.

   

  occasionalhorse

  She might be being super annoying because she’s gone into heat. You should not let her outside at all, she will get pregnant again if she’s not already. Spay spay spay ASAP!!

• 07
  
  via bozhdb

  Mother cat is nursing her kittens while lying comfortably on a fluffy blanket.

  ^{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}

• 1HopeTheresTapes

  You’re a gem!! I love everyone’s recommendations. Also, the pregnancy thing is so true. Our feral tortie mama (now our house cat) was pregnant 4 times in 18months and lost her 5th litter before we could get her. We have two boys from different litters.

   

  Calgary_Calico

  Keep her inside, if anything happens to her you'll have to bottle feed her kittens every 2-3 hours round the clock and stimulate them to p**p and pee between meals, it's a full time job raising kitten this young. Provide her with as much food as she wants, she needs it until these babies are in solid food. At about the 5-6 week mark start introducing the kittens to wet food

   

  StableNew

  Cats even without kittens like to relocate regularly to kerp safe from predators. If you are able, let her relocate to another room or space within your house to satisfy the instinct. Giving her a new, more enclosed space (the box is a great idea) within the bathroom might be an initial compromise. The kittens are goung to soon need more room to exercise and grow properly-most bathrooms are too small.

   

  BlueButterflytatoo

  It will take time for her to adjust. Just have some patience with her, and try your best to follow the advice of others here. It’s much safer for them in your home than it is outside.

  Thanks for not only trying to be a good person, but for reaching out to others to ask for advice on how to do so in this scenario, it really does mean a lot

   

  Crazyguy_123

  Don’t let her out. She will adapt and become comfortable inside. A year ago the stray we had been caring for had kittens. We got them in our garage and trapped the stray in the garage. She soon became comfortable inside and even began coming in the house. Now if we have the door open she only goes about 10 feet before turning around and running back inside the house. She doesn’t want to be an outdoor cat anymore and I’m comfortable with it. The fact that your cat is already comfortable inside is big.

   

  Ksh_667

  You're doing amazing & it's not easy dealing with a new mama intent on escaping! May i Echo what others have said about not letting her out, no matter how much she begs. She'll be pregnant again in the blink of an eye.

  The Kitten Lady on YouTube has loads of good ideas for keeping newborns & mom safe & happy.

  Wishing you lots of luck, the kitties will be grateful to you! 😻😻

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