[bluehorse]

Hi.  I need some advice on what to do.  A strange cat started coming to our house, and we started feeding it.  Now it thinks this is it's home.  It kept coming back, and after a while we realized it was preagnant.  It started getting really fat, and then this morning when I saw it it was really thin, so we suspected it had the kittens.  We called the cat and found where she had the kittens.  It was in a messy shed.  We can't see the kittens but we know that they are there and are alive because of them making noises.  I am worried about them because it is not a clean shed where they were born, and I can't see them.  I am also worried because they might get hurt or crawl into a place they can't get out of, and of snakes or rats getting to them.  Should I go into the shed and try to get them out?  But I'm not sure if I should do that because I've heard that the mother won't come back to the kittens after they have been touched.  They were just born last night.  What should be done?

[keschy]

I had the same thing happen to me! But this mother cat had the kittens in the woods. I set up a clean box with a blanket in it in a shed near our place and she brought them here last night. I think if they have a safe place with their food source they will bring the kittens there. Maybe you could try setting up a box in the shed so at least they are not on the floor? I don't know about trying to move them. I'm not sure but it might help. I'm sure other people here will have other tips too.

[mechanicaleden]

Hi,
If you can, you should bring the kittens and the mother inside your house to care for them. If you aren't prepared to/don't want to/can't, you should contact your local animal control officer and/or humane society as soon as possible, and they will probabably come get the kittens and place them into foster care with someone who can care for them until they go to a good home. It's not good for them to be in an outdoor shed... they are susceptible to disease, parasites, prredators and extremes of temperature. Day-old kittens have fragile health! It is doubtful the mother will abandon the kittens if you bring them indoors, as long as you bring her at the same time, and set them up in a safe, quiet, warm place. She seems to trust you, and has probably bonded strongly with her kittens. If you want, to be safe, you could wait a day or so, so that they are really well bonded, but you run the risk of mortality or of her moving them to where you can't find them. If it was me, I would bring the whole family into the house as soon as possible... catch Mom first, then bring the kittens in. If you take the kittens then can't find Mom, you're stuck with a bunch or orphans to bottle-feed... which can be done, but is VERY time consuming. Once you get them all indoors, watch the kittens carefully to make sure she's taking care of them... weighing them daily insn't a bad idea, to make sure they're nursing and gaining weight. For a little more information, see my reply to keschy's "How Can I tell if This Cat had Kittens?". This link also has some good, in depth info on caring for mothers and kittens: http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=906

By the way, keschy, congrats on her moving them to the box!

Hope this helps... good luck!