Off Topic Forum...

[Marilyn. 340]

I talked to my dad yesterday and he said that they might be coming here for Christmas...

Oh Marilyn!! THat's great news.. I know that's been a heartache for ya!! Congrads!! I hope they come!!

yeah I hope so too.. I haven't spent Christmas with them since 2004...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Well . . . . it looks like we have kittens. . . .

There has been a very, very skinny black and white cat hanging around the last few weeks - very affectionate and friendly - but you could see her bones sticking out. She also looks very young - not much more than a kitten herself. I put food out for her, of course, which she wolfed down, and she has been coming back every now and again for more. I knew she had kittens and she was nursing. The last few days she has been here everyday - and this morning at about 6 am I heard noises from the back patio so went to look. There she was - with two black kittens wrestling with each other and hissing! I opened the door and the kittens scattered behind a shelfing unit. I put out food for the momma cat, then went back inside. A few minutes later Momma and a black kitten were eating the food. Later this morning I looked out and saw a black and white kitten too. So, I went out, the kitten scampered and when I looked behind the bookshelves I saw a black and white kitten and one of the black kittens. Then I noticed another black kitten scampering away across the yard, through the neighbour's fence and racing across the neighbour's yard. The mother cat didn't see him go.

So, I have been watching the black and white and the black kitten and mother cat this morning. The other little black kitten hasn't come back and she hasn't gone looking for him. I hope he raced back to where she had them before. There seems to be a 'colony' around - there is another black cat who must be a sibling that she lets around and an older orange tom cat who she lets around. There is a black cat with a white throat she chases away, a black and white tom who I think is her father who doesn't come close but watches from the distance, and a calico cat who she definitely chases away. (A neighbour's cat). The kittens look to be about 6 or 7 weeks old. I am worried about the little kitten who ran away - I hope she thinks to go and find him, but I think she is concerned about leaving these two as well.

The back patio is definitely not safe. There is a lot of animal traffic there and there is little protection from the elements. I am going to try and get them into a large carrier and take them to a shelter (there is a no-kill one around if they will accept them) but I need to wait until the third kitten is reunited. The kittens are definitely NOT used to people and hiss away when they see me. Big Sigh - got to get them socialized while they are still young enough.

No, we don't have room inside nor will Joe accept more cats - we have 5 already. Anyone want a really sweet black and white affectionate momma cat and/or a cute little kitten? Help!

[Mephys 2]

The back patio is definitely not safe. There is a lot of animal traffic there and there is little protection from the elements. I am going to try and get them into a large carrier and take them to a shelter (there is a no-kill one around if they will accept them) but I need to wait until the third kitten is reunited. The kittens are definitely NOT used to people and hiss away when they see me. Big Sigh - got to get them socialized while they are still young enough.

No, we don't have room inside nor will Joe accept more cats - we have 5 already. Anyone want a really sweet black and white affectionate momma cat and/or a cute little kitten? Help!

Hopefully you can trap the mom with them too, specially if she is friendly with humans. My guess is if the kittens are already old enough to eat food they would need close contact with humans to be socialized, like in a cage with people coming to feed /pet theme everydays. We've had a few of those older kittens at work and it takes them 1-2 weeks to warm up usually.

Thanks everyone for the comments btw They are not too much work as they don't need to be stimulated to go potty or nothing. And the grey kitten she eats on her own, she refuses the bottle. So it's pretty much just the 2 black ones that needs to be fed a few times daily, and they nibble a little bit on their own, looking at their sister. So it's not too much work, and it's all they need to survive Younger kittens are the ones that are hard to get through. There is a few at work, I'll once those are doing better if there is anything I can do for other ones...

Marilyn, glad to hear your parents are coming for christmas !

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I have just set up my largest carrier in the back and made it kitten safe and friendly. The kittens have scattered right now, although I did get to pick up and pet the black one for a little. He hissed at first but when I put him next to Mama and petted him while he nursed, he seemed fine and didn't run away. He moved away and is hiding in the garden now since I cleared out a space for them next to the shelving unit. The little black and white one isn't around - I haven't seen her since Momma chased off another cat! This is definitely not the safest place for them.

I figure if I can get at least the three kittens in the carrier, Momma is no problem and I can get a hold of her any time.

Yes, they are able to eat food on their own but they are still nursing and by their size I think they are about 7 weeks old at the most. If they have food available to them they would be able to survive without momma but if they don't, they won't. I hope she finds where they have scattered to. I feel bad that I was the reason for the first one scattering. I have no idea why the second one scattered, and the third one went hiding into the garden while I was doing the set up. Hopefully now that everything is set up she will bring them back where they can be a little safer. I think she might have gone looking as she isn't around at the moment either.

Years ago in Canada I had another momma cat stray I was feeding before she had her kittens and figured she had lost her kittens cause she still hung around. Well about 9 weeks after she stopped being pregnant she showed up with 3 kittens on my porch one morning. It took a month before I could capture them - one was fine right from the start but the other two were not . I brought them in on Hallowe'en's Eve (my reason for catching them at that time). I found a home for Momma and one of the kittens and kept the other two - one (Abbie) because she was friendly right from the start - and the other (Freija) because she wasn't socialized in the slightest degree. It took her about another 6 weeks of hiding in the house and not letting me near her before she finally settled in and socialized. (She is the one who has to sleep right next to me every night now VBG). I also bottle raised 3 orphans from the time they were 10 days old - their mother had been killed by a dog and two neighbourhood kids brought them to me. They were on a 'demand' feeding schedule which was about every 2 hours at first. I even took them into work with me. Yes, young kittens that age do need a lot of care and attention. I found a home for the little girl with a friend and I have Lion and Bear with me still.

Kittens . . . phew.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Mephys - just read back about your own fosters- good for you! Those kittens look adorable - I am sure your fostering will make all the difference for them!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Okay . . . the mother cat is sleeping in the carrier - without the kittens. I hope they come back. Mephys, do you think she will go and find them when she needs to nurse? Now I feel real guilty - and worried.

[Mephys 2]

I'd say give it some time, she will either go find them or they will come back. They can't be that far, and besides, they can look after themselves pretty good at 7 weeks old.

Little update on the babies, I gave them a bath today because they were all greasy from walking on each other with food everywhere. It's gonna be easier to keep them clean now that I will do it everyday with a washcloth.

Them sleeping on me after the bath....life is so hard

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thanks! She has spent the whole day just sitting on the back porch or sleeping in her new den. I sure hope the babies are alright - if they can find food they should be. I know the one is 2 properties away - I saw him running and suspect he ran back to where they originally were. I think they are maybe 7 weeks old - they could be 6 - their eyes are still dark blue - I don't remember when eye colour changes. They had been born by the time we returned from Kingston because I saw her for the first time the Monday Joe returned to work - and that was 6 weeks ago - and she was nursing then so the youngest they would be is 6 weeks and probably 7 weeks.

And there is only one thing I can say about your kittens - (who look very much like these ones, btw ) - AWWWWWWWW

[Ban Hammer 13,133]

me finally back home.

[Emancipation 2]

me finally back home.

OH welcome back Charles.. nice to have you back:)

morning all.. Anyone ever watch the new BBC version of Dr. Who? It's a great show, been really enjoying watching it

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Yay - the kittens came back last night! Once it was dark they came back. About 5 this morning I put food out for them and shortly after saw one of the kittens eating beside its mother. Since then they have been playing together in the garden, jumping and pouncing on each other and chasing the okra leaves. Mother has chased off several other of the visitor cats and currently they are all asleep - but not in the carrier :-(. They are sleeping on the shelf behind so they can make quick getaway moves to the garden if need be. Time - hope I have it. So glad they are ok.

[L_n_O 3]

Oliver and I went to look at houses on saturday! =)

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Well, I think Momma cat has decided there is too much 'cat' traffic on our back patio. After chasing 4 neighbour cats away this morning she left taking the kittens with her and hasn't come back yet. Whether she comes back tonight or not - and if she brings the kittens or not is still to be seen. If she does it means I may still have a chance to get the kittens in the carrier and get them socialized; if not, then it means there will be more feral cats in the neighbourhood - and one of those black kittens is definitely female. I sure wish there was a way we could do a catch, spay and release programme for this colony - and I am annoyed at the irresponsible people who brought the one black cat and the one black & white cats as kittens into the neighbourhood about 2 years ago and didn't neuter them. They still are around - and so are their offspring and their offspring's offspring. No orange kittens so maybe that orange tom isn't a tom just a male. He's been around for nearly 2 years as well.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

I'd say give it some time, she will either go find them or they will come back. They can't be that far, and besides, they can look after themselves pretty good at 7 weeks old.

Little update on the babies, I gave them a bath today because they were all greasy from walking on each other with food everywhere. It's gonna be easier to keep them clean now that I will do it everyday with a washcloth.

Them sleeping on me after the bath....life is so hard

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MARIE!!!!

They are adorable!!!

Have fun sweetie!!!!

[Sprailenes 47]

The wedding was actually a lot of fun but I woke up with a terrible hang over and it sucked.

You always know when you've had too much to drink when you've joined the conga line that usually would make you cringe.