Kitten-Napping :(

[Tambrey]

I have a momma that has been raising one sassy FAT adorable black kitten...eyes open maybe a week-10 days and starting to toddle about...on our front porch under a coffee table...

A little over a week ago, a young mother gave birth...I think a bit early...to 4 kittens....2 have died...the other 2 are still very tiny....

the young mother has moved her babies multiple times...I have always been able to discreetly follow her and when she is not there, peek on them to see how they are doing....

Saturday I peeked...and the sassy black kitten was with them...and they are no where near where it was being raised! I did take it back and give it back to its mom, who was quite grateful to have her baby returned and stayed under the table the rest of the day with it...

Well, Monday....it was gone again....so I went to peek where the others 2 had been...they have been moved too....I have no idea where to...and I fear that the young mother does not know where she put them either

She runs around sniffing the ground and chirping....the other mom of the sassy black older kitten keeps looking at me as if she expects me to give her baby back....

I just don't know....I have sat and watched them both to see where they go...so has my husband....we strain our ears to listen for kittens....but so far no luck....

have you ever heard of one cat stealing another cat's babies....especially when the one stealing can barely care for her own?!

[Traci]

My guess is both females are sharing the responsibility for first mom's kitten and the young mom's 2 kittens. One or both moms could be moving the kittens, and possibly to keep them all together, or near close, so both moms can take turns nursing or at least "babysitting".

Whenever possible, don't mess with kittens unless they are in danger - moms usually know what to do, it is the rare occasion that a mom will neglect her young. On that note, the younger mom may be too young or too malnourished and not able to have nursed her original 4 kittens - feed moms kitten food so they have extra protein and added nutrients, as much as they will eat.

Keep listening, chances are, they are all nearby - when moms have eaten meals, they may soon go directly to the babies to nurse - that would be a good time to try to follow.

Try making shelters for them, from rain, cold nights and also providing shade for the warm days. As long as the shelters are hidden and inaccessible to other animals, the moms may use the shelters to raise the newborns.

[Tambrey]

Thanks....I am hoping that is the case with the 2 moms...I should be home most of tomorrow so will try to spy on them a bit more

they do have plenty of varied shelters....insulated and weather resistant....so that should not be an issue....the one chose to have hers on the porch, which is screened and about 10 feet deep, with the table against the house, so sheltered there...

We tend to keep the insulating eggcrate padding (large single pieces glued to the sides of the box)that comes in the computer parts boxes and put them in the shelters for them to lay on...changing out as necessary....

the younger mother has been taking them to dumb places though....like she managed to take them between the tarp covering the main shelter and the shelter itself....on the ground...with it raining the last few days....so I was trying to secure that a bit more for her, and not have the tarp suffocate the little ones or the get lost in the ground folds of it...even though it is weighted down all around...

the place she gave birth was perfect.....a 4x4x4 blue insulated shipping crate on its side with nice bedding and a covering to protect from elements....but she chose to move them from there after she was done....and moved them to the feeding shelter....then from there to the tarp area...

Sooo....I will see if I can at least find them and know they are safe tomorrow

ohhh...and I always keep powdered KMR on hand to mix up as needed...especially for nursing moms and kittens learning how to eat something other than momma's milk...

[Traci]

Nursing moms don't want to be far apart from their babies when they need elimination breaks and meal breaks - so for this reason, try putting the sheltered box close by the feeding area - the younger mom might find this more accessible, but again, she doesn't want her babies near too many other cats, particularly unaltered males. Moms know they want hidden, peace and quiet, safe places for the babies when she is out and about.

[Tambrey]

We saw the kitten napped kitten this evening!!

It was a lovely evening so we set up the canopy and ate outside...we have 3 kittens in the "playpen" that a set of sisters take care of....the kittens belong to one of them, but the other likes to lay with them, even though she has none of her own

I heard a kitten louder than it should have been, glanced over to see a kitten outside the playpen...it was the black kitten napped one...it had followed momma (or the kitten napper) from their hiding place....

hubby quickly got up but it ran...it is afraid of us now....sigh.....but it went into the truck topper shelter that we made for them a few years ago....hubby glanced in and 3 kittens were peeking back from the far end....

Now to entice them out to get used to being held....

[Traci]

If they are still nursing, take care when handling, momma's not going to like that much.

And the weather, we've been having bad storms with high wind and awful hail, make sure the shelters are stable, sturdy, can't blow away in 70 mph mile winds, or harmed by large hail and heavy rain. Ideally bolted somehow to the ground or a building so not harmed by wind damage (and scared kiddens inside).

[Tambrey]

they are starting to eat hard kibble....I set a dish with water in both trays and kibble in one of them so it gets mushy....they still play at the opening to the shelter and Mom watches them....

the shelter is sturdy and won't blow over or away....it is secured under a stand of evergreens for added protection from winds and rains...they do stay cozy and dry and warm in there.....
We have had it there for about 5 or 6 years now with no mishaps, and the brush and trees have actually grown around it more in that time since we don't mow behind it....that part of the yard on back is naturalized, and of course nothing grows under the white pines and blue spruces there....