That stray grey cat we've been feeding had kittens. Dad was tearing all the junk out of the back of the garage building and heard something crying as if it were hurt. He found 5 kittens and without coming in to tell me, he put them in the cat carrier. Then he came in and told me and went looking for something to shelter them from the cold. Momma is wild and won't come near us and there is no way we can catch her. When I came in to get a warm quilt to warm them tonight he was building a little shelter. I went to the cat carrier and she had removed two of the kittens already. We padded a box with the quilt and put it in the same place he found the kittens. But I think she will move them to another place. He didn't know that you can't disturb a nesting place that momma made. Anyway, the quilted box is out there with the same tarp over it and I'm hoping she will bring them back. I wish we could catch her because this is what she does and every batch has been killed or born dead. We fed her special food and she had plenty of water everyday. I hope she is healthy enough to nurse. The kittens look to be about 2 weeks old and are adorable. One is a real cry baby and just wanted to stay inside my jacket close to my heart. I feel so bad that we interfered. I will take them to the shelter where my ex-DIL works when they are old enough or she abandons them. I don't know what will happen now that he moved them. He thought he was doing right with his big heart, but we can't do anything with the kittens without the mother to nurse them plus half are gone. I guess I just have to pray that momma knows best and try to keep away from the area.
Well, I am now mama to the black male. She hurried off with the others when I was in the house and left him. He was so vocal I imagine she thought he would bring danger to the others.
Anyway, it was getting really cold last night and it didn't look at if the kitten would make it so I brought him in, inside my jacket. Once warmed he snuggled in for a nap. I was hunting high and low for the eyedropper bottle I bought for just such an occasion if the need arose and sure enough, it did. I put milk and a little warm water in it to thin it out a bit and tried it. He did just fine and between feedings and naps on my chest, I managed to keep him somewhat quiet.
Last night I fed him and put a quilt down on my sheet and put him on it and folded it over to snuggle him so he wouldn't feel all alone. LOL, I was up most of the night with feedings and once I got him quiet, fell asleep with him next to me but higher up so I wouldn't roll over on him. Not to worry dear old senile girl, I woke up this morning to find him cuddled in my neck. I really had to go to the bathroom but didn't want to disturb him since we were up most of the night.
This morning, different scenerio. He attacked that eye dropper as if his life depended on it. I had no problem getting milk down him. Then I addeded a little warm milk to cat food to soften it and tried putting it in a flat saucer on the kitchen floor. Man he was in that plate and gobbling it up in high fashion. After cleaning him up I needed a break so put a quilt in the bottom of a tall cardboard box that he can't climb out of (yet!). He finally settled down and is sleeping. And I'm trying to get back to normal for a few hours at least.
As for loud mouth, people don't want a kitten that is not ready to eat on it's own. I can't leave him out in the yard for the mother to find because I don't think she really cares about him and the wild animals would just eat him in one gulp. Tonight I have a Bible group meeting in a town an hour away and I'm dreading asking Kert to kitty sit.
Everyone has been telling me to trap the cat, did that but didn't work. Now with kittens hidden in the woods I wouldn't dare do that. Later, definitely. I will try to get through the week with the feedings and when the crying gets too loud and he's just being a brat, I will put him in the high box with the quilt and teddy bear. Maybe I'll stick a small clock under the folds to fool him into believing it's a heartbeat.
My cat Ali just hit the door with a whamp and scared away the mother cat. Darn but she is jealous and she is a pain in the butt. I'm in for the long haul I guess.
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