Cat Surprise

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Midnight is about 5 yrs old. Not sure if I have her age right on my signature or not. I don't keep up with the cats as well as I do the dogs. lol She has never had a successful litter........or pregnancy for that matter. (yes, IF I could find free/low cost spaying she and Minnie would be spayed but I spent years looking and it doesn't exist around here)

So when she popped up preggers.........I didn't worry about it too much. I increased her food portion and made sure she had the privacy to eat it without the other cats snitching it from her. Then one day she was no longer preggers. Nor did it seem she had filled with milk. I figured she's lost yet another litter although she had obviously gotten much further along this time. (maybe all that extra food)

With all this bluejay drama............and our grilling outside...........

We're doing the grill on the patio. A bird lands on the roof of Rowdy's old kennel and chirps. Travis hears mewing......but there are no cats in the yard. He goes looking because it's faint mewing............. He discovers 3 little kittens nested in some straw behind Rowdy's old kennel........in the small space between the kennel and the privacy fence. I guesstimate their age at about 3 wks........which would be about right for Midnight suddenly not being pregnant. They appear healthy enough. We didn't try to get to them yesterday as they were safe where they were......and it's obvious Midnight is being a good mommy.

So now I feel bad. I've wondered why on earth Midnight has been obsessed with getting inside. (even after birth) So much so that recently she has been basically wandering in and out as she pleases because she always goes back out again and she was litter box trained by whomever dumped her and her brother at my house as kittens. I wondered why she was so thin when she seemed to have one hellova appetite lately. Now, of course, it makes sense.

She did get an extra portion of food last night..........placed near the kennel in the back yard where the other cats don't go. (most likely why she chose that location) I made sure she had plenty of water. I'll keep feeding her extra that way to help her out with her nursing.

Now the problem is to move the kittens to a safer location. We have severe weather moving in by late afternoon and for tomorrow. In their current location.........if it rained hard enough, the way the patio drains they could drown. Moving them is not going to be easy. That is a TEENY space. Not sure if we can get back there. And moving the kennel.......well, it has a wooden roof......it's going to be too heavy. So.......I might have to recruit sister in law when he comes to pick up the boys.

I plan to set Midnight up a nice "nursery" location in the family room / enclosed back porch with a litter box. That would be a protected space for them separate from the main house......and then perhaps we can work on socializing the kittens so they will be people friendly by weaning and I can rehome them to nice families.

This is the LAST thing I need. But it is what it is........and as long as they survive I'll make sure they have good homes. Then as the daycare takes off and some money starts coming in.....I'll save up and get her spayed.

But first I have to get them out from behind the kennel. ugh
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Thankfully, Darrin is small enough to fit in the itty bitty teeny space between the kennel and the fence.

We were able to collect all 3 kittens. Eyes open. Look to be about 4-5 wks perhaps as they are bigger than they appeared to be in the straw. There is a gray one, a black one, and one that looks like Minnie......gray tiger striped one.

Kittens are now in a rubbermaid box snuggled in a towel in my bathroom. Yeah. I know. I looked at the family room again and saw the zillions of things 3 little kittens could get into once they start moving around and thought better of it. Midnight has food/water in there and a fresh clean litter box. Bruce has temporarily been evicted to the outside. Not a big deal as he's been spending 90 percent of his time outside these days anyway.

Looks like I've got to put a call in to the vet. 2 of the kittens have gunk in their eyes........which means a respiratory infection usually (probably from being outside) so I'll have to get some drops for them......as I've seen such infections kill them. Thankfully the drops are inexpensive at my vets.

Anyone want a kitten??

Midnight is the most mellow cat I've ever encountered. In her whole life I've never seen her hiss/snarl at another living thing regardless of what they do to her. She is as affectionate as Bruce.........which Step will tell you is over affectionate for a cat. So if they get their mother's personality..........these are going to make some wonderful pets.

And Nichole is hunting around for low cost spaying. Maybe this time we'll find somewhere I can take them that I can afford. :)
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Call the Humane Society in Greene County, they gave me a voucher for Possum years ago. Cost me $10 to have him neutered. If not, call Pets In Stitches. :bigsmile:

Bruce is like a lapdog. OMG. And he drools. Midnight sure seemed to love Jett last weekend!!!
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I'm with Step. We have used the humane society and gotten all shots and spay/neuter for $50. But some humane societies are cheaper or have "special days."

Bet they're cute little things :)
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Step, I'll try Greene County. Does that mean I have to do it up there? I prefer my vets if I can use them.

Our so called *cough cough* Humane Society does not help with such things, not even for dogs. Our local pound does for dogs adopted from them........easy child got a voucher and only paid 10.00 for Ammo to be neutered. Our pound has nothing to do with cats. They have their hands full attempting to corral the dog problems.

They are adorable. Seem healthy other than the eye gook the 2 have.......nice weight to them. Unknown to us, she kept them around people.....actually very near us. They're not the least bit afraid of us, which is good.

Grandsons are not happy I will not allow them to handle them. When easy child's stray cat had her litters..........easy child let the boys handle them far too much......and they just were too rough........unintentional or not. Two or four of those kittens mysteriously died. Two I suspect was due to too much rough handling from 3 boys who "loved them too much" if you get the idea.

Midnight is not a nervous nellie and seems to be a wonderful attentive mommy. :)

I have been trying to find Midnight a home since she and her brother Mr Underfoot arrived on my porch. Never been able to understand why no one wanted her with as sweet and well mannered as she is......as they both were except that she is black........and was about 4 months old when she arrived so somewhat past the "cute" stage. I'd still like to fine her a nice inside home someday. I keep trying. lol
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Congrats on a safe litter and responsible mommy. Uh, Mommies. :)
Good ideas to call the local shelters about discounts on spaying.
They sound so cute!
Speaking of mellow, I saw a funny, old YouTube video of cats, you know, the kind that are spliced together and someone adds music. One of the scenes showed a small child's remote control car or tractor heading right for a fat, furry cat on the floor. The cat never budged. The tractor ran right over her! Too funny!
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I dont know about there but here we dont have actual low cost clinics but if you have medicaid you can get you animal's fixed for $20. Now I dont know if either you or Travis get medicaid but I bet someone in Katie's family does. Use her. Call your social services or the local health dept or animal control and ask about that.

I wish I could take a kitten but Im afraid Abbey might think it was lunch.
 
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