Oh, Dear

[stoutfellow]

There are kittens in my garage. Unweaned kittens. Blind kittens. At least two of them.

They're crying.

Thinking back, I believe I surprised mamma cat in the garage a time or two, but didn't realize what she was doing there. Now I know.

They're crying.

I'm considering trying to feed them, but what they really need is mamma - and each time I go out there, I probably delay her return.

I don't know what to do. I don't know how much time I have to make up my mind, either.

Later: I called the Humane Society and got no answer. My vet told me that it's very unusual for the mother cat to leave its kittens like this. The kittens would need to be bottle-fed about every two hours, and there's no way I can do that. I have to leave for work soon.

If the mother doesn't come back, the kittens are going to die. There's nothing I can do.

Dammit.

Comments

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Poor little fuzzballs...perhaps you could call your vet and find out if it's good to do a food intervention with or without mom.

[allyra.livejournal.com]

Poor wee things! I hope mama made a fast reappearance! I wouldn't know what to do, either. :(

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

I don't have any advice to offer, other than the obvious-- make sure mama has easy access to the garage. Prop a door open or something. And if they're still crying by lunchtime, consider the possibility that mama isn't *able* to come back, and ask your vet or the local Humane Society what to do. I'm sure it's not the first time they've had to answer that question.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell, she's been getting in and out through the outer doggie door, so access isn't a problem. (The dogs can't get to the place where the kittens are. Later on, when the time comes for them to leave, it may be a bit more of a problem...)

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hope Mama has come back. Poor babies.

Call your vet, if you can.

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

Some cats aren't naturally good mothers. She may be sick or something, and that instinct to go and hide might be why she is abandoning the litter.

If you could somehow find someone with a mother cat already nursing kittens, you might be able to foster them off. What I remember used to work was rubbing the kittens with butter. Once the new mom licks off the tasty butter, the babies smell right and she will keep them.

I hope something works out for you and them.

[dan-ad-nauseam.livejournal.com]

I wonder if cats have a procedure for termination of parental rights. :-)

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I do hope that she comes back. Dead kittens are very saddening.

We have had one or two that just weren't good mothers, and it broke my heart to see the poor things.

DV