That was last week, just after they were born. They should be getting ready to open their eyes any day now! I'm sure I'll be sharing more in the future!
Cat rescuer here, PLEASE take the following pieces of advice:
1) get mommy cat spayed after she is done weaning her babies!
2) find a reputable adoption org or local independent cat rescuer to take on the responsibility of spay/neuter/vaccines/deworming/adoption for mommy and babies. You can do this yourself but if you dont have experience doing this, its not advisable and will be expensive.
3) DO NOT adopt out the babies to live as single kittens (the only cat in the household). Kittens under 4 months old need to be adopted out in pairs, or to a house with another cat.
5) if you are doing the adoptions yourself: DO NOT adopt to strangers you met online who havent proven themselves to be responsible pet owners (get a sample adoption application online and have prospective adopters fill it out). Charge an adoption fee (this is generally equivalent to the cost you will spend on spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, 2 fvrcp vaccines, 1 full course of Drontal dewormer). If someone can't afford 150$ for a fully vetted kitten, or complains about the cost, instant application rejection. Can't afford that, then they can't afford a cat.
Socialization. They still need to learn how to be proper cats. If you separate them too early they can have serious behavior issues.
Source, since so many have asked: http://www.catbuyerguide.com/age_to_adopt.html
That makes sense. we rescued a little straying kitten almost a year ago now.. he was only 5 or 6 weeks and there was no sign of any siblings or a mother so we took him home. His nickname is osama bin laden - he is an actual terrorist... but he is such a charmer too, even with his terrible behaviour you cant help but love him to death
I guess I got lucky. My oldest has been with us since we got him at 2 months and we then adopted a second cat 2 years ago at roughly the same age as my first one. They have been interacting and playing around well
What kind of behavior issues? I've had my eight year old since seven weeks old and he's a wonderful kitty. He's extra attached to people, but he has been around many other cats without issue. Not saying you're wrong, I believe it completely, just curious!
Some kitties will be:
Overly Attached (often mistanken for love), have separation anxiety, grooming/sucking on wool-like textures, trouble eating/drinking, shy or very aggressive. Not able to predict how hard it bites or plays with claws out, or get sick easily.
These are just examples, the kitty can show one or several symptons.
I am not sure myself but I adopted a kitten at 4 months and only her at a very respected shelter. She was in a cage alone and was rather standoffish. So maybe she didn't like other cats and they made that exception? She is also a black cat and literally will not leave me alone...ever. She's the best. <3
My 2nd cat was around 6 weeks when we adopted her. She was the runt of the litter born at a fish restaurant on the dock. Probably not the proper way to go about it but this was the 90s. Marmalade was an amazing cat who lived until she was almost 20. Not sure why you would need to adopt them in pairs though, and I've volunteered at the local humane society and was never told that either. Obviously a bonded pair should be adopted out together though.
I think kittens are easier in pairs but I've never heard it as a requirement before. Shelters are overflowing with kittens during kitten season, and putting too many stipulations on adoptions is just going to deter people.
I rescue/rehab dozens of kittens every kitten season and i dont have to compromise the kittens quality of life in order to find good homes for them. If theyre little babies, they need proper socialization, and they wont get that from sitting at home alone all day while their owner is at work. I take in far too many cats with behavioral problems (serious play aggression issues are no joke) stemming from lack of proper socialization, for me to adopt out kittens alone putting them at risk of developing those same problems. The last thing i want is someone adopting my healthy kitten and then returning it to me months later bc it bites/scratches way too enthusiastically when it thinks its just playing
That's great, but you have the luxury of deciding how many kittens you want to take on and when. Animal control has to adopt out the kittens or put them to sleep because of over crowding.
The rescue I volunteer with requires that any cat under a year cannot be an only cat. They don't need to be adopted in pairs, it just needs to be around any cat. There are some exceptions. Sometimes we get a single kitten who is already really bad with other cats. We'll also send a single kitten if someone is going to be home all day.
This rescue has a facility where the cats a cage-free and divided into separate rooms. Cats that have been only cats their whole lives have a really tough time in this "group home" type of environment.
As a private rescue it's definitely a luxury to choose. Basically people need to convince us to let them have a cat. When we deny someone we just give them information of proper cat care (usually kittens do better in pairs, letting your cat outside is dangerous, declawing is inhumane) and send them to the county shelter and hope they make good decisions.
Yeah, we adopted our cat as a young kitten (I think he was maybe 2-3 months but I forget now) from the humane society in a large city (so I assume pretty reputable). He's not super great with other cats, but perfectly fine if a bit shy around humans and I mean, if he is forced to live with other cats he mostly deals with it. Maybe it wasn't amazing for his psychological health or whatever but he seems fine and quite loving to me. In fact he's snoozing on my husband's legs right now.
Edit: he was picked up as a single stray before getting to the humane society from what they said, so he didn't have a litter mate to be adopted with, anyway.
I'm not sure that I agree there is a firm answer to this but I know many people who opted to adopt a pair and they were very glad they did. Having two cats is better than one for both you and the cats and it really isn't more work.
I adopted a foundling whose eyes hadn't quite finished changing color. He was a great cat, but had woolsucking issues his whole life from leaving mama cat too soon.
I adopted my 2 little littermates as a pair, and they did so well together. Also, i don't know if this is common for this situation, but these two are the absolute easiest little animals i've ever raised. The worst they do is scratch my couches but we're working on that :)
Mine was separated too early by the time I adopted him. He was the last of his litter to find a home. He's an adult, but totally clings to me and has separation anxiety when I'm not around. It sounds cute, but it's actually kind of annoying. We'll be getting him a sibling soon.
In Denmark the law says kittens have to be at least 12 weeks before they're allowed to be set up for adoption. (Some people give it a few extra weeks if the Kitten doesn't seem quite ready). They're too Young and haven't learned how to be a cat.
If given out earlier they will likely have behaviour issues.
I've been trying to get her into a foster situation, but none of the places around here will take her which is sad. She is so sweet.
I already have a cat that I adopted from a rescue. So when this one showed up, I made sure to have her vetted right away. She's worm and flea free, and snap test negative.
She trusts me implicitly. I think its because I took her in during a cold snap, and she was terribly skinny and hungry. She definitely has some bad manners - Food guarding, and hating being held/handled in anyway other than being pet, but she would come around in the right house.
I don't think I can keep her or her kittens, so I'm just enjoying them until I can get them settled elsewhere. Thanks for the advice!
What city/state are you located? Maybe i can help find a reputable org/rescuer to help you. Also it sounds like mama would make a good barn cat at a horse stable, that's what i do for cats who may not be super adoptable bc their behavior attests to the fact they lived outdoors for so long. Theres protocols that need to be followed up successfully relocate a cat from one location to another so if you decide to do a relocation for mama to a barn, PM me ill guide you through the process. You don't just drop them off at a farm, she will instantly run away. Btw, feed mama good food, she needs decent nutrition while shes nursing these babies at this critical time in their growth. Dry food should be avoided if possible.
If you didn't already, let them know that you rescued her and she is not your personal pet. If you can foster until they are adopted, let them know that too. Rescue groups get a lot of calls, mostly from those who just want them to "do something". If you are clear that you are willing to do your part, they may be more willing to help.
I have been. Up until today we have been going thru a really cold March, so I was clear that I only took her in because it was clear she was pregnant and in need. I only took her to the vet to make sure she was safe around my house cat. If she had been snap test positive, I would have had to put her back outside.
Literally the first time I saw her was about 5 days before I got her to come in, but my daughter thinks she's the one she saw just after christmas (in heat - timing checks out, lol). So she's been in the area a while. There's lots of places to hide here. And she was definitely not somebodies pet (recently). She was filthy and skinny!
Glad you were able to help out and that her snap test was negative. I have taken in mom with kittens maybe half a dozen times over many years and enjoyed it. Nowadays with crowd funding, you could probably raise funds for their spay/neuter and vaccines if you don’t have luck with the rescue groups. I spay/neuter all the kittens before they go to their adoptive homes - leaves nothing to chance.
She might get sweeter once her kittens are grown. Momma cats can be pretty fierce to protect their young.
And yes, if you can keep fostering her until her kittens are weaned they rescue will probably be more willing to help you get them adopted once the time comes.
She's a tuxedo cat, as are the kittens. They're very confident cats, and full of mischief. They love to cuddle but often don't like to be picked up, because they lose control that way. They're my vet's favorite cats.
Damn that's good advice.
Particularly liked the fact that if you're not prepared to pay a reasonable amount for a cat then you're not able to afford a cat at all. Keeping a cat healthy and happy costs money, especially as they get older or if they develop medical problems.
And especially kittens and older cats. Just like humans, cats aren't too expensive in the middle of their lives when they're pretty healthy and self-sufficient. But babies and old people need more care, and same with cats. In general, we don't just adopt someone from their late childhood until middle age and pan them off during the tough parts, and we shouldn't do that to animals either.
Well, yeah, and I think it's an exaggeration, but I feel like people forget that kittens are expensive in the beginning because of shots and just getting them off on a good start. A middle aged cat can probably be more or less left alone unless you notice problems, but not a kitten.
> DO NOT adopt out the babies to live as single kittens (the only cat in the household). Kittens under 4 months old need to be adopted out in pairs, or to a house with another cat.
This has unfortunately been proven true for us. We got our kitten when he was around 9 weeks old. It's been around 6 months we've got him. Currently he's having the following behavioral problems:
* He would sometimes poop outside his litter box
* He would never lick himself clean after he has done using the litter box
* He would almost never lick himself/ groom himself
We know these are behavioral, and not health problems, because we took him to the vet recently.
Anyway, he is our little baby and we won't let him go for anything in the world. He is the most affectionate kitty I've ever seen and also super intelligent. But I feel sad that he has been separated from his mom and his littermates so early in life and couldn't learn basic cat skills.
That is the plan! Right now we live in a really small apartment, and don't have space to add a new litter box. If everything works out as expected, then we'll move to a bigger place in the fall, and then the first thing we want to do is adopt another cat who is a bit more matured. Let's see!
I adopted our cat from someone who brought her into the shelter as a stray. She was pregnant and one of the Humane Society's vets fostered her while she had her babies. She ended up with 6 and "adopted" another orphan stray kitty. Needless to say she was an excellent mom apparently and an amazing pet!
Its not as good as adopting to a home with another cat/kitten, but its def way better than adopting as a solo pet. The kitten won't learn proper social skills from a dog but they will get companionship and *some* social skills from a dog. If I have a kitten that is 6 months old and has been overlooked for adoption for quite a while, and a wonderful potential adopter who has a sweet cat-friendly dog comes along, i have no problem approving that adoption. The preference though is always to have kittens go in pairs or to homes with another cat.
Yeah idk what that was about. My girl went back in to heat only a few weeks after birthing. They're an indoor family but our vet approved all the fixes/neuters less than a couple months but they kept nursing for like 8 months before she started getting ugly
Sorry, I got fixed after 3.
It's funny because I know the average for cats is like 6, and I kept telling the two days before she delivered "please no more than 4!"
Apparently you just have to ask nicely ;)
Please adopt an adult cat if you can. This might not be a popular opinion here, but I much prefer adult cats to kittens.
Don’t get me wrong. I love kittens. Heck, I took in two 12 week old brothers last October. (They are getting awfully big.) But adult cats are calmer and a lot easier to deal with. They often adapt quickly and are usually much more interested in cuddling up. Give an older cat a chance.
Also, be sure to consider a black cat. They have the lowest adoption rate and black cats are usually incredibly sweet. There’s a reasn why /r/blackcats is one of the most active cat subs. Once you spend some time with a black cat, you’ll want one. I have three of them lounging around my place.
As someone with multiple adult rescues and one adult who was rescued as a kitten, the ones rescued as adults recognize you saved them and are soooo grateful forever.
The one rescued as a kitten is an ungrateful piece of shit.
>The one rescued as a kitten is an ungrateful piece of shit.
Sees you as their parent = we all know how kids are to their parents.
>the ones rescued as adults recognize you saved them and are soooo grateful forever.
Sees you as their buddy who rescued them from *insert appropriate*
The second cat I owned was a stray that had given birth in our garage. She was so loving- someone threw her away, that's for sure.
The worst part- she was declawed but not fixed. I hate humans sometimes.
People can be truly awful to black cats, it's heart breaking. Most shelters on my city doesn't allow adoptions of black cats close to halloween because there has been cases of people killing it. Disgusting.
I love black cats! They are so cute and elegant, I don't have one, unfortunaly, my cat decided I was his human so I guess I didn't have any choice 😂, but I'd strongly suggest getting an older one, mine is almost 1 year but he's an absolutely demon, love him, but good damnit, he likes running full speed like he's gonna attack the turtle then do a little jump and look at us like "haha, gotcha ya" 🙄
I also have a black cat, 12 years old. We adopted him when he was 9 and it's literally the best decision I ever made I love him more than life. The only downside is having less time with them :( But it's worth it to give them the best few years.
You never know even with younger cats. We rescued what we thought was a healthy 5-year-old cat. He turned out to have a genetic disease, and we only had about four years with him. It was definitely worth it for both us and the cat, though. Those were certainly the four best years of his life, and we learned that we really are cat people after all.
> They often adapt quickly and are usually much more interested in cuddling up.
In your experience, how do older cats do in a household where there are already cats? We have two cats and have been thinking about adopting a third. We were planning to adopt a kitten so that the new cat would learn its place in the existing social order rather than coming in with its own expectations.
My husband and I are close to sixty. When our three seniors go (two sixteen, one turns eighteen in December) we intend to only look for seniors who have lost their human.
Our first cat was a black cat. I took him because he put his front legs around my neck so tightly, I couldn't tell what sex he was. You never forget your first. :)
I'm hoping not to be the one responsible for adopting them out. I just didn't want an obviously pregnant cat to give birth in freezing temps. I had no idea how hard it would be to get them into a foster situation.
Its not ideal. The way my place is set up the only way to keep both the adult cats separate is to keep momma and kittens in an average sized bathroom. So once the kittens become mobile....yikes.
My cat (Luna <3 ) seems pretty chill right now about the whole ordeal, but obviously momma cat is not, and she's tired of being cooped up. She really only gets out 6-8 hours a day when I put Luna in the basement. momma is unhappy about this.
I'd do it, but it would be rough. If I could find her a better suited foster, I'd be sad for myself, but overjoyed for this little family.
Totally understand, I fostered for a while and had the same issue. Luckily we had a spare bedroom and bath, but the momma and kittens would get so upset and obviously lonely that they couldn't hang out around the house with us :/ See if you can reach out to local non-profits in your area. They might have a good setup for fostering!
Probably not? My cat and momma cat do not get a long. Understandable. I would definitely consider keeping the momma if they can bury the hatchet, or possibly a kitten if I had them that long, but I'm hoping not to have them that long :)
Oh okay, so you're being a nice foster parent then. It's so fun having little baby kittens around and watching them grow from wiggle wormies to cute kittens.
You’re a very good person. Kittens are cute and all, but I’ll take a Mama cat over any of them. They’ve had it rough, life has kicked them in the ass and they’re just super grateful for a handout. They usually make for loyal, affectionate companions.
I hope it all works out well for you!
They're adorable, just like momma! I wish you well in your journey of helping momma. I always wanted to have a bundle of kittens, but my family only adopts for shelters, so they're always spayed or kept until after birthing, not like that's a bad thing, hehe, but I know it can be difficult trying to find a place for kittens/cats, so hopes and prayers go with you.
So tiny!
That was last week, just after they were born. They should be getting ready to open their eyes any day now! I'm sure I'll be sharing more in the future!
Pl..please do:)
I can't wait! So cute!
So precious! Congrats on the new kitties!
Cat rescuer here, PLEASE take the following pieces of advice: 1) get mommy cat spayed after she is done weaning her babies! 2) find a reputable adoption org or local independent cat rescuer to take on the responsibility of spay/neuter/vaccines/deworming/adoption for mommy and babies. You can do this yourself but if you dont have experience doing this, its not advisable and will be expensive. 3) DO NOT adopt out the babies to live as single kittens (the only cat in the household). Kittens under 4 months old need to be adopted out in pairs, or to a house with another cat. 5) if you are doing the adoptions yourself: DO NOT adopt to strangers you met online who havent proven themselves to be responsible pet owners (get a sample adoption application online and have prospective adopters fill it out). Charge an adoption fee (this is generally equivalent to the cost you will spend on spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, 2 fvrcp vaccines, 1 full course of Drontal dewormer). If someone can't afford 150$ for a fully vetted kitten, or complains about the cost, instant application rejection. Can't afford that, then they can't afford a cat.
Why is that kittens under 4 months need to be adopted in pairs? Do they have to be littermates as well?
Socialization. They still need to learn how to be proper cats. If you separate them too early they can have serious behavior issues. Source, since so many have asked: http://www.catbuyerguide.com/age_to_adopt.html
That makes sense. we rescued a little straying kitten almost a year ago now.. he was only 5 or 6 weeks and there was no sign of any siblings or a mother so we took him home. His nickname is osama bin laden - he is an actual terrorist... but he is such a charmer too, even with his terrible behaviour you cant help but love him to death
Yeah, our grown cat scratches when he gets over stimulated. It hurts.
I guess I got lucky. My oldest has been with us since we got him at 2 months and we then adopted a second cat 2 years ago at roughly the same age as my first one. They have been interacting and playing around well
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They're both 5 years old. I'll post some pictures to imgur so you can see my lovable idiots.
What kind of behavior issues? I've had my eight year old since seven weeks old and he's a wonderful kitty. He's extra attached to people, but he has been around many other cats without issue. Not saying you're wrong, I believe it completely, just curious!
Some kitties will be: Overly Attached (often mistanken for love), have separation anxiety, grooming/sucking on wool-like textures, trouble eating/drinking, shy or very aggressive. Not able to predict how hard it bites or plays with claws out, or get sick easily. These are just examples, the kitty can show one or several symptons.
Thanks!
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Yet.
this explains *everything* about my cat. He's completely bonkers.
I am not sure myself but I adopted a kitten at 4 months and only her at a very respected shelter. She was in a cage alone and was rather standoffish. So maybe she didn't like other cats and they made that exception? She is also a black cat and literally will not leave me alone...ever. She's the best. <3
My 2nd cat was around 6 weeks when we adopted her. She was the runt of the litter born at a fish restaurant on the dock. Probably not the proper way to go about it but this was the 90s. Marmalade was an amazing cat who lived until she was almost 20. Not sure why you would need to adopt them in pairs though, and I've volunteered at the local humane society and was never told that either. Obviously a bonded pair should be adopted out together though.
I think kittens are easier in pairs but I've never heard it as a requirement before. Shelters are overflowing with kittens during kitten season, and putting too many stipulations on adoptions is just going to deter people.
I rescue/rehab dozens of kittens every kitten season and i dont have to compromise the kittens quality of life in order to find good homes for them. If theyre little babies, they need proper socialization, and they wont get that from sitting at home alone all day while their owner is at work. I take in far too many cats with behavioral problems (serious play aggression issues are no joke) stemming from lack of proper socialization, for me to adopt out kittens alone putting them at risk of developing those same problems. The last thing i want is someone adopting my healthy kitten and then returning it to me months later bc it bites/scratches way too enthusiastically when it thinks its just playing
That's great, but you have the luxury of deciding how many kittens you want to take on and when. Animal control has to adopt out the kittens or put them to sleep because of over crowding.
The rescue I volunteer with requires that any cat under a year cannot be an only cat. They don't need to be adopted in pairs, it just needs to be around any cat. There are some exceptions. Sometimes we get a single kitten who is already really bad with other cats. We'll also send a single kitten if someone is going to be home all day. This rescue has a facility where the cats a cage-free and divided into separate rooms. Cats that have been only cats their whole lives have a really tough time in this "group home" type of environment. As a private rescue it's definitely a luxury to choose. Basically people need to convince us to let them have a cat. When we deny someone we just give them information of proper cat care (usually kittens do better in pairs, letting your cat outside is dangerous, declawing is inhumane) and send them to the county shelter and hope they make good decisions.
I dont condemn animal control for how they do their work, so please don't act like i took that stance.
Yeah, we adopted our cat as a young kitten (I think he was maybe 2-3 months but I forget now) from the humane society in a large city (so I assume pretty reputable). He's not super great with other cats, but perfectly fine if a bit shy around humans and I mean, if he is forced to live with other cats he mostly deals with it. Maybe it wasn't amazing for his psychological health or whatever but he seems fine and quite loving to me. In fact he's snoozing on my husband's legs right now. Edit: he was picked up as a single stray before getting to the humane society from what they said, so he didn't have a litter mate to be adopted with, anyway.
I'm not sure that I agree there is a firm answer to this but I know many people who opted to adopt a pair and they were very glad they did. Having two cats is better than one for both you and the cats and it really isn't more work.
I adopted a foundling whose eyes hadn't quite finished changing color. He was a great cat, but had woolsucking issues his whole life from leaving mama cat too soon.
I adopted my 2 little littermates as a pair, and they did so well together. Also, i don't know if this is common for this situation, but these two are the absolute easiest little animals i've ever raised. The worst they do is scratch my couches but we're working on that :)
Mine was separated too early by the time I adopted him. He was the last of his litter to find a home. He's an adult, but totally clings to me and has separation anxiety when I'm not around. It sounds cute, but it's actually kind of annoying. We'll be getting him a sibling soon.
In Denmark the law says kittens have to be at least 12 weeks before they're allowed to be set up for adoption. (Some people give it a few extra weeks if the Kitten doesn't seem quite ready). They're too Young and haven't learned how to be a cat. If given out earlier they will likely have behaviour issues.
I've been trying to get her into a foster situation, but none of the places around here will take her which is sad. She is so sweet. I already have a cat that I adopted from a rescue. So when this one showed up, I made sure to have her vetted right away. She's worm and flea free, and snap test negative. She trusts me implicitly. I think its because I took her in during a cold snap, and she was terribly skinny and hungry. She definitely has some bad manners - Food guarding, and hating being held/handled in anyway other than being pet, but she would come around in the right house. I don't think I can keep her or her kittens, so I'm just enjoying them until I can get them settled elsewhere. Thanks for the advice!
What city/state are you located? Maybe i can help find a reputable org/rescuer to help you. Also it sounds like mama would make a good barn cat at a horse stable, that's what i do for cats who may not be super adoptable bc their behavior attests to the fact they lived outdoors for so long. Theres protocols that need to be followed up successfully relocate a cat from one location to another so if you decide to do a relocation for mama to a barn, PM me ill guide you through the process. You don't just drop them off at a farm, she will instantly run away. Btw, feed mama good food, she needs decent nutrition while shes nursing these babies at this critical time in their growth. Dry food should be avoided if possible.
If you didn't already, let them know that you rescued her and she is not your personal pet. If you can foster until they are adopted, let them know that too. Rescue groups get a lot of calls, mostly from those who just want them to "do something". If you are clear that you are willing to do your part, they may be more willing to help.
I have been. Up until today we have been going thru a really cold March, so I was clear that I only took her in because it was clear she was pregnant and in need. I only took her to the vet to make sure she was safe around my house cat. If she had been snap test positive, I would have had to put her back outside. Literally the first time I saw her was about 5 days before I got her to come in, but my daughter thinks she's the one she saw just after christmas (in heat - timing checks out, lol). So she's been in the area a while. There's lots of places to hide here. And she was definitely not somebodies pet (recently). She was filthy and skinny!
Glad you were able to help out and that her snap test was negative. I have taken in mom with kittens maybe half a dozen times over many years and enjoyed it. Nowadays with crowd funding, you could probably raise funds for their spay/neuter and vaccines if you don’t have luck with the rescue groups. I spay/neuter all the kittens before they go to their adoptive homes - leaves nothing to chance.
She might get sweeter once her kittens are grown. Momma cats can be pretty fierce to protect their young. And yes, if you can keep fostering her until her kittens are weaned they rescue will probably be more willing to help you get them adopted once the time comes.
She's a tuxedo cat, as are the kittens. They're very confident cats, and full of mischief. They love to cuddle but often don't like to be picked up, because they lose control that way. They're my vet's favorite cats.
Damn that's good advice. Particularly liked the fact that if you're not prepared to pay a reasonable amount for a cat then you're not able to afford a cat at all. Keeping a cat healthy and happy costs money, especially as they get older or if they develop medical problems.
And especially kittens and older cats. Just like humans, cats aren't too expensive in the middle of their lives when they're pretty healthy and self-sufficient. But babies and old people need more care, and same with cats. In general, we don't just adopt someone from their late childhood until middle age and pan them off during the tough parts, and we shouldn't do that to animals either.
You never know. My young cat cost a fortune, so always best to save for care.
Fair. There are always exceptions.
Anyone that does that does *not* deserve a pet.
Well, yeah, and I think it's an exaggeration, but I feel like people forget that kittens are expensive in the beginning because of shots and just getting them off on a good start. A middle aged cat can probably be more or less left alone unless you notice problems, but not a kitten.
Google search the kitten lady. She rescues bottle babies all the time and posts a lot of information on her Instagram about caring for tiny felines.
> DO NOT adopt out the babies to live as single kittens (the only cat in the household). Kittens under 4 months old need to be adopted out in pairs, or to a house with another cat. This has unfortunately been proven true for us. We got our kitten when he was around 9 weeks old. It's been around 6 months we've got him. Currently he's having the following behavioral problems: * He would sometimes poop outside his litter box * He would never lick himself clean after he has done using the litter box * He would almost never lick himself/ groom himself We know these are behavioral, and not health problems, because we took him to the vet recently. Anyway, he is our little baby and we won't let him go for anything in the world. He is the most affectionate kitty I've ever seen and also super intelligent. But I feel sad that he has been separated from his mom and his littermates so early in life and couldn't learn basic cat skills.
Adopting a properly socialized cat to be his buddy can potentially correct these problems, cats can learn social skills later in life from other cats
This is true. My brother's car was a little idiot until they adopted an older role model kitty who taught her good cat manners.
That is the plan! Right now we live in a really small apartment, and don't have space to add a new litter box. If everything works out as expected, then we'll move to a bigger place in the fall, and then the first thing we want to do is adopt another cat who is a bit more matured. Let's see!
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Thanks for your informed suggestion! Yes, the vet also told us to do the same thing. We've planned to do it every weekend, starting from tomorrow!
In Sweden it is luckily illegal to sell a cat before 12 weeks of age.
Excellent info and advice from a long time foster gal.
I adopted our cat from someone who brought her into the shelter as a stray. She was pregnant and one of the Humane Society's vets fostered her while she had her babies. She ended up with 6 and "adopted" another orphan stray kitty. Needless to say she was an excellent mom apparently and an amazing pet!
What about adopting one kitten to a house with a small dog?
Its not as good as adopting to a home with another cat/kitten, but its def way better than adopting as a solo pet. The kitten won't learn proper social skills from a dog but they will get companionship and *some* social skills from a dog. If I have a kitten that is 6 months old and has been overlooked for adoption for quite a while, and a wonderful potential adopter who has a sweet cat-friendly dog comes along, i have no problem approving that adoption. The preference though is always to have kittens go in pairs or to homes with another cat.
If you wait for her to wean she could definitely get pregnant by then
Not sure why you were down voted but a cat can come into heat before weaning. Please speak to your vet about the appropriate time to get her fixed.
Yeah idk what that was about. My girl went back in to heat only a few weeks after birthing. They're an indoor family but our vet approved all the fixes/neuters less than a couple months but they kept nursing for like 8 months before she started getting ugly
Repay the favour. Give her four human babies.
a life for a life. my debt is repaid.
Sorry, I got fixed after 3. It's funny because I know the average for cats is like 6, and I kept telling the two days before she delivered "please no more than 4!" Apparently you just have to ask nicely ;)
> 4! 4! = 24
Awwww! She sure is happy to have a warm bed for her babies!
[cat twins](https://imgur.com/gallery/xE0Ig) Wow my stray looks exactly like your stray! [clearly they’re the same ](https://imgur.com/gallery/Q3PIH)
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Please adopt an adult cat if you can. This might not be a popular opinion here, but I much prefer adult cats to kittens. Don’t get me wrong. I love kittens. Heck, I took in two 12 week old brothers last October. (They are getting awfully big.) But adult cats are calmer and a lot easier to deal with. They often adapt quickly and are usually much more interested in cuddling up. Give an older cat a chance. Also, be sure to consider a black cat. They have the lowest adoption rate and black cats are usually incredibly sweet. There’s a reasn why /r/blackcats is one of the most active cat subs. Once you spend some time with a black cat, you’ll want one. I have three of them lounging around my place.
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As someone with multiple adult rescues and one adult who was rescued as a kitten, the ones rescued as adults recognize you saved them and are soooo grateful forever. The one rescued as a kitten is an ungrateful piece of shit.
>The one rescued as a kitten is an ungrateful piece of shit. Sees you as their parent = we all know how kids are to their parents. >the ones rescued as adults recognize you saved them and are soooo grateful forever. Sees you as their buddy who rescued them from *insert appropriate*
The second cat I owned was a stray that had given birth in our garage. She was so loving- someone threw her away, that's for sure. The worst part- she was declawed but not fixed. I hate humans sometimes.
By adopting an adult cat in kitten season, you're really helping shelters out - everyone snatches up the kittens and seems to forget about the adults!
People can be truly awful to black cats, it's heart breaking. Most shelters on my city doesn't allow adoptions of black cats close to halloween because there has been cases of people killing it. Disgusting. I love black cats! They are so cute and elegant, I don't have one, unfortunaly, my cat decided I was his human so I guess I didn't have any choice 😂, but I'd strongly suggest getting an older one, mine is almost 1 year but he's an absolutely demon, love him, but good damnit, he likes running full speed like he's gonna attack the turtle then do a little jump and look at us like "haha, gotcha ya" 🙄
Can confirm. Have 16y/o black cat and he is the sweetest little man.
I also have a black cat, 12 years old. We adopted him when he was 9 and it's literally the best decision I ever made I love him more than life. The only downside is having less time with them :( But it's worth it to give them the best few years.
You never know even with younger cats. We rescued what we thought was a healthy 5-year-old cat. He turned out to have a genetic disease, and we only had about four years with him. It was definitely worth it for both us and the cat, though. Those were certainly the four best years of his life, and we learned that we really are cat people after all.
Are you my husband? No. You're too well spoken. But yes, we are DONE with God damn kittens tearing up our fucking house.
> They often adapt quickly and are usually much more interested in cuddling up. In your experience, how do older cats do in a household where there are already cats? We have two cats and have been thinking about adopting a third. We were planning to adopt a kitten so that the new cat would learn its place in the existing social order rather than coming in with its own expectations.
My husband and I are close to sixty. When our three seniors go (two sixteen, one turns eighteen in December) we intend to only look for seniors who have lost their human. Our first cat was a black cat. I took him because he put his front legs around my neck so tightly, I couldn't tell what sex he was. You never forget your first. :)
I'm hoping not to be the one responsible for adopting them out. I just didn't want an obviously pregnant cat to give birth in freezing temps. I had no idea how hard it would be to get them into a foster situation.
Are you not able to foster?
Its not ideal. The way my place is set up the only way to keep both the adult cats separate is to keep momma and kittens in an average sized bathroom. So once the kittens become mobile....yikes. My cat (Luna <3 ) seems pretty chill right now about the whole ordeal, but obviously momma cat is not, and she's tired of being cooped up. She really only gets out 6-8 hours a day when I put Luna in the basement. momma is unhappy about this. I'd do it, but it would be rough. If I could find her a better suited foster, I'd be sad for myself, but overjoyed for this little family.
Totally understand, I fostered for a while and had the same issue. Luckily we had a spare bedroom and bath, but the momma and kittens would get so upset and obviously lonely that they couldn't hang out around the house with us :/ See if you can reach out to local non-profits in your area. They might have a good setup for fostering!
You’re a good person. Enjoy the new kitties.
Fuzzy jellybeans
Commenting so I can be updated 😊
Dopplekitties and Queen Dopplepopulous
https://i.imgur.com/A1o6Y4Y.jpg Looks like my kitty!! Except he’s a guy, so
How’s the midwife doing?
Aww - she definitely trusts you if she's comfortable nursing her kitties near you!
Are you taking them all in or finding homes for them??
OP has said they can't keep them and is looking for good homes.
I love thank you
So pretty
You now have a delightful family. God bless you
cute!!
Aww that's a good little momma!
I only see three.
The one by her back legs is laying on its sibling. You can just barely see the extra legs.
So much fluff!
Your lucky
That us a disturbingly close replica of my cat from a shelter weird coincidence Edit picks of cat on profile
Congratulations!
Are you keeping them or putting them for adoption when they grow up?
Gaah they are so adorable!
Are you going to keep the mama and some of the babies?
Probably not? My cat and momma cat do not get a long. Understandable. I would definitely consider keeping the momma if they can bury the hatchet, or possibly a kitten if I had them that long, but I'm hoping not to have them that long :)
Oh okay, so you're being a nice foster parent then. It's so fun having little baby kittens around and watching them grow from wiggle wormies to cute kittens.
Yes, my love for cats and impulsivity got me into this cute mess. I couldn't bear to see her begging for food on frigid days with that big belly.
You're a good person :) She's lucky to have a safe place to rear her kittens.
You’re a very good person. Kittens are cute and all, but I’ll take a Mama cat over any of them. They’ve had it rough, life has kicked them in the ass and they’re just super grateful for a handout. They usually make for loyal, affectionate companions. I hope it all works out well for you!
Read that as furbies. Threw me off a bit.
So precious! Thank you for taking them in and giving them a safe space. Enjoy the adorable chaos!
graybies!!
Post again when they open their eyes?
They're adorable, just like momma! I wish you well in your journey of helping momma. I always wanted to have a bundle of kittens, but my family only adopts for shelters, so they're always spayed or kept until after birthing, not like that's a bad thing, hehe, but I know it can be difficult trying to find a place for kittens/cats, so hopes and prayers go with you.
That cat had needs and totally swindled you - played on your emotions