Oh, the irony...

[Frecs]

So, 10 days ago, Mother and I go to the county animal protective services location and adopt a 3-year-old male (neutered) cat named Clyde. (I posted pics I believe.)

Guess what Mother discovered yesterday?

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think you know?

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.
..
...

Betcha you haven't guessed it....

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...

.....


Okay, I'll tell you.... a momma cat has been living under our house for an unknown period of time -- and has at least 3 kittens that Mother has spotted so far.

Oh, NO, we are NOT taking Clyde back! He is a sweetie and he is STAYING!!.

What we gotta do now is catch Momma Cat and get her vetted and spayed. Catch kittens and start making them friendly...and get them vetted and spayed/neutered when of age to do so...and then...we should never have to fret about mice, voles, moles, and snakes ever again!!!

Oh, and I need names for these squatters...

According to Mother (I've not actually seen these cats):

Momma Cat is white
Kitten #1 is white with black spots
Kitten #2 is white with tabby spots
Kitten #3 is tabby

 

[MamaSheepdog]

:lol:

Well, barn cats do better in groups, and MamaKitty will teach her little ones to hunt by bringing them "practice animals". You should have a good rodent control squad soon!

I can't wait to see pics of the little guys. So hurry up and apprehend the little buggers! :chase1:

 

[dayna]

Yeah I can't wait to see them too!

 

[AmysMacdog]

:lol: Congrats on the cute lil kitties! I'm jealous! I'd love some cute lil vole hunters!

 

[Frecs]

:lol:

Well, barn cats do better in groups, and MamaKitty will teach her little ones to hunt by bringing them "practice animals". You should have a good rodent control squad soon!

I can't wait to see pics of the little guys. So hurry up and apprehend the little buggers! :chase1:

Works for me.

Now, my current concern is this: I intend to trap them using my hav-a-hart live trap. I'm concerned about catching Mamakitty first and then the babies be unprotected...but if I catch kittens first...will Mamakitty leave? :x

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I'd catch mamakitty first, then try to manually grab the kittens unless they're already on the running-around phase.

Congrats on a nice little kitty-herd!!!

 

[Frecs]

I'd catch mamakitty first, then try to manually grab the kittens unless they're already on the running-around phase.

Congrats on a nice little kitty-herd!!!

The kittens are guesstimated to be 2 months old...they are running around and coming out from under the house to eat the food Mother has started putting out for them.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

If you catch MamaKitty first, maybe you could put her in a crate with the trap butted up against the door so that the kittens will go into the trap trying to get to her.

 

[Wheels]

Well if you got a Clyde then I think momma cat is Bonnie and her kids - Gilbert, Arnie and Ellen

no advice on catching kitties - although if you keep on feeding them I'm sure their abduction will come soon enough.

 

[Prisma]

When I catch cats around here, usually a can/pouch of the tuna or the stinkiest can of canned cat food I can get draws them in quicker. Raw meat scraps also work well. If you think they are about 2 months, be prepared for mini chainsaws if they've never had human contact. The quicker caught, the better the chances of getting them calmed down. Some that aren't caught soon enough never calm down, they'll tolerate people for food but that's it. I wouldn't know this if it wasn't for the "nice" people that routinely dump cats and dogs around here :evil: .

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Well, set the trap and see who you catch.
If its a kitten. Mama has 2 left, she'll stay.

If you catch a kitten or mama, take a dog crate (enclosed, wire front) and put it so the only way to 'get' to them is to walk into the trap. So they can see them through the wire, but the caught cat can't escape. The wire front should be agaisnt the back of the trap.
Repeat for kittens, and/or mama

 

[Frecs]

Well, after beating on every door in my own county, I went south of the border to SC and found a group that will help me get all the squatters altered...plus will help with the whole trapping process. The lady, at first, was like "we can't find homes for them". Once she understood we intend to let them remain here, she was very happy to help with catching and spay/neutering...after Thanksgiving that is.