r/cats • u/hog_crankr59 • May 23 '26
Advice A community cat has brought me her kittens. What does she want me to do?
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u/MsE0 May 23 '26
She wants you to watch them while she gets some "me" time. I'm not joking--that's a real cat behavior that they do with each other and with humans.
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u/MsE0 May 23 '26
And yeah, if you can catch her, it would be good to try to bring her and the babies in to a rescue or care for them
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u/PM_your_Nopales May 23 '26
And also to get her spayed! A lot of vets will give discounts or even do it for free if ya bring in a stray
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u/januaryemberr May 23 '26
Yea, check with the humane society. They give free spay and neuter vouchers where I live.
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u/Lizzies-homestead May 23 '26
I wish they did that where I live! Our local shelters in South Carolina act like it’s not their problem
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u/DownWithHisShip May 23 '26
nobody has ever offered a free fixing for strays I bring in (california). but every one of these threads keeps preaching it. where are you all finding all this pro bono vets??? it feels like something that happened in the 90's and everyone keeps repeating it. its 2026 there isn't shit for free anymore.
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u/BuckManscape May 23 '26
Private equity has bought out most vets, and we all know they’re not doing shit for free. This was probably from when there were more private practices.
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u/klef3069 May 23 '26
Fuck private equity.
This has nothing to do with cats, per se, PE just makes everything 100x more expensive and 100x worse.
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u/Catsooey May 23 '26
We need to push the reset button and re-regulate our government. This happened in the 20’s with the robber barons and trusts. We need to clean house big time.
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u/millijuna May 23 '26
The big reforms that happened after the depression happened because the oligarchs at the time saw what happened in Russia, and were afraid of having it happen to them too.
Makes you think…
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u/25point4cm May 23 '26
PE = Perpetual Enshitification
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u/Economy-Cat7133 May 23 '26
Remembers when it stood for Physical Exercise/Education.
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u/indoorskat May 23 '26
This. This is one of the drivers fucking up the US and making it impossible for normal people to just live their lives and have a few nice things for reasonable prices (like the ability to retire, healthcare, childcare, decent roads, etc.).
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u/DemonicBludyCumShart May 23 '26
I'm usually pretty versed in how rich people ruin everything for everyone but I gotta admit I got a blind spot with "private equity". Would you mind giving me a quick 411?
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u/Le0nardNimoy May 23 '26
It’s like… the main way rich people ruin shit. Private Equity groups are basically a big pool of investor money that buy up businesses/housing/whatever with the expectation that they will bring in more money than they spent.
They typically do this by charging more money and cutting costs. You get less for more.
So, rather than take your pet to a business run by someone that got into the Vet business for the love of animals, you get a business run by soulless C-suite execs trying to squeeze as much money as they can.
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u/Ok_Exchange342 May 23 '26
I read an article about a popular drug store chain, can't remember which one, anyway the pharmacist says one day they had PTO, health insurance, vacation and profit sharing. It was bought out by a peg (pegs...ha ha ha, never thought of that before) and the next day they had a wage cut and all the benefits were gone. Just like that.
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u/JenAnna10 May 24 '26
It's the same thing as when all of your local doctors join up under a big healthcare group. For example, in my area, they were under a group called Partners in Health, and now they're under St. Elizabeth. No one is private practicing anymore, and we pay for it in many ways. They catch huge tax breaks and make more money off of us but give very poor service in return. We have become a number with a value assigned to it, not a person, and the hypocratic oath they took holds no value at all. We are literally killing and drowning ourselves in debt by allowing this to happen. Now, they are doing the exact same thing in the world of veterinarian needs. It's run just like human healthcare. Money over life.
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u/backagain301 May 24 '26
Private equity is particularly insidious bc they want to extract as much money as fast as possible; they're not concerned with the long term. So they often use debt to buy up established businesses, then pile that debt onto the business itself, and sell off anything that's not nailed down. They don't care about customers or quality bc they're not in it for the long haul. Customers get the shaft, the business fails (or gets sold off to some other shady operation), and eventually closes.
It's exactly the kind of cynical grift you'd expect from MBAs and McKinsey types. It's bad for everyone except private equity
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u/cap_time_wear_it May 23 '26
https://youtu.be/B_7SQDuUKQs?si=zNaw14M-s_Jc1ITU
This is Senator Warren talking about private equity buy outs. I work for Walgreens which was recently bought by a private equity. Things at this more than 100 year old company are terrible.
I googled “who took over Walgreens” to learn more about the deal.
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u/FiveOhFive91 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
I found a place that is only open on Saturdays. They take reservations and you drop off your cat and get a claim check and a couple hours later then you get a call saying they're ready to be picked up. Vets from all over the area come in for Saturdays to do mass neutering for $30. It's not free but it was the best I could find.
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u/falsewall May 23 '26
I just woke up and am groggy and for some reason misinterpreted what you said as a nice restaurant were their their whole gimmick was you have to have make a reservation then let them neuter your cat, who you pick up after.
I was imagining a cheesecake factory, coming in with a carrier, having a nice meal and then being handed a very unhappy cat at the end.
The idea made me laugh. I'm going to go get some coffee.
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u/Lyothelionfish May 23 '26
A new animal center opened up last summer in my area. The previous one had discounted spays for community cat, this one offers 5 free spay vouchers! I have cats living in my backyard and was able to get them all spayed, otherwise I couldn’t afford it :/ I’m in the IE
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u/W-Cell88 May 23 '26
I live in MA and they have reduced cost spay/neuter here and theres a wait list… i think its $60/$85 for males and females respectively
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u/SomethingIWontRegret May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
Free spay / neuter is something that should be offered by any municipality that has an animal control department. That shit pays for itself. But nope, they're chronically underfunded and so here we are.
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u/sodappend May 23 '26
IDK where in California you are but large SPCAs or rescues often provide free spay/neuters especially for those doing TNR. If you live near a big city there's almost certainly someone running a program there. Check your local animal/cat rescue facebook groups for nearby options!
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u/BrainIsSickToday May 23 '26
I was dealing with a stray that was causing problems, and was trying to figure out what resources I had available. Turns out my city's plan for stray cats is a single lady in the next county over. She drops off some traps and then you take the cat to the only vet in two counties that does pro-bono spaying/neutering, but only does stray neutering in bi-weekly batches. The lady was also an older teacher who did this service as a volunteer on her off hours. WTF is my city's plan here? Like damn, they can't hire one person to take over for this lady???
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u/Rejalia May 23 '26
We have the Neuter Scooter where I live! They do TNR with the ear docking for free. Turns out that given the chance, most owners don’t want the cosmetic damage to their cat even for a free spay or neuter so it has remained truly a TNR situation.
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u/Affectionate-Sun7561 May 23 '26
I agree but finding space for, caring for, feeding and spaying a whole bunch of babies can't be cheap. (Source: have taken in a pregnant stray and it's already pretty expensive for me and there aren't even any babies yet. I'm just lucky that I had the room and time - I work from home.)
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u/Veronica612 May 23 '26
Many communities in the US have discount spay/ neuter and vaccinations for feral cats. Just google your city.
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u/nutkinknits May 23 '26
The stray that adopted my daughter would have been $120 to have rabies vax and neutered. The clinic also wanted him in a trap even though we had trained him to go into a cat carrier to eat. An acquaintance of mine had an opening with her TNR program and was able to have him done for $70. And she absolutely loved that he was in a regular carrier and not a trap. It made it easier to transport him. I was so thankful she had an opening. She said the feral toms are harder to trap so she often has space for cats like ours. Highly recommend asking around for community resources!
Our Sweetie had his procedure back in October and he's doing so well. He still has to be outdoors due to severe allergies but he's not getting into fights, he has a regular food source, his own cozy house when it's cold and unlimited pats and scritches when my kids are outside.
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u/Calamondin88 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
It's wild to assume that every person can take in many cats just like that. It's textbook 'on a whim', yet so many people say 'you should think very carefully before you adopt a pet, a pet is not a toy'. Why when there are strays, the standard mindset becomes 'just about anybody has time, resources and capacity', yet when people are actively looking for a pet, the mindset is 'you probably haven't thought it through well enough'?
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u/sunbear2525 May 23 '26
If OP brings them inside until they can find them homes they have to accept they have 5 cats indefinitely because they may not find them homes.
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u/Calamondin88 May 23 '26
Exactly, that's my point. And if OP wants to get rid of those cats eventually, they effectively would be dumping house cats on the street, instead of just releasing them back on the street, as those kittens if taken in that young, will spend their deepest kittenhood in home environment which will become all that they know and they will have zero street survival instincts.
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u/Special_Lychee_6847 May 23 '26
If taken care of by ppl in the neighborhood, it might be better at least the adult cat gets sterilized and released. stray cats that are sterilized actually help keep numbers down, because they form territory buffers between cats that are fertile.
(I think... someone knows otherwise, correct me, if I'm wrong)
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u/GunnyFreedom May 23 '26
It’s true this actually happens. I’ve experienced it myself lol
A cat typically only does this with someone they know and trust.
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u/Late_Resource_1653 May 23 '26
The first time this happened to me I was baffled. My girlfriend and I were sitting outside on our porch with our morning coffee and suddenly the tote bag (think large, beach bag sized) left outside... Moved.
Our first thought was mice and then we heard a tiny mew.
Opened it up and... 5 tiny kittens. While discussing what to do, one of the ferals from the local colony wandered up, looked at both of us, and jumped into the bag.
It was a Saturday so we just stayed put. After a while, she jumped back out looked at both of us, and left.
Thus began our journey. We eventually socialized them, got them to the vet, and got them all good homes. Tried to get momma fixed, but she disappeared before we could. Until she came back the next year with another round of kittens. That time we managed to get her fixed as well through the TNR program I joined.
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u/justjessica79 May 23 '26
That is literally my fantasy. They were lucky to find you guys.
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u/Wingcapx May 23 '26
I would love to pair up all the people in the world who are ready at a moment's notice to be landed with a load of stray kittens, with all the stray kittens
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u/hates_stupid_people May 23 '26
Having grown up around cats, I can confirm that they will sometimes carry their kittens to where you are sitting, and then asked to be let out. They literally want a break and trust you to watch them while they're gone.
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u/GreenGlassDrgn May 23 '26
once I was working in a village in greece, and there was this man they called Grandpa, very respected, over 90 years old and had done and seen some wild stuff in his life. He would walk through town every morning and then take his coffee and a newspaper the same spot. He pretended to hate cats, but a momma cat would drop her kittens off at his feet like clockwork, and he would order a sandwich with fish while he was 'stuck there against his will'. He would accidentally drop a little fish for momma cat when she came back. But dont you dare think for a second that he cared about those stray cats! lol its been like 15 years and that memory sticks with me, like a core tenet of my faith in humanity
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u/CrossingGarter May 23 '26
My dad was like that. He was the guy who put out food everyday, since "no one else was gonna do it."
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u/EclecticMermaid May 23 '26
I was this person when my childhood cat had kittens. Once they were old enough she wanted breaks, I'd hear her muffled meow through the scruff of one of the kittens moments before they got dropped in my lap 😂
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u/unburritoporfavor May 23 '26
My cat did this too. The first couple of weeks she was a super diligent momma, almost never leaving her kittens. But as soon as they got old enough to actually move around by themselves she brought them to me and I could feel telepathically she was like "I did my job, now its your turn, I'm outta here"
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u/TechnicalScheme385 May 23 '26
As others have said. This is VERY true. As a human with a Cat colony. We will get strays that literally drop off their 4 week old kittens and say "here you go, its your turn now".
But since we have a lot of fosters and a pair of sisters that community parent kittens we are set well by the trust these cats give us. When we can we try to TNR any cat that gets close enough to humanizing. And just about every kitten we do get. Ends up adopted.
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u/Cow_Launcher May 23 '26
People tend to think of domestic cats as being solitary. They're not, and that should be obvious from the way that they will make colonies if left to their own devices. Domestic cats are only ever alone because humans want it that way.
Mama cats who find themselves in a colony situation will leave their kittens with another trusted female (or even a neutered male) to give themselves time to feed and sleep. The arrangement is reciprocal and paid down the line, with older queens looking after the kittens of mollys that they themselves have known from birth.
We rescued a 9-month-old pregnant kitten last year and, when she'd had enough for the moment, she'd stand up, glance at me, my fiancee and our 12-year-old male cat and go, "I'm outta here. Deal with this, please."
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u/GrumpyCatStevens May 23 '26
I’m witnessing this very thing with a mother cat having another cat watch her kittens. There is a brown tabby with two 8-10 week old kittens in my backyard, and she often leaves the babies in the care of a neutered male who also lives on my property. Sometimes she’ll leave them with an intact male; I suspect he might be the baby daddy.
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u/Cow_Launcher May 23 '26
Are you in a position to get the kittens neutered? I know it sounds weird, but an intact male - even if it's the kittens' dad - will mate with them.
Cats have no understanding of the risks of close incest.
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u/GrumpyCatStevens May 23 '26
I plan to start setting my live trap soon - or at least I will once the neutered boy stops using it as a bed! The door is propped open, and I’ve seen him napping in there at least twice.
Your point is well taken, I am pretty sure both of the kittens are female. I would also like to get mama spayed, along with “baby daddy” and the two other toms neutered.
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u/itstanktime May 23 '26
I've seen un-neutered males watch kittens too. We have a very large feral tom cat in the area that watched my cats when they were kittens and mom was out doing whatever. He is super aggressive with other cats but not young ones. The kittens would climb all over him.
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u/fraginev May 23 '26
Tnr?
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u/July_snow-shoveler May 23 '26
Trap, Neuter/Spay, Release. If you come across a cat with a clipped ear tip or a tattoo on its belly, it probably went through the process.
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u/bramblesovereign May 23 '26
This :) this momma trusts you of all the people in your community. She wants some time to herself while knowing her babies are 100% in good hands
My feral barn cat got pregnant before I could catch and spay her. I wish she did this 🙃 she..was not a good mom lol.
I ended up having to rescue her sole survivor at 3 weeks old due to her neglect as a mother (yes some momma cats can be deadbeats lol also baby needed immediate intervention care to survive)
She knew we took the baby in :) We were worried it'd stress her out after seeing her baby was missing. Nope. If anything, she showed more gratitude towards us and became closer to our family. No nervousness, no stressing. She was honestly a happier cat once we took her baby.
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u/exzyle2k May 23 '26
Cats are like people... If you're having kids too young, you can't care for them and yourself. Mother cat was probably really young and was in over her head.
I temporarily homed a pregnant cat who was young, and while her maternal instincts did kick in she was a part-time parent. Luckily the kittens had us to fill in the gaps and socialize them. Hopefully they all found good homes as I had to turn Mama and kittens into a shelter (no kill, don't worry) once the kittens turned 8 weeks because of allergies and financial reasons.
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u/Ziggy_Starcrust May 23 '26
It's true that younger cats can have issues caring for their litters, and that likely happened there. But also when cats live in colonies, they share the kitten-rearing responsibilities. She very well could have thought you were in on the implicit colony co-parenting agreement lol
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u/ghost_suburbia May 23 '26
It's so funny who they pick sometimes. My dad was once just sitting on the porch drinking his iced tea and a strange cat picked him. Dropped 4 kittens off and she went off for awhile. He was, like, what the heck? And, also, help!
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u/United_Coach_5292 May 23 '26
I took in a stray cat who had been hanging around our home only to discover she was pregnant. When she had the kittens we set up the spare room for her and them.
She would bring them downstairs when I got home from work, one at a time, while I was making dinner and put them in the living room. It was like she was saying, Ive had them all day - youre on duty now. Id help her carry them all upstairs back to the spare room when it was bedtime. And then the same thing would happen the next day - was adorable.
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u/hot4you11 Brown Tabby, Black Cat May 23 '26
My mom has been watching an eagle cam and the eagle parents take turns going out to do eagle things. I love to see good co-parents in nature!
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u/Accomplished-Way4534 American Shorthair May 23 '26
Imagine leaving your baby with a random stranger so you can get some “me” time 😭
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u/International-Cat123 May 23 '26
Maybe not so random. Cats often bond simply by existing in the same space and seemingly ignoring each other. Not paying attention to a cat that isn’t seeking attention is a good way of gaining their trust. If mama likes to hang near OP tends to often be, it’s possible OP was being very polite by cat standards without even seeing mama.
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u/krebstar4ever May 23 '26
Hey, the momma cat has to eat and sleep, too! And get food for her babies, if they're old enough for solids. I'm sure she's familiar with the person and thinks they're safe. She probably doesn't see it as burdensome demand, because cats babysit for each other all the time.
In fact, cats who get pregnant around the same time tend to form really strong bonds with each other—which may abruptly end when they start weaning! It's the hormones, and I assume it's an evolutionary adaptation. They raise the kittens collaboratively, nursing all of them together and babysitting.
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u/greentea1985 May 23 '26
Yep. People don’t realize that cats are actually quite social and will do group babysitting with close family members and friends. Good news, this cat trusts you to be able to look after her kittens while she goes hunting and takes care of her other “errands.” So you get to watch her kittens for a few hours.
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u/A_himsa May 23 '26
Babysitting
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u/JustinCarmody May 23 '26
*Kittysitting
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u/bucketfoottatoo May 23 '26
*Kitten sittin'
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u/TonarinoTotoro1719 May 23 '26
It’s not babysitting if you are the designated co-parent.
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u/Grace_the_race May 23 '26
seriously people! can’t anyone take responsibility these days??
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u/TonarinoTotoro1719 May 23 '26
Right! Now cats have to teach their designated humans to be responsible.
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u/Grace_the_race May 23 '26
My cat is constantly disappointed in me. I’m trying my best, Gus!!
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u/bart1645 May 23 '26
Give them jobs.
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u/SickPrograms Calico May 23 '26
Whoa whoa whoa, Tuesday. We give these kittens paid holidays around here
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u/MissSmkNmirrors May 23 '26
These kitties belong to the B.U. (Biscuits Union)
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u/Aggressive_Hat_9999 May 23 '26
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u/No_Maintenance_2110 May 23 '26
Man, I found and joined this subreddit 4 days ago, and I've already found and simultaneously joined 4 more ridiculous cat-related subreddits. It's like the cat distribution system is slowly altering my behavior through the internet now (I am not complaining).
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u/aigarcia38 May 23 '26
Have you found r/thereisnocat or r/pottedcats ? Hoping to expand your reach lol
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u/DoktorBlu May 23 '26
They likely already are employed and in service. Probably reason you were put in charge this Memorial Day weekend. Kittens are snipers, spies, special forces, MP’s, and if you look behind the couch or under the fridge, quartermasters. Mom probably took off to pour one out for her guy, Major Tom.
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u/Remarzaa May 23 '26
congrats you got assigned a family
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u/BocaHydro May 23 '26
she needs help
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u/wileyphotography May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
Yep. She trusts you and might be asking you to co-parent as if you are another mother cat in a colony. It’s a great way to make sure the little ones get homes and TNR the mother if you think she is not adoptable.
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u/Zurgalon May 23 '26
I misread this as "DNR the mother" and was really worried/confused that not adoptable cats were put on do not resuscitate lists.
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u/Fawn_Leap American Shorthair May 23 '26
Probably best to just TNR the mom in most cases like this. We only have so much space in shelters, and kittens house-trained early are much more likely to be adopted than 99% feral moms.
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u/jadeneonsiren May 23 '26
Sometimes moms just need 20 minutes.
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u/Substantial-Image941 May 23 '26
I find it kinda hilarious when two momma cats combine litters and one takes a break from them all to groom herself because it's literally "can i just have five minutes away from these kids to take a shower?!?"
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u/novaplume May 24 '26
That's a real struggle for human parents too. I used to have to take the bouncy seat in the bathroom and shower with the curtain mostly open so baby could see me.
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u/throwawy00004 May 24 '26
Same. With the first one, it was worry because she had some physical challenges. With the second one, it was because she would scream if she couldn't see me.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Bee4361 May 23 '26
Babysit them while she finds something to eat and drink. Cats in colonies do this for one another.
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u/uncertainty2022 May 23 '26
A community cat was run over at my complex and we found her remaining babies (found 1 singleton last week) last night. Care for them if you have the means to do so financially and with a vet’s approval but if not, find a rescue in your area
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u/OSRSRapture May 23 '26
That's so fucking sad.
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u/fuckingartschool101 May 23 '26 edited May 24 '26
It is. Domestic cats do not belong outside. They’re called “domestic” as a species for a reason, but people treat them like they’re miniature mountain lions who belong in the wild ://
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u/TheBestNarcissist May 23 '26
The inevitable result for millions of cats and kittens because humans don't realize how terrible life is for outdoor cats. Everyone thinks "cat distribution system" and "cute community cats" but don't realize those are the 25% that survive more than 6 months living outside :(
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u/fuckingartschool101 May 24 '26
“Cat distribution system” literally these mfers are fighting for their lives and the lives of their kittens out here, like shit is not sweet for them on the streets!!
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u/UltimateCatTree May 24 '26
I think we know this, it's likely one of those "we laugh so that we don't cry" things. I've only managed to rescue one of many strays I've seen, and my heart aches for all the rest.
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u/Wrong_Swan_666 May 23 '26
I have a pair of stray cats that show up from time to time. They’re completely feral and won’t let anyone come near them and won’t come near human-provided food, I doubt they’d ever be good candidates for adoption even if I were successfully able to crate them. They’ve probably been out here their entire lives and know nothing else.
Anyway, we only see them once or twice a year, and each time it’s to bring us a sick or injured kitten. They stick around, watching from the corner of the yard, to make sure we feed the baby and take care of it. Once we take the baby to a safe place, the two ferals come back to check in for a few days but then vanish again for months once they deem the kitten in safe hands. Cats are so strange.
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u/MzJackieO May 23 '26
I strongly believe she would want you to post more kitten pictures.
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u/Substantial-Image941 May 23 '26
Absolutely. Cats aren't that into social media, but they still love Reddit.
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u/lovepeacefakepiano May 23 '26
Babysit so she can find some food for herself/get a break.
If you can afford it, feeding her would be a great help, especially food high in calories - kitten food is great for a nursing mama cat.
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u/Grendeltech May 23 '26
She just went to the store to get cigarettes and milk. She'll be back in 15 mi... years.
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u/Squidgyboot123 May 23 '26
Distribution system doing it's deliveries.
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u/EconomyDoctor3287 May 23 '26
Mom will want them back though. This is just a temporary "please watch them for a while"
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u/greywolf0678 May 23 '26
Congratulations, she decided you are their babysitter while she goes out for food.
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u/ketchup-is-gross May 23 '26
Figure out a fair rate for babysitting FOUR (!!) children for multiple hours with apparently NO notice and politely send mom a Venmeow request for your services
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u/DetectiveResident391 May 23 '26
Heh. Grew up with a colony; mom was a colony caretaker before it was a thing. And, I can confirm. Every morning, the moms would put the kittens on the front porch where my mom sat with her coffee. She'd "babysit" for a couple of hours while the moms sunbathed, slept, hunted or whatever. (Yes, we fed them. Damn me if I don't feel like 1/3 of our hunting and fishing trips were just to stock meats for that colony) If mom wanted to go back inside or go do something else she'd either have us play with the kittens or start up calling the moms and saying she had to go back inside.Theere'd be one or two adult cats wander up to lay on the porch. Cats are more social than people think. If you have been chosen to babysit, take that as high praise indeed. Hopefully, you can socialize them a bit. Possibly coordinate with your local shelter to get them into foster homes for adoption. And mama fixed.
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u/TreeLovesWarriors May 23 '26
Well where’s the mama now? If she’s still there any you’ve got a car or something I’d bring them all home & contact both a vet & a cat rescue. The kittens look young, maybe around 5-6 weeks?
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u/Kat_iee0072 Cow Cat May 23 '26
"RAISE MY KIDS FOR MEEEE "
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u/Tquilha May 23 '26
Congratulations. The CDS has selected you as a kitten foster parent.
Take good care of your four fluffy bundles of cuteness and chaos.
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u/BarelyHolding0n May 23 '26
The feral I was feeding who I knew had 5 week old kittens stashed in a nearby derelict building dropped one of them on my doorstep one morning.
She was gone by the time I found him so I popped him in my jumper and went about my day. 20 minutes later she was back with another one and walked straight into the house and settled in a cat bed (she'd never come past the door before).
I was like 'thats fine mama, you can move in... But you forgot some kittens!'. I knew she had 4 because I'd asked the owner of the building to let me in to check a week earlier but as she wasn't there and they were utterly feral and terrified I left them be, figured it'd be better to trap and socialise them once they were weaned.
She wasnt budging so I tucked the two she'd bothered to bring in the bed with her and had to break into the building and spend my morning trying to catch 2 kittens that absolutely didn't want to be caught and ripped my arms to shreds in the attempt.
Funnily enough all four took to pets and cuddles almost instantaneously and we kept 2 and rehomed 2... And kept Mama obviously.
Mama was already pregnant again when she moved in so we had another round of kittens to deal with before she could be spayed and watching her with those I realised she never once picked them up... I'm not sure she understood how. So I think she'd have brought the first lot to me a lot earlier but she couldn't get them out of where she'd had them, the two that morning had obviously managed to jump out with her and she had no way of extricating the other two if they couldn't manage it.
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u/regularforcesmedic May 23 '26
Babysit. Truly. Kitties bring their babies to other momma cats so they can get a break.
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u/GunnyFreedom May 23 '26
Typically, if a mama cat drops her baby kittens off to a person, they want to socialize the kittens. As long as neither the mother cat nor the baby kittens appear to be in severe health distress then she probably just wants you to play with them a little so they learn to be friendly with humans.
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u/GunnyFreedom May 23 '26
These kittens are too young to be completely weaned, so the mama cat is definitely not giving them to you to take away from her. Mama cats will hand off their kittens for babysitting so they can have some quiet time, but that’s usually only with someone they know well and trust.
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u/TekHawk_Projects May 23 '26
Congratulations you are now a cat parent. The mom cat saw how well you were treating her and decided to bring her babies over to have you help her. Animals will do this when they see that a human wants to take care of them and genuinely cares.
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u/ProjectNo4090 May 23 '26
Cats are colony animals. Mama cats will leave their kittens in the care of other cats in the colony so that mama can go hunt.
That mom cat considers you part of her colony and needs you to watch her babies while she goes hunting.
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u/Individual_Profit602 May 23 '26
She trusts you, she wants you to watch them while she hunts or does whatever mama cats do when they drop the kids off.
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u/girlwiththemonkey May 23 '26
She wants you to give them to me. She just can’t call me because she’s a cat so she has no money for the payphone.
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u/wellapptdesk May 24 '26
If you can catch mama, put the kittens in your bath tub and let mama hop on and out to care for them. That’s what we did with our mama and baby brood. Mama could not have been happier to know her kittens were safe and she could care for them but also get some “me time”.
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u/Dombat927 Domestic Housecat May 23 '26
She needs a break and chose you to babysit. Its a huge honor, so take good care of them until she returns. If you can catch momma maybe give them a little space in the house or garage so you can get them fixed and adopted, or find a rescue that can
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u/Elliott_Queerest May 24 '26
She wants you to babysit. No lie you can probably use these little ones to lure her inside. Then you can check with your local humane society and see if they have any programs to help get them fixed and adopted out. You can even offer your services as the foster home whole they post them for adoption.
It's good that she trusts you to care for them, if and when she comes back and you can get them all inside you can leave most of the feeding and potty duties to momma. Just keep an eye on their health and if you don't know what to do. Consult Kitten Lady on YouTube. I learned all my tips and tricks from her.
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u/Devilianic May 24 '26
you're her employee now.
you've been chosen to kitten-sittin'.
and don't ask for being payed. been chosen is reward enough.
you're welcome 😁
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u/mnth241 May 24 '26
Keep them safe from harm, fed, play with them, lick their fur if it gets dirty. Typical baby care stuff. She will be back. 😍
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u/IrelandAutism13 May 23 '26
Babysit so she can do cat things. Cat colonies are pretty communal in child-rearing, they leave their kittens with a colony member while they go do stuff so they know the kittens are looked after. She left them with you because she must view you as a colony member and thus someone who can babysit for her.
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u/JayLeeBeanz May 23 '26
She just hired you as a babysitter. The payment? You get to cuddle with kittens!
And I hope you'll be able to bring the whole family to the vet for spaying, shots and parasite treatment.
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u/intentionalreticence May 23 '26
She wants you to feed them (and her) & provide safe shelter— under porch, in garage open just enough to come & go, a shed or doghouse… anything dry/warm and covered to protect from owls/hawks/coyotes, etc.
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u/Nicole-E-Olie May 23 '26
You’ve been promoted to personal assistant. Welcome to your babysitting duties.
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u/KT_mama May 24 '26
You have been volun-told. You are now their babysitter because you've proven yourself to be a trustworthy person.
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u/ThemeGlad5881 May 24 '26
She wants help. She doesn't have a safe place for them, she's worried about their safety, and she probably doesnt have enough milk to feed them, if shes scared to leave them and go hunt.
Scoop them up, give them a box with a soft blanket, something that big enough for them and her to snuggle in, no bigger. Put out some water, (no milk) she's probably dehydrated, and canned food for her. Maybe some dry food too.
Put her somewhere where she feels hidden, but close enough that she and her babies will get used to you.
Watch and see if she can nurse them. Babies may need some KMR. Kitty Milk Replacer. If they're old enough to lap it up, fine. If not, you may have to feed them.
At this point, find someone local that can help you. And follow all the good advice here...spaying and neutering is so important. There are thousands euthanized -killed-every day because people aren't responsible pet owners.
Be flattered. Cats will only go to people who have the 'gene' of good hearted souls.
Good luck!
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u/Competitive-Top4520 May 24 '26
She has chosen you to take her & her kittens in. It's truly a special honor. She thinks you're a very special person and trusts you.
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u/TellMyBrotherGoodbye May 23 '26
She wants you to give them a better life.🤗 But truthfully, as another poster said, she trusts you to watch them while she hunts or looks for food.
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