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  #1  
Old April 24th, 2007, 06:43 PM
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Please don't make my mistake of waiting too long

Tilly (pic below) and her sister Holly (no pic here) popped up on our porch in November. We guessed they were 6-8 weeks old. We stopped trying to shoo them off so they stayed around and grew up (although they are still very small cats). Tilly is not quite feral but will not come to us - she just runs away. When we can catch her napping in the cat house my dad built - she is very affectionate. So I bought a hav-a-heart type cage to trap them in when the time came to take them to be spayed.

Here is the issue - our vet won't spay until they are at least 6 mths. Later, we found a group in the next county that will spay at an earlier age, unfortunately we waited too long. Tilly got pregnant. We must have been wrong with guessing ages in Nov, but she can only be about 6 months old. They both had an appointment on April 20th. Tilly had her babies on April 18th. 4 of them! Thankfully she is a good mom - and very willing to let us pet her and all of them.

Now, my job is finding a home for these new 4 and to get her spayed as soon as they are weaned. But my biggest job is to learn this lesson - don't wait too long!

Here's one of the photos from this past weekend - there are 4 showing - the 4th is just under Tilly's head - almost solid white.

Wish me luck finding homes for these little cuties in about 5 weeks. I hope that someone can learn from my "late" mistake - don't wait too long or you'll have these little faces like this to deal with!!!

Diane
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Old April 24th, 2007, 07:09 PM
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Tilley is gorgeous and the kitten are adorable. I hope they find good homes. It's not your fault that she got pregnant, and at least you're trying to help her by getting her spayed. Good luck with the new family
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Old April 24th, 2007, 07:22 PM
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Thank you Stacer, I really did try!
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Old April 24th, 2007, 08:31 PM
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Good luck from now on.

They're very pretty kitties.
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Old April 24th, 2007, 11:19 PM
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Tilly is beautiful and the babies are adorable. Were you able to get Holly spayed yet? Good luck.
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Old April 24th, 2007, 11:53 PM
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Oh my!! The kittens are cute and thank you for posting this - you are doing us all a good service. I am thinking of the post I just replied to from someone with kittens who are 4 months and unspayed and uneutered!! You are most fortunate that Tilley did so well at her young age and that everything turned out well!!

Good luck in finding good homes!!!! You may ask a rescue group to post some courtesy listings for you?
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Old April 25th, 2007, 12:17 AM
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Awww, don't feel to bad. At least you will find these kittens will find good homes and won't be adding to the feral situation .
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Old April 25th, 2007, 11:16 AM
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Thanks all yes rainbow, Holly kept her appointment...she was mad at us a day or two but now she is all happy and sweet again

Diane
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Old April 25th, 2007, 11:32 AM
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Thanks for posting this DMC you've done a wonderful thing in taking in these babies-having babies.
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Old April 25th, 2007, 11:42 AM
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I second that..... thanks so much for doing this. And, we also want more pics.
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Old April 25th, 2007, 12:19 PM
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Don't feel bad, I jumped in too soon with a stray mom and because she was under stress all of her little kittens died, despite our best efforts to bottle feed etc.

I'm sure you'll be able to find them all loving homes and God bless for taking these cats in and caring for them.
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Old April 25th, 2007, 05:19 PM
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Thanks again all, I will post a new picture on Saturday. I am taking updated pictures into work, hoping someone there will get hooked on one or two

Diane
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Old April 25th, 2007, 06:04 PM
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Ok I cheated LOL - here's a couple of pics I took just now when Tilly was out stretching her legs. Check out those little pink feet!

More to come on Sat - their eyes should start opening about then.

Diane
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Old April 25th, 2007, 06:06 PM
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Little pink feet, little pink noses.....they are sooo, soooo cute.
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Old April 25th, 2007, 06:44 PM
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Here's a shot of Holly - the sister to Tilly and aunt to the babies

Diane
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Old April 25th, 2007, 06:57 PM
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What a beautiful tabby she is. And, I love her eyes.
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Old April 28th, 2007, 12:34 PM
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Diane they're adorable, and yes, sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men (and critterlovers everywhere) most often go awry. I wish you were a tad closer (and Simon would tolerate cats), so I could come claim one of these cuties! Good luck with Tilly, Holly and bebbes, they're all beautiful
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Old April 28th, 2007, 03:59 PM
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So adorable!
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Old April 28th, 2007, 04:09 PM
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This is the first time I see this post,you did really good with Tilly and Holly,the babies are beyond cute.
Hope we get to see some more pics
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Old April 28th, 2007, 09:40 PM
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Hi all,

I promised to post a picture of them today, but she moved them on Thursday. We didn't find them until Friday. We couldn't imagine what happened to them.

She has them in a tiny little spot at the end of our wood pile. There is a table there with some lumber stacked on it. She and they are under that table in leaves. Why oh why she moved them from a nice warm bed with lots of blankets?? ....I will leave her there for now. If she doesn't bring them back, I will try bringing them back at least once. We crawled in as far as week could this afternoon and got hold on one of the babies - eyes aren't opening yet but looked ok otherwise.

Will post more if the story changes.

Diane
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Old April 29th, 2007, 06:26 AM
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Diane,she must have felt threatened by something,maybe a Raccoon looking for a nestingplace,otherwise she would not have moved her babies..there are a lot of dangers out there for vulnerable kittens:sad:
Good Luck to Tilly and her babies,I am glad she has you to keep an eye on them
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Old April 29th, 2007, 01:45 PM
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Awwwe they are soooo cute! And seriously cudo's to you for looking after Tilly, Holly and babies, I take in stray animals all the time (they usually turn up at our house or find us some how, most are wild though...but I know how much work it is, You rock hon!!!)

Best of luck with the kitties, and with Tilly and Holly, they are sure lucky to have you to be their guardian angel cat mom!

best wishes,

puss
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Old April 30th, 2007, 06:54 PM
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Thanks again all. To date, she has not brought them back, I think I will by the weekend if she hasn't. The cat house on the porch was so much more protected than where she has them. She is taking good care of them, but where they are scares me.

Here's a shot I just took, crawled in and got one of them - eyes are opening! We were sneaky - checked on the kids while Mama ate dinner

Diane
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Old May 1st, 2007, 06:46 AM
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They are such tiny little defenseless babies,I am relieved they have you,hopefully mama won't mind moving to a safer place
I can imagine you must worry every night when you go to bed,if they'll still be there in the morning,alive and well... they'll be safe
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Old May 1st, 2007, 06:18 PM
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Lesson Learned

Definitely something for me to keep in mind - I have cats that I take care of (even though they're not mine - alley cats)
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  #26  
Old May 1st, 2007, 07:17 PM
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Chico2 - thanks again...and yes I do worry about them, if think differently than their Mama -Tilly does.

zpilot55 - you might want to, or you will have a bunch more to care for!

Diane
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  #27  
Old May 1st, 2007, 07:56 PM
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I think if it were me, I'd move them but then I do not know the entire physical lay out of where you live or what wildlife and so forth might be lurking. I lived through several litters of "barn cats' - some my grandmother never knew were even there just because they had a farm - and she always spayed and neutered even before it was promoted (think 30 yrs ago!) and this mama left her babies in one of the lofts and never returned. We think she was probably killed on the road or who even knows but we had more babies to bottle feed (we did that all too often as well) and these babies did not have their eyes open yet. So, I guess I am thinking of that experience when I write this. I also had one cat I took in when I was an adult, a so called "stray" who was pregnant and got out and we think maybe caught in a garage and so more bottle feeding for a few nites till she returned - never to see a door again let me assure you!! Knowing what I know now, I am only thankful she did not come out pregnant!! So, if you can somehow move them - mama will NOT be pleased, they never are - but if you have a safer place for them ,you might try taking them there - even if she tries to move them again - because doubtless, she will do that! They will be much safer than being in a less protected place or what sounds like it - as I say, I do not know how your area is spaced out.

Good luck and keep up the good work!!! You might also check to make sure all the babies are getting their share of milk. There is often one who for whatever reason does not. They usually survive -even as the runt of the litter 0 but we always wold give the little ones some extra cat milk. (NOT cow's milk!!! - a special formula we made ourselves and later when it was commercially available, milk for kittens,)
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Old May 1st, 2007, 08:07 PM
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Thanks for the great advice and great stories of your experiences, CyberKitten, I do want to move them. I think I will give her a day or two more....maybe....then move them back to the porch.

If she gets mad and moves them, hopefully we will find them again so we can move them back Last time she was very sneaky - she acted like she didn't know where they were, that part was scary. She was good in her deceit.

Diane
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Old May 1st, 2007, 08:29 PM
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I am a bit late on this thread , I get sad when I see yet another litter of kitties / pups. But I know it's not your fault ! You're an to get them spayed and watch over the newbies , and yes , they are adorable (we will get more pics right?
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Old May 1st, 2007, 08:51 PM
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Yes, Frenchy, when I can get more pics, I will post them. I know, we all love to see the babies' pics and hope they all get wonderful homes.

It is my major goal right now, to catch Tilly, the mom, as soon as the babies are weaned and wisk her off for surgery. Now we have to bait the cage again so we can......

Luck is still wished for here in North Carolina.

Diane
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