My barn cat had kittens - how old should they be before moving them

[wyoDreamer]

BACK STORY - My sister gave us a "stray" that had been hanging out at her house all summer. She was worried about the cat being outdoors all winter at their place because they don't have any outbuildings for that cat to go into for shelter. We have a farmstead - 3 barn type buildings, a chicken coop, a corn crib, an old silo - plenty of places for a cat to escape the winter snow and freezing.
We were wanting to get a couple of cats for the barn. MissKitty is a sweet-heart and loves her barn. She sits in the window on sunny days, ranges the property at night, comes running when we fill her food dish... My hubs even installed a cat door in the barn so she could come and go easier.

She had a litter of kittens. Being a good momma, she hid them very well in a secure place. It is not a place that we can get too vary easy and not without totally disturbing her. We felt it better not to disturb them, since they are newborns and currently in a safe, secure, warm place. Better tehy be there than she move them out to the woods ...
I have a 19 year old cat in the house right now, and it is not an option to bring the litter inside. She is a barn cat and will remain a barn cat.

My question is: how old should they be before we extract them from their hiding space and move them to a more accessible spot? We would like to check them over and start to tame them.

Also, how old should the kittens be before we get momma fixed?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Don't bother extracting them, momma will do that on her own when the time is perfect.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Mom will bring them to you when she is ready.

 

[pennyJo1960]

BACK STORY - My sister gave us a "stray" that had been hanging out at her house all summer. She was worried about the cat being outdoors all winter at their place because they don't have any outbuildings for that cat to go into for shelter. We have a farmstead - 3 barn type buildings, a chicken coop, a corn crib, an old silo - plenty of places for a cat to escape the winter snow and freezing.
We were wanting to get a couple of cats for the barn. MissKitty is a sweet-heart and loves her barn. She sits in the window on sunny days, ranges the property at night, comes running when we fill her food dish... My hubs even installed a cat door in the barn so she could come and go easier.

She had a litter of kittens. Being a good momma, she hid them very well in a secure place. It is not a place that we can get too vary easy and not without totally disturbing her. We felt it better not to disturb them, since they are newborns and currently in a safe, secure, warm place. Better tehy be there than she move them out to the woods ...
I have a 19 year old cat in the house right now, and it is not an option to bring the litter inside. She is a barn cat and will remain a barn cat.

My question is: how old should they be before we extract them from their hiding space and move them to a more accessible spot? We would like to check them over and start to tame them.

Also, how old should the kittens be before we get momma fixed?

Hey there as soon as she brings them out lock her in a dog crate she will go right back in heat you sould see them not long after eyes are open they get mobile

 

[wyoDreamer]

Our worry is that she had them in the ceiling of the barn and makes a 6 foot jump down every time she leaves her hiddy hole. She climbs teh post to get up there, lol. Not sure if the kittens can manage that.

How old are they when they start getting mobile?

 

[Sea Wolf]

Hey there as soon as she brings them out lock her in a dog crate she will go right back in heat you sould see them not long after eyes are open they get mobile

Why would the op want to force the cat back into heat again?

 

[Sea Wolf]

As for getting Mom fixed, wait until the kittens are no longer nursing and are on solid food. Ask your vet when they prefer that you bring her in. The female kittens (and boys) should also be fixed before 6 months or they will be cranking out more cats. The kittens will climb as well as Mom will grab them one by one and carry them down.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Hey there as soon as she brings them out lock her in a dog crate she will go right back in heat you should see them not long after eyes are open they get mobile

Why would the op want to force the cat back into heat again?

OP wants to spay her. Penny1960 is warning her that the queen will be in heat as soon as or immediately after she's brought her young ones down out of the rafters of the barn.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Yes, we plan on fixing any of the kittens that remain on the farm. I think the county has a program for a spay/neuter clinic for feral and barn cats that I can take them to.
I have a family that may want to adopt one or 2 when they are weaned.

Can I have a pregnant cat spayed? I will take her in as soon as I can catch her after the kittens are weaned, she is a very "busy" cat and not always in the barn and "at hand" when I am doing chores, lol. Afraid I may not catch her before Mat Dillon visits again, he lives about 1/4 mile down the road.

 

[Sea Wolf]

You can catch her easily if you use a live trap like a Havahart.