New farm cats

I almost wished I hadn't posted this due to the tremendous negative response. Why does everyone assume I will not take care of them? I am aware of the feral cat population and I basically rescued these cats from a bad situation. I have been taking care of every stray animal around here for years (in fact one of the feral cats has been a house cat for three years now) All I wanted to know was the best way to help these cats make this place there home. I do intend on feeding them and will not overpopulate the entire planet with cats.
 
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as far as the older kitten stealing colostrum, you are uneducated about lactation in both humans and animals otherwise you wouldn’t comment as you have been. the mother will continue to make mature milk for the older kittens and then colostrum will start to come in when the next litter is ready to be born. colostrum even if nursed by the older kittens will continue to be made by the mother until the next litter is ready for the more mature milk. there is no limit on how much colostrum or milk any animal or human can make, it is quite simply a method of supply and demand. the more milk removed from the breast or teat the more milk will be made at future feedings. good nutrition and good hydration go a very long way in maintaining a good supply.

These aren't even for certain her kittens (and again I doubt it highly). If you read, they ASSUMED they were possibly from a past litter merely from the fact they are suckling off her. Which even the previous owners seem unsure of based on what has been said. I've been around cats and kittens my entire life and have seen full grown adult cats(at least a year in age) attempt to suckle off pregnant mothers - successfully! Of course, they were separated as these should be if the kittens have already been weaned(and also, assuming here but since they were taken in as separate "additional cats" chances are they were).
 
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I apologize, but I was merely warning you to spay and neuter your cats in your best interest. I hope they work out for you.
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The negative response is likely because your first post implies attempting to breed them and get their numbers up... when the world frankly doesn't need their offspring. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You may mean well... but the cats you have are more than enough and intending to breed more is just.. very irresponsible. Before you know it, you'll have about fifty, in just a year... especially if you take good care of them... nothing there to keep their numbers manageable. And not taking care of them simply to let them regulate their own numbers is equally cruel since starvation and disease will take over where spaying failed.

Just get the females(at LEAST) spayed and take in strays already existing. That'd be a wonderful deed. Breeding them uncontrollably is not. You did get suggestions though, at least, for getting them to stay.
 
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I work with a feral cat spay/neuter group. If the cats are feral, it will take three weeks or more of confinement to get them to stay in their new territory. Here's link to guidelines for relocating the cats:

http://www.forgottenfelinesofforsyth.org/RelocationGuidelines.htm

Good luck! We have seen a GREAT reduction in rodents at our farm in the 3 years that our 2 spayed female feral cats have been around.

melissa
 
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as far as the older kitten stealing colostrum, you are uneducated about lactation in both humans and animals otherwise you wouldn’t comment as you have been. the mother will continue to make mature milk for the older kittens and then colostrum will start to come in when the next litter is ready to be born. colostrum even if nursed by the older kittens will continue to be made by the mother until the next litter is ready for the more mature milk. there is no limit on how much colostrum or milk any animal or human can make, it is quite simply a method of supply and demand. the more milk removed from the breast or teat the more milk will be made at future feedings. good nutrition and good hydration go a very long way in maintaining a good supply.

These aren't even for certain her kittens (and again I doubt it highly). If you read, they ASSUMED they were possibly from a past litter merely from the fact they are suckling off her. Which even the previous owners seem unsure of based on what has been said. I've been around cats and kittens my entire life and have seen full grown adult cats(at least a year in age) attempt to suckle off pregnant mothers - successfully! Of course, they were separated as these should be if the kittens have already been weaned(and also, assuming here but since they were taken in as separate "additional cats" chances are they were).

Honestly I don’t want to come across as confrontational, but if the mother doesn’t want to nurse the older kittens then she sure as heck will not let them. its not strange at all for her to nurse them even if they are not hers, mammals do not only nurse for nutrition but also for comfort, bonding and familiarity.

My own cat that my in-laws so nicely put outside just days before she was due to be fixed had a litter in our house. Each baby weaned at a different time and when they did so went to a new home. The last baby was far bigger then his mother and both were neutered. Still she bathed him and he would nurse for a few seconds before going to bed at night.

With our horses we have found that the babies force weaned between 4-6 months are much harder to train, had more nervous issues and bad habits and took longer to get things then babies weaned by their mothers or at much closer to one year. If the older colt was still nursing or with his mamma when the next was due we would separate temporarily only for the fact that the one year old would often play too rough with the new baby. After the new baby grew up if pastured together sometimes mamma would let the older colt nurse a little or not at all. It simply depended on the mare. Also has to be said that the mares lacked nothing nutrition wise, quality hay available free choice, good pasture, specific pregnant and lactating grain with vitamin supplements.

Op, I did read the post with you saying you plan on taking care of them. The cheapest option to care for would be to get already fixed cats and rehome them. Then you can maintain the exact numbers you want with out the hassle and expense of fixing kittens. Your mammas could have two babies a litter or twelve, there’s no way to determine.
 
This is our experience with having barn cats. I have always wanted a cat and hubby hates cats, so when we moved and got our goats and chickens he finally said yes to a cat if it was outside. Well I found a cat rescue and got two adult cats from them. Spayed and females and were outside cats. She suggested that we leave them on our outside patio/pool are which is all closed in for 3 weeks so they could get used to us. Then put food outside in the same spot every day so they knew where home was. Well we did all that. Day 1 of putting them outside they took off on us and never been seen since. So me still wanting a cat to love on when I go out to feed my other animals found another one. Female and then male. Not fixed. So we thought we well we would get them. They were from a guy that had a couple of cats that got outside and got in the mommy cat way. He would leave them outside cause he was being over ran in cats. Hence why everyone is saying to spay/neuter. They were free to good home and I had one so I talked hubby into a boy and girl cat. They were 4 months old when we got them and did the leaving them on the patio/pool area and all that again. I figured the second time had to be the charm. Well it was and we have had them for a year now and my Mrs. Kitty has had one litter of kittens this pass spring. 3 little kittens. Boy did I have fun playing with them. She had them in the garage so I was able to keep an eye on them. When they were old enough and weaning I sold them to go good homes in our area so they did not go for snake food. I did not spay her yet and she doesn't seem to be in the mommy cat way again, but both of them are so lovable and are like my guard cats. They love to hang out with our goats, and just follow us around the property. We have 2 cats and 2.5 acres and don't have a rodent problem. So my suggestion is to spend as much time as you can with them so they can get used to you. Lots of love. Sorry this got so long. Good luck
 
Jamieg - I hope I did not offend you. I never had the impression that you were not going to take care of your new kitties. My only concern was the Mother cat being depleated while expecting a new litter - and that's been covered here - and then some! I hope you and your cats are doing well. Enjoy them. I really enjoy watching mine play and relax around the barn...and we do not have any mice!

Take care, Joni
 

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