What can you do when you find a mom and kittens in your home, and they are not yours?

When you walk out of your home you hear a distinct “mew” in a soft, almost inaudible, tone.  You realize that you haven’t cleaned the backyard as you promised (or your family member promised) almost a month ago; as you walk towards the place where you heard the soft “mew” sound it almost seems that someone is saying “shhh!”. But then, to your awe, you see a mom and a litter of kittens.

Naturally, you are now the proud human of several new souls and one very wise cat that decided to give birth to her litter in your yard, fully aware that you would not give harm them! Then what are you to do?  Of course, you cannot come near them if you are not acquainted with mom, but you can provide the new mom with something warm to drink (milk) and something to eat (canned tuna).  In this manner you will be able to slip vitamins and other medications that will allow you to keep the cat and her litter, or to protect your home while mom does her thing.

If you are not planning on keeping mom and her litter, then call the local shelter and ask them to pick them up; they will put them for adoption and they will find beautiful and happy homes aching to get a lovely kitten.

How To Protect Your Fish From Your Cat!

If you happen to be like me and enjoy the company of a cat and a fish tank full of what my cat thinks to be “munchies”, then you have a problem.  I cannot bring myself to punish my cat every time he climbs up on the fish tank and tries to do what I do when I open the fridge; I just giggle and put him back down.  I can only imagine the foul language that my fish are giving my cat and me for not correcting the situation; well, at least until last month.

Cats will always be cats, and that is one of the reasons why we love them, right?  Well, then it is up to you to fix the situation so that they can still be cats and you can still enjoy a well-populated fish tank.  Someone suggested once that I put a crystal lid on top of the tank; that is a bad idea, the cat will still climb and being crystal, he believed that it was ok and tried to swim, the glass broke and he cut his paw and I lost two fish stabbed with glass fragments.

However, the lid is not a bad idea.  If you are able to buy a lamp, these usually come with a lid that will allow you to protect your fish, but if you, like me, have the fish tank in the middle of the living room without a lamp, an acrylic slab cut to the size of the tank will do a whole lot better.

What to do if your cat is expecting kittens?

What is the problem with leaving your puss at home every night if she’s expecting kittens?  Well, as an experienced kitty savior I can tell you that you, as her human, can do an estimate calculation on when will the kittens be due, but at best it is only an estimate.  She can begin labor at any time and at any location; as a responsible owner you certainly do not want that, especially since her having her kittens outside your home will also mean that she will stay out for the remaining of their childhood.

Giving birth anywhere means also that her kittens, as well as she, are exposed to all sort of predators - and that includes the neighborhood children who can misbehave when they are outside their own homes. If her kittens and she are lucky, then she will give birth to them at a home where they will be cared for, but, as with any other street bound cat, she will be taken to the local shelter and put up for adoption.  That means that you will never see her again.

What to do?  Keep her inside.  It is hard, but in the long run, you do not want to miss her becoming a mother and being first witness to the wonders of birth, do you?