Mooch Had Her Kits Today

by Julie
(Racine, WI)

Mooch was an abandoned kitty that we took in in September. She was small and starving, I put her age at 8 months to 1 yr at the time. So we fed her and let her in, but she still liked being out more than in, so we let her out.

When she turned up in heat (with about four toms following her) I was a little surprised. Yadda yadda yadda, she had the kittens today. I was worried that she would have them outside, cuz she had made a nest in the backyard. She had the first one literally right underneath me, she was under the couch!

I had no idea she was even in the house, but when I heard the kitten crying I pretended really hard that I knew what I was doing. So I lifted the couch up and the kit fell on the floor with a plop (so now I believe I have killed the kitten) and I don't see Moochie anywhere.

Mooch is clinging to the underside of the couch and her first kit is trying to eat a Cheeto that fell under the couch. Nice. I'm doing a great job so far (I think sarcastically to myself).

So after Mooch had cleaned the kitten and gotten her mind right about what she was doing, and I had gotten myself together as well, I put the kitten in the box we have prepared and moved it to the empty room we have had prepared.

Well the kit was crying and Mooch was yowling, but I took her right there and she seemed to know what to do. So they are safe in a room with everything they need, but I am going to be a problem. Checking in, seeing if there is another one born, petting the Mooch, etc.

So I take my boys and leave for a few hours. Come back and resist the urge to check on Moochie. I am a strong woman and don't need kittens in my life (that's what I tell myself). So when I check on her two minutes later, there are four kits. Good thing I left. About two hours passed (maybe only one hour and 15 minutes, but I lie to myself) and there are five.

Moochie is a good momma so far. She hasn't left their box to eat or wanted to leave and go outside. She has let me handle her kits once to move them into a bigger box, well she didn't let me but she did allow it.

When she saw me move two of the kits she put her paw out and sort of protected the rest of them, so I tried to move her, but the babies were attatched to her by the nip. So I took the kits off the nip and moved them and put her in the box last. She is purring away and content.

I moved her food bowl to right next to the box so maybe she can eat or drink while she is still hanging with her babies.