'Do not move the kittens as this may frighten the mother cat away'
Advice on finding feral kittens and a round up of rescue news from Donegal rescue charity Animals in Need
Animals In Need (AIN) has offered advice on what to do if you should find that a feral or stray cat has given birth in your garden or shed.
The most important thing is to leave the kittens where they are, unless they are in immediate danger.
Do not move the kittens as this may frighten the mother cat away and she may not return.
Please leave fresh water and kitten food out for her, as she will need additional nutrition whilst she is nursing her kittens.
If the mother cat is comfortable having people near her babies, the kittens will need to be handled from two weeks old, so that they can be domesticated.
They can be taken into foster care from five weeks old, once they have started eating solid food, and the mother should then be neutered.
If you find a cat family living near you and would like advice or help, please contact AIN by messaging the charity on their Facebook page or on WhatsApp 087 7644420.
AIN’s maternity unit at the cattery is filling up with pregnant cats.
These include a big grey kitten with stunning green eyes called Sunbeam who was found as a stray, covered in ticks, and ginger and white stray cat Mango, who has had several litters in the past.
Summer was a pregnant semi-feral cat who had also had several litters previously and was caught as part of a recent Trap/Neuter/Return campaign on a colony of cats. She was kept in an AIN foster home so that she could have her kittens in safety and gave birth to four healthy kittens on Tuesday morning.
Kittens usually open their eyes from ten days old, so Tristen holds the new record at AIN.
AIN rescued a black cat called Jet this week, who had turned up at a house in Fahan a couple of weeks ago but then last week, one of his eyes fell out. Jet’s eye had no sign of infection, so he most likely injured it in an accident. He is now receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the dog rescuers are extremely busy; caring for dogs in foster homes, taking dogs from the Letterkenny Dog Shelter (Pound) that have served the mandatory five days without being reclaimed or adopted, arranging home checks for potential new homes locally and also Pet Passports for dogs who will be rehomed overseas, either in the UK or further afield in Europe.
Obtaining Pet Passports is a lengthy process, requiring a number of visits to the vets and a mountain of paperwork. The dogs have to be microchipped, fully vaccinated and have a health check at the vets shortly before travelling, for a Passport to be issued.
Three lucky dogs have received their Pet Passports and they will be setting off for fantastic new homes in Sweden on Thursday. Bon voyage!
Closer to home, four of rescued dog Nora’s seven pups have gone to live in their new homes, following successful home checks. The remaining three pups have home checks lined up and hopefully will be finding their new families soon.
The latest arrival was a nervous, older boy called Mick. He was found straying in Killygordon and sadly no-one came to claim him and so he is now in an AIN foster home.
Mick is a collie-cross, and he will be found a loving home once he has been assessed and brought up to full health.
Finally, AIN’s Charity Store in Donegal Town has a new, direct phone line for telephone calls only, not texts, and will be answered during shop opening hours.
The Charity Store number is 083 3492217 and will be operated 11am-4pm, from Tuesday to Saturday.
For further information on adoption, fostering, volunteering, etc., please contact the main helpline on 087 1356188. For cat/kitten enquiries please call 087 7644420. Animals In Need Donegal is also on Facebook and has a website at http://www.animalsinneeddonegal.com
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