Mother cat missing

Question
Hello Jessica,
I stumbled upon a litter of 4 kittens in late June. The kittens looked about 5 to 6 weeks when I found them with the mother cat. She has always been very protective, yet very curious towards me.  However lately she has let me close enough to feed the kittens. I suspect they are about 12 to 13 weeks now. My concern is that I haven't see her for about 3 to 4 days now. Will a Mother Cat leave her kittens after 12 weeks or so?  The kittens seem sad, and cry more so then ever now when I go to feed them. Do you suppose the Mother cat is out hunting? I am so concerned for the kittens. I'm hoping Mama cat wasn't hit by a car, since she had her kittens off the roadside in the tall weeds, bordering the woodlands. I'm only able to touch and hold 1 kitten (so adorable), but the others elude me. I am going to try and trap them to find homes for them. (I've got 7 of my own kitty's at home)! I absoulutley adore cats. Please help!  Thank you Jessica

Answer
Hi Camille.  Twelve weeks is right about the time when the kittens are completely weaned and mother is allowing them to be more independent.  In outdoor cats, kittens will usually follow their mothers around to sharpen hunting skills until they're 4-5 months old.  More often than not, the whole family will stick together and begin a colony (group of cats who take up residence in one general area and establish bonds, a hierarchy and even will watch out for one another's kittens).  She could be out hunting.  However, they usually hunt about twice a day around dusk and dawn and spend at least 14 hours right around home base.  Or if she's in heat and no males are nearby, she can travel up to a few miles in search of one.  If this isn't the case, I couldn't explain why she would go missing.  Most cats, especially those who are being fed, stay put.  They're very attached to their territory and aren't usually roaming animals.  I would recommend setting up the trap as you planned.  With any luck, maybe mama has just decided to take a hiatus and will return soon.