barn kittens

Question
We have a cat that had kittens in the hay loft in our barn.  The momma cat is very friendly, so don't know if she belongs to anybody or was dumped, we live in a small rural town.  She had kittens on 3-21, they will be 4 weeks old.  She is a good mom, the kittens are healthy.  She goes up & down the ladder but the kittens are left up in the loft.  We feed her on the floor daily.  

My questions are is; Does the mother cat wean the kittens or just stop nursing them. Should I start putting food up in the loft? Does the mother take food up to them?  Will they be fine if left alone.  Will the kittens get down by themselves or should we bring them down & put them in a stall or something?  

I have found homes for all of them when they are old enough, just don't know what to do before then.

Thank you, take care  

Answer
Hi Becky!
Your adopted cat sounds like a very good mother!  And it sounds like she is there to stay!  I hope you keep her, but please have her spayed.  Anyway, about the kittens. They are old enough to start lapping some solid food, not to mention, they need to be held and socialized or they will not be good, cuddly, pets.  You can imagine if they have never been held how they will react when it's time to give away. You may already be holding them, which is good, but make a point of doing it often so they will be "people friendly".  As far as feeding them goes, they will continue to nurse but you should supplement with some kitten chow mixed with cottage cheese and some canned cat food. The moma cat may want to eat some too, so make enough to go around.  Before letting the kitten eat it, be sure and moisten with warm water.... must enough to slightly get the dry food wet. It will soak in and become soft enough for them to eat. If you wait a bit before feeding, you will be able to mix it all up into a mush that would be easy for the kittens to swallow.  Eventually they will graduate to hard food once they get teeth.
Good luck with your new babies.  Oh, by the way, if you bring them down... the mama will probably take them right back up there, so if possible, just go up there to spend some time with them.  They will eventually come down themselves, or at least cry to be brought down.
God Bless,
Becky