Help! A mother cat and her kittens...

Question
Hi, Jessica.

I need some help. In our apartment building there is some outdoor parking avaliable, where in the bushes, a mother cat had a litter of five kittens a week ago.
After a rather dissappointing run-in with animal control, I was able to keep the kittens together with the mother.
This is the problem: the kittens and their mother are still living outside. I've tried to get them inside but the mother runs away the second I get within 10 feet of the nest. I tried moving the kittens in a low box near the nest, hoping that the mother would follow, but no such luck. I know that the mother must have an owner somewhere, since she disappears for a couple of hours at a time and comes back to care for the kittens and doesn't eat the food I've provided for her (I've asked around the neighborhood, but no one knows her). Today, I noticed that one of the kittens was gone. I'm guessing that it must have died and she disposed of it.

I don't know what to do. Would it be better to take the kittens and raise them myself or leave them be? (please keep in mind that my landlord is completely against animals in our building, threatening eviction in 3 days should the rules be violated.) I'm just really worried that more of the litter might die. Can you help?
Thanks.
--Laura

Answer
Hi, Laura.  Yes, I feel strongly that these kittens need to be taken in.  At just three weeks old, the kittens will already be spitting and biting at people.  They really need to start with socialization before that point for the easiest transition.

I would urge you to call around to vets and shelters, etc., to see if anyone knows of a lactating queen that could take the kittens.  If not, then I do feel the kittens should be hand-nursed.  I would hate to see you put your home on the line.  Maybe your vet could tell you of somebody who is able to hand raise them?

I don't know if it's possible, but once you have the kittens, it would be wonderful to trap the mother and have her spayed.  She will need to go a minimum of 10 days without nursing before she can be spayed.  Personally, I would trap the mother and reunite her with her kittens, then have her spayed after the kittens are weaned, but this may very well be impossible for you given your circumstances.

I know none of this is your responsibility.  It's too bad her owner won't take proper care of her.  If you could possibly scrape up enough money to have her spayed, you could single-handedly be saving almost 45,000 cats, which is what one female and her offspring can produce in just 7 years.  You may want to check out http://www.spayusa.org/search/default.asp to see if there's a program around you that could help.

If you do decide to hand raise the kittens and need advice, please write me back.  I have written an article that may help.