[Roxy]

I went to feed some of the outside cats who live in an old caravan down the field.  Three had got kittens,  one has 4 in a cupboard, another has two in the lift up cupboard above the sink, and the third had hers on a fluffy cat bed on one of the bench seats.  The third one started with 5, but due to different things, she lost 3 one by one, one of the other cats sat on one too, so had a few losses.  But all was well, some had their eyes open, and the two on the fluffy bed were only just a week old - a giant one and a tiny one.  I had checked at 8pm when I fed the goats and mum was feeding the two on the fluffy bed.  I had also laughted earlier on when my two tom cats had taken turns at sitting in the bed with the kittens. They take their parental duties very seriously, and always keep an eye out for their babies.

Anyway, when I went in at 10.30 last night to feed the cats, all the cats were hiding (in the cupboards - even the tom cats!)  The worst thing was the two kittens on the fluffy bed had gone.  Bed was empty .........  I was gutted. Searched round with my headtorch, and nearly trod on the larger kitten, who was huddled up by one of the cat beds on the floor.  I picked him up, not sure if he was dead or alive. A week old, they are not very active. He was alive!!  Sadly I found the tiny one dead by a cupboard door.  I think only the fact that the other one was enormous saved it from whatever came in the caravan and scared the living daylights out of the cats.

I was very worried because the mother cat was so scared she would not go near the fluffy bed with the kitten in it.  I  checked again at midnight, and the kitten was still alone, and all the cats squashed in the cupboard.  It was very frosty, and really cold.  I did not expect the kitten to be alive by this morning.......but, it was, and mum had obviously been and fed it, but was back in the cupboard with the others.

I am wondering if it was a fox that had smelt the cat bisucits out in dishes .......but would it not have taken the kittens?

Thank goodness the other two have their kittens in the cupboards. I grumbled at them for doing this, but maybe they are sensible.

Yes, I am sad about it, but its part of owning animals.  There are things like this happen, but we have to pick ourselves up and carry on.

[Sandy]

Makes your heart sink but sadly your wright, nature is very cruel!! but life goes on.

[JulieS]

Oh Roxy, how horrible for you.

My thoughts are with you.   :

[Rosemary]

You shoudl call the big one Lucky. Glad he's OK.

[Roxy]

I am going to have to shut the caravan door before dark I think, but being farm cats, they like to come and go as they please.  So long as the mums are in, thats fine.  Will have to just feed the others outside until the kittens are bigger.  Having said that, my OH was on his way home at 6pm last night, and said a fox ran across the lane in front of him, so they are out before dark - he said it was an extremely dark coloured fox, and not very big.

Its a shame that I cannot leave the door open for the cats to come and go - and once the kittens are bigger, they too like to go out, but it seems its not safe now.  Need to keep the remaining kittens safe as I have people wanting them!!

[northfifeduckling]

Roxy, this is so sad!!
It could have been a fox but I've heard of tom cats killing other boys' offspring...could it be one of the dads, are they around??

[Roxy]

Yes, I have wondered about a cat.  Doubt it would be either of our two boys, they have always been in the caravan with every lot of kittens born, and like I say, sit in the beds with them.  But, there has been a black and white tom - a stray I think, hanging round the house.  Its possible he could have gone in the caravan after the food, and my tom cats have defended their territory, or the kittens and started a fight.  The kittens bed was not disturbed, just the kittens.  I suppose he could have lifted the kittens from the bed, and then my cats had caught him and chased him.

I am off work today, and must have checked half a dozen times that all is ok.  Have got the door open as its a nice day, and the mother cats enjoy sitting out in the sunshine, and keep popping back to their kittens.  Its not like having house cats, they are free spirits, and although they know me, as I mean food, they are not sitting on knee  type of cats.  Although, they do not object to me stroking their kittens or picking them up.  I am trying to get the kittens tame for their new homes......people will not want a hissing, spitting ball of fur!!

[Hilarysmum]

A friend's son did a big investigation into foxes, which eventually showed on Channel 4 I think.  The outcome was that foxes and cats coexist or ignore each other, at that time, there was no evidence of foxes killing cats or kittens. 

Could it have been a dog?

[WinslowPorker]

you dont think it would be a mink or even a badger maybe do you?

may sound silly becasue i just dont knwo 

[Roxy]

I am keeping the caravan door shut from late afternoon, making sure the mums are inside with kittens. But before long , the bigger kittens will be wanting to go outside and play round the caravan.  Short of putting a playpen with top on, I am not sure what I can do.  I have seen foxes in the field at night, near the caravan, but on the other hand, I have seen the cats waiting for me in the field, and a fox sitting with them.

I suspected the stray tom cat, but at lunchtime yesterday, he was sitting on a cat bed in the caravan fast asleep ......and kittens were ok, so doubt it was him.

Yes, we have a river by the caravan, and a farmer further upstream told me he had hens killed and had seen mink in the river, although I have never seen any. And definitely badgers around - but wild animals are careful, and would not want to go into a caravan, surely, in case they were trapped?

Another couple of weeks and the kittens will be big enough for me not to worry too much - just getting them safe for another two weeks thats the worry.

[plumseverywhere]

oh dear Roxy - I am sorry. its horrible to find them like that. hopefully the rest will all be ok now and you are doing all you can considering they are farm cats and not pampered lap/indoor types.

2 days ago we lost a baby lionlop bunny in a similar way - a door got left open to the room where the doe's and babies live and a cat managed to pull a 2 weeks old fluffy baby to the side of the cage and maul it. I found it squirming on the floor of its cage with quite severe facial injuries. we had to despatch the poor little thing very quickly - sadly it was the only one of a litter of 7 that had been 'chosen' by a 5 year old and I had to call her mum to say it had died.

it is part of having animals but that doesnt' make it any easier when you have to see it and it is very sad 

[kalsi4654]

So sorry you lost your kittens Roxy, but just a thought - with so many stray and unwanted cats around, would it not be a better idea to have the cats neutered? They are more likely to remain healthy, and you won't be contributing to the stray cat population, or experiencing more upsets like this. There are plenty of charities like the Cat Action Trust who will help out with costs if you need it. 

Mic

[doganjo]

Kittens are so rare now with most cats being neutered that they are costing about £50 to buy around here (Central Scotland).

[little blue]

sorry to hear about your kittens. 
could you fit a "cat flap" or something to reduce the chance of bigger predators?
or stock-net the door (our cats can definitely fit through it!)

[Roxy]

I probably come across as an irresponsible cat owner, and this is not the case!!  With being farm cats, we are able to get assistance to have them neutered.  On this scheme we have already had three of the females and two of the males done - although we did contribute a good proportion of the cost ourselves.

It is not easy with feral cats to catch them.  The cats charity do not have anyone in our area who comes out to trap them - its up to us to catch them, and thats not easy believe me!!  Also its not easy to tell which are male and female as most are long haired and all look the same. At least now, I can see who is female, and once the kittens are weaned, I will do my best to have the females done before releasing them again.
If you have ever tried to pick a feral cat up, and put it in a cat carrier, you will know they are wild, and bite and scratch .......its not nice having to do it, but preferable to lots of kittens I suppose.

We have no trouble finding homes for the kittens  - like Doganjo says, there is a shortage.