As the “Cat Woman” of Los Alamos, I’ve been getting a lot of calls. Early one morning my phone rang. A neighbor had two kittens which had just crawled out from under the bathtub in a house under renovation. Could he bring them right over? What was delivered into my hands were two, obviously still nursing, tiny kittens. I asked about the mother, but the man didn’t know where she was. Unless I wanted to bottle feed these two, I’d have to catch her. I also worried that there might be more kittens about, as a litter is usually four to six in size.

The workers would be onsite until 4:00, so I made plans to be there before they left. Bringing the kittens to use as bait, I loaded a trap into my car and headed across town. One of the men informed me that a cat had been coming in and out of the house all day. It had to be the mom looking for her babies.

Left alone, I set the trap and kittens near an entrance the cat had been using. I retreated from sight to watch and wait. Shortly, a beautiful fluffy cat glided close by the gate behind which I was hiding. She strolled silently and carefully to the trap, and peeked in. This is going to be easy, I thought, as she tentatively put one paw into the trap. Changing her mind, she backed out. I stood there for over an hour listening to my stomach growl and thinking of my hungry animals at home. What to do, what to do? I decided to run home to feed my brood.

Back in 45 minutes, the trap was still empty. I waited for another 15 minutes with no signs of movement, then left to feed myself. Upon returning, the trap was obviously occupied. I was elated!

The kittens were starving as they had not been fed in nearly 12 hours. Nursing kittens need to eat every two hours. I set mother and kittens up in a large cage. It was gratifying to watch as the kittens piled onto their mom, getting reacquainted and clamoring for food.

Next morning began again with a ringing phone. Another kitten had been found, this one in the woodpile. I hurried over, and by the time I arrived, there was a pail with two kittens in it. Now the litter was complete. These kittens had also been without food for 12 hours, so I rushed home. What a reunion! Mom checked them over carefully and welcomed them back into the fold.

Obviously the mother was in the process of transferring her kittens, when interrupted by the men coming to work. Soooo, if you come across a single kitten or even a pair of them, it is best to not scoop them up but wait to see if Momma comes to fetch them. Watch carefully where she takes them, and then give Catalyst for Cats a call so we can catch and rescue the family.

Catalyst for Cats is a Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of feral cats. Through its trap, neuter and return (TNR) and feeding programs, scores of ferals have a regular food source, find relief from the endless breeding urges and homes are found for those who are able to be socialized.