Need cat advice

[AngryOldDem]

There is a sweet cat that has been hanging around work for quite some time now. In fact, it just had kittens and the staff devised a little house for her and has made sure that she has had plenty of food and a safe, secluded space to raise her family.

The kittens were four weeks old on Friday. Against the direct orders of my supervisor, a cat expert, they have been adopted out.

I've become attached to this creature, and my family is making some noise about adopting her. (I can't have pets where I'm at.) My questions:

1) What are the pros and cons of adopting such a cat? Will it be difficult for her to make the transition from the wilds of the outside to the sedate environs of indoor life? Given her extremely friendly nature, one I am sure at some point she was a housecat.

2) What kind of intital vet care will she need, other than the obvious vaccinations? Are there any specific health concerns for a cat that has spent its life outside, as opposed to a lifelong indoor feline?

A final question: I am convinced that this poor kitty is grieving the loss of her kittens. She goes over to the box where they were and cries; she walks around the property as if she is looking for them (one of them got out last week and got under a fence -- that's where she goes when she's out and about); and comes up to us and cries when she sees us. Were they adopted out too soon? It's heartbreaking to see this cat keep going over to an empty box. :(

If these questions are stupid, forgive me; I am a diehard dog-lover whose heart has been captured by a tortoiseshell femme fatale. :)

[fizzgig]

1. torties are sweet and wonderful kitties

i adopted one many, many years ago and she was the sweetest thing i've ever known.

while i'm getting over my initial outrage that the kittens have already been taken from their mother (they should not have been weaned or separated for at least another 4-6 weeks), a question for you: how old do you think she is? the younger she is, the easier it might be to condition her to being a house cat. we've adopted a fair number of strays and the time it takes for them to adjust depends a lot on age and prior living conditions.

she should be checked for worms, fleas and mites, screened for feline leukemia and fiv and should definitely be spayed. if your family adopts her, will she be an indoor-only cat or will conditions allow her to be indoor/outdoor? if they do, she should be kept inside for at least a few weeks until she gets settled.

[AngryOldDem]

2. I am VERY upset that the kittens are gone

One was much smaller and rather more timid than its sibling -- I am especially concerned about that one. They were getting out of the box on their own, but mom was right there -- teaching them all they needed to know about survival in the world. (That in and of itself was fascinating to watch.) I think that most upsets me -- these kittens WERE NOT ready to leave her. Quite frankly, I hope when the boss finds out what happened, all hell breaks loose. One of the people who took one of the cats was at work yesterday and a couple of us point-blank challenged him about it and he got quite defensive. Later on I heard that his older cat is not taking the new arrival at all well, which further angered me.

I really have no idea how old the mother is. This was not her first litter (how people could tell that, I have no idea) -- if I had to guess maybe a year or so. She's rather lean but appears to be in good health otherwise.

I would think that she would be mainly an indoor cat -- that's what I was wondering about. If she has been mainly outside, would it be better to just let her come and go as she wants?

[fizzgig]

3. we've always let ours come and go as they please

but we live in a place that allows them to safely do so. like i said, if that is going to be the situation, it's best to keep her indoors for awhile to let her get settled in and to reduce the chance of her running off.

[applegrove]

4. Don't know about wild cats. But for kittens 4 weeks is definitely too young

to be adopted out. Don't know if the 8 week maxim holds for wild kittens or not. Perhaps the danger outweights the emotional loss they will feel at not having mama as long as they should have.