Thanks everyone for your replies, most appreciated.
I think my cats would be fine with Titch, as long as they were all introduced correctly - they're used to me bringing home strays! It actually used to just be the three of them for a couple of years until Figaro came to live last November, and Annie and Oliver (my two little feral kittens) only moved in 6 weeks ago. Oliver actually came into the bathroom with me this morning to see Titch (he was quite insistent!) and the two of them were head butting like old friends, which I guess they are, considering they come from the same colony
BUT...would I cope with her going into labour? Yes, as long as I didn't have to do anything! But she's tiny, she's not much more than a kitten herself (hence her name!). What would I do if a kitten got stuck? (PANIC, springs to mind!) And I would be heartbroken if one died (or heaven forbid even more of them) because I did something wrong, or didn't help her when I could have if only I knew what I was doing...
And then there's finding homes for the kittens. I'd feel terrible taking them to a rescue to be homed, but I wouldn't want them going to just any old home so they would need to go to a rescue so that home checks could be done etc....in which case is it better that they're born into a rescue so that they don't have three different homes (my house, the rescue and then finally their new owner's house) in their short little lives? I don't want to cause them unnecessary stress
But then what of Titch? She only trusts me at the moment, and reverts back to her "feral" self around anyone else. How stressed will she be going to a rescue? Could she lose the kittens? And also will the rescue think it's really cheeky of me to dump her there for them to deal with the kittens and then take her again once they're weaned and leave them with the problem of homing the kittens?? How much does raising newborn kittens cost, on average? I would want to make a donation to cover their care. And will Titch remember me after being at the rescue for a while, or will she be afraid of me too by the time I get her back? It's taken months for me to get her how she is now.
I am so torn and the end of the week is looming so I just have to make a decision soon. The thought of letting her go, even for a couple of months while she raises her kittens brings such a huge lump to my throat...but she trusts me so I have to do what's right for HER, not me. Someone tell me how to do that please! xx