Feral Kittens?

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This topic has 11sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 9 months ago by Amys Animals.

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- 07/16/2013 at 9:42 AM
  PaaigeyBearr
  Participant
  61 posts
  Hey guys, so in one of my comments I was talking about my situation, and wondered why not take it here and see what you animal lovers say!?
  
  So I live on a fifty acre farm, and I believe there is kittens under this trailer like thing from a feral momma. Living here my whole life, I’ve seen this many times, but I’ve never seen a litter survive. We have coyotes, raccoons, possumes, HAWKS…. any woodsy animal, you name it (And I random turkey that attacks my car, no idea how……)! They will get ate as soon as their old enough to wonder out a little bit. Gaining a feral cats trust is difficult, but a feral momma, that’s going to be near impossible. I already have food and water out there….
  
  What would you guys suggest?!
- 07/16/2013 at 10:42 AM
  Amys Animals
  Participant
  902 posts
  I am not sure but is it possible to trap momma in a cage (sometimes humane societies offer traps) and take her to get spayed and them take the kittens into your home and bottle feed them, wean them, then find them forever homes? One of my cats was born to a feral mother. I got her when she was 3 weeks old and bottle fed her and trained her and all that good stuff. She’s a little demon cat now but that’s besides the point.
  
  The best thing IMO is to trap momma cat and then take babies away so they have a fighting chance at survival in someones home.
- 07/16/2013 at 11:13 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  I think catching the mother and spaying her is obviously the first step. I wouldn’t try to domesticate her, but at least she wouldn’t be continuing to have a couple litters a year. If you need assistance with that, maybe get contacting a rescue to see if they can help catch her. Also, they may have (or know of) a low cost feral cat neuter program. I know a lot of people who have outdoor cats and use them for rodent control, but the key is that they are fixed so you don’t end up with a million cats.
  
  As far as the kittens, the rescue you contact may be able to take them and put them in foster care since they are young enough to still become house pets.
- 07/16/2013 at 11:42 AM
  Amys Animals
  Participant
  902 posts
  I know here in SoCal there is actually a feral cat sanctuary where they take feral cats off the street and let them live outdoors but in a controlled envirnoment so there are no threats. Maybe there is something like that around you too?
  
  I wouldn’t try to domesticate the feral momma either. She is wild and likely has been that way her whole life.
  
  Controlling the feral cat population is very helpful to the cats.
- 07/16/2013 at 2:30 PM
  PaaigeyBearr
  Participant
  61 posts
  I feel like itd be extremely heartbreaking and hard to do to take her babies from her, so I might wait a week or two, they’re dry and at a spot I’ve never seen any critters checking out. I dont believe they’ll be wondering by then either.. But you’re right on fixing her, (that’s why I love July, for cats, I feel like there’s always low cost offers during the summer)… And I would take her in too, but she’s trained to eat and hunt rabbits, and you see why that’d be an issue haha.
  
  I’m totally willing to take care of the kittens if there isn’t a place that can take them, I’m sure people at Church will be willing to take em in when they’re ready to go! Church people love kittens. Lol
- 07/16/2013 at 5:36 PM
  Amys Animals
  Participant
  902 posts
  I wouldn’t wait to take the kittens. I would take them ASAP. For one, there are predators and weather extremes….For two the longer you wait the more feral they will get and the harder it will be to care for them.
- 07/16/2013 at 5:41 PM
  Hazel
  Participant
  2587 posts
  I agree with Amy. Take them in as soon as possible. Losing her litter won’t be any easier for her in two weeks than it would be now. Maybe even worse, as she will have invested additional energy into raising them.
- 07/16/2013 at 8:16 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17242 posts
  If nothing else, trap the mother using a humane trap and take her to get spayed. Our local cat rescue does have a spay/neuter and release program for feral cats.
  
  Catching the kittens might prove difficult. If you are willing to care for them, then I agree with the others. It would probably be the best outcome for them. Do you have a pet cat? They really need a role model to teach them kitty language and behavior. A friend of mine bottle fed an abandoned kitten when I was a kid. The cat did not adjust very well. She was awkward and didn’t know how to clean herself properly. She was a little psychotic too. LOL
- 07/16/2013 at 9:05 PM
  PaaigeyBearr
  Participant
  61 posts
  Well you guys just talked me into it! I’ll go to the pet store tomorrow and get what I need… Meanwhile, I have a petting zoo… Today I heard about a Chinchilla that lost all it’s fur because of stress and was super super skinny, so I took it in, like a sucker. He’s super sweet. When he has his hair back and is a fat little thing I’ll get him a new home with no problem. My poor rabbits aren’t used to this! haha. I brought his cage in their room, and gave him timothy hay and set him up a hammock and gave him a treat & tried to put him in a ball… I’ve NEVER seen my Jack and “Baby” with so much attitude before!
  
  & Oh; I have two! Ones a Siamese who used to be a breeded cat, so she’ll have no problem showing it the ways of cat! & the others a hyper little spawn of Satan Kitten. LOL.
- 07/16/2013 at 10:23 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17242 posts
  Careful with the chinchilla! Rabbits can give them Pasteurella and it can be deadly to chinchillas.
- 07/16/2013 at 11:12 PM
  PaaigeyBearr
  Participant
  61 posts
  Woah! Glad you told me that now! But he has made so much progress in the little bit he has been here, I don’t think he’ll be sharing a room with them for more than a month. (It took him twenty minutes to figure out why he was in a ball, but he caught on LOL).
- 07/19/2013 at 12:12 PM
  Amys Animals
  Participant
  902 posts
  How did you do with the cats if you’ve gotten to them yet?
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