Feral Cats

[Chama]

Hi everyone,

We have a mother cat and kitten outside of my workplace (unfortunately there were several more kittens but we believe maybe a fox got them) Unfortunately by the time I discovered the kitten, it was four months old and had no socialization with people otherwise I would have tried to adopt it out through the rescue that I foster for. We have been ensuring that they have lots of food and I managed to trap the kitten and have her spayed. We want to do the same with the mother but have been unable to trap her thus far.

We have noticed lately that the Mom hisses at the kitten (I call her a kitten but she is about six months) and won't allow her near the food while she eats. Don't get me wrong we make sure the kitten has enough food and people have seen her eating when the Mom isn't there. We are making a house for them with the winter months coming up (there is also a barn nearby) but our worry is that the Mom won't allow the kitten in the house with her. Could this be due to one being spayed and the other not being spayed? Or worst case scenario we are wondering if the mother is pregnant again and is getting more terretorial with the food? I noticed this morning that she was sleeping beside the food dish.

I know the ideal situation would be to get them into a rescue but we all know that we can't save them all and these two just aren't accustomed enough to human contact. We could bring them to animal control but worry that they will be euthanized with the overpopulation in this area and the fact that they don't allow us to handle them.

Any expertise you could provide would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[sugarcatmom]

I'm betting that the hissing is because momma cat is either pregnant or hoping to be. Could also be partly due to the spay because the kitten came back smelling different and she didn't recognize her. Can you keep trying to trap mom? Put the trap in a different location maybe, with a towel over it and the stinkiest food you can find (sardines or some of the fish-flavoured Meow Mix pouches work well). If you have access to the trap for a while, tie the door up so it doesn't spring when she walks on the pressure plate. Put a thin towel like a dish towel over the bottom of the cage - some cats hate walking on the cage wires. Get her used to going in and out of it for food for a few days. Then one day untie the door and hopefully she'll get trapped. I would TNR her rather than take her to a rescue or animal control if she's truly feral, as long as you're able to keep feeding her and giving her shelter.

Good luck!!

[Dog Dancer]

Sugarcatmom, question, if the kitten is only about six months old and were trapped, could it not be rehabilitated at such a young age?? I realize Mom is probably lost to the love of humans, but is the kitten lost already?? I would think with some serious work the kitty could be rescued. But that said, I have never done cat rescue so I'm just hoping that may be the case.

[Love4himies]

How kind of you to take care of these poor kitties.

Originally Posted by Dog Dancer

Sugarcatmom, question, if the kitten is only about six months old and were trapped, could it not be rehabilitated at such a young age?? I realize Mom is probably lost to the love of humans, but is the kitten lost already?? I would think with some serious work the kitty could be rescued. But that said, I have never done cat rescue so I'm just hoping that may be the case.

That depends entirely on the kitten.

My feral, who I got at 3 years old is a doll, with the exception of still not being able to pick her up. She did hiss at me for months, but now climbs on my lap for pats every night . However, she is the exception to the rule on taming ferals.

The rule of thumb it's best to get them at 3-5 weeks old to get them comfortable enough with humans. If this kitten in question has had regular exposure to humans, then I say it's worth a try. It may take some time, but with the right owner, it may be possible.

As for the momma, I agree with SCM, she may be going into heat now and trying to tell her kitten to leave her alone and her idea with the trap is wonderful!

Can the rescue even give you a name of somebody who may be able to help tame the kitten?

[Chama]

Hi again everyone,

So I am really hoping someone can help me. It seems that Mom is pregnant again (which I hope to confirm tomorrow) It is getting cold and I really want the opportunity to tame the kittens this time. I am seriously considering trapping Mom and bringing her home to have her kittens in my garage. Has anyone ever brought a stray/feral home and is there anything I can do to help her and me.

I spoke to the rescue group and they have agreed to bring the kittens into the program and on the chance that mom comes around put her up for adoption as well. The alternative would be spay her after the kittens are weened and release her. I feel like it's kind of mean but if I can't socialize her then at least she will have some relief from this bitter cold coming up and a safe spot for her babies.

I guess I'm wondering, will she let me near the kittens?

If she is in fact pregnant, I will make sure she has a comfortable and warm spot for her and her kittens. In the event that she makes a good transition, I will probably give her a room inside the house.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Chama

I am seriously considering trapping Mom and bringing her home to have her kittens in my garage. Has anyone ever brought a stray/feral home and is there anything I can do to help her and me.

It's really hard to predict how these things will pan out. Every cat is an individual and their reactions to new situations can vary widely. I did trap a (semi)feral last summer and she had 5 kittens in my spare room. I kept her (and 2 kittens) and she is absolutely amazing and wonderful, has really come out of her shell. She's not a lap-cat, but she loves her some good vigorous petting sessions . Here's the main thread on her story: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....ghlight=advice

You might want to think about a spay/abortion if she's still early in the pregnancy. Something to maybe discuss with the vet anyway.

One thing I really want to emphasize if you do catch her is to make sure that wherever you put her is completely cat proof and escape proof. If she is indeed feral, she may try with every ounce of her being to get out, and if that happens you won't have another chance. Block access to nooks and crannies that she could crawl into, but give her the choice of a couple of boxes or something similar to hide in. Access to something higher up like a shelf might help give her confidence. Or you could try a really large dog crate for a while (although some cats may freak out at that degree of confinement).

Some tasty treats would be extremely helpful in trying to win her over. Temptations seem to work really well. If you could just sit in the room with her and gently talk to her or read a book out loud, while tossing her treats, that'll get her comfortable with your presence. One thing that might work in your favour is that cats often become extra affectionate in the late stages of pregnancy. Or once inside, they lose the feral-tude and resort to the house-cats they used to (or want to) be. Hopefully that's the case with this girl.

Good luck!