Feral Cat Capture...Part 2 (appreciate tips!)

[kashtin's kin]

I posted a couple of months ago regarding a feral cat and her 3 kittens living (off and on) in a deserted shed just off our rural property. At the time there was also a family of badgers in the vicinity, which complicated things. I was looking for any ideas/suggestions re: capture of this cat family (hope to spay/neuter and find homes).

There were a few replies, which I greatly appreciated; I've tried to find my original post and those replies, but I haven't had any success...it's no doubt due to my lack of computer skills.

I thought I would post a bit of an update, and explain my 2 month gap in posting; not to get into details, but I managed to get myself bitten in an unrelated incident (yes, I am a pretty experienced critter person/caretaker/slave...blush). I ended up having to get rabies shots, while also dealing with a bit of a family crisis, thus I am just getting back to the feral cat project now.

The mother and all 3 kittens are living in a different shed-again, just off our land-and are daily regulars at my feeding station by the back door, under a trailer. I have managed to [v. carefully] stroke 2 of the kittens while they are eating, but they are fickle i.e. I can touch them one day, but not the next.

There is absolutely no way I can just grab one, as I know they would shred me; from asking around it does seem that a livetrap is about the best option (I'd have to buy one, as there is no Humane Society etc. in my area...that is dealing with cats at this time). I'm prepared to try to do that ('trap'), but have never used a trap. Also, how might that work, in that there are 4 cat/kittens?

If it weren't for the breeding/overpopulation issue, I would be tempted to just keep feeding this family and do nothing more, but as we all know the family will expand exponentially. I am anxious to try to resolve this situation before winter arrives, and more importantly before the kittens breed.

If anyone has dealt with something like this, and/or has any advice, I would really appreciate it...and I won't just post and disappear this time. ...Look forward to any replies. Thanks.

[cpietra16]

You ca try and do what CS did with her ferrals. She kept cat carriers out and put the food in them. Eventually the cats got use to seeing the carriers and started to eat inside them. Later CS just walked up to the cats and closed the doors to the carriers. I did miss most of the inbetween, but that is the jist of hoe she captured all the ferals. Stay on site long enough and you'll get many other ideas. Keep in mind it takes patience and time to get them to trust you.

[kashtin's kin]

Thanks for the feedback, 'cepietra16'. Wow, what a crazy day since I posted (a bit over 24 hrs ago). One of the feral kittens is actually safe in a large cage in a quarantined bit of the house as I type; what a relief to have at least one...although I do hope to bring in at least one more, with any [good] luck.

It was raining when I went out to do horse chores a bit before 7 this am; I put out food etc. for the ferals, and went inside, leaving the door to our back porch ajar. I've been doing this a bit, when the bugs aren't too bad...with the rain this am, I figured the kittens might check out the porch (one or 2 have in the past little while).

After an hour or so, I went to close the door; I saw one of the kittens in the doorway, and s/he skedaddled so I just closed the door. I don't know who was more surprised when I glanced at the far end of the porch and saw the largest/most 'approachable' kitten still inside.

I closed the door into the rest of the house, raced upstairs to grab a large spare dog crate (had to put it together)/small litter box/large shoebox 'cave' with towel combination. Carefully got myself and above into the porch, where 'Sparky' had taken refuge behind the freezer.

Left things as they were for the am, and hubby went to TSC for a large wire dog crate. Sparky moved to behind the boot rack for the aft., then under the freezer; I moved the cage with food/cave etc. in front of the freezer and by suppertime kitty was in the cage with the door shut.

Sparky spent a couple of hours in the 'cave', but by later in the evening had turned into a lovey-dovey...at least behind bars! I guess all my hours of feeding/playing with (had a fake mouse on a string outside)/talking to the cats sorta paid off. I know Sparky would still likely scratch me and try to escape with out the cage, but what a love bunny (reaching out paw to touch me, giving me v. gentle nibbles, licking my hand, meowing).

I am assuming that Sparky should stay in the cage fulltime for a few days, then be brought (in cage) to another quarantine room with no difficult hiding spots; once s/he seems okay with not panicking i.e. going back into cage, I'm thinking it's vet time...in a week to 10 days or so??

If anyone has any advice re: this flexible plan, please do let me know. For now, I'm just so happy to have one of the cats hopefully on the way to a safe domestic life (kinda think we may adopt this one, having lost 4 elderly cats in a 6 month span last year...2 I'd had for 17 years; miss them, so it feels good to rescue one...still have 3 cats, all indoors).

I'm still feeding the rest of the feral, and am more hopeful now of perhaps bringing in another kitten or 2 (the mother is very canny/wild). For now I feel like a 'scrub nurse' what with the constant handwashing as I go from visiting Sparky back to the main house and veteran cats!

[canning4aliving]

I like those ideas of catching feral cats. I've got a lot of them and a litter of sick ones right now I am working with. (not feral) mama hid them within 24 hrs of birth and brought them out Sat am much to my horror...all 6 kittens were VERY ill. Took straight to vet but mama and 1 kitten of the surviving 4 is still not out of the woods yet. Vet saud 8% chance of making it thru Sat night so we are counting our blessings, but I think one of the feral cats is sick and needs attention too.

[kashtin's kin]

Sparky (see above) is now out of the cage, and in a quarantine room; things have gone smoothly with him, thankfully. His 2 siblings and mom are still 'out there', and I do hope to bring in at least another kitten, somehow.

On the "oh, crap!" side, when I was coming in from giving my horses their supper hay I spied a ruddy huge tomcat (I'm assuming) under the horse trailer chowing down on the kitten food. Sorry, but I would rather track a bobcat than take on trying to 'tame' that guy...never say never, I suppose.

I sure wish folks would do the spay/neuter thing with cats (and dogs); they reproduce so much, so fast. It drives me nuts when I visit the horse farms of people with serious $$ and see litters of kittens running around; where are people's heads at??

When I lived near Winnipeg there was at least a lower-cost spay and neuter clinic. I have heard of places here and there that subsidize fixing esp. in the case of lower income folks...would be nice if that policy/set-up was more wide-spread.

[chico2]

kashtin's kin,you are doing GREAT
Unfortunately with a big Tom around,mama cat will probably start the kitten-cycle all over again:sad:
Please keep us updated

[Ed U KayShawn]

Hi if your looking to rent a live trap out there there is a few pest control companies that may lend out traps and a couple of vets in simcoe have live traps they will lend out. pm me if you can and i will do my best to help! Keep up the challenging effort! The world can only get better with caring individuals like you.

[kashtin's kin]

Thanks for your feedback, Ed U... (I get it-cute username!); that's handy to know that I might be able to borrow a live trap in the Simcoe area. I will definitely follow up your suggestion. Thx also for your general encouragement.

[chico2]

Kashtin's kin,people living in rural areas(several on this Forum)are constantly dealing with"dumped"animals
Somehow,people think that cats will be fine living on their own,or some people just don't care whether the animal lives or dies,as long as they can get rid of it.
Some cats are lucky,like yours,to end up where people care,others not so lucky..
I hope you can catch all"yours"and get the mom spayed
It can be costly,but I hope you can find a vet giving you a break.

[kashtin's kin]

Thanks again, chico2 and Ed U... and cpietra16, for your encouragement/tips. It's been less than a week since 'Sparky' was inadvertantly trapped inside, and already it seems like he's been inside for ages.

After reading somewhere that some feral kittens (especially after a certain age, which Sparky is definitely over at 3-4 mos.) never really 'take' to life as a housecat, it's been a relief that he is such a love muffin. He's adapted so well-although we're not taking things for granted-that he is scheduled for his first shots next week...and neutering as soon as he is old enough.

Still haven't seen the mom for a few days, but the 2 remaining kittens are hanging out together, and have come just inside the back porch (with the door propped open) to feed at night for the past 3 days. I sit about 2-3 ft. away talking to them constantly, and they are slowly getting a bit less wary. I'm just hoping this will continue, and that somehow we'll get the 2 of them. Taking it one day at a time...

[chico2]

Sounds great,I wish you could get some pics
With the weather we'll be having this weekend,maybe they'll all come on your porch for shelter
No need to thank us,anybody trying to help stray cats/dogs is a hero in our books,every little life saved is a triumph over the jerks who dump them

[Sariss]

Livetrap!
We did this two summers ago. There was a female cat that gave kittens in our neighbors woodpile. We managed to catch two of the kittens (about 8 weeks old) by hand. We caught the rest, along with mommy, with a livetrap we borrowed from Animal Control. The whole thing took about three days.
The kittens were adopted out, and momma was spayed and let go again.

[Ed U KayShawn]

Hi, please cover the trap with a large towel or blanket one that you do not care if it gets wrecked because it will! Before you transport the kitty cover your car seats with a tarp, then a blanket as ferals are known to eliminate when stressed. Be sure to never, have your fingers or hands, or legs near the cage when carrying it. Be sure to advise the vet staff under no circumstances should they touch the cat unless under anestetic.These are basically wild animals! they must be treated as so. Do not remove the towel or blanket from the outside of the cage no visibility for the cat is the most calming effect they have, other than drugs!! When you get the kitty home, he may be released if after the 24 hour surgery and you have ensured that he seems back to himself however, you must continue to provide food shelter & water and veterinarian care when neccessary (otherwise is it just abandonment) ** reminder even if he seems cuddly from the anestetic DO NOT TOUCH him!! please admire and coo from afar. and remember your awesome!! pm if need be k !!

[kashtin's kin]

Ed U. and chico2, thanks so much for the feedback; you two always have good ideas and just plain encouragement. Thx muchos!! . My surprise captive, 'Darrell the Feral" is now at the vet (FIV check first, and if he's okay then shots/neuter to follow).

Regarding the vet clinic, I'm really fortunate to live about 25 min. away from a small animal practice that is fully licensed and experienced in wildlife rehab (Windrush Clinic near Brantford, Ont.) ; I phoned them last week to check on the feral s/n issue. When I called this a.m. to book in Darrell, and mentioned that he is big and hostile (and SCARED, of course), the gal that I was talking to replied to the effect that he couldn't be worse than a big mad raccoon!

I'm hoping that 'Darrell'-man, that is one BIG cat!-is FIV neg, and that things go okay. Thanks for the advice re: trap, towel, care with hands...thankfully my common sense (and the hubby's calm smarts!) kicked in, and we'd done all the things advised. This cat is as mentioned BIG and extremely irked ; I have no illusions about being his buddy/getting near him when he's not in a cage.

And, due to my stupidity earlier in the year (don't ask!!), I've had the post-bite series of rabies vac's. I don't intend to get that stupid again-once is definitely enough-but it's not such a bad thing to have that protection..."and now, I will pat the wolverine..."

Thanks again for the help-any further feedback etc. will be gratefully received. Now I'm off to roll pennies harhar to pay for Darrell; once the 3 Amigos Kitties are all sorted out, I'll be living in a ditch !! ...All the more reason to get real pro-active in the spay/neuter area!

[kashtin's kin]

Well, Darrell the Feral tested FIV neg. , so he got his shots and op; he's resting overnight in a small cage in our insulated garage, and tomorrow he'll be out from behind bars...minus a bit of testosterone etc. I imagine he'll be taking off right quick after his not-optional surgery; I just hope he stays as safe as possible. He is definitely one VERY FERAL cat.

At least he won't be fathering any more kittens , and is not spreading FIV. There was no sign today of his galpal, WW-the one I thought we were going to trap. I guess we'll bait the sucker again tomorrow night, and see what happens; good thing those badgers moved on, 'cuz if D the Feral was a lilttle scary...

With all the drama the past 24 hours, there wasn't much time to supervise Sparky's integration, or for the 2 Pumas; I'll just have to catch up a bit tomorrow?! An interesting day, but not one I would care to repeat on a real regular basis without some kind of medication . However, I guess the experience may serve me well in the future, as this feral theme seems to be recurring. People who know me are amazed at the number of times that they DON'T hear the word 'horse' in my conversation these days...

[chico2]

It must be ESP,I was just thinking of Catsnatcher and her she is,back with an update,check "Pet Pictures",under the "Homelsss in winter"thread and you can read all about CS's struggles to get 5 outdoor kitties a safe place to live.
She,CPietra(who took in 2 of the cats)and others,are absolutely wonderful people with tons of experience with troubled cats.
Hopefully they can give more useful advice than I can give.
for having the Tom fixed
I wish I had a horse grasing in my backyard,they are the most beautiful creatures on earth,you are very lucky!
How old do you think the kittens are??

[Ed U KayShawn]

I agree cpietra, you definately work on their time!! Way to go k! you've done a great job! The only trick I have ever found can work pretty good for bait is good ol can of stinky mackerel!! I have found that it does work the best and be sure to put it at the very back of the cage! But ya know sometimes that has not always worked either, they are just really that good at outsmarting us sometimes!!

[kashtin's kin]

I'm VERY grateful for the above posters/critterkin who continue to offer helpful advice and encouragement-thx again, everyone . As I continue my journey in Feraland, hopefully I'll be able to pass some of that knowledge and support on...what goes around does indeed come around .

Darrell the Feral took off without a glance back today; he seemed in fine fettle. New as I am to really getting involved with ferals, I've fed and observed quite a few strays over the years...I got the feeling with Darrell that he is one experienced and determined feral cat. I would be surprised if he was ever 'domestic', even as a kitten.

It would be great to see him again (even a postcard would do), but I'm not going to hold my breath...I've lost enough brain cells as it is . I've read about how some feral colony 'managers' will notch a fixed and vaccinated cat's ear to indicate their treatment; it's too bad that wasn't really feasible in Darrell's case. If anyone has used any other method of ID, please let me know (i.e. some wild animals are temporarily 'non-toxic spray painted', or banded).

Momcat/Darrell's galpal/WW is around again today. I had hoped to try to trap her Thurs. night, but my vehicle broke down , so no transport to the vet. I'll have to wait till Sun. now to try, so as to be able to get to the vet clinic when it's open (would rather not possibly trap WW sooner, and stress her-okay, and me as well-with an extended confinement).

Sparkadelic was out of his bachelor pad for an hour or 2 today under supervision. Bold little fella that he is, he explored the whole house (we're not exactly talking zillion-room mansion here). The 3 'mature??' cat inhabitants have been pretty SSSSSSish around Spark, but he's standing up for himself without being stupid...I should take notes!

Cash and Pep continue to enjoy the back porch (so glad 'one' of us has the use of it ). We don't turn on our furnace till it's a tad colder-gotta save $ somewhere-so I put one of those fake fleece crate 'pillows'with the rolled edges on top of a roughtote, and the guys are enjoying cuddlying up on that.

Of course, when I hit the sack at whatever ungodly hour I finally hit the wall, there will be the 3 crabby longtime inhabitants to try to negotiate with-without waking the hubster..."look, Odin, if you and Sally would just shift a few inches, and Goose would let me have half of my pillow??!!" I know I should be more assertive , but frankly it's easier just to go with the flow!

p.s. big thx to catsnatcher for posting her feral-trapping/gentling routine...the whole exercise re: putting food in a crate/cage in a progressive sort of method sounds EXACTLY what you do to teach a horse to load into a trailer (unless they are a bit unusual, and saunter right onto the thing first try)...when I was doing some remedial trailer-loading schooling with my pony this past summer, she went from "I'm not going ANYwhere!", to wanting to get on it when we were heading out for a ride down the trail!! Go figure!!

[chico2]

OMG,wish I had your writing-skillsyou make a,what must be really frustrating situation,sound like sooo much fun!
I too have to share my side of the bed(King Size)with 3 cats,I don't think I could fall asleep without the steady purr in my ear After a while though,2 of them go off to their own regular spots,Rocky(my tabby 16lbs)stays with his mommy..:love:
Good luck getting the mommy cat,at least the big bad Tom can make no more babies

[cpietra16]

Have food, they will come. I am sure Darrell will be back...his girl is there

[ellendar]

Originally Posted by kashtin's kin

I posted a couple of months ago regarding a feral cat and her 3 kittens living (off and on) in a deserted shed just off our rural property. At the time there was also a family of badgers in the vicinity, which complicated things. I was looking for any ideas/suggestions re: capture of this cat family (hope to spay/neuter and find homes).

There were a few replies, which I greatly appreciated; I've tried to find my original post and those replies, but I haven't had any success...it's no doubt due to my lack of computer skills.

I thought I would post a bit of an update, and explain my 2 month gap in posting; not to get into details, but I managed to get myself bitten in an unrelated incident (yes, I am a pretty experienced critter person/caretaker/slave...blush). I ended up having to get rabies shots, while also dealing with a bit of a family crisis, thus I am just getting back to the feral cat project now.

The mother and all 3 kittens are living in a different shed-again, just off our land-and are daily regulars at my feeding station by the back door, under a trailer. I have managed to [v. carefully] stroke 2 of the kittens while they are eating, but they are fickle i.e. I can touch them one day, but not the next.

There is absolutely no way I can just grab one, as I know they would shred me; from asking around it does seem that a livetrap is about the best option (I'd have to buy one, as there is no Humane Society etc. in my area...that is dealing with cats at this time). I'm prepared to try to do that ('trap'), but have never used a trap. Also, how might that work, in that there are 4 cat/kittens?

If it weren't for the breeding/overpopulation issue, I would be tempted to just keep feeding this family and do nothing more, but as we all know the family will expand exponentially. I am anxious to try to resolve this situation before winter arrives, and more importantly before the kittens breed.

If anyone has dealt with something like this, and/or has any advice, I would really appreciate it...and I won't just post and disappear this time. ...Look forward to any replies. Thanks.

thanks as we type a feral kitten is bathing himself in my arms never just grab one without leather gloves or a oven mitt on your hand anyway best thing to doif these fickle kittens allopw any handling then remember food is the key way you communicate with them
and trap and spay , neutr and release is the best solution, you might have to find out how to get this done in your community don't stop feeding them
get ahold of the mom in a trap if you can and once you have the kittens cage them in separate crates while they are being socialized look up socializing feral kittens on the internet yes it can be done the younger the better they must be totally separated from the mom cat and she must be spayed then you need to help them in the winter for shelter sounds like they have a shed put old sofa cushions in there get a big cardboard box and tape it all closed after you put a sofacushion in there then tape it and cut an opening for the cats to get in just above the sofa cusion, they will be warm and cozy in this cardboard winter cat house hehe keep working on trust issues feeding and improving the food quality gets them to come closer and more often
look up trapping feral cats on the internet try the mackerel soaked paper inside the trap trick they love that smell yuckif yu can get the mom cat trapped then get her to the shelter or a vet that will do feral cats, some will some will not try contacting feral cat solutions i have four feral kittens right now and their mom does not stay too far away because the food is good here
i intend to get her trapped eventually put the kittens in a crate behind the trap she might enter t communicate with her young
By the way if you add brewers yeast or nutritional yeast to any cats or dogs diet it makes them not so desirable to the flea infestation fleas hate the taste of a pet or critter that eats or consumes brewers yeast dunno why
i have a recipe for my nursing feral cats
one large can of friskies salmon
about a cup of cooked diced or mashed carrots its a great filler in cat food they seem to like it i would not give them too much soy a common filler in dry cat food it gives them gas use carrots instead it is far better for them and by the way some canned peas don't hurt either just not too much, a little leftover cereal like grapenuts is good cats do need a bit of fiber in their diet my tame neutered cat loves steamed or raw cauliflour we can't keep him out of it cats do like vegetables just mixed in low abundance with fish or salmon cat food the majority being eggs and cat food
Don't give them only dry food it has lots of problems on a cats urinary tract and mixing their food as I do is good for them some would scoff I feed them leftovers in it sometimes
dry food is probably better than starving to death and I do keep a bin full of the dry with lots of water available but the food they really love is my recipe!
Trust me I have spayed and released feral ex mom cats that are nine years old still going strong.
It's kitty health food
scrambled eggs, the cats get all the eggs over a week old
olive oil like two tablespoons of it
this helps with furballs and cat vomiting again i do not know why
half a cup of oatmeal cooked or uncooked
any fully cooked rice is a good addition to this
oh yes a quarter cup of brewers yeast or nutritional yeast for fleas it makes the fleas go away naturally
and i stir it all up and feed it to the ones that i am trying to capture
food is the language feral cats understand the best
sometimes i add a little roast garlic and bacon grease if my husband cooks bacon, i am a vegeterian myself but the cats aren't
use your imagination you can parlay one can of cat food into a high protein meal that feral cats will trustand the more they love your restaurant the easier it will be to trap them
oh and about not feeding cats milk
nursing feral cats can have yuor sour milk the ones you have not captured yet by the wayit does not make them sick it gives them the backdoor trots
but its ok for feral cats that are going to the batheroom outside
by the way i put catboxes with kitty litter on my porch at my feral feed station and they use it i have no tomcat smell at my feed station since i put the cat boxes out there
when i bring a feral cat home from being spayed they are usually constipated from the anesthesia guess what te vet says to give them for constipation , yes it is milk never hurts to teach the wild ones about the advantages the housdecats have
about livetraps they are a great invention
you can "rent" them from the shelter by giving them a check that they never cash you get the check back when you return the trap usually
or many vets have them to rent for a small fee
or some feed stores have them too for rent but you might want to invest in one or make a box trap
but a good live trap costs about $67.00 and just type in live animal traps your browser will take you right to it
now if you should find a litter of kittens if they are 4 weeks or so old remove them from the mother and start isolating them to start socializing them to start feeding them put a bit of wet cat food on the end of a gloved finger and gently pry open their mouth stick the food in there and watch them eat it to get the idea, younger kittens need to be fostered by a tame mother cat or left with the wild mom until they are about four weeks old

[ellendar]

Originally Posted by ellendar

thanks as we type a feral kitten is bathing himself in my arms never just grab one without leather gloves or a oven mitt on your hand anyway best thing to doif these fickle kittens allopw any handling then remember food is the key way you communicate with them
and trap and spay , neutr and release is the best solution, you might have to find out how to get this done in your community don't stop feeding them
get ahold of the mom in a trap if you can and once you have the kittens cage them in separate crates while they are being socialized look up socializing feral kittens on the internet yes it can be done the younger the better they must be totally separated from the mom cat and she must be spayed then you need to help them in the winter for shelter sounds like they have a shed put old sofa cushions in there get a big cardboard box and tape it all closed after you put a sofacushion in there then tape it and cut an opening for the cats to get in just above the sofa cusion, they will be warm and cozy in this cardboard winter cat house hehe keep working on trust issues feeding and improving the food quality gets them to come closer and more often
look up trapping feral cats on the internet try the mackerel soaked paper inside the trap trick they love that smell yuckif yu can get the mom cat trapped then get her to the shelter or a vet that will do feral cats, some will some will not try contacting feral cat solutions i have four feral kittens right now and their mom does not stay too far away because the food is good here
i intend to get her trapped eventually put the kittens in a crate behind the trap she might enter t communicate with her young
By the way if you add brewers yeast or nutritional yeast to any cats or dogs diet it makes them not so desirable to the flea infestation fleas hate the taste of a pet or critter that eats or consumes brewers yeast dunno why
i have a recipe for my nursing feral cats
one large can of friskies salmon
about a cup of cooked diced or mashed carrots its a great filler in cat food they seem to like it i would not give them too much soy a common filler in dry cat food it gives them gas use carrots instead it is far better for them and by the way some canned peas don't hurt either just not too much, a little leftover cereal like grapenuts is good cats do need a bit of fiber in their diet my tame neutered cat loves steamed or raw cauliflour we can't keep him out of it cats do like vegetables just mixed in low abundance with fish or salmon cat food the majority being eggs and cat food
Don't give them only dry food it has lots of problems on a cats urinary tract and mixing their food as I do is good for them some would scoff I feed them leftovers in it sometimes
dry food is probably better than starving to death and I do keep a bin full of the dry with lots of water available but the food they really love is my recipe!
Trust me I have spayed and released feral ex mom cats that are nine years old still going strong.
It's kitty health food
scrambled eggs, the cats get all the eggs over a week old
olive oil like two tablespoons of it
this helps with furballs and cat vomiting again i do not know why
half a cup of oatmeal cooked or uncooked
any fully cooked rice is a good addition to this
oh yes a quarter cup of brewers yeast or nutritional yeast for fleas it makes the fleas go away naturally
and i stir it all up and feed it to the ones that i am trying to capture
food is the language feral cats understand the best
sometimes i add a little roast garlic and bacon grease if my husband cooks bacon, i am a vegeterian myself but the cats aren't
use your imagination you can parlay one can of cat food into a high protein meal that feral cats will trustand the more they love your restaurant the easier it will be to trap them
oh and about not feeding cats milk
nursing feral cats can have yuor sour milk the ones you have not captured yet by the wayit does not make them sick it gives them the backdoor trots
but its ok for feral cats that are going to the batheroom outside
by the way i put catboxes with kitty litter on my porch at my feral feed station and they use it i have no tomcat smell at my feed station since i put the cat boxes out there
when i bring a feral cat home from being spayed they are usually constipated from the anesthesia guess what te vet says to give them for constipation , yes it is milk never hurts to teach the wild ones about the advantages the housdecats have
about livetraps they are a great invention
you can "rent" them from the shelter by giving them a check that they never cash you get the check back when you return the trap usually
or many vets have them to rent for a small fee
or some feed stores have them too for rent but you might want to invest in one or make a box trap
but a good live trap costs about $67.00 and just type in live animal traps your browser will take you right to it
now if you should find a litter of kittens if they are 4 weeks or so old remove them from the mother and start isolating them to start socializing them to start feeding them put a bit of wet cat food on the end of a gloved finger and gently pry open their mouth stick the food in there and watch them eat it to get the idea, younger kittens need to be fostered by a tame mother cat or left with the wild mom until they are about four weeks old

You would not believe thec relationships you can have with feral cats I had one that decided to be a pet housecat and she took walks with me back when she was wild we were just friends and she chose to reside for the longest time in an old dog pen, why- because the other feral cats were always attacking her
I took her and had her spayed
then kept her in the bathroom with a harness and tethered to a iron skillet until she was not so skittish about house noises
she was with us for at least a decade she died from diabetes and yes cats get that too weight gain or loss can be a symptom of it
Her ashes are in a tin in the china cabinet, you do get attached my husband wants her ashes mingled with his one day
Another feral cat we had was a Tom named Smokey he was very wild but took up residence every winter in the attic above my pantry and stayed there all winter long, if he would be gone he always came home on friday when I cooked a big salmon
The city trapped him and destroyed him claiming he was a wild cat, that cat wasn't wild when he entered my kitchen
no I never had him neutered; he wasn't my cat but I wanted him
I wanted to but he was my first feral cat actually he might have owned me not the other way around
the gene pool for cats is small in my community, I see a lot of his descendants, but I never owned him
I just was his friend
He was a beautiful Russian Blue tomcat that must have been an escaped purebred and whoever let him loose in our community was definitely improving the gene pool for cats in this town the human populaton is only 369 here and the cats were all inbred before he came. His descendants are now the healthiest of the feral population and my understanding is at one time the feral cats of this community were so inbred that kittens were born with encephaly I actually saw that brains on the outside of the skull
and that seems tragic to me.
I always wanted to get Smokey neutered but reasonably he did lend some strong genetics to the cat population of this town.
He loved my kitchen and my pantry. I know he was feral but we were friends.
Another place yuo might ask about getting animal traps is check with the Fish and Game department they would know
If my spelling is bad think of it this way I am holding a feral baby kitty that I am socializing as I type, and feral kittens no matter how sweet they seem should not go to homes that are not aware of their feral origins they are a far more challenging pet
now a few minutes ago when I went to put Ribbin back in the cage he screamed afraid to go back in, he loved falling asleep in my arms I think I am making progress here earlier today the wild mom cat poked her head in the door and there he was with her we opened the door and the mom ran off and he wasn't quite so fast Zack, a friend caught him and I put him into the big birdcage with his brothers yes I do need more crates the crate in my kitchen needs to be hosed out.
I cannot give the feral kittens to just any home either, they need to go to someone who has patience for them
Ribbon liked being cuddled! Ha he wants to be a domestic I bet.
The Mom cat is being a _itch about not wanting to be captured but trust issues we never did anything mean to her ever except take her kittens away so they get a chance at a future, she is well fed.

[ellendar]

Originally Posted by ellendar

You would not believe thec relationships you can have with feral cats I had one that decided to be a pet housecat and she took walks with me back when she was wild we were just friends and she chose to reside for the longest time in an old dog pen, why- because the other feral cats were always attacking her
I took her and had her spayed
then kept her in the bathroom with a harness and tethered to a iron skillet until she was not so skittish about house noises
she was with us for at least a decade she died from diabetes and yes cats get that too weight gain or loss can be a symptom of it
Her ashes are in a tin in the china cabinet, you do get attached my husband wants her ashes mingled with his one day
Another feral cat we had was a Tom named Smokey he was very wild but took up residence every winter in the attic above my pantry and stayed there all winter long, if he would be gone he always came home on friday when I cooked a big salmon
The city trapped him and destroyed him claiming he was a wild cat, that cat wasn't wild when he entered my kitchen
no I never had him neutered; he wasn't my cat but I wanted him
I wanted to but he was my first feral cat actually he might have owned me not the other way around
the gene pool for cats is small in my community, I see a lot of his descendants, but I never owned him
I just was his friend
He was a beautiful Russian Blue tomcat that must have been an escaped purebred and whoever let him loose in our community was definitely improving the gene pool for cats in this town the human populaton is only 369 here and the cats were all inbred before he came. His descendants are now the healthiest of the feral population and my understanding is at one time the feral cats of this community were so inbred that kittens were born with encephaly I actually saw that brains on the outside of the skull
and that seems tragic to me.
I always wanted to get Smokey neutered but reasonably he did lend some strong genetics to the cat population of this town.
He loved my kitchen and my pantry. I know he was feral but we were friends.
Another place yuo might ask about getting animal traps is check with the Fish and Game department they would know
If my spelling is bad think of it this way I am holding a feral baby kitty that I am socializing as I type, and feral kittens no matter how sweet they seem should not go to homes that are not aware of their feral origins they are a far more challenging pet
now a few minutes ago when I went to put Ribbin back in the cage he screamed afraid to go back in, he loved falling asleep in my arms I think I am making progress here earlier today the wild mom cat poked her head in the door and there he was with her we opened the door and the mom ran off and he wasn't quite so fast Zack, a friend caught him and I put him into the big birdcage with his brothers yes I do need more crates the crate in my kitchen needs to be hosed out.
I cannot give the feral kittens to just any home either, they need to go to someone who has patience for them
Ribbon liked being cuddled! Ha he wants to be a domestic I bet.
The Mom cat is being a _itch about not wanting to be captured but trust issues we never did anything mean to her ever except take her kittens away so they get a chance at a future, she is well fed.

I never started out wanting an involvement with feral cats, they sort of just entered my life on their own but they are intriguing and I would not stop feeding them even though lots do breed I cannot capture all of them but I can make their lives better with shelter food and clean water

[ellendar]

I I am fortunate in that I have had many feral cat friends over the years but i swear the ones that break my heart are the abandoned tame housecats that come to feed with the ferals, why do people dump out theior friends this way?

[chico2]

Ellendar,thank you for what you are doing,the need is great,these kitties need all the help they can get
Ignorant people who abandon or dump their cats,believing they'll survive on their own,or simply don't care if they do,are unfortunately plentyful
Thankfully there are wonderful people like you,KK and many others on this Forum who take these poor little souls under their wings

[ellendar]

Investing in a humane trap is a good idea if you sincerely want to help
e bay has traps for less than $30.00 and yes there is shipping THese will need to be trapped and altered and as soon as possible

[ellendar]

no never just grab one always use the gloves oven mitts work in a pinch but good leather gloves the kind welders use are good

[growler~GateKeeper]

wholesaler your post has been reported to the mods

[growler~GateKeeper]

Hey KK, nevermind the spam post - I was troll smacking last night & our awesome mods took it out



How's the ex Feral's & Les Petite Ponies tonight?

[kashtin's kin]

Hi growler (and chico2 et al.)...no worries re: the troll thingy; it's nice that there are vigilant BB members to help the mods out ! And thanks for the pro-biotic idea, too. Pepper has been doing very well for a couple of months or so on Wellness wet food, but if she has trouble again, pro-biotics here we come.

Yucky wet/cold night out, so tucked the ponies in early (although I'll be out to read the bedtime stories soon ) . WW has recently begun to spend some of the really rainy/cold nights in the hayshed, lately; when I do final ponycheck and hay, she slips through the shed door that I leave open just so WW has that option.

The first time she had a hayshed sleepover, she surprised me when I opened the shed in the morning, as WW had always been too wary to do anything but skip in and out quickly! There's lots of nice hay...and some 'meeses' too, no doubt in the large and dry hayshed, but just in case I have started to leave some dry food and water in there as well.

WW has that perfectly splendid condo which is also nice and cozy (especially the den with the fireplace!!), but I guess Her Royal Highness likes to shake it up a bit sometimes. WW's other newer accomplishment is accompanying me VERY closely during chores; she used to like to keep a bit of a distance, but she's discovered the joys of staying 'trippingly close'.

So, chores take a bit longer, as I pause frequently to pay homage to La WW, but I haven't done a faceplant...yet !

p.s. the pic below shows Sparky and Pepper playing with and drinking water out of the 'pony bucket' that I use to ferry fresh-and warm-water out to the equines in the winter. The frequently refreshed cat water bowl is right beside the bucket (which I set down about 4x / day just before I head outside); it seems that the ex-feral duo prefer their H20 a tad warm (judging by their taste for fresh bath water as well).

p.s. encore...also posted a query in 'health' section re: cat with congested?? chest, if anyone has any ideas? thx.