wild kittens

[alarimer]

I have five kittens currently hanging out on my patio. I have been feeding them and the mom but I would really like to try and tame the kittens so that I could find homes for them. They are about 6 weeks old. They won't let me get near them. If I called Animal control, they would just go to the pound where they would be killed. I would like to be able to take them to the humane society which has a no-kill shelter. How do I tame them enough to do that?

[Lithos]

1. You will have to capture them

And bring them in. You will not be able to tame them while they are outside.

However, if you do that, you are fully committed to doing just that. Once they are in, you've changed their lives.

L-

[EstimatedProphet]

2. Be VERY careful

When I was a kid I tried to capture a wild kitten as a pet. Had to get tetanus shots afterwards...

[Teddy_Salad]

3. I tamed a feral kitten two years ago

It was tough.
She was around 12 weeks old at the time and it took a long time to bring her around but when she finally did, it was all well worth it.
At first I couldn't even look at her, she would hiss and spit at me but now she follows me everywhere and looooves affection.

To capture them , try what I did....a "Have-A-Heart"....a cage trap that you can place some food inside of, the kitten will enter, set off the trap and the door will close behind it.
You can even take the kitten down to the vet to be checked out in the Have-A-Heart.

But if you are seriously thinking of taking this on, I reccommend that you do it very soon.
Every day a feral kitten gets older, the more difficult it becomes to tame them.
And it won't be easy....it is hard, hard work but believe me, the benefits in the end for the cat and yourself are well worth it.

Good luck! I hope you give it a go. :)

[iamjoy]

4. Good Luck

Hang out on your porch a lot. I mean, bring food out and just step back several paces, sit down, read the paper, do whatever. If you have a cordless or cell phone, talk to people on that while you are out with the kittens. Ignore them at first, they will get used to your presence, used to your voice and learn that you aren't a threat. Consider leaving a t-shirt you've worn out on the porch so they get used to your scent. No cologne, scented lotions, etc.

Maybe set some canned food or tuna right near your foot. But don't move the first few times they come get it, let them sniff you.

Alternately, ask the Humane Society if they can take the cats and if they have a humane trap. But, they have to be tamed first if you hope anyone will adopt them. As for the mother, it is too late for her, she is feral. See if the Humane Society will help do a catch/alter/release.

[alittlelark]

5. I've been doing this for 3 years.

We have a creek by our house that used to be filled w/ cats and kittens. My friend and I have been trapping and fixing the adults, and trapping and domesticating the kittens.

This year we only had 5 kittens (it's working).

The mother MUST be seperated from the kittens - you will need to trap the kittens (the Humane society usually has traps you can rent for a few weeks). 6 mo's is right at the border - if much more time passes they will be feral for life.

Message me if you want specific advice.

[alarimer]

7. I will call the Humane Society

Monday (not sure if they are open tomorrow) and see if they have any traps or if they know someone that does. I might be able to borrow some from people at work. I feel bad for these kittens; there is a busy road nearby which I am sure claims a lot of animal's lives. Plus they are really cute; I might even keep one.

[jukes]

8. hav-a-heart is the best.

animal control will lend them; perhaps your vet.

clean them carefully to remove "fear" scent. test it to make sure it doesn't hang. start w/ bait outside trap, move it just in side, then place it on the paddle.

kittens aren't too hard, mom will be tougher. she must be captured & spayed even if you intend to release or you'll be dealing w/ another litter shortly.



i run a feral cat rescue service:
http://gomi.home.mindspring.com/

PM if you need further.

[Mara Steele]

13. Nice looking website, jukes

I will look forward to seeing it constructed further...

[jukes]

15. starting to work on it again.

mostly trying for non-profit status to recoup expenses. will eventually accept donations though, particularly from rich dem widows!

the logo will prob'ly be my 2nd tat.

need to brand my avatar on my left palm 1st...

[Mara Steele]

18. Brand!!??

OWW oww oww!!

:scared:

[alarimer]

24. Animal Control no longer lends them

they sell them at feed stores for $35 but I really can't afford that right now with tuition due shortly so I am not sure what to do.

[SoCalDem]

11. Call your vet.. They will surely know a "cat lady".. That's how I

got the have-a-heart to trap the feral Mom we still feed.. This lady has about 5 of them and she loans them out.. Our vet spays/neuters for free..ask..it won't hurt to ask.. Be sure they know at the vet that these are NOT your cats..

cover the cage with an old blanket, so only the entrance is visible..

If you can catch Mom, do it quickly or you will have more kittens soon..she's probably pregnant already.:(

[alarimer]

14. I will call

My vet tomorrow. I am giving up yet. it is just that the shelters are apparently full but I am not through calling them either.

[jukes]

17. "cat lady"

jukes ain't no fucking "lady"!

[Mara Steele]

Damn straight!!

[roguevalley]

6. get them to drink from a bowl and drop a blanket over them. Have

someone help you tag them because they'll never fall for that again.
They sound lovely.

[jukes]

9. utmost respect

but i feel this is a bad idea. he'll never get close enough & cats tend to be private drinkers, esp ferals.

there's also a risk of smothering or crushing.

[redwitch]

10. contact amerikat

he has lots of experience in this area- hand raised nine kittens, has spayed and neutered lots of kitties from the wild, and has tamed a feral cat named Boo. ask him for help.

[alarimer]

12. update

There are actually 6 kittens; two are black and look identical so I miscounted. I have called all over and the shelters all seem to be full right now. There is no way I can have 6 more cats, at least permanently. I live in a one-bedroom apartment and have paid a pet deposit for the cat I have right now. I could probably manage one more. In this city there is a pretty bad cat problem but no rescue groups that I can find. I forgot about this, but I am leaving town in a month for a couple of weeks too so the cats would have to be gone by then. At this point it is likely I will have to deal with Animal Control, even though I know what that would mean. They do keep kittens longer because they are more adoptable.

[jukes]

20. sad

but kinder i the long run. so much danger & bad death out there.

if you can afford it, have the vet euthanize. fee is usu nominal & they'll be gentler.

sorry for your troubles...:cry:

[zanana]

16. I have the same situation.

Mother and three kittens. I've been feeding them and trying to get them to trust me. The mother is getting much friendlier, so I'm letting her in the house, hoping that the kittens will follow. No luck yet. I tried a Have-A-Hart trap. I got a skunk. My local no-kill shelter is full of cats, too. I already have three people willing to adopt the kittens, so that's not the problem.I'm beginning to lose sleep over this, and I'm definitely getting "attached". God help me.

[jukes]

21. zanana

try setting up a dog-type carrier as a feeding station. bungee the door so it snaps shut, hold it open w/cord tied to fixed object. 1ce they're used to feeding inside, cut the restraining cord, then hit latch quickly.

have trapppped *many* ferals this way, kittens will fall for it.

[LSU_Subversive]

19. Whatever you do, get that momma-cat SPAYED.

And the kittens, too, if you're not able to give them away. There's enough unwanted and feral kitties out there.

[jukes]

22. LSU_Subversive

apsitively. also cuts down fights between rival males & STDs.

[alarimer]

25. too expensive for me

Over $100. With tuition and so forth I can't really soend much money on this. I can't find anyone in this town to do it for low cost. Most places won't even touch feral cats. I have no way to trap her either because animal control will no longer lend out traps (they don't get them back). So there doesn' seem to be much I can do after all.

[jukes]

26. alarimer

see my post to "zanana" in this thread. will PM, also.

[jukes]

23. kick

:kick: