I'm sorry if I'm repeating a question thats been asked, I know how that upsets people on bulletin boards lol but I'm so worried about these little kittens.
Here's the story. I noticed a little less than a month ago 3 small kittens running around my neighborhood. I talked to my next door neighbor about them, and she had been feeding them but said she thought they were already feral. She planned on trapping them and having them fixed then re-releasing them when she gets back from vacation in a week.
Her sorta-outside cat Squeeky(a stray that she took in and doesn't always come in at night) has been acting as sort of a surrogate dad to these kittens. Squeeky hasn't been inside since befriending these kittens, and also won't really come near my neighbor anymore, unless she puts out wet food. She says the kittens are "making him feral".
Two nights ago I looked out at my front porch and there was squeeky sitting there, looking at my door and meowing. My neighbor is gone so I thought maybe her housesitter didn't know to feed him, and I brought out a plate of dry cat food (I have 2 inside-only cats). I sat on the stoop, and after a while, and much running back and forth, the three kittens finally came over and eating with Squeeky. If I made any movement they ran away. Eventually they got used to me but still ran away if I moved to much. And squeeky kept rubbing up against my legs and letting me pet him as much as I wanted.
This whole scene repeated last night, at about the same time. Squeeky was out there again waiting. The kittens ran up to the plate of food immediately this time, but were still wary of me.
My question is, is it possible for me to befriend these kittens by feeding them for a little while combined with them seeing me interact with/pet their surrogate dad? I would hate to trap them if I can avoid it, since it seems traumatic.
If not, the organization that I got my second cat from has a TNR program. I believe they loan out traps, and our local vet does cheap nueter/spays for ferals. If I do end up trapping these kittens, is it possible after they are fixed to make them into house cats? I'd love to give them good homes!
Here's the story. I noticed a little less than a month ago 3 small kittens running around my neighborhood. I talked to my next door neighbor about them, and she had been feeding them but said she thought they were already feral. She planned on trapping them and having them fixed then re-releasing them when she gets back from vacation in a week.
Her sorta-outside cat Squeeky(a stray that she took in and doesn't always come in at night) has been acting as sort of a surrogate dad to these kittens. Squeeky hasn't been inside since befriending these kittens, and also won't really come near my neighbor anymore, unless she puts out wet food. She says the kittens are "making him feral".
Two nights ago I looked out at my front porch and there was squeeky sitting there, looking at my door and meowing. My neighbor is gone so I thought maybe her housesitter didn't know to feed him, and I brought out a plate of dry cat food (I have 2 inside-only cats). I sat on the stoop, and after a while, and much running back and forth, the three kittens finally came over and eating with Squeeky. If I made any movement they ran away. Eventually they got used to me but still ran away if I moved to much. And squeeky kept rubbing up against my legs and letting me pet him as much as I wanted.
This whole scene repeated last night, at about the same time. Squeeky was out there again waiting. The kittens ran up to the plate of food immediately this time, but were still wary of me.
My question is, is it possible for me to befriend these kittens by feeding them for a little while combined with them seeing me interact with/pet their surrogate dad? I would hate to trap them if I can avoid it, since it seems traumatic.
If not, the organization that I got my second cat from has a TNR program. I believe they loan out traps, and our local vet does cheap nueter/spays for ferals. If I do end up trapping these kittens, is it possible after they are fixed to make them into house cats? I'd love to give them good homes!
