Can they read my mind???

Hi, I am new here.

I have been caring for a mother and her three kittens in my back yard since July.
I think kittens are born in June.
Almost everyday, they wait for breakfast around 7:30am and wait for dinner around 5PM.
I only can pet one of the kittens but they trust us enough.

I finally got all the needed things ready and my X-day was set for today to start trapping them.

Cats showed up for breakfast yesterday morning as usual.
Then, we came home late around 8pm and only one kitten showed up for dinner.
Only same kitten showed up for breakfast this morning.
I was able to catch her, but I don't see any trace of other cats.

Where did they go?
There had been few occasions of them not showing up for a day, but they always came back.
Strangest thing is that one kitten was left here.
They usually disappear all together.

I hope they come back so that I can catch them all.
Or, did they read my mind????
I have huge cage in my bed room to hold my kitten.
I was planning to take 4 cats at once to the vet, but if rest of them don't show, I will take the kitten alone.

I have been petting the kitten and she was purring like crazy!!
She is still shy, though, but I was amazed how calm she is.

I will keep you posted.

-Kazy

Hey Kazy...let's hope the others one are just exploring the neighborhood....it would probably be a good thing to ask your neighbors if they are feeding any stray cats. Trapping works best if you can have the cats/kittens be really hungry so that they go for the bait. Using warm deboned, deskinned, original KFC ripped into managable pieces is a favorite of trappers. If you have a trap ready, set it up and just keep an eye on it. If mom is hungry enough..she should smell the chicken and hopefully will come to eat. Let's hope she isn't pregnant again.

Katie

All cats came back for breakfast this morning.
And I caught 2 kittens right there!!!

Now mama is very cautious since she saw her kittens caught by trap in front of her eyes.
I hope she will go in to the trap soon.

If mother cat is not caught within few days, I will go ahead and take kittens to vet for spay/neuter.

Wish me luck!!
-Kazy

Originally Posted by Kazy

All cats came back for breakfast this morning.
And I caught 2 kittens right there!!!

Now mama is very cautious since she saw her kittens caught by trap in front of her eyes.
I hope she will go in to the trap soon.

If mother cat is not caught within few days, I will go ahead and take kittens to vet for spay/neuter.

Wish me luck!!
-Kazy

Click to expand...

Hey Kazy,

Here is what someone on another message board suggests:

TRAPPING -- Use the KFC warm, remove bones, tear in bits, they
seem to prefer original recipe, they seem to prefer white meat!

WATCH TRAPS from afar -- don't leave unattended if you can.

If you trap Momcat first -- cover her trap entirely with a towel,
immediately move that trap inside (you're doing this in your
backyard, right?).

You might get momcat and a kitten or two in same trap. That's OK.

If you trap momcat first -- continue having the other traps
set out, just move her trap inside. Be calm. Don't scream
"OH WOW we trapped momcat!"

I would tell her, it's OK, we're on your side, we will help
you and the kittens. Seriously.

If you trap kittens first, same thing, drape the undraped-yet
part of trap with a towel and bring the trap inside. I always
put traps-with-kibs in them, inside a room that I shut the
door on -- air lock system!

Kittens really love KFC. If you get momcat, still kibs out there,
I'd rebait with WARM KFC, make sure back parts of traps are
draped with towel, and retreat to a far distance. Don't
stare at traps. I tell people to think "pink lemonade", seriously,
I did a trial, and my trapping rate was better if I was NOT
thinking "gotta trap this cat" but "pink lemonade", that being
a easy-to-think-of image.

After it gets to raccoons are out time, I'd stop trapping for
that night. Take in any food. EARLY in morning start trapping
again!

2) Meat baby food (I use Gerber's) is a great taming treat for
kittens.

**********************************************

I'm really hoping you are able to trap mom. If you have more than 1 available trap, set up multiples. Think "pink lemonade" and hope that mom decides she is hungry enough to go for the bait.

Katie

I got her!!

She has been sleeping all day long at her regular spot.
And around 4pm, she sat by the screen door on our patio.
My daughter was talking to her saying "your kittens are in the house and they are safe".
I got left over can food from kitten's pen and gave it to mama.
It was as if she knew that the only way to get to her kittens is to go in to the trap herself...

It was a joy to see first caught kitten seeing her mom!
She was purring and excited. (first caught kitten is pretty tame already)

One thing I worry about now is first caught kitten being rejected by mom.
After I put mom in to the pen, first caught kitten followed.
She tried to go in to the hiding box but mama got mad and hissed and scratched her. (she could have been just too upset right now....)
Poor one is out of hiding box and sleeping somewhere else.

Is it because this kitten is now too tame and mama doesn't like about that?
I hope once mama calms down, she will take first caught kitten...

Thanks for your help!
-Kazy

Originally Posted by Kazy

I got her!!

She has been sleeping all day long at her regular spot.
And around 4pm, she sat by the screen door on our patio.
My daughter was talking to her saying "your kittens are in the house and they are safe".
I got left over can food from kitten's pen and gave it to mama.
It was as if she knew that the only way to get to her kittens is to go in to the trap herself...

It was a joy to see first caught kitten seeing her mom!
She was purring and excited. (first caught kitten is pretty tame already)

One thing I worry about now is first caught kitten being rejected by mom.
After I put mom in to the pen, first caught kitten followed.
She tried to go in to the hiding box but mama got mad and hissed and scratched her. (she could have been just too upset right now....)
Poor one is out of hiding box and sleeping somewhere else.

Is it because this kitten is now too tame and mama doesn't like about that?
I hope once mama calms down, she will take first caught kitten...

Thanks for your help!
-Kazy

Click to expand...

Kazy....can you do this....rub mom cat with a towel...then rub the kitten with it. Cats are scent oriented and mom probably doesn't smell herself on her kitten so she thinks it's a stranger.

Katie

I rubbed old blanket which cats have been using on mom, and then rubbed on the kitten.
I hope mother will accept her baby back.

That kitten is very content and made her self home.
Ever since mother joined, she is even more comfortable and playing with toys and eating good.
She doesn't act like the rest of them...
(no wonder they rejected her!!!)

Rest of cats are getting better, though.
Mother looks more comfortable and she doesn't hiss at me or my daughter anymore. (for now.)
I came in and opened the gate right in front of her and she even didn't run.
I hope they will warm up to us more.

I am planning to tame them some what so I could catch them easier whenever they need vet's attention.
I am adopting them. They already have names!
I can't keep them in the house since my hubby is allergic to cats.

Thank you very much for your help!!!
I will keep you posted.

-Kazy

The kitten is fine.
This morning, first caught kitten was sucking mommy's nipple.
She is almost 5 months old and still sucking!!!

Kitties are slowly adjusting.
2 of them hissed at me this morning.
Food was all eaten and I cleaned up cat littler with quite bit of stuff.

-Kazy

Originally Posted by Kazy

The kitten is fine.
This morning, first caught kitten was sucking mommy's nipple.
She is almost 5 months old and still sucking!!!

Kitties are slowly adjusting.
2 of them hissed at me this morning.
Food was all eaten and I cleaned up cat littler with quite bit of stuff.

-Kazy

Click to expand...

Good to hear it's all working out. Those kittens are really scary when they hiss at you aren't they.

Katie