Handling Feral Cats in my Apartment

Hello,

I trapped a feral mum and her 3 kittens in a friend's backyard about 6 weeks back, and they are now living in my apartment in my bed room. Over the course of the past 6 weeks, they have been getting more comfortable with my getting closer to them, but still run away and get really skittish when i attempt to touch them. Anyways, I've yet to spay them and also need to apply flea medication on them. Hence i need to:

1. Get a hold of them so i can apply the flea medication
2. Get a hold of them so i can put them in the carrier to go see the vet for their spaying

Any advice on how best to handle them? Also, will my attempt to handle them destroy some of the trust built thus far, and hence should best leave them alone until they become comfortable enough for me to handle them?

Any advice is much appreciated.

andrew

Andrew please do not apply over the counter flea meds on these cats. Use only meds that you get from your vet, otherwise, you could be in a world of trouble. They are not feral cats, if they were, you wouldn't have an apartment left! They are simply stray cats with feral tendencies and you should get them spayed or neutered first off. The socialization does not happen overnight- it happens in small increments in the days weeks and months that they share your home with you. But first and foremost please get them fixed. Corner them into a small bathroom, use thick towels gather them up and put them each in their own carrier. Cover the carriers with a dark blanket to calm them down then get them to the vet.

Thank you for caring for them and bringing them in from the cold.

Thanks for the advice.

I am using frontline which is what a vet would typically prescribe - the one where you apply on the neck of the cat. I was able to get advantage, frontline from petco. Please let me know if you think what you get at petco is different from that that is prescribed by the vet.

andrew

It should be the same. Good to know at least some of the over the counter sold medicaments are in fact OK!

But watch out if they are for cats (this for dogs is essentially same, I think, but different dosage - thus dangerous for cats).
Look also if they are not too old.



Hissys advice on taking them with a thick towel is good not only for getting them into carriers, but also for handling them. Say clipping their nails or dropping on this frontline. This is used also with pet home cats who hates to be held and have nails clipped...
If you handheld them against their will, they fight against you, or at least - try to climb out.
It can be rather traumatic both for them and for you....
But when they are inside this thick towel like in toga or poncho, they feel they are helpless and give up. Thus you can handle them without using raw force, and they accept it better.


Tx alot for helping them, especielly as you accept to have your own bedrom flea-infested.
Good luck with them and with your life!



Ps.: Welcome to the Forums!

You are a sweetheart for rescuing these kitties. Any idea how old they are? In fact - rather than attempt to apply the Frontline yourself, it sounds as if maybe getting them to the vet for the whole thing may not be a bad idea.

The way I'd suggest that be done is to have carriers in the room out - make sure the doors can't close. Spray the carriers with Feliway, and start putting their food in there, or put beds that already smell like them in there. Make the carriers "safe" spaces for them. Then it is a LOT easier to get them to the vet... and the vet can treat them with Revolution instead of Frontline or Advantage (because they probably have internal parasites that need to be treated), clip claws, spay/neuter, treat ear mites if an issue... &etc. Then you're not the bad guy, and they're happy to be home.

Just a thought.

...and if you want tips on socializing them, there are lots of great threads here if you spend a little time searching.