Feral Kittens, need help

I work on a construction site, and we have a few ferals cats that run around. Not really a big deal, they keep the rats down, but yesterday when we were moving pallets, we found four kittens. We managed to catch two, but the other two ran off before we could get them.
I actually took one of them home(an keeping it. shes so cute) and someone else from work took the other one.
I took the little one to the vet last night for tests and a checkup- clean bill of health. Thank god since I know that at least one of those ferals has FeLV. (we've had to put down a few kittens last year for that reason).

My question is, what is the possibility of catching the other two?? I'd hate to see them grow up feral if they dont have to.
The vet said the kitties are around 4-5 weeks old, but are so malnourished that they are the size of 3 week olds.
I spotted one of the kittens today, so I know that at least one of them is still around.

Can anyone shed some light on this????

Oh, and here are some pics- I named her Chemul- which is the name of the ship we found her by.

Aw, you got her so young that she should tame right down - if she's even showing much wildness at all. If she's not getting some KMR in with her food, add some in for 2-3 more weeks to get extra nutrients into her.

They're small, they're hungry. Put out smaller live traps in/around areas that make good hiding spots for them and put something nice and stinky in there - like a fishy canned food or even some canned mackerel ( ). Their little noses and bellies will lure them in. Though you may get more than the kittens...

Good luck, and I hope you catch the other two soon! Will you be taking them home to work with them if they can be caught?

What you are trying to do sounds excellent!
I second also strange wings advices.


But tell us more about the situation as whole.

You mention you did put down some who had Felv. HOW did you knew they had Felv? You had them to a vet??
I presume although you use to let the healthy be, but you take away the apparent sick and put them down if they cant be easily cured... Right??
Yes it sounds like a good practical solution.

But as there are kittens, most of the adult cats seemingly arent spayed?

As you are apparently concerned about their health and in some degree their welfare, do you have any plans for neutering/spaying them?
= A sort of TNR.
THIS would be the big step forward for you and the cats. A perfect solution for you all involved... These semiferal cats and you working there alike.


Good luck!

Shes already extremely tame, which kind of surprised everyone a little.
The reason why we can't TNR them is because they are extremely aggressive and fearful of people, we rarely ever see them. Management will not let us put down traps, these cats are the least of their worries. That being said, we all try to do the best we can for them. We feed the adults, and try to catch the kittens and find them homes.
Each kitten that is caught is tested for FIV and FeLV, and the ones that have it are put down. Its always sad when we have to do that, but everyone aggreed that its the best thing we could do to help with the spread of the
disease.

Since Chemul is FeLV and FIV free, the other two have a really good chance of being free as well, thats one of the main reasons I want to catch them. If I can't get them in the next few weeks, I wont be able to, they'll be too wild by that point and I'll never catch them.

Originally Posted by gothicangel69

Since Chemul is FeLV and FIV free, the other two have a really good chance of being free as well, thats one of the main reasons I want to catch them. If I can't get them in the next few weeks, I wont be able to, they'll be too wild by that point and I'll never catch them.

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Although those test results in small kitties may be a bit unreliable as infections generally take a few months to show up. You should have them retested at 9-10 weeks and then, if positive, again at 6 mos...

I didn't know that. So does that mean I should hold off on her FeLV vaccine until she is retested at 10 weeks???
The vet wants to vaccinate her in two weeks.

Originally Posted by gothicangel69

The reason why we can't TNR them is because they are extremely aggressive and fearful of people, we rarely ever see them. Management will not let us put down traps, these cats are the least of their worries.

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Right, traps ARE necessary when TNR on semiferales / ferales. Even the rather friendly of them do usually put up a lot of defensive agressiveness when catched. At least at first. Thus, trap, protective thick gloves and thick clothes is a must for every rescuer.

I did have heard of exceptions, but they are rare and nothing to recommend for everyone!!! (A experienced swedish rescuer happened to catch a female semiferal she was after several weeks. Too good an occasion to let it down! But she hadnt any carrier with her. What to do? She put the terrified cat under her clothes at her chest (=heart beats), and so they rode by the Underground across the whole of Stockolm. God was with them, nothing bad happened... But she herself admitted, this was the big exception of the decade... )

But I dont understand why the management dont lets you lay out traps??
Neutering the adults will make it easier for everyone. The cats, you caretakers = theyir workers, the owners... everyone.

Think out a good strategy, and do talk them into sense.... Come back if you need good arguments.


Otherwise, you are doing a great job. Especielly as you arent primary rescuers. You are everyday workers...

Im extra fascinated by your ability to find homes for these kittens. Finding homes is almost always a problem for rescuers and shelters...

You do also have a cooperation with some veteriary clinic? I presume it isnt for free, so you must be paying for it from your own pockets??

The cooperation with the clinic will make the coming neutering easier, practically selfgoing...

We have a work crew of about 400 on our site during the day, and 100 at night. All of the previous kittens have actually been taken by co-workers and we have someone lined up to take the other two if we can catch them. Surprisingly, we have no problem finding them homes, everyone works together.

I'm thinking about comming up with the excuse that we need to catch them because they can spread diseases, lol. Maybe if I bring it to them from a safety aspect, they'll listen.

We do not have an aggrement with a vet clinic, everyone pitches together to pay for the vet visits if the person who takes the kitten cannot.

I just really hope we can catch the other two. One's a black and white, and the others a grey tabby.

I wonder if these were not truly feral kittens. Did you see them when they were younger? Do you know the mothers?

If they were just dumped there, that would explain many things.

^I've found a few feral kittens at that age who haven't had a chance to get wild yet. Pretty much anything under 6 weeks doesn't really know anything, they just want food and a momma - and a human is good enough to fill that role. As they get older the difficulty goes up, but I've caught one closer to 14weeks that had no human contact yet wasn't wild - though his litter mate was.

Originally Posted by gothicangel69

We do not have an aggrement with a vet clinic, everyone pitches together to pay for the vet visits if the person who takes the kitten cannot.

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That's pretty cool of everyone. It's great that you work in a place that has co-workers who get along and help each other like this.

No, they are definately feral. The mother is a big black cat which has been there for 3 years now. She is the only female there, the other 3 are males.

How wonderful of you - and all of you, in fact!

Is the kitten you adopted going to ge an indoor only cat? I would not vaccinate her against FeLV, actually. My understanding (though this may be incorrect) is that once vaccinated for it, they then test positive for it if they ever are recaptured by anyone else. Please discuss this with the vet.

As to the other cats - I second Strange Wings' advice, if you can talk management into allowing you to do this. I think education is the way to go, and if you think the idea that they can spread disease will appeal to them, then that's the way I'd go (though in reality it's not much of a problem). BUT.... whatever you think will work. The angle I'd take with that is that spaying/neutering reduces aggressiveness (though not their desire to hunt, so they're still great ratters), so the risk of spreading disease drops, but they're still great to have around to keep the rat population down. In fact, feeding them helps improve their overall health, and actually helps them become better hunters. If you want a study that shows that the prey instinct in a cat is separate from the hunger drive, just PM me with your e-mail address and I'll get it to you.

Do you need help finding a low cost place to get them (the ferals) spayed/neutered and get the basic rabies vaccination?

If management likes the cats around, and is worried there won't be any in the future if they're all neutered, point out that there are so many cats that need homes, it would be a welcome community service for the facility to "adopt" other feral cats (that have already been spayed and neutered).

Originally Posted by gothicangel69

I'm thinking about comming up with the excuse that we need to catch them because they can spread diseases, lol. Maybe if I bring it to them from a safety aspect, they'll listen.

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I agree entirely, it is good if you can show the employer he will also be a winner. Perhaps even he most of all...

But.
This argument, although basically correct, is a dangerous one. Because their solution will probably be to kill them off.

There are other, better arguments for TNR:ing them (Trapp, Neuter, Return). One may be; a stable and well kept TNR:ed colony tends to defend their territory against outsiders.
Thus, if you will keep these you already have, much lesser risk for unruly or sick newcomers...


But if you are so many workers there, cooperating, and even paying from your own pockets.

Why not come to them as a group, and say it is your wish and demand?
You can go to them and demand 10 dollars more each day, and they will probobly say no, but nobody would think it is peculiar. So why cant you demand the chance to help these cats WHO ARE helping you with the rats??

I think take is from this way. They are helping you with the rats - ecologically at that! You the workers are amused by them, you think it is nice to have them around, they got you to feel better. They are practically coworkers!!!. And so you demand the right and possibility to help them with this TNR...
With a little luck your employer should perhaps even pay for the neutering. In this case, Let the local newspaper write up how nice is the employer, together with the workers (=you) taking care of the free living cats on his area...Taking his responsibility at full.

Something like that.

I think this is a better option - but if you do decide to go with the disease angle, focus on them not spreading disease to humans, but to each other, and the spaying/neutering essentially helps prevent that, because they stop fighting (so no biting).

Also - the males will stop spraying. Don't know if the smell is a problem for anyone, but that might appeal too.

Originally Posted by gothicangel69

I didn't know that. So does that mean I should hold off on her FeLV vaccine until she is retested at 10 weeks???
The vet wants to vaccinate her in two weeks.

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FeLv is more accurate, but my understanding is the FIV virus can incubate eight to twelve weeks or more before detectable antibody levels appear. It depends on the sensitivity of the test.

Best to talk to it through with the vet when you go in for the first set of 9 and 12 weeks vaccinations.

They would never think about killing them. They are covered under the pet laws, so its illegal to shot them, and they will not go against the law. We have the same type of problem with pigeons living in the buildings. They wanted to shoot them, but couldn't since they are a protected species. The cats also help us by eating them as well, lol.

I will talk with the safety guy and see if we can come up with a good argument.