2 feral kittens in cage

I had a mom and 2 kittens living under my deck. They are feral (the mom was a feral born a few years ago in the neighborhood). The kittens are about 5-6 weeks, eating wet food, running, playing, etc.

Tonight I put food in a cage that I had, and when they walked in, I closed it, and put a blanket on it. My plan is to capture the mother too, so I can get her spayed, but for now, I wanted to start socializing the kittens. Plus the one has an URI, so I want to get it into the vet for some antibiotics.

My question is... should I leave the cage outside so the mom can see them? Or should I take the kittens into my garage and keep them separate? I'm afraid if I leave them outside, they may cry and upset the mom, but I'm not sure.

Any ideas would be great. THanks.

I hope you had decided for now as I write this about 16 hours later...

Im a little stuck.

Most people take them in I think. Unless you want to use them as bait for their mom - it may work!

So my 2 cents worths would be: take them in. And either let mom be (giving her hers usual food and water) - or try to catch her too, as is possible and convenient for you.

Good luck!

They're vulnerable in that cage. Anything larger than a cat that wants to hurt them possibly could and they'd be trapped. Bring them in and set a live trap for the mother.

Thanks for the replies! I did bring them in. I felt much better afterward, too. I knew they were super scared and I thought being close to her would make them more crazy. In the meantime, I have a live trap out for the mom.

I have a little cubby in my garage that is bigger than the cage and big enough for me to sit in, so tomorrow I'll put them in there and I'll be able to sit and start getting them used to me. Also need to clean them up a bit. When I put had them in the cage,there was food, water and a litter box, they got into everything and now are filthy. Anyone have suggestions on how to clean them? A bath? Warm towels?

I wouldn't try to bathe a feral kitten. If they'll let you, a damp wash cloth will help. I scuff kittens then use the wash cloth to wash them much like their mother would - including in their ears. Most kittens hate ear washings (even from mother) but it's somewhat familiar to them and IMO I think it helps tame them. But only if you can handle them without scaring them too much.
If that works you can also use a flea comb on them. Likely some of the gritty dirt in their fur is actually flea dirt (flea poo) - a couple of good flea combing sessions can get all of that out.

If there is any way at all they can get away from you in that garage, don't try getting them out in there. Use a bathroom instead. A scared kitten can go up and over just about anything if they really want to get away.

Gerber's Stage 2 chicken baby food (no onions). It is a miracle worker with ferals - even adults can't resist it. I have tamed and/or trapped using it.

Put some on the end of a spoon and put it through the bars of the crate. Soon, you'll be able to put it on the end of your fingers. They lap it up like candy. It also will help you access who's the bravest and he or she will be first to try the treat.

I had to laugh when I read you post - I caught our two ferals just like that. Only they were six months old and made like popcorn in that crate! Lucky for me the vet took them right away for s/n and they came home to become happy little housecats.

Thank you for helping these kitties and their mama!

Thanks strange_wings for tips on washing. And thanks for the suggestion Ondine, I will definitely try that baby food.

I'm I little nervous because this is the third time I've captured/fostered kittens and so far, they are considerably more scared/timid than the others I've caught. I'm afraid I won't be able to socialize them. The other kittens I've taken in would be crawling on me and playing/rolling around, etc by now. These guys are cowered in a small box and will only come out for food if I am not there in the room. I'm about to go in and wash them because their tails and back feet are a mess. I know that's part of the problem too. Kitties love to be so clean, and they are probably so miserable because they aren't.

I know it's early and it takes time, so I just need to remember that. It always just breaks my heart when I see these little guys so scared.

How do they act towards you? Avoidant/scared? Or are they a bit aggressive? The former, IMO, is easier to deal with. They'll hide and hiss but don't want to hurt you to get away. Never corner or loom over them.

I took in some ~7wk old feral kittens last October. They were scardy ferals. Daily gentle handling - 2-3 times a day, food bribes, and later toy bribes tamed them. It did take a while and they're still skittish kittens even now, but they did tame.

The very night I brought them home I cleaned them up with a damp cloth, gave them each a thorough flea combing, and trimmed their claws. Despite their fear, they actually did like being combed! It's one of the activities that they enjoyed early on. (they still like being combed and brushed, btw)
Mine purred easily and at first that was fear/comfort purring. It did eventually change to happy kitten purring.

Their first vet visit was rather amusing, too. Because their instinct was to freeze up, the vet didn't realize he needed to keep a good hold on them. The male kitten got loose in the back and they spent 10 minutes trying to catch him. Don't make that mistake yourself.

I'm sure they're tameable that young. I second the baby food suggestion. I've never had a cat turn it down. They love it.