What can be done for sick ferals?

There is a family of feral cats in my neighborhood. Everyone feeds them. Some of them are fixed, some of them are not.

We are having a particularly difficult time catching a mother and her 3 kittens. We desperately want to catch the mother to get her fixed, but also one of the kittens seems extremely ill.

It's listless, and it has goop in its eyes and nose. It hasn't been coming to eat. I don't know how old it is, but it's weaned because it's eating kitten kibble.

It's like they have started to learn what the traps look like, and now they won't go into the traps. We're catching a lot of possums though.

Is there some way to medicate it without catching it? I thought of getting some antibiotics and putting it in the food. Would that harm the healthy cats?

It shouldnt harm the healthy. (it is not so good to "learn" bacterias if not necessarily, but this is another story and a long term problem).

The problem is you must probably give quite big dosages if it is in all food they have access to, just to be sure he got his share and dose.

Thus - if you dont get the antibiotics verry cheaply, it will be costly.

But you do have perhaps some way to give food mostly to this kitten?  As you say, he alone doesnt come forward.  So let the other eat at your place, and him somewhere further away??

As said, if some other takes a taste of his food, it isnt harmful.

Best is of course, if you can catch them.  There are many treads about best ways to catch difficult cats.

Good luck!  *heart* *vibes*

I am sorry, but there is really no way to accurately dose medicine out to a feral colony. If you are feeding one or two feral's and they are regular's at your feeding stations, then it makes it easier to give meds that way. But in a feral colony, it is futile. AND the likelihood of that listless, sick kitten getting the meds is extremely low. AWWWW I am just so very sad to hear this. Breaks my heart. All you can do is keep trying to trap these cats and get them sterilized. That way you will stop the kittens from being born and the suffering that will inevitably follow. Keep putting food out and keep setting those traps. I am sorry, but that little kitten probably will perish :sobbing:. Really, really makes me so sad........ Mega that you are successful. Let us know :heart4: