help with feral kittens

thebabycat

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i found these kittens in my backyard. their mom abandoned them and i want to socialize them and make them friendly but they hiss and bat me .they dont mind if i just sit there but wouldnt let me touch them.what should i do

p.s: they are maybe 9-10 months old (they eat dry food)
 

StefanZ

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p.s: they are maybe 9-10 months old (they eat dry food)
Months or weeks? are they young kittens or young adults?

If young kittens the best is if you try to get them inside... And work on there with fostering and socialization..

If they are young adults, and do manage acceptable on their own, you can do as you want and can.

It is easiest to foster them inside - it may take time!

but it is possible to foster them outside too.  Although more difficult. I mean, to be tame so they do accept your being there, and sometimes accepting a short petting, is not the same as fostered into being a home pet...

Please describe more, and keep on asking!

Im sure others will soon fill in with lotsa more!

Welcome to our TCS site and our Forums!

Good luck!
 
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thebabycat

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hi

thanks for your help. heres a picture of them taken about a month ago.BTW their mom was the most scared wild cat ive seen.could they have learned from her??
 
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thebabycat

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there are actuay 3 but can picture the third hes scared of the ipad
 

StefanZ

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On the pic they are perhaps 8-11 weeks, so they are now a month older.

So the best (if you can and have resources) is to have them in.  The only difficulty is, it is easier with one, or possibly two of the bravest, than having 3 shy at once, and one of them very shy...

But it can be done.  Use a trap, espec for the most shy.

The two brawest you can perhaps take wrapping a towel around them. The shyest a trap. (towel around like a burrito is btw is one of the tools for fostering them, but it will be a later story)

As said, you can do it outside, but it will take way longer and success is not so sure. Being as small, they are also more or less defenceless to any serious predator, not to mention cars and similiar.

But of course, it is the low budget alternative if you dont have any other means. It may even work, at least for the two most brave.

Good luck!
 
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thebabycat

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thanks, i cant get them inside because my sister is allergic but i`ll try my best outside. i really love them
 

StefanZ

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thanks, i cant get them inside because my sister is allergic but i`ll try my best outside. i really love them
Could you have them inside anyway?  Say just one room, they dont need to have the run of the whole house.

Or if you have a cellar. Or perhaps a couple of big dog cages in your garage...

It is not optimal, but as young as they are it is dangerous for them out there. Besides, having them inside will quicken up the fostering.

Some fosterers do ALL their fostering in big cages.  It makes it sometimes easier.

Or you can perhaps find some friend who accepts to have them inside, with you participating in the socializing...

When socialized, you will have easier to find adoption homes for them.

And if you need tips for how to make it easier for allergic person to be near cats, ask.

Good luck!
 

feralvr

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AWW they are SOO cute! I think they are only about 12 - 14 weeks old. I would absolutely see about trying to find someone to foster them and take them inside, if you can't. You could keep then in a separate room which would be necessary anyway, then they won't even be near your sister? It would only be temporary until you could find a rescue to place them. The sooner the better - they seem worth the effort and would probably settle down and accept humans very, very quickly. Also, I would try to set a trap for mom - or she will just have more kittens :sigh: :shame: Can you try to make some calls and find a foster network in your area? :cross: It will be much easier to socialize them indoors and much safer for them as well. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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iris

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Please get them trapped and neutered before you have kittens. If the kitten is 2.5 pounds it can be neutered.
 
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thebabycat

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thanks for your  help everyone. the kittens are still not ready to be petted but theyve stopped hissing atleast.as for getting them and the mom fixed .well i live in the middle east and vet care costs an arm and a leg.the place where i live is already overrun with ferals.sad but.......

 my sister is asthmatic which means she doesnt have that much of a problem with the cats since they are all shorthaired (we asked about that)thank goodness
 

StefanZ

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 i live in the middle east and vet care costs an arm and a leg.the place where i live is already overrun with ferals.sad but.......
You cant help everyone, unless you are a multi miliardaire and a great philantropher.

But you can always help someone.   this little group is with you now, and you yourself had voluntarily put your eyes on them. Thus their fate is in yours hands now....
 

StefanZ

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 my sister is asthmatic which means she doesnt have that much of a problem with the cats since they are all shorthaired (we asked about that)thank goodness
If it is severy asthma I wouldnt recommend taking any risks for her.  Dangerous.

There ARE cat owners with asthma, but they had themselves choose to take the risks and fate. They also know all the tricks to manage and they often get used to their own cats..

Your sis is "innocent" here, an outsider.  Dont take risks.

It is good she is less sensitive to shorthaired cats than longhaired. (or she perhaps is NOT sensitive to cats at all?).

It is nothing you can really know (unless they took good testing), it is pretty individual. Individual both for the human and the cat individual.   So for example, my oldest resident is a shorthaired Russian blue. Some allergic do manage Russian blues better than other.  But. One of the daugters in the breeders family dont manage their russian blues. But she manages the longhaired Birma they do also have...  As said, pretty individual, dont relay becuause someone said so.

But if you do try to have them in your house/flat.

Do have them in their own room. Airing the room into outside, and also your sis room to outside... You wash your hands and changes clothes when you go from them to your sis.

Clean your sis room with a wet cloth often.  If you use a vacuum cleaner, use one with the so called HEPA filter.  If you can get hold on a air cleaner, use it.  A air humifidier can also be useful. (and of course, good with air condition when it is really hot).

When the kittens are more used to people, you can perhaps manage to bathe them in water once every 10 days (VERY effective), or  clean them off with a damp cloth. Also quite effective...

And so on...

Good luck!
 

feralvr

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Aw I totally understand about the "costs" but see if there is anyway to take them in - somehow :dk: Maybe somewhere near you there is a vet who cares and would be willing to assist you with these stray/feral babies :cross: If not, they will start breeding soon :sigh: I know you probably already know this too. :hugs: The sooner the better :cross: :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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