Need Help with new feral kitten!!

Hey! My name is lizz and i am new to this website. I stumbled upon it looking for help on a sticky situation I am in. I live in a area where we have so many feral cat that you wouldn't believe it if you saw it. One cat had a litter of five little babies in my back yard before hurricane sandy hit but i noticed that she stopped taking care of them, they were loseing weight fast, sneezing, crying all day and all night long so i took it upon myself to get a box take the kittens and i was lucky enough to find a bottle feeder (they were little bitty things) and now all the kittens have been adopted off into familys. A new cat recently had 3 little ones in my yard as well, they were such friendly little things they would come out from under my deck, play with us and were very social while still scared of us. i started feeding mamma cat so that she could have the strength to take care of her little ones and not long after that her babies began to ween of her and started to eat the cat food as well. she had 2 little boys (who are twins, something i have never seen before in cats and was amazed!) and a little girl who was very small and very attached to her mommy. as the kitten started getting bigger they started to wonder off out of my yard and i would fear something horrible happening to them (hit by a car, attacked by another animal) so i started to put the word out to people that i had free kittens if they wanted to take one to give it a loving home. i was able to find one of the boys a home. i took him and his brother to a family friend and she was going to take two but only wanted to one kitten in the end. i felt horrible to put the other boy back outside after he had a taste of what it was like to be in a warm home and not have to worry about the hard life inside.. so.. i kept him. (i am currently waiting to hear from someone else who wanted the little girl) and then i plan on having mamma trapped and fixed. here is my problem...    i have a cat that i adopted from a shelter (that was also born feral in someones back yard). she is a little over a year old and she is NOT liking this kitten being in the house. when she came into my room i showed her the kitten and she hissed, growled and ran upstairs. i know that it takes time for cats to adjust to new cats/kittens but i am really worried that she is going to attack this kitten. i keep him locked up in a DOG kennel while i work during the day and my other cat has free range of the house but she has been in hiding since i bought the kitten inside. also she hisses and growls at me now when i try to pick her up or love on her. (my cat sleeps in my bed with my every night and follows me around and now she wants NOTHING to do with me) it breaks my heart. anyway i keep him locked up and when i come home i shut my bedroom door and let the kitten roam around my room so that he isnt behind bars all day and night..however i am starting to notice that the kitten is "depressed" while he was outside he would run around and play and now he doesnt even want to do that. i put his food bowl in front of him and he pushed it away and curled up into a ball and hid (he has been hiding in that same spot for about 2 hrs now) i feel horrible wondering if its because he misses his mommy and she is right on the deck out front. i dont know if i should try to keep him and see if my cat will take to him or if i bit of more then i can chew and if i should return him to his mother and sister until i find him a new home. i am torn. he is such a loveable little guy and my daughter is now very attached to him. but i dont want my older cat to resent us and be hostile towards us. HELP!!!      

First of all, thank you for helping these kitties.  I would say both cats are acting normally.  Your resident cat is thinking "who I this little stranger invading my territory?"  She's hissing at you because she smells him on you.

The kitten is adjusting to his new situation, too.  Is there a room he can occupy, rather than being in the dog crate? Maybe your daughter's room?  If not, leave a t-shirt that smells like you with the kitten.  If will help him feel like you're there when you're working.

There are several things you can do to make the introductions go well.  First, get a Feliway dispenser.  It has pherenomes that will help both cats feel relaxed.  Second, rub each cat with opposite ends of the same towel.  The put the towel under the door between the rooms where the cats are, with the kitten's scent on the side your resident cat is on.  Feed the cats on the towel.  They will come to associate the other cat's smell with good stuff (food).

Finally, get mommy and daughter spayed ASAP or you'll be doing this all over again too soon.

Very slow introductions are the best.  If you move too quickly you will end up having to just start the process all over again.  Here is an article on cat to cat introductions

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/

The feliway adaptor is a must.  I have also used Spirit essences and feline composure to help everyone feel safe and secure. 
 

Given what you said about the number of stray cats in the area, is there maybe a TNR organization that would come and help?  It won't help with your current situation with your new kitten but it might get the cat population under control.  Best of luck with the kitten!

Elopez, how long have the two cats been together? I'm curious to see how your situation turns out, because I'm in a similar one. I took in a feral kitten a week ago, and he is afraid of and hostile towards my two other cats. My two other cats are senior males who have not expressed any aggression at all towards him, and have tried to sniff and lick him while I've held him or had him in his pet carrier--but my kitten will have no part of it. I keep him by himself in my bedroom, and he sleeps during the day and keeps me up all nite playing. I really want to give him the run of the house and for him to play with the other cats cause I know he gets lonely and restless, but I have a feeling it's going to take a very long time, and this morning I was feeling the frustration you are feeling. I've taken in new cats lots of times, and have never had a problem before, but I think this time will be a different story because my feral was separated from his siblings early (we trapped them 6 weeks prior to catching him) and he's only interacted with his mom and dad and not been socialized to other cats.

I hope you can give your kitty a room of his own rather than keep him in a crate. Even the bathroom would be good. Try keeping the radio on low--that helped my kitten his first few days with me. I know what you mean about loneliness--I know my kitten misses his siblings and mom and dad--but I try to tell myself that although this period of time is scary and unpleasant for him, that in 5 months, when it's winter and snowing, he'll be safe and warm in my house and have no memory of his former life.  

Again, let me know how it turns out, because I'm dealing with the very same situation. 

Thank you so much everyone for the input and help. Aimee out new little guy (Toby) has only been in the house since Monday night. I am slowly introducing him to my older cat (Emily) little by little. She still hisses and growls but is no longer showing aggression to me after I put Toby back in my room. I have also gotten rid of the cage and Toby stays loose in my room with the door closed all day and all night. I am taking him to the vet tommorow so I will be asking him a bunch of questions as far as when I can let him start roaming the house he very much so wants to leave my room and tries scooting out when the door is open. My only other pr
Problem is that his mommy is still outside and every night she sits under my window meowing and he sits in my room crying to her meows. Is she looking for him? I feel bad but he's better inside away from all the dangers of being a feral outdoor cat. Toby is very mushy and loves to be snuggled so I know he's not in any kitty depression being away from her. I just still feel bad!

Toby should make the transition to being an inside cat.  It may take time but you have patience!

I am a little more worried about mom.  Is there a way you can trap her and have her fixed?  She's only going to have more kittens.  That's a problem you don't need!!!

he is transitioning nicely so far, and we are going to TNR mom cat as soon as her last kitten goes to its new home which will be this weekend

Be sure to tnr ASAP----it's urgent for several reasons... At ANY moment she could give up on finding the one you've taken in & move on. Right now she's glued to the spot hoping beyond hope her cries will bring her baby back (I've dealt with it & it's gut wrenching-kudos to you to making it through it, saving the little one & TNRing the mom!!! BUT we waited a few days on mam & she was GONE. ). Another reason to tnr mom truly ASAP is that if the kitten hears her at all, that's most certainly adding to his depression. So GREAT for you taking in the little guy but PLEASE go full circle immediately & take care of mom immediately. Keep us posted!!!!

elopez, how old is your kitten? Mine is about 16 weeks, but he still misses his ma and pa and meows a bit at the window in the AM when they are nearby. His papa seems depressed since this, his third and last kitten was taken from him. I know tom cats aren't supposed to care about their kittens, but this one sure does!  I've had Harry inside 9 days and he's adjusting pretty well, and hardly cries at all now, but it was heart-wrenching the first few days when he was crying for mom and dad NON STOP, and they were roaming around outside my house looking for him and glaring at me (I posted a thread about this). This is all happening when he's 16 weeks old--if your kitty is younger, then it's going to be tougher!  

Harry now has the run of 3 rooms upstairs, under my supervision. My other two cats rarely come upstairs, and Harry doesn't venture downstairs. The one cat hisses at Harry nw because he's jealous, the other still wants to be Harry's friend. I'm borrowing a baby gate from a friend today to keep the two cats separated from Harry so Harry can always have the run of the upstairs. Hopefully the cats will get to know each other sniffing through the gate when they are ready. Harry is much happier having some room to move around in, and I'm sure your kitten will be, too, as he gets more comfortable with being in your house.