Need kitty advice

I have a black male cat,hes almost 4 years old now.His mother was a new mother feral cat,she couldn't take care of her kittens.She had kept abandoning them every time she had them,she also excluded her self from the feral kitty colony choosing to live in the tiny forest.So even if we wanted to help she wouldn't let us.

When my family first saw my cat he was a kitten and,was wandering alone,very skinny and afraid.We worked with him to get him to trust us and feed him,hes now a fat outdoor cat.We couldn't bring him inside due to the no pet policy of our place.We know who his mom is because he looks just like her,plus she one of the only ones not fixed.

I have tried to get him fixed but he wont go into the cat carrier,even with food or with us trying to get him use to it.Even tried setting traps but he just advoids them,I think hes too smart for his own good.My cat will let us pet him,touch him and love on him,but refuses to be picked up or held.

Another werid thing I noticed was that my cat doesn't like other cats at all.Why is that?We tried to socialize him with the colony early in his life,but he just got scared when he saw them and ran off to a safe distance.His mother kitty is still around but shes mean to him,always beating him up when she sees him with food.So we have to sit out there with him,because shes afraid of humans.

When a cat wonders aways from the colony and to my side of the building,I see my kitty run off some where else all the time.If I'm down there with him and another cat comes along my cat sticks to my side like glue.If that other cat try's to confront my kitty,he just hisses and growls at them til they go away.My kitty is always so focused on that intruding cat too,nothing you do will make my cat notice you when he sees another cat.Is my cat jealous or some thing?

My kitty is a lover not a fighter,he always runs from a fight.He will stand there and challenge them back,but once they come to attack he runs.Sometimes I'm there and he just runs behind me like "my human will protect me" and that other cat will stop when they see me.Lover not Fighter hehehe.

This year I noticed in november three new kittens,and I think they belong to my cat or his mother.The kittens have my cat's face,color,eyes and meow.The kittens look old enough to be on there own,but kind of look like they were left early as they don't hunt.The kittens follow my cat(male) around like a mama and,I have no clue why they do that.They are picking up bad habits from my cat,like no socializing with other cat and get food from humans only.

My cat is kind of like a loner kitty I noticed and,it seems he doesn't like the 3 kittens following him.During feeding time hes always guarding his food,even when we try to seperate them all.The kittens just bother him until he leaves his food,no matter how much hissing and growling my cat does at them.They do it right after they finish there food and man can they eat,almost like a vacuum cleaner they are.

Then my cat gets all mad at them and looks at me like I did something.My cat gets all puffy and mad at me and wont let me pet him then.I tried moving the kittens to a different area so my cat can eat in peace,but it doesn't work.When i sat there with my cat I noticed the kittens try to play with him.They go up to my cat and try to play and rub on him,and my cat just gets mad at them.My cat even swatted the kittens and pushed them over roughly,but the kittens just go back to him.So then he starts growling and hissing,and they back off but when he stops they come back to him.

I'm afraid he might actually hurt them one of these days you know,so what do i do with them?Oh and the kittens wont let me pet them or get too close to them.One kitten will let me pet it if its eating and not looking,but other then that they keep an arms length away.If my cat is rubbing on me and sitting next to me,the kittens stay a good leg away and under a car.They watch til I leave or my cat leaves my side to go to him and start there crap.Even if  just one kitten is out my cat still gets all mad at it and annoyed.

My cat is at a stage where its not a feral anymore,but its not adoptable to anyone but my family.Hes scared and runs from strangers,even ones with food and try to earn his trust like we did.My family is thinking of trying to move to a place that will allow pets,but its really expensive to move to one.Do you think if we move we could make our cat an indoor cat? or is he stuck an outside cat forever?Or should we just leave him behind so theres no stress for him and,he has an area he knows?We could come back to feed him,but then again that would waste a lot of gas.

Our area has a bad animal control,they just put animals down even if they could adopt them out.I asked them about ferals and they said if we brought them in,they would have to put them down.I even mentioned my cat and his stage with people,so if we moved he have a place.But animal control said they'd have to put him down,since they couldn't adopt him out.So were kind of stuck with him and stuck in a hard place.No we can't sneak him into our apartment,people here are too nosey for there own good.Saw someone get kicked out for actually doing that and we can't afford to get kicked out.It was a very friendly/use to be house cat that some one tried to sneak into there apartment,some jerk just left the poor cat out in the streets.It was too friendly to humans and came up to any one,so you knew it was a house cat.

Anyway any advice will do for my cat.

Wow a lot of questions here   I will try to take them all on... but I also hope others can chime in.  Welcome 

My biggest question for you is how old the kittens are? Are they under 3 or 4 months? If so, they may be able to be socialized and adopted out.  This sounds like it would be best for everyone if it is at all  possible.  You would need to trap them, and you would need to find a rescue group or shelter near you willing to take them and socialize them, since it seems like with your living situation you cannot do so.

If they are older than that,  this will not be possible. In that case, I really don't know what to tell you about how to keep them away from your cat- honestly, that is sort of his job. When you say you try moving them to a different area, do you leave some food for them there? If not, that might be a solution- you could feed them at the same time in separate locations. I know this might not be ideal for you for a variety of reasons but it sounds like you're essentially feeding them anyway- this would just formalize the arrangement and would possibly keep them from your cat at mealtimes.

I would probably not leave the cat there if you move.  It sounds like he is  dependant on the food that you give him (though if I am misunderstanding, tell me- if he's a good hunter, my answer might be different).  However, if you keep him as an outdoor cat, it's possible that he will try to get back to his old territory anyway.  You can try to make him an indoor cat.  He may or may not take to that. Some ferals just can't be indoors, others can but there is a very rough adjustment period, and still others take to it immediately, though they often remain standoffish to people.  It could not hurt to try to make him an indoor cat if you can catch him, and that is probably what I would try.

It sounds like you already know this but if you do catch him, at any point, the first thing you should/need to do is get him neutered. 

I am going to hope someone else will address how best to trap him-I did do TNR for many years but usually I just left traps out and came and collected the cats if they went in- I didn't  have an attachment to any particular cat or want to trap any particular cat.

Good luck and thank you SOOOO much for caring about this kitty!

they may be able to be socialized and adopted out.  This sounds like it would be best for everyone if it is at all  possible.  You would need to trap them, and you would need to find a rescue group or shelter near you willing to take them and socialize them, since it seems like with your living situation you cannot do so.
If they are older than that,  this will not be possible.

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I agree trying to take in these kittens and try to socialize them is the best.

They do see humans are giving them food, so it should  be not too difficult.

I want to emphasize, It is fully possible to socialize older kittens too, but it takes more time effort and determination.  Nothing for somebody who dont have time, patience or love enough, although essentially not very difficult.

And yes, although shelters usually do try to take in kittens and foster them,  they dont always have fostering places for such  older, semiferale kittens...

So, yes, in practice what Tulosai writes is true.

But if you find someone who really wants to try and socialize them - itsnt impossible nor really difficult.

Yes I see I was not entirely clear   It is possible to socialize older semi-ferals, but since you cannot do it in this instance due to your building restrictions, and shelters are not going to want to do it if the kittens are over 4 months (99% of the time) so I figured if they are older it is probably not an option in this case.  You can definitely ask around though- since these kittens probably associate humans with positive things already (FOOD!) it would probably be possible to socialize them anyway with a bit of determination.

The kittens look about 3 maybe 4 months old.They are getting big and fast.

At 1st we left the kittens alone,you know so the mama cat wouldn't leave them.But they were already running around alone.Then when we were feeding my cat Shadow,the kittens just came out of no where and wouldn't come near us.We started noticing a pattern that the kittens were always there when my cat was there and,they always left with him.Soon the kittens were pushing my cat away from his food so they could eat it,so we tried blocking the kittens.So they would go hunt for there own food.Shadow my cat would always growl/hiss at them,but they never seem to get the message to to leave him alone.Then when he would hit the kittens,they would just look at him and go back to him.

So we thought of trying to catch the kittens and take them to an animal shelter,but they ran under cars if we came too close to them.We got traps out for them but they never went in them.We tried to get animal control to come out so they could get them and, put them up for adoption but they wouldn't come out.They only said that there ferals and there fine out there,or they are full and can't take anymore.They kept changing their story.So now were stuck with 3 kittens and my cat.

When we tried feed them as I said,we would put a pile down for the kittens then one for my cat.But the kittens always eat faster and then shove my cat away from his.This would piss my cat off and,he get mad at me (he wouldn't come near me or let me pet him then).So we tried putting food down for my cat and, get the kittens attention and put food down away from my cat.This didn't work either,they either wouldn't follow or would eat really fast and come back to my cat for his food (my cat is a slow eater). 

I tried seeing if I could lead the kittens to the feral colony to see if they would take them in,but the kittens wont come if my cat doesn't come.My cat is a MALE NOT FEMALE,so why are they treating him like a mama?My cat is oblivious annoyed with them,with all his hissing/growling and even sneaking away when they take his food.So why do they bug him so much?

I thought the kittens might belong to Shadows mama,because they have her colors.But they have Shadows face,colors and his meow (when I call him out,sometimes I get a kitten out and they sound just like him). The only cats that I know that aren't fixed are Shadow,Shadows mom,2 male tabbys,1 male 1 female calico.These are the ones that are hard to catch,but shadow just refuses to get in a cage.

The Kittens wont let anybody near them,except one who will let you pet it if its eating.The rest are scared of people and,when I'm near my cat Shadow they keep a safe distance and watch him.If I leave my cat or he leaves my side the kittens go straight to him. 

It sounds like despite Shadows hissing, the kittens might feel protected by him.  They were probably already kicked out of the colony - which is why they wouldn't go back.

I would strongly suggest you trap the kittens and have them fixed.  You can't take them to the shelter (if they are full).  Besides, even if they accept them, because they are feral, they will be euthanized almost immediately.

If you can't bring them elsewhere, you can fix them and continue feeding them.  The fussing will diminish once they are fixed.

Get the traps again and tie them open.  Feed the kittens inside them for a week or so.  Do not let Shadow go in.

If the traps don't work, look around and see if you can borrow a drop trap.  The cats go under this type of trap to eat and you pull a length or twine and the trap drops down on them.  Cats who will not go into regular traps (like Shadow) will use the drop trap.  This way, you can trap him, too.

Feeding them inside the trap gets them used to going in for food.  When you have an appointment for them, you can spring the regular trap or drop the drop trap and take them in.

Shadow is defending his territory, which is why he doesn't like other cats.  It is HIS territory.