I can't believe it, now I have to catch a litter of kittens.

I'd just resigned myself to leaving the youngster be (mentioned in my other thread in this forum) after she proved to be much too feral for indoor living.  Attempting to begin socialization outside went absolutely nowhere fast.  She's even more skittish than the fully matured adults in her small colony.  All friendliness and confidence evaporates when they aren't around.  A disappointing blow, but I hope I can do right by her with TNR. Also, a quick note for anyone who might have been wondering about her health, she isn't ill as far as I can tell, she apparently has a congenital deformity that caused all features on one side of her head- ear, eye, muzzle- to become underdeveloped.  Poor little sweetie is deformed, but she's still lovely, happy and, to all appearances, healthy.  I'm glad the colony accepted her as one of their own.

But the reason for this post is that one of the feral ladies surprised me with a small litter of kittens yesterday!  I don't know where she was hiding them, but now she's set up home base on and beneath my back porch, and her tiny troop (of four) is rowdy, ridiculously adorable, and eating the kibble I put out for the adults.  They seem so small, but if they're on solid food they must be at the proper age for adoption, yes?  The alpha male of the colony is now spending more time hanging out here.  (Babysitting?)  I know those kittens are his, the fluffy rascal.    

I am so freaked out about this, so worried that they're going to wander out of the yard, I've barely slept a wink.  I need to get them inside ASAP before I have a nervous break-down.  Mama cat brings me kittens, well, they're my brood, too, now.  

I'm getting traps from someone who works with a local rescue org. tomorrow.  I thought maybe I could get a large drop trap and snatch the entire group, or virtually all of them, at one time, but this person believes the best method is to set traps for 1-2 kittens, bring the trapped ones in and reset, continuing the process until they're all inside.  Is this what's typically recommended?  I want to go about this the best, least stressful (for kittens *and* me) way possible.  If one or two are caught at a time, the others aren't going to leave the yard in terror, are they?  Mama cat isn't going to take the leftover kittens and run?  They'll seriously come back out before long and enter the newly reset traps for food?  

Any tried-and-true kitten trapping advice would be greatly appreciated.  I've read so many different things online.  Feed them in "dead traps" for a couple of days before setting the traps, take food away the night before, use a water bottle and rope to capture only the cats you want (bottle props up door, string is attached to bottle and yanked loose when cat enters the trap).  I suppose I couldn't do the bottle trick if I'm setting multiple traps (unless I suddenly sprout extra arms).  

Really and truly, what is the best (for the kittens) way to do this?  I don't care how labor-intensive it is for me, I just don't want to traumatize them any more than necessary.

No words of wisdom?  Or possibly a link to a favorite resource?  

When we have had to trap kittens, it had been with the regular traps, baited with food. We've been lucky enough that we could walk over and pick up our most recent litters without too much issue.

I do want to add that just because the kittens are eating dry food, doesn't mean they are old enough to be adopted out. Depending on what their food source is, I have know kittens to begin eating dry food at 4-5 wks of age. I think everyone here would agree that kittens should be kept together until *at least* 9 wks of age. 10-12 wks is *best.* This isn't always a possibility, and I know people want to adopt "baby" kittens, but it is not in the kittens' best interest.

CatPack said:

When we have had to trap kittens, it had been with the regular traps, baited with food. We've been lucky enough that we could walk over and pick up our most recent litters without too much issue.

I do want to add that just because the kittens are eating dry food, doesn't mean they are old enough to be adopted out. Depending on what their food source is, I have know kittens to begin eating dry food at 4-5 wks of age. I think everyone here would agree that kittens should be kept together until *at least* 9 wks of age. 10-12 wks is *best.* This isn't always a possibility, and I know people want to adopt "baby" kittens, but it is not in the kittens' best interest.

Click to expand...

Would the kittens be weaned if mama cat's teats aren't hanging low?  Does that say anything about approximate age?  

I'll do my best to upload photos of the kittens as soon as possible.  Maybe with some kitty detective work their age can be pinned down.

I've had a couple of trapping experiences.  In one case, I trapped the kittens one at a time and took each on inside to the room they would be raised in.  There were 4 kittens, and the last one was really hard to find.  Mom had moved him to a wood pile behind the house.  I figured she thought they were being taken away or killed.  I started feeding mom and baby beside the woodpile and then managed to catch him.  I led mama into the house using kitten as bait, and she seemed ecstatic to see the other three kittens safe and sound.  She still tends to fear strangers but will sleep on my bed now.  Kittens must be about 8 years old by now in their adoptive homes.

Other experience was backwards, not me but a friend.  Trapped mom and kitten was hanging out right beside the trap.  Only one kitten.  Was amenable to being picked up.  Mom was spayed, and later the vet adopted the kitten as her own.

I would advise against using the regular sized have-a-heart trap, because if the metal plate were to hit a small kitten, it could seriously injure or kill the kitten. There are small have-a-heart traps that are used for rats, squirrels, etc. and these are safest for very young kittens. An even better method would be to place food in a cat carrier that has a rope tied to the door. After the kittens become comfortable eating inside, pull the rope and shut the door. You'll need to shut the door tight or have someone else nearby who can immediately latch the door before the kittens panic and try to get out.

The ideal time to trap and socialize a feral kitten is 8-10 weeks old before their parents have taught them to fear and distrust people. Also, it can take a few weeks to successfully trap them. The ideal time would be when mama and papa cats aren't around, because if they are at all familiar with traps, they will keep the kittens from entering. Yes, when cats each other cats get trapped, some are very saavy and will not enter a trap, but young kittens can be enticed by tuna or chicken breast and curiosity will get the best of them when mama and dad's backs are turned.

In the mean time, talk to the kittens often, especially around feeding time, so they get used to your voice and associate it with food. Then when you do trap them, it will be less scary because they will already be somewhat familiar with you.

Red Top Rescue said:

 
I've had a couple of trapping experiences.  In one case, I trapped the kittens one at a time and took each on inside to the room they would be raised in.  There were 4 kittens, and the last one was really hard to find.  Mom had moved him to a wood pile behind the house.  I figured she thought they were being taken away or killed.  I started feeding mom and baby beside the woodpile and then managed to catch him.  I led mama into the house using kitten as bait, and she seemed ecstatic to see the other three kittens safe and sound.  She still tends to fear strangers but will sleep on my bed now.  Kittens must be about 8 years old by now in their adoptive homes.

Other experience was backwards, not me but a friend.  Trapped mom and kitten was hanging out right beside the trap.  Only one kitten.  Was amenable to being picked up.  Mom was spayed, and later the vet adopted the kitten as her own.

Click to expand...

It's great that you were able to catch and tame everyone, including mama cat (what a feat!).  What you mentioned is exactly what I fear the most: mama is going to think they're being rounded up for kitten stew    I don't want to upset her, I don't want to break her heart, but I really can't bring her inside (which breaks my heart).  One of the resident kitties (a former feral) is extremely territorial and is already rubbed the wrong way by the sight of mama cat through the sliding door.  I've tried every type of positive reinforcement I can think of to cement the association between mama cat and good things, but the only thing that brought me any peace was a squirt bottle.  Now Vivi will juuuust barely tolerate mama cat hanging out on "her" back porch, but it's an uneasy truce.  I'm positive there would be blood if I brought everyone inside.  

MsAimee said:

 
I would advise against using the regular sized have-a-heart trap, because if the metal plate were to hit a small kitten, it could seriously injure or kill the kitten. There are small have-a-heart traps that are used for rats, squirrels, etc. and these are safest for very young kittens. An even better method would be to place food in a cat carrier that has a rope tied to the door. After the kittens become comfortable eating inside, pull the rope and shut the door. You'll need to shut the door tight or have someone else nearby who can immediately latch the door before the kittens panic and try to get out.

The ideal time to trap and socialize a feral kitten is 8-10 weeks old before their parents have taught them to fear and distrust people. Also, it can take a few weeks to successfully trap them. The ideal time would be when mama and papa cats aren't around, because if they are at all familiar with traps, they will keep the kittens from entering. Yes, when cats each other cats get trapped, some are very saavy and will not enter a trap, but young kittens can be enticed by tuna or chicken breast and curiosity will get the best of them when mama and dad's backs are turned.

In the mean time, talk to the kittens often, especially around feeding time, so they get used to your voice and associate it with food. Then when you do trap them, it will be less scary because they will already be somewhat familiar with you.

Click to expand...

Oh dear.  The regular sized trap is the kind I was given.  I was able to borrow a smaller trap from a friend, but I was hoping to put both out and possibly catch multiple kittens at once.  I can't risk anyone getting hurt, though.  

Can you expand on the carrier idea?  How would the door stay closed is what I'm wondering.  The kittens are used to my scent by now, but I'm afraid they'd never get near the carrier with someone else nearby.  And I'm not entirely sure mama cat has left the porch since she brought them here.  Every time I see them, I see her.  She's the ultimate helicopter parent.  

Mama cat has been teaching them to keep their distance, but there have been small victories.  I was able to sit in a corner of the porch, far removed from kittens and mama, after putting two plates of stinky fish cat food out for them.  Everyone was so excited, they hardly spared a glance for me.  And then the biggest victory of all!  I got one kitten to play with Da Bird   I brought out the wand, sat on the opposite side of the porch, and started swishing it around.  Two little ones started to approach, then I heard mama cat call everyone beneath the porch.  *But* one of them was too enthralled with the swishing feathers to listen and approached very cautiously.  Then he pounced!  And looked up at me, finally realizing how close we were and there was an OMG, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!  moment.  I sat there like a statue and he grabbed the feathers and tried to make a break for it with his favorite new toy.  When he got to the end of the line and lost them there was an OMG, THAT WAS SO UNCOOL moment.  If a kitten can shoot a chastising look at a human, that's exactly what transpired.  We repeated the process a few times and one other kitten came very close to joining in.  The others, including mama cat, peeked over the side of the porch and spectated.  When I saw mama starting to get very antsy, I packed up and went inside.  

I can't help thinking this would be so much easier if she would just relax and stop trying to prevent contact.  I understand, and I appreciate her strong maternal instincts, but it's frustrating to keep getting kitten blocked   

Using DaBird is a great idea - fishing for kittens!  As for my bringing mama inside, she would not have tolerated the ther cats near her babies.  When she first showed up with the babies, she commandeered the front porch, keeping the other cats off it, which upset them since their cat door was in a window that opened onto the porch!  Anyhow, when I finally got the last kitten, all the other cats were shut in other rooms of the house and I led her through the hall to the room I had the other babies in, which had been a store room.  That became HER room once she was in it.  She didn't get blended with any of the other cats until long after the babies were gone and she was spayed.  It still stayed "her" room for several years -- the other cats were afraid to enter because the bobtailed white dragonlady might get them. 

BTW if you want to own your own traps, Tractor Supply is having a 2 fer one sale, one cat sized trap and one kitten sized trap sold together for one reasonable price.  Google Tractor Supply to find them or get it online.

As long as the kittens are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds you can use the large trap. If they are smaller, they won't weigh  enough to set off the trap. The other concern is that if another kitten enters the trap while one is setting off  the release mechanism by the bait, when the big metal plate swings shut it could whack the kitten by it. Some people disable the trap and instead use a long stick they have resting on the release mechanism to trigger it when the kittens are inside and away from where they can get hit. Are you able to be close enough by to do that?

I haven't been able to trap kittens using the carrier method--but I know some folks here have used it with success. There are probably instructions on how to use this method somewhere on the internet, or perhaps someone here could give you better instructions than I can.

I got a large and small trap together at Tractor Supply for twenty dollars.

Playing with wand toys is an excellent way to socialize feral kittens. Kittens love to play, and if you play with them, they will start to bond with you. It's tough with there's a parent cat around discouraging their interaction with humans. In my case, the mama cat was teaching the kittens to fear me, but the papa cat was bringing them to me for food. However, papa cat would keep them from going into the trap, so I had to distract him on my porch with chicken breast while my neighbor set the trap by her porch close to where their nest was.  Also, when the kittens are taken inside, mama and papa may circle around looking for them, and the kittens will cry for their parents, and it will be sad for a few days. That said--it will be so well worth it! Every day of harsh weather this winter, I hugged the cat I trapped as a kitten and was soooo happy because he did not have to suffer cold and hunger and was pampered and loved safely inside.

Red Top Rescue said:

 
Using DaBird is a great idea - fishing for kittens!  As for my bringing mama inside, she would not have tolerated the ther cats near her babies.  When she first showed up with the babies, she commandeered the front porch, keeping the other cats off it, which upset them since their cat door was in a window that opened onto the porch!  Anyhow, when I finally got the last kitten, all the other cats were shut in other rooms of the house and I led her through the hall to the room I had the other babies in, which had been a store room.  That became HER room once she was in it.  She didn't get blended with any of the other cats until long after the babies were gone and she was spayed.  It still stayed "her" room for several years -- the other cats were afraid to enter because the bobtailed white dragonlady might get them. 

BTW if you want to own your own traps, Tractor Supply is having a 2 fer one sale, one cat sized trap and one kitten sized trap sold together for one reasonable price.  Google Tractor Supply to find them or get it online.

Click to expand...

Exactly!  Fishing for kitties is the name of the game    If I had a larger house I might attempt the same type of cat family blending, but, alas, every room in this small house is in use.  I'm going to have to keep the kittens in my office- until the resident cats are A-OK with the situation- and keep my fingers crossed that nobody escapes when I come and go.  Occasionally one of the ferals (mama or dad) will come to the door and meow at me plaintively, as if they're trying to communicate that they would like to be invited in.  Just rip my heart out, kitties.  Life is profoundly unfair, I know.  I can only do what I can do to make their lives as comfortable as possible.  

Thanks for the tip about the traps.  I think I can borrow one more kitten-sized trap, and I'll probably work with a local spay-and-neuter group to get the ferals TNR'd.  But, who knows, maybe someday soon it would be worth my while to have my own.

MsAimee said:

 
As long as the kittens are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds you can use the large trap. If they are smaller, they won't weigh  enough to set off the trap. The other concern is that if another kitten enters the trap while one is setting off  the release mechanism by the bait, when the big metal plate swings shut it could whack the kitten by it. Some people disable the trap and instead use a long stick they have resting on the release mechanism to trigger it when the kittens are inside and away from where they can get hit. Are you able to be close enough by to do that?

I haven't been able to trap kittens using the carrier method--but I know some folks here have used it with success. There are probably instructions on how to use this method somewhere on the internet, or perhaps someone here could give you better instructions than I can.

I got a large and small trap together at Tractor Supply for twenty dollars.

Playing with wand toys is an excellent way to socialize feral kittens. Kittens love to play, and if you play with them, they will start to bond with you. It's tough with there's a parent cat around discouraging their interaction with humans. In my case, the mama cat was teaching the kittens to fear me, but the papa cat was bringing them to me for food. However, papa cat would keep them from going into the trap, so I had to distract him on my porch with chicken breast while my neighbor set the trap by her porch close to where their nest was.  Also, when the kittens are taken inside, mama and papa may circle around looking for them, and the kittens will cry for their parents, and it will be sad for a few days. That said--it will be so well worth it! Every day of harsh weather this winter, I hugged the cat I trapped as a kitten and was soooo happy because he did not have to suffer cold and hunger and was pampered and loved safely inside.

Click to expand...

I'm intrigued by the stick idea.  I think I could probably crack the sliding door open just enough for a string, so I could maybe give that a shot.  I'll have to see if my complete lack of mechanical know-how interferes with this plan.

That's wild that papa cat was trying to encourage making a connection with the caretaker!  *And* knew what the traps were.  They're so much smarter than we give them credit for.  

I'm sure the kitten trapping process is going to be wrenching.  I'll probably cry right along with everyone else!  Even now I get choked up thinking about how hard that transition will be on mama cat...she is so devoted to them.  I have to keep reminding myself that mama would understand and be grateful if I could explain how much better her kittens' lives will be when they're rescued.  

KITTEN PICTURES!  So, who would like to guess how old these fluffy little rascals are?  For reference, the plates are standard dinner plates.  The calico is mama.  

My guess would be 8-9 weeks old, and they look big enough to use both the small and big traps. If they are at least 8-9 weeks old,  this would be the ideal time to trap and socialize them. I'm not an expert on kitten ages, though, so it will be interesting to see what others say.

Here is a site that might help you: http://www.alleycat.org/kittenprogression

Oh, and they are sooooo cute!

PICS: Kittens in regular-sized cat trap (not set).  If anyone would like to confirm that they're large enough for the regular trap, I'd appreciate it.  I'm going to try to catch as many as possible tonight.






Please excuse the overgrown grass...I haven't been mowing near the porch for the kittens' sake.  (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it   )

My guess would be 8-9 weeks old, and they look big enough to use both the small and big traps. If they are at least 8-9 weeks old,  this would be the ideal time to trap and socialize them. I'm not an expert on kitten ages, though, so it will be interesting to see what others say.

Here is a site that might help you: http://www.alleycat.org/kittenprogression  

Click to expand...

I'm not that great at extrapolating based on photos, but to my eyes they do look very, very close to 8 weeks.  I saw the littlest try to nurse from mama earlier today, but they should be weaned by now, right?  Mama tolerated it and even groomed the kitten.  I wonder if it's some type of self-soothing behavior.  

Yes, they do look big enough for the trap in my opinion. Kittens will often nurse even after they start to eat solid food. I imagine it's a comfort thing.

I'm very worried.  I think something terrible may have happened and I feel sick to the pit of my stomach.  I didn't feed the kittens breakfast yesterday because I had planned to trap them in the afternoon/evening.  I decided against trapping them at the moment- am waiting for a drop trap- and so I put food out yesterday evening.  At the time when mama cat and kittens are usually out on the porch, no one was there.  The food went uneaten and nighttime rolled around, I thought mama cat must be a little late.  She showed up, very briefly, and took off again.  I should've seen evidence of kittens by that point, and I swear I heard some scampering beneath the porch, but nobody came out.  I checked the food a little later on and some of it had been eaten.  Not entirely sure if kittens ate a little food or if it was one of the adults in the colony.  

All night long I replaced food, kept checking for them, and it was perfectly quiet.  Much too quiet.  Mama cat is always there, spending some time with the kittens before going off adventuring for a while, but I only saw her that once.  

I wonder if skipping a meal put everyone into crisis mode and they're hibernating beneath the porch...mama is very resourceful and may have nursed them or hunted for them (I used to see her running across the yard with a fresh kill for the kittens before she brought them here).  I wonder if she's been out hunting and the kittens are stressed because all of a sudden their routine has been up-ended.  

They looked and acted so healthy just the previous day...surely they couldn't have become ill that quickly?  I put up a small section of fence to completely block off the yard- very easy for an adult to jump over- and I think it upset a couple of the colony members.  I don't think they've been back and I wonder if it's stressing everyone out.  

I don't know what I was hoping to accomplish with this post.  I just needed to talk about things.  The kittens' room is almost ready, I even bought them some new toys...and now I don't know if I'm ever going to see them again.

So this is a bad sign, right?  I put a small plate of canned mackerel on the ground, near the section of porch where they usually sleep.  An hour later it's untouched.   I didn't hear any scampering beneath the porch, no sign of mama cat.  

Kittens need to eat every few hours, so I would not withhold food from them in the future. I've been able to trap kittens while leaving out dry food for them all day long by putting something very tasty in the trap, such as tuna fish or chicken breast. Kittens are always hungry and curious, so no need to withhold food for them as you would with an adult cat.

I understand your anxiety completely. Is it possible that someone else is feeding them, too? Maybe when they didn't find food at your place yesterday, they went to an alternate food station. You would be surprised at how many people will feed a stray or feral. You could try talking to the people on your block and in your neighbor and ask if they've seen the kittens--I've done this several times when my feral, Muffin, has gone missing for a few days. People tend to be very helpful when they know you are distressed about missing pets.

Keep us posted. They will likely return.

Don't panic. Trust me - I know - WAYYYY easier said than done.We have a colony of ferals that started in our neighborhood a year and a half ago and we TNR'd 13 out of 16 last year, including three kittens born under a neighbor's deck that we ended up bringing in, socializing and finally finding good homes for so it can be done!

I will say if and when  - and I'm sure it's "when" - you do see them again, get them in and social as SOON as possible if you're going to do that vs TNR. We learned the hard way (I've got over 20 years of fostering and working at shelters - but total feral was new for me). We didn't bring them in until about 12 weeks and one socialized (Buffer) within 2 weeks but two (Pip and Izzie) took two months before we could really even think about trying to find homes for them - and I work from home so I was able to spend LOTS of time with them and it was a slooooowwww process with the last two (but VERY rewarding!). I attached a flyer of the three I did that ended up finding the homes - Pip and Izzie ended up going together - and we still visit them! - which was amazing. And a pic of two of them two weeks before we trapped them. We used a Have-A-Hart adult trap but sat feet away on the other side of a fence and pulled the door shut with a string fed through the fence vs tripping - so that we could wait until all three actually went to the back of the trap to eat mackerel. Which - by the way - we've found the best thing to lure with. Draws them from miles around

My educated guess for your guys is that Mom actually  might have taken them on a first outing. We witnessed it happen right about at the stage pictured. And it was interestingly always in the daytime too. We freaked same as you are when we didn't see them initially one day - but then later actually saw momma Maddy leading them back later in the day. I hadn't thought they'd be able to get out of the neighbor's fenced yard - but cats and kittens always seem to find a way! Guess that's how ferals do so well surviving as long as they can.

I do know the panicky feeling though - truly. We're currently still feeding - and have 3 houses out - for any of the colony - three in particular come almost every day. One has even gotten so she'll come up, sit on my lap, and eat! Athough she still won't tolerate touching - such a slow process of socializing! We'd love to bring "Flick" in too eventually if our others will tolerate her. But last night we weren't home for our regular "sit on the steps and hand feed" we've been doing - and she didn't show up this morning as she's done almost every day for months. So we've been holding panic down too But I keep trying to remind myself and my husband - as I'm trying to help you - that ferals can change a routine for alot of reasons, and then show back up. 

I doubt that they are sick so suddenly - they look pretty healthy. So keep us posted!

MsAimee said:

 
Kittens need to eat every few hours, so I would not withhold food from them in the future. I've been able to trap kittens while leaving out dry food for them all day long by putting something very tasty in the trap, such as tuna fish or chicken breast. Kittens are always hungry and curious, so no need to withhold food for them as you would with an adult cat.

I understand your anxiety completely. Is it possible that someone else is feeding them, too? Maybe when they didn't find food at your place yesterday, they went to an alternate food station. You would be surprised at how many people will feed a stray or feral. You could try talking to the people on your block and in your neighbor and ask if they've seen the kittens--I've done this several times when my feral, Muffin, has gone missing for a few days. People tend to be very helpful when they know you are distressed about missing pets.

Keep us posted. They will likely return.

Click to expand...

Well, I crawled beneath the porch as far as I could, there wasn't that far to go, and there is no sign of them.  I recently put up a small section of fence that the adults could jump over but would keep the kittens contained, so they couldn't have wandered off.  The only possible explanation is that mama cat decided to haul each of them over the fence individually and take them elsewhere.  I thought they were too old to be moved, but apparently she's a very determined cat and very much attached to her kittens still.  

I'd read somewhere that it was OK to withhold a meal when they're at the 8-9 weeks mark- for trapping purposes.  I guess mama cat did not agree, or perhaps she could sense something was up.  My house is/was "colony central".  Mama and daddy cat came here a few months ago starving and scraggly-looking, so I doubt anyone else has been feeding these cats.  

I've opened the fence back up and will keep an eye out for their return.  I really wish I hadn't upset their routine.  I guess it was just too much stress for mama cat.

I agree - definitely try to ask around the neighborhood if you feel comfortable. That's how we found out the other major food giver in our neighborhood - now we check in with each other periodically if one goes "missing" - although sometimes they do for weeks and come back just fine.

I would keep feeding the dry as MsAimee suggested, and then add something extra tempting like mackeral for trapping. I do bet Momma just took them on an outing since the routine was changed a little. They do look old enough for that.