Feral Mom and Kittens

My family and I have been wanting cats recently and we noticed there are feral cats living next door to us outside an abandoned house. We've been feeding them learning about how to get them to trust us by feeding them daily. I'm really worried that they might be sick. How to I get them to trust me more so I can take them to the vet? Also I can only find them at around 6 pm everyday. Is it possible to get them used to me coming out earlier?

Oh, you can probably learn them to any time, as long you do it consequently.  But at dusk is a natural time.

How old seems the kittens to be?   How shy is the mom?

The probable is, you must catch them, or at least the mom, in a trap.   Begin with leaving the food in the trap, or at least, in a carrier.

If the kittens are small, and the mom is trusting you to some degree, AND you know where the nest is, a trick sometimes succesfull is, to go and collect the kittens in a carrier, and fetch them.   Mom will follow after you home to you.  Where you install the family in their prepared room....

Good luck!

The kittens seem to be around 8-10 weeks. The mom is very shy but she did follow me to the front of my house which I'm guessing is a good thing.

About the room. Does it have to be a room no one goes in or can it be like my bed room?

A room where they can be left alone and can't find hiding places is best.  A spare bathroom will work.

If mom has followed you anywhere, she probably is not feral but likely a stray (maybe she used to live in the house her humans abandoned).  You may not need a trap but it probably wouldn't hurt to use one.  It will certainly make it easier to get them all.

As Stephan said, put the food in the trap for a few days, with the trap wired open (so it doesn't spring).  She will get used to eating in there and you can make a vet appointment for the day you spring the trap.  You will need a couple of traps if you plan to trap them all at the same time.

Another trick may be to feed in a crate.  Tie a length of twine to the door, looped through the top of the crate.  Bring the other end to a place at some distance from the crate, where you can sit and wait.  Put the food at the back of the crate and several of them may go in at once.

Once they are in, pull the twine, which closes the door.  You will need a second person to secure the door while you hold the twine taunt.  Young enough kittens may not even notice but if they do, they'll make like popcorn inside the crate, so you'll want to make sure they don't pop the door open.

Good luck and thank you for helping this little family!

Bedroom is actually a good idea, if you dont have need of quarantine or such.   (do you have residents?  Need to deflease / deparasitate?).

So bathroom to begin with is idealic, and later on, your bedroom.  (lay down the bed on floor, you dont want them to hide under your bed.  Make instead some hidey places in cat igloo or similiar.

If the kittens are that big, you cant just collect them in a carrier.  You must probably trap them too.   But kittens are usually easily trapped.

But mom seems not that shy.    As  Ondine says, she is probably no real semiferal, may even be a family girl throw  out when she come home being in circumstances.  

You can surely do ot succesfully, if you put your will and work into it.  Also the fostering itself  shoulndt be imposssible - but may take time, patience, love...

In a way you are in a hurry.  The mom may become preg anytime.   So best is to spay her as soon you have catched her.   Take her to the vet for check up and spaying, before you bring her home - its a idea.

The kittens are also eaasier to foster when still young.  Although the magical, easy time of pre 8 weeks is over now.    In some monhts they too can  be pregnant...   So,  if you want help them effectively, there IS some hurry.

Good luck!