Feral Kittens

Hi. I reside in a mobile home park. I have been part of the TNR program for years now. There were 2 kittens under someone's mobile home and she did not want them to get trapped under her home. I trapped them, but they were way too young and small to be fixed. I kept them in a 4 x 4 cage, fed them 2x day and changed litter box 2x day. Right before Christmas they were large enough and old enough to be fixed. They were both fixed and I also got them their rabies shots. One long-haired orange femails and one short-haired male. They are now 8 months old. They are in my front bedroom/office. I have tried to socialize them. They come up to me, rub against my legs, bite my ankles but won't let me pet them. I feel badly they are kept in this one room. I have a dog that I know they would give a an attitude adjustment to, but I don't want that. They have their claws and scratch on scratching boards and the cat dondo I got for them. They have done a number on that. 

I really don't want to keep them in this room for the rest of their lives and there are no rescues that will take them. Would it be terribly wrong to let them go? Since I am their source of food and water I just don't know what to do. Please can someone give opinion on this.

Rita N said:

 
Hi. I reside in a mobile home park. I have been part of the TNR program for years now. There were 2 kittens under someone's mobile home and she did not want them to get trapped under her home. I trapped them, but they were way too young and small to be fixed. I kept them in a 4 x 4 cage, fed them 2x day and changed litter box 2x day. Right before Christmas they were large enough and old enough to be fixed. They were both fixed and I also got them their rabies shots. One long-haired orange femails and one short-haired male. They are now 8 months old. They are in my front bedroom/office. I have tried to socialize them. They come up to me, rub against my legs, bite my ankles but won't let me pet them. I feel badly they are kept in this one room. I have a dog that I know they would give a an attitude adjustment to, but I don't want that. They have their claws and scratch on scratching boards and the cat dondo I got for them. They have done a number on that. 

I really don't want to keep them in this room for the rest of their lives and there are no rescues that will take them. Would it be terribly wrong to let them go? Since I am their source of food and water I just don't know what to do. Please can someone give opinion on this.

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Yes, it would be terrible to abandon them.  They, although born homeless, were the whole time at your place.  Thus,  They aren no semiferales, nor have any training in that.  They are just insufficient socialized.   AND without any knowledge of living outside, if I understand it correctly.

So what you have to do, is either to start and socialize them more thoroughly yourself, or find someone else who is willing and able.  Being in with the TNR, do you have contacts with some rescue group, people used to socialization??

Thank you for helping them and double thanks for being responsible and seeing to it they have been neutered.

You feel bad because they are confined in one room and I can certainly understand those feelings.  However, I think those cats would agree by saying they would much prefer being in their room and receiving food twice daily while staying cool (Arizona) to the alternative of living on the street wondering when they will eat again or just simply trying to find a safe place to sleep at night.

Ideally, you could socialize (lots of time and patience invesment) with the hope that if they are friendly they will be able to find a good permanent home.

If you're not willing (understandable) you could see if your area has a safe colony they could join.  This is risky since they have never had to figure out cat hierarchy and learn the tricks ferals use to survive.  Even smart ferals don't live all that long.  They could end up being bullied or driven away from the colony. But with this option they would have a caretaker to feed them and keep a lookout for them.  Check with your local rescues for this option.

Third option is to gradually make them outdoor cats.  Letting them out for short periods of time and see how it goes.  If necessary, you can trap them if its not working out but most likely they will come back inside if you offer it to them.  Be sure your dog is put away before you do this, obviously.  You may find they really like the indoor/outdoor lifestyle,  coming in mostly at night to sleep.  Have you tried introductions with the dog?

Good luck to you and thanks again for getting them this far.

If you are considering keeping them, do you have the option of making them an outdoor enclosure so they can get out to play during the day?