TNR--Requesting advice on the "R" part

A little over two weeks ago, I discovered that a little feral kitty was raising a litter of six kittens under my back deck! The babies were between six and eight weeks old and eagerly ate the dry kitten chow I put out, so they were old enough to be weaned and socialized. I trapped Mama, and a local TNR program spayed, vaccinated, and chipped her for me. (They also said her milk was mostly dried up.) In an absolute miracle, I caught all six kittens, and found a no-kill shelter that accepted all of them to foster until they are adopted.

Once I had all the kittens, I released Mama back into the back yard. I had hoped she would stay, and that I could start winning her trust and maybe eventually convince her to become an indoor cat. (It gets COLD here in Wisconsin!) She is wild and shy now, but it is obvious that she hasn't been feral all her life.

I'm still putting out food and water in the same spot, but I haven't seen her again since I released her. I'm afraid she has run away, and I feel terrible about it.

Is it typical for a queen to move on after she is finished with her kittens? Is she likely to come back? I felt awful about taking them all away from her, but it was their chance to have healthy and well-cared-for lives.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with me!

How long has it been since you released her? Have you ever seen this cat prior to finding her under your porch? Are you certain she is not still around (maybe just moving around at night)?

You have done this family such an enormous favor and their lives are changed for the better, so give yourself a pat on the back!

As long as you continue to put food out in the same place, she will come. This will become her main food source, and then you can work on gaining her trust.

It some times takes a couple of days for them to show themselves again. She's probably still around, just keeping a low profile. Keep putting food out in the same place and at the same time as you did before and talk to her in a gentle voice. I bet she's close by watching you.

You did the right thing, those kittens are going to have a much better life than they would have done, thanks to you.

Most will show back up after a few days.  It just depends.  I had 2 males that were very feral that were very traumatized by the experience.  One never came back and the other was gone for 8 months.  I was stunned when he reappeared.  Just keep placing food out for her so if she comes by she knows it is there.

You did the right thing as she will have a much better life without having to be pregnant over and over again.  Her kittens will have a chance at a  loving home as well.  Thank you for helping them all.

Well, it rained a lot yesterday, and this morning there were little kitty paw prints in the mud around the food dish. So I feel more confident that the food is being eaten by a cat, rather than some other wild animal. There aren't many stray cats around here, so I think it probably is our Little Mama. Guess this will be a chance for me to practice patience!

I hope it is Mama.  Be cautious of leaving food outside at night.  It will attract other unwanted critters.  I know you want Mama to have food available, but you also want her to know that food is out early in the morning and picked up in the late evening.  You never know what might be eating the food!

If you are really interested, you could invest in a trail camera or wireless ip camera to see what is coming around.  The trail cameras require a removeable SD card( not included with the camera),and D batteries.  The wireless ip cam requires a close enough wireless network.  Both will snap pictures when there is movement. Here is one that I have used

Hey, I like that idea! And it would give my husband an excuse for a new techie-toy, which he will love.

lcf2015 said:

Hey, I like that idea! And it would give my husband an excuse for a new techie-toy, which he will love.

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I had a trail camera for a while, but returned it.  It was a hassle to go out and load the SD card and then take it out in the morning.  You also have to have a way to view the SD card.  Most digital cameras have an SD card so you can plop it back in the camera and load to your computer.  Or some computers have SD card readers.  The pictures were crystal clear.  It just took awhile to get the right angle.

I have multiple wireless ip surveillance cameras on my deck.  I use them to keep an eye on my ferals and the other critters in my yard.  I have the Foscam 8905w.  They have their faults, but I have learned so much about them over the years.  I love them for when I travel so I can still keep on eye on things.