Help with litter box training feral kittens.

effie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 13, 2016
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Hi group,

I am new to this forum and seeking advice. A feral cat (one born 3 years ago that I have fed outdoors) gave birth to 3 kittens in July. By mid August she started bringing them to me and I fed her and them. After the mom weened the kittens, she does not come around as much. However I have fed the kittens consistently every day twice a day indoors. They have a heated house outdoors with a heated water bowl. After they eat, I play with them with a cat toy, so they interact with me. the one boy (Spot) lets me pet him and pick him up and is the friendliest. The other boy, Braveheart, may let me rub his tummy and sometimes let's me pick him up for a short time. The girl, Jag, is the most skittish and will barely let me touch her when I feed her. She doesn't like it.

So here are my questions. How do I get them house trained? I introduced a litter box but they do not use it (not fun finding and cleaning up elsewhere). Braveheart and Jag seem a bit more content to stay indoors but Spot will meow incessantly if the door closes and becomes increasingly reluctant to stay inside. It is cold out so I cannot keep the door open. If the door is open, Spot is happy to play inside, he just wants to know he can escape. Because of this, the other two usually follow him out, albeit later in the night as they do seem to like being inside. They are all just very loyal to each other. I am trying to domesticate them so that I can handle them and get them fixed by March and then find them homes. I work full time so cannot be home 9-5. A little reluctant to leave them unattended scratching and pooing everywhere. Can anyone suggest ideas to help me get them domesticated given that background?
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,666
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
Hi @effie  Welcome to The Cat Site.

First things first, if these kittens were born in July they are sexually mature now. If they are all kept in the same room together there is a very good chance that Jag has already mated with her brothers. You need to get them all fixed now. I mean, right now. Otherwise you'll have another litter of kittens by March.

Can you coax Jag into a carrier? If not, ask your vet or any vet that works with feral cats or your local shelter if they have a humane trap you can borrow. It's easy enough to spay Jag even if she has already mated with her brothers. Getting them fixed will stop them being so desperate to go out, it's hormones that are telling them to go off in the cold.

Most litter box issues are caused by cats not being spayed and neutered. I think what you are dealing with is sexually mature cats spraying or otherwise marking to let other cats know they are in the area. You need to have at least 4 litter boxes for 3 cats. Try using a few different types of litter to see which kind they prefer. You can get a litter called Kitten Attract that cats really like to use. After you've cleaned try putting the poop or the wet tissue in the litter box, so they can smell where to go.

Let us know if this works and keep us updated on how the re-homing goes.

 

msaimee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
1,850
Purraise
1,697
Location
Western PA
I agree with Norachan, now is the time to get them fixed. One female feral cat I trapped was pregnant at 4 months of age, and at 6 months they are definitely sexually mature. Since youre able to handle them, put them in a pet carrier or two to transport them to the vet. Perhaps you have a friend who can lend you one or two? It is less stressful for cats to be transported by a carrier than a trap, when possible. If space is an issue in your house, you can get away with using only two litter boxes if they are jumbo sized- I use 3 for my 4 indoor cats and have never had a problem. (I know expenses can add up and get overwhelming.) Try mixing into the litter some dirt from outside, they will get the idea. Once you get them fixed, they will likely use the litter box and not mark territory. Both Animal Friends and the Humane Society have low cost spay and neuter clinics, and some private clinics will give a discount for ferals and strays. Once you get them fixed, keep them indoors to complete the socialization process so your can find homes for them. They may cry a bit, but in a few weeks they should be better adjusted to indoor life. You have already done a great job socializing them, because they do go inside your house, and allow you to handle them. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

effie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 13, 2016
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Hi everyone, thanks for the quick responses, I really do appreciate it.  

So maybe people can walk me through some details here....  

Issue 1 - Where to get spayed:

I live in Toronto and the TNR clinics have shut down for the winter, they will not run in the winter as they said they have to shave the cats and then are reluctant to release them in the cold after that.  So if the clinics are closed, how else do you get a cat fixed?  Vet?  I was hoping to save on some of the cost by going to a clinic.

Issue 2 - how to get them there:

Assuming that hurdle gets answered, how exactly do you get them in a carrier???  There is no way Jag will let me pick her up, and I while the boys will let me touch them, i am positive that if I pick them up and head to a carrier they will dig their claws into me to escape.  They let me pet them because I am feeding them, if food is not involved, pretty sure that relationship is over.  They are not letting me touch them spontaneously.  

I share everyone's sense of urgency to get them fixed NOW but need to cross the hurdles above.  If they need to stay indoors all day immediately after getting fixed because of the cold then that is not going to work as I have to go to work daily.  The cats haven't sprayed inside the house, or at least nothing I smell.  They like staying in the house as long as the back door is a bit open, they use my entire first floor as a play room.  Their propensity to play is endless.

I will add a couple more litters in the meantime, and try different mixes, I also bought Feliway so will use that when it arrives.  If anyone can provide some practical ideas to the two issues above I would greatly appreciate it.  This is all very new for me.
 

msaimee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
1,850
Purraise
1,697
Location
Western PA
Is there a Humane Society where you live? They have low cost spay/neuter year round. Perhaps you could call some vets and shelters or search online to see what your options are. You really cannot release a cat outside after a surgery, especially the spay of the female. The spay is a hysterectomy and the cat will groggy from anesthesia and pain meds (please insist they give something for pain)) and will be vulnerable outside, especially in the cold. Some vets and clinics will board the cat a few days. I woukd focus on getting just the female fixed now and keep her enclosed in a room in your house a few days. Or in a garage with a warm shelter for her. You can lure a cat into a pet carrier by putting some tuna inside in the back and when she goes inside close the door. You can also wear a thick pair of gloves and put the cat into the carrier. Put a bowl of food next to the carrier and sit on the floor and scoop the cat up. The boys can wait to be fixed but I would try to get the girl fixed soon.
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,666
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
If you don't have a Humane Society near by call around the vets in your area and find one who will treat semi-ferals. If you explain that you need to get three cats fixed they might be willing to offer you a discount.

The best way to get them to the vets is in a humane trap. Here's what they look like. If you check You Tube there are plenty of videos showing you how to use them.

 

Ask the TNR groups if you can borrow their traps. The best thing to do is get three traps so you can do all three at once. Sometimes if  a cat sees another cat being caught they're too smart to get trapped themselves, but if you do all three at the same time you'll be OK.

Weigh the trap first, so your vet can weigh the cat in the trap and give the correct amount of anaesthetic without taking them out of the trap.

Fixing the male cats is simple enough, you really only need to keep them in for about 12 hours to make sure they've come round from the anaesthetic. The female cat will need to be kept in for at least 24 hours. You can keep them in the trap while they recover. You need to slide a sheet of cardboard into the trap so they has something to stand on and stand the trap up on some bricks so if they pee it will drain out of the trap. Cover the trap with a couple of blankets and keep the cat in the room you feed them in or in a shed or garage. If you really have no where they can stay safely ask you vet if they would be willing to keep them overnight. I've actually kept cats in the trap in the back of a car with a plastic sheet underneath and a thick blanket over the top. They just need to be safe from predators while they recover

The shaved area isn't very big. The feral cats I had spayed only had a patch about 2 cm by 5 cm on their belly between their back legs. It's not going to effect how warm they are that much. I actually prefer to spay feral cats in the winter because their are less flies around so less chance of infection.
 
Last edited:
Top