Tips on feral mom brought indoors

So I've been feeding a very shy female feral cat for several months. I've been hoping to get her friendly enough to be able to grab her and spay and release.

I was too late, and last week she had kittens. I set up a little house for her made out of a cardboard box with small holes cut at each end, and she happily moved in with her kittens.

This morning my little boy was opening his Easter basket and screamed "mom, there's a coyote in the yard!" Sure enough, there was a big ugly coyote with its snout in the box! I ran out there and scared him off.

The mom cat, who had been in hiding, came back all freaked out and started to move the kittens. That's when I decided I had to do something. I took the kittens and put them in a nest in my guest bedroom, then lured the mom cat in with one of the kittens as bait. She doesn't seem happy, but she's been shut in there all day now and is eating and caring for her kittens. So far she hasn't torn the place apart, and it looks like she may have used the litter box.

So what now? Any tips?

Wow, sounds like you saved these babies just in the nick of time! I'm not very well-versed in newborn kitten care, so maybe some other members can help you out with that. I do know to keep them warm, with heating pads or hot water bottles if you have them, and feed the mother a lot!

Do not let the mother cat outside again, as unhappy as she might be right now. She can get pregnant again within a week of giving birth. And she might want to take her kittens outside again if you let her, which is obviously not safe. She can be spayed while still nursing, but the vet might want to wait until they are weaned, and at that point you can probably spay and neuter everybody. 

Put down lots of old towels or sheets that you don't care about everywhere to make any cleanup easier. She might use the litter box just fine, but if not some ferals understand the litter box better if you sprinkle some dirt from outside on top. It might be possible to socialize the mother, and if that's something you want to try this is a good guide: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

But if you can't, you can spay her and release her after her kittens are fully weaned, at around 10 weeks. To get the kittens well socialized, you should handle them often at least by the time they're 5 weeks old so they'll respond well to people. I think you also need to weigh the kittens daily to make sure they're growing enough every day. All handling should be done where the mom can see her kittens during the first few weeks at least. I'd contact a local rescue group in your area and see if they can work with you to get the kittens adopted out, and maybe help you out with spay/neuter and vaccination discounts. If you're willing to foster everyone until they can be adopted in a few months, be sure to make that clear, because finding fosters to take care of kittens like that is the biggest challenge these groups have. Kittens normally get adopted really quickly, especially if you can bring them to adoption events (as opposed to just putting their pictures up online). 

yokaiwatch said:

So I've been feeding a very shy female feral cat for several months. I've been hoping to get her friendly enough to be able to grab her and spay and release.

I was too late, and last week she had kittens. I set up a little house for her made out of a cardboard box with small holes cut at each end, and she happily moved in with her kittens.

This morning my little boy was opening his Easter basket and screamed "mom, there's a coyote in the yard!" Sure enough, there was a big ugly coyote with its snout in the box! I ran out there and scared him off.

The mom cat, who had been in hiding, came back all freaked out and started to move the kittens. That's when I decided I had to do something. I took the kittens and put them in a nest in my guest bedroom, then lured the mom cat in with one of the kittens as bait. She doesn't seem happy, but she's been shut in there all day now and is eating and caring for her kittens. So far she hasn't torn the place apart, and it looks like she may have used the litter box.

So what now? Any tips?

Click to expand...

You have done by instinct exaclty alike in the handbook.

You gave her possibility to land, to cool down, to realize nobody inside the house is mean nor threatening.  Im sure she will copy with the situation from now on.

Its one of the big wonderful wonders of rescuing works.

Cat moms, also semiferale moms, are in this like human moms. the welfare of her children is the most important.  If she notices her children are safe etc, and the situation although highly unusual, is their best practical chance, she will copy.   She will even allow you to handle the kittens, and foster them, as long as you are respectful and take it easy.   Its not sure she will be socialized in the process.  It may be so she will end as TNR. But you will surely be able to foster her kittens.

I presume you prepared a nest for her inside your guest bedroom - yes you did.  Water, food, the litter box. A scratchig post is useful...

Her have already used the litter box is a very good sign...

How does she react when you come inside to give more food, change the litter, etc?

OK, anyways.  The hard part is done, she hasnt exploded, she wont explode now.  As long as you dont push her too much.

Its essentially normal fostering now.  As long as the kittens are small, there isnt much to do.  Have a look now and then they seem to thrive, dont have fleas on them, etc.

Soon enough you will probably be able to lift up them every day and weigh them, to see everyone is adding as they shall.

HOW many kittens are there?  If more than four, you must be extra watchful - the runt may get difficulties to get to a good place at moms teats - and will riskt to get too little food...

Please continue to report and ask questions!

Thanks StefanZ and Molly. Yeah, I think I'm in good shape here. Mom watches me silently when I enter the room, she's hissed at me a bit (out of fear, not aggression). But this morning when I fed her she came out of her nest and ate with me still in the room. Even let me comb her a bit to look for fleas.

There are three kittens and they're all a good size. I've bottle-fed abandoned kittens from nearly newborn before, so I'm good with weighing and such. This time I'm happy to have the mom, so I don't have to wake up every two hours or worry about heating pads.

I don't want to anthropomorphize the mom, but she really does seem to sense that I'm helping her out. I'm keeping visits to her room to a minimum for now, so as not to stress her too much. When I'm in there I talk to her softly, don't stare at her or get too close to her kittens.

Guess I'm a bona fide crazy cat lady now...

I'm glad you got mom and the kittens to safety. Cats can definitely tell when you are trying to help them, so I wouldn't be surprised if she knew too. I am currently dealing with my second experience in this and while drastically different, there are a few similarities. If you have any resident animals make sure you keep them away from the cats as not to present her any danger. I baby gated my kitten-room off from the rest of the house so that my young dog wouldn't disturb the peace. I personally use gloves to clean semi-feral litter boxes because you never know if they have worms and you don't want to risk spreading that around, especially if you have pets. Of course always wash your hands after. I haven't had problems with getting moms to use the litter box, but every experience is different. Make sure she has her own litter pan, scoop, bowls, and all the normal pet essentials. My kittens are kept in a room with hardwood floor so I place towels down to protect them from the cold. Make sure mom has food and water down at all times.

As for the socialization aspect, my first foster had no connection with me when she ended up in my care. It was an emergency situation and the lack of bonding led to a lot of misunderstandings and me getting attacked. The best advice I was given on that is to be aware of her comfort zone, but be confident so she knows you mean no harm and are only there to help. My current foster had a connection with me before I lured her inside and so far it is a gentle, give and take relationship. When she first gave birth I left the kittens alone because I wanted to show her that I wasn't going to take them away. I focused on feeding her at the same time every day and keeping everything in order.

To make her gain your trust, you can put her food down and sit few feet away while talking to her. She will begin to associate you with food and good things. If you want her to trust you more then, after she is more comfortable with this situation, try to sit in the room for a few hours each day. Do not do anything loud or involving a lot of movement, but try reading a book before bed, sitting on the computer, watching a movie with headphones in, etc. You are a major part of her life now, but by doing menial things, instead of focusing your attention on her, she realizes that you aren't a threat. The more time spent in her presence is good for her socialization. Once the kittens get bigger you can try touching them and getting her used to your being around her babies, but for now I would focus on getting her to trust you. Being moved inside is a big step for semi-feral cats and it can easily stress them out. I would take it slow and follow her pace. 

Every cat is different and it may take some longer than others. When my current foster came in, she hid under the couch at any slight movement and she wouldn't be spotted for hours, but now she is becoming more socialized. It is a slow process, but in the end it will be worth saving mom and kittens.