Should I capture feral kitten?

We have a little feral kitten in our back yard. I don't know if it's male or female. I want to capture it and try to tame it in the house. It looks to be about 12 weeks old. My husband thinks since we are feeding it will eventually grow to trust us. Then it will eventually become tame enough to pet ect. Are there any experts on taming a feral kitten of this age? I've tamed Feral kittens before but they where under 6 weeks of age. Any advise would be appreciated!

I successfully trapped and domesticated feral kittens who were 3 months, 4-6 months, and 10 months old. The kitten who was 3 months old was very easily socialized--I could handle and pet him after three days. The kitten who was between 4-6 months I can finally pet now, after having had her inside for 6 months. I would advise you to trap your kitten and take her inside now--sooner rather than later--she is still young enough to be fully socialized without too much difficulty. The longer she remains outside, the longer the socialization process will be. Do you have other cats in the house? If so, there is a lot of helpful information on this forum about introducing new pets. 

It will be important to give your kitten a space of his own where he can feel secure. If you are able to purchase a  cat tree on ebay or Amazon, that would be great because he could hide inside the cubby holes but still be seen by you. It's also important to get toys for the kitten--mine all love catnip toys--and also interactive toys like wand toys and laser toys so you can play with him each day. Play therapy is a great way to socialize a feral kitten. It's also important to spend time with the kitten each day, talking softly to him and sitting quietly nearby. If it's a female, and she's older than 3 months old, she'll need to be spayed sooner rather than later, because female ferals can go into heat at 4 months of age.     

Each feral kitten progresses at their own pace, and when they can have the run of the house depends on the kitten.  I had put my 3 month old kitten in a room by himself, but after a few days I moved him into my bedroom because he was missing his parents and crying. After about two weeks, he had the run of the house and my other cats "adopted" him.  My 4-6 month old was an escape artist who could jump baby gates and open closed doors-- she immediately bonded with my other cats and insisted on being close to them, and had the run of the house after a few days. My 10 month old had medical complications from the spay surgery and was in a room by herself with a baby gate for about 6 weeks. So take everyone's advice, but in the end, you will know this kitten better than anyone, and will know how to best help her adjust to you and your household.

It's wonderful that you're willing to help this kitten. Ferals bond very deeply with their caregivers and are very loyal and loving, and you will have saved this cat from a lifetime of struggle and pain outside.  

Kitty kisser said:

We have a little feral kitten in our back yard. I don't know if it's male or female. I want to capture it and try to tame it in the house. It looks to be about 12 weeks old. My husband thinks since we are feeding it will eventually grow to trust us. Then it will eventually become tame enough to pet ect. Are there any experts on taming a feral kitten of this age? I've tamed Feral kittens before but they where under 6 weeks of age. Any advise would be appreciated!

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To avoid misunderstandings.  Dont wait till it have got accustomed to you, etc.

Catch it first - probably with a humane trap.  You can take it to the vet for a check up in the trap.   And back home you release it in the beforehand prepared room.  Where you let it "land" calm down, so it notices there are no hostilities, and begin the fostering process...

Do you have residents?  Are they healthy, are they going outside or are they inside only?  If you have residents, some quarantine is wise.  Exactly how strict depends on the exact circumstances.   So for example, if the residents are healthy ex homeless, you dont need to overdo the quarantine.   Surving homeless have immune system above average.  Otherwise they wouldnt survive long....

As said, humane trap is often a must.  Sometimes its possible to rig up a common carrier as a basic trap...   Catching barehanded isnt recommended even if you would succeed.  But throwing a blanket can be used sometimes.

I agree, trapping her (I'm going to go with female pronouns for now) sooner is best! It's going to be very shocking to her no matter if you do it now or after she learns to like being pet, so you might as well get that initial shock out of the way now, plus she will be more adaptable the younger she is. She will also be easier to handle.

Depending on how shy she is, you might need to set up a humane trap in order to capture her. Then I would keep her in a small, easy to clean room, like a bathroom, with any potentially hazardous hiding places blocked off, but also provide a couple nice hiding places like a carrier and some cardboard boxes. Then I would get the initial vet visit done and schedule the spaying as soon as possible, assuming she's at a healthy weight. I know it seems like a lot to put the kitten through all at once, but she likely does at least have some parasites or fleas or other illnesses that need medication, and she will start feeling better than she knew was possible soon, and since that feeling will coincide with being brought indoors, she will more easily trust that she is safe and all of this is a good thing. I also think getting them spayed early on is good, because you get the scariest part over with and you can then have an uninterrupted process of building trust, whereas if you take them to the vet after they've already made a lot of progress, they might go several steps backwards and you'll have to rebuild that trust all over again. Also, the younger kittens heal from spaying and neutering very quickly because their body is growing so much.

This is a really great guide for socializing ferals: bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

You may not need to follow it in extreme detail because she is still pretty young and might catch on to things quicker than a fully feral adult, but you can adapt it to what she needs the most work on.

Food is usually the quickest way to a feral's heart, but I've found kittens tend to love play even more than food! I had a 6 month old feral, and once he was healthy enough to enjoy playtime, we made progress incredibly quickly. He just loved it whenever someone came into his room because that meant playtime! Once you learn what her favorite toys and games are, you can use those to really strengthen your bond.

I do think that feral cats become the most grateful pets, because they always remember what life was like before they had someone taking care of them.

I have a humane trap I will make a vet appointment with feline specialties this Monday. I have 2 indoor only female cats they are 3 1/2 and 4 years old. The current cats have disagreements from time to time so I hate to bring in another cat. I can't seem to find anyone who is willing to keep her indoors. I have looked into Tulsa's Street Cats Rescue but they only take adult no ferals in. I'm trying to convince husband into letting me foster & tame her till a permanent home can be found. He wants her as an outdoor cat I've reminded him of the harsh winter. We could keep her in the warm garage this winter if nothing else though. I will make a spay appointment on Monday for sure cause I don't want any more cats!!

I think taking her inside to foster is a great idea. Start out with that goal in mind. But I will tell you that "fostering" for me has never resulting in my giving away a stray or feral cat whose trust I've earned, and who has bonded with me. That's why I've seldom had less than 5 cats inside my house during the past decade, lol.

Don't assume your two girls won't love and adopt and adore this new kitten. They may easily accept this kitten, especially if he's a little brother they can boss around a bit, lol. I had strong misgivings about the 4-5 month old feral female kitten I brought into my home 6 months ago because I really thought my alpha male, Harry (who is actually her older brother from a different litter),  would flip out and be aggressive and super jealous.  I also have a second- in- charge alpha male, a 16 year old cat with heart disease, and a partially lame, semi- feral female in my house--so I thought, Oh boy, wonder how this will turn out. Well, Harry insinuated himself into "Cupcake's"  life from day one, and was her protector and big brother in a big way, not letting the second-in-charge cat anywhere near her for the first month, and teaching her the ropes of living indoors. She adores him. She gets along well with all of my other cats. In fact, they've never hissed at her or growled or shown any aggression towards her, ever. I really couldn't believe it. I still don't. Never in a million  years would I have believed that Harry would love and protect this little female version of himself. I guess there's something about a helpless, scared kitten that softens the hearts of resident cats everywhere. So by all means take the kitten inside to foster, but don't be surprised if you and your husband and resident cats fall in love with her.

Kitty kisser said:

I have a humane trap I will make a vet appointment with feline specialties this Monday. I have 2 indoor only female cats they are 3 1/2 and 4 years old. The current cats have disagreements from time to time so I hate to bring in another cat. I can't seem to find anyone who is willing to keep her indoors. I have looked into Tulsa's Street Cats Rescue but they only take adult no ferals in. I'm trying to convince husband into letting me foster & tame her till a permanent home can be found. He wants her as an outdoor cat I've reminded him of the harsh winter. We could keep her in the warm garage this winter if nothing else though. I will make a spay appointment on Monday for sure cause I don't want any more cats!!

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If so, you dont need to wait to the last possible moment to catch her.  It will just stress you.  You can take her on sunday, and let her wait in the trap.  (lay a blanket over  the better part of the trap, so it feels like a nice hidey hole).   It isnt as bad as it sounds.  Ferales are used to hide many hours.  Look, if you adopt her, the chances are great she will hide under the sofa and be there 48 hours, without eating nor using the litter...

The wait in the trap will also give her time to calm down.  Some cats gets hysterical at trapping with defensive aggressiveness...  So its wise she cools down before coming to the vet...

I guess it depends on the person, but for me it would be more stressful to watch a cat struggle and be stressed in a trap all night. Some ER vet clinics who are open 24/7 allow you to drop off a feral whenever you catch it and they will work its spay/neuter into their schedule. This is what I've done with all my ferals- maybe there is a clinic near you that might do the same for you.

Well I called Feline Specialties and they want $200 for a spay & $130 for a neuter surgery. It's way out of my budget right now I'm only making $10 per hr as an assistant manager.The receptionist recommended spay Oklahoma so I looked on there website it's only $25 for a spay and $5 for vaccinations but I will have to call on Monday for an appointment. I haven't trapped the kitten yet until I get the appointment I'm off on Tuesdays so I will try to get an appointment for Tuesday. She seems to stay in our back yard solely so far. I'm going to go to Petsmart today for kitten food she's been eating my adult cat food I didn't know if she was going to stick around. Thanks for all the advise MsAimee & StefanZ it's really appreciated:cat:

Kitty kisser said:

Well I called Feline Specialties and they want $200 for a spay & $130 for a neuter surgery. It's way out of my budget right now I'm only making $10 per hr as an assistant manager.The receptionist recommended spay Oklahoma so I looked on there website it's only $25 for a spay and $5 for vaccinations but I will have to call on Monday for an appointment. I haven't trapped the kitten yet until I get the appointment I'm off on Tuesdays so I will try to get an appointment for Tuesday. She seems to stay in our back yard solely so far. I'm going to go to Petsmart today for kitten food she's been eating my adult cat food I didn't know if she was going to stick around. Thanks for all the advise MsAimee & StefanZ it's really appreciated:cat:

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It was nice of this receptionist to give this tip of alternative.  25 bucks for spay is really cheap, people whom get a voucher for cheap spaying must often pay more...

Re vaccination, just the so called core vaccinations - I never remember the label, but its four big letters...

take also the rabies vaccine if rabies occurs in your country.   We have no rabies in Sweden, but may occur in USA.   And in many other countries its even quite common.

Other vaccines just if there is a local outburst in your area...  Do not take the Felv vaccine - one of the reasons is, a vaccinated cat will always show the antibodies - and thus register as a Felv+ cat...   No big matter with a cat whom always has owner, but devastating if he comes astray and is taken in as homeless...

That's wonderful news about the low cost vet clinic! The vaccination Stefan was referring to was the FVRCP. It protects against a few core illnesses, such as the Herpes V virus, which causes most upper respiratory infections. This particular vaccine requires a booster after 2-3 weeks, which may not be feasible if your little feral isn't tamed by then--however--it's been my experience (and I am not a vet) that the single vaccine is worthwhile to get. I have an elder cat in my household who has almost continual URI's, and my cats all share food and water bowls, and none of my other cats ever catch his colds, so I am assuming that the single vaccine is quite effective.

It's wonderful that you're helping this little cat. Her life will be so much better. I look at my little feral kitten, Cupcake, who was pregnant at 4 months when I trapped her, and I feel so wonderful knowing that she's safe and happy playing with a ton of toys inside my house, and will never know the suffering that so many other ferals go through. I hope you can trap your little feral without any problems, and that everything goes smoothly for you and for her. I'm sending prayers your way. Keep us updated    

Low cost clinics are really great! There won't be the individualized care that you get at a regular vet, but they are very efficient and know how to do their job.

Yes, definitely get the FVRCP shot if you can, because that also protects against feline distemper, which is really contagious and life threatening. Although boosters are recommended, it's much better to get just the one shot than none at all. If rabies is required in your area the clinic will probably vaccinate for it automatically unless paperwork is provided. And it's actually the FIV vaccine that causes the cat to test as positive, not FeLV, but either of those vaccines won't be necessary unless the kitten is going to be living in close quarters with FeLV/FIV positive cats. But, it would be good to get the SNAP/combo test to see if the kitten has either FeLV or FIV already. 

Update on feral kitten ! Just FYI Ozzy is a female . She decided on her own she wanted to be a house cat. One morning I awake to her lying at the back sliding glass door so I gentlely slid it open. Ozzy was curious about my cat Rose they started sniffing each other, I laid some treats inside the house. Ozzy slowly walked in the house tail held high. It took a few tries but I eventually was able to close the door behind her. Ozzy frantically hit the glass door so I blanketed her till she calmed down. She hasn't hissed at me since and is sharing a room now with my 11 year old daughter her new best friend. I've posted her as a lost cat on face book and Craig's list. I'm trying to find her a nice indoor only home. My husband says I can keep her for awhile till a rescue or forever home can be found. I've left messages on answering machines at several rescues in my area but no one has called me back. I've heard from a pet store they are just swamped this time of year.

Personally, I wouldn't post her on Craigslist. It's full of psychos and bad people who will claim that she belongs to them and then hurt her. I bet she wishes you would keep her.

Please don't put her in a shelter or pet store. Her future would be very unsure in either of those situations. The best kind of placement would be with a friend, neighbor, someone from a church, etc. If you give her to someone you don't know, please interview them and see what their home is like. I had considered giving one of my rescue cats to a woman I met on Facebook, but when I saw how very tiny and crowded her house was, I just couldn't do it. She had four cats, a dog, a husband and a grandson and lived in extremely tiny house and her cats were all be outdoor cats most of the time. My rescue cat had come from a hoarding situation where he was outdoors all of the time and had gotten badly infected with fleas and parasites, so I was not going to send him back into a similar situation. I kept Sonny, so I have 5 cats now and I love each one of them. If this kitten of yours is your young daughter's best friend, it sounds like the kitten is already in her forever home. I hope your husband will except the kitten as part of your family. Don't hurry to find her another home. Be patient and wait for your husband to bond with her.

MsAimee said:

Please don't put her in a shelter or pet store. Her future would be very unsure in either of those situations. The best kind of placement would be with a friend, neighbor, someone from a church, etc. If you give her to someone you don't know, please interview them and see what their home is like. I had considered giving one of my rescue cats to a woman I met on Facebook, but when I saw how very tiny and crowded her house was, I just couldn't do it. She had four cats, a dog, a husband and a grandson and lived in extremely tiny house and her cats were all be outdoor cats most of the time. My rescue cat had come from a hoarding situation where he was outdoors all of the time and had gotten badly infected with fleas and parasites, so I was not going to send him back into a similar situation. I kept Sonny, so I have 5 cats now and I love each one of them. If this kitten of yours is your young daughter's best friend, it sounds like the kitten is already in her forever home. I hope your husband will except the kitten as part of your family. Don't hurry to find her another home. Be patient and wait for your husband to bond with her.

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Amen to this.

How is Ozzie doing?

Ozzie is beautiful I myself just rescued a kitten from a feral colony he is 5.5 weeks old now. Defiantly, join other in the sentiment no shelters an such they get so overwhelmed with adult and kittens that a lot get euthanized simply just from over crowding. Maybe you could put posts at vet clinics in your area? I know ours allows people to post photos and information of animals looking for their forever homes.