HOW do you

mybabies

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get a scared, abandoned young (I think) cat (with 4 kittens) to trust you and not be afraid of you?

I have been feeding the Church cat as the one who fed her sort of disappeared and she needs food and water. Then I discovered a Tabby cat (along with some others) who were also eating her food so I bought more bowls and hid them so nobody would see I was putting out extra food for the other cats. I could not and would NOT let them starve!

NOW I see the Tabby one has 4 kittens. 1 Calico, 1 Classic Tabby and 2 Black ones. She needs to be caught and spayed and the kittens need a home. I can go close to her but then she hides. She is also not eating much of the food and is very skinny.

I go every day and put food out for her and for Boots the Church cat and still fill the extra bowls, but I do not know how to make Mommy cat trust me.
 

beckiboo

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She may never trust you enough to catch her without a trap. Can you check with local vets, the no-kill shelters, etc for a trapping program? I was able to borrow traps from my vet to catch my unneutered feral cat.

If she is not trapped, it is likely the babies will stay fearful of people, and you won't be able to catch them either! And she will certainly get preggers again (if she isn't already).

Feeding is a first step in caring for the colony. The next step is trap, spay/neuter, and release them back to the area. Good luck, and thanks for taking over their feeding!
 

leesali

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I look after 7 ferals now and it took 1 1/2 yrs. to get to the point where all of the females (4) will actually roll over for me to give them belly rubs


It sounds silly, but in the beginning I always approached them with my head bowed in a submissive manner and did not maintain constant eye contact with them. This lets them know that I trust them...

Keep giving the mother food and fresh water...with your head bowed (my neighbors must think I'm insane)...she will eventually come around.

[/IMG]
 

tnr1

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I would trap the mom and the kittens.....you can certainly work on socializing her once she is spayed....but I wouldn't wait until she trusts you to have her spayed. If it takes years..there will be even more litters.

Katie
 

zinc

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I just read this post..hope you had luck with mom and kits..I've never approached with head bowed (why I didn't think of it, it sounds like a good idea) what I do is never look them in the eye/stare and if possible I move around squatting or try to be at their eye level (hadn't crawl around yet though
) and I stand up slowly..now thwey come to meet me but some hard ferals and kittens (there're 2 new litters in the colony) still flee (accross the bowl foods unfortunatly)..
 
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mybabies

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Originally Posted by yayi

You're in the right track! Keep leaving food and water and she'll come around.
She is definately NOT feral as she "talks" to me. I think she was mistreated and then dumped. I put food down for her almost every day, as well as for the Church cat, who DEFINATELY has HER nose out of joint that I would dare speak to a lower life cat! LOL! She runs when I get too close but keeps her eyes on me. I also discovered several people at the Church know about her. She does NOT like being fed on the ground but wants a dish so I will bring some of mine up there. I also gave her a bigger water dish as it is hot now. Unfortunately her babies run when I get out of my car.

I DO think she WANTS to be friends but is afraid. I would happily adopt her but I don't have money for Vets AND my Meezer Kotton would make her life miserable as she does poor Missy, and also Ben would be a pain in the A** for her as he is full of himself.

She appears young and I sure do love her! I also wish I could find a home for Boots - the Church cat as she too is too nice a cat to live under a building like that! D*** people who abandon and hurt cats and other animals!
 

tnr1

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MyBabies...even if you cannot take her....definately find a rescue group or an organization who will help to spay her. If she isn't spayed soon, she will most likely become pregnant again.

Here is a list of low cost clinics:


CALIFORNIA...Low cost or free spay/neuter info and programs: ARRANGED BY AREA CODE:

Eastern Madera SPCA
Oakhurst, CA
209-683-1266
Discount certificates for s/n of cats of qualifying low income people.

Los Angeles Animal Services
Los Angeles, CA
213-485-5765
Free spay/neuter to pets of low income residents 62 or older.

Animal Birth Control
11314 W. Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-444-3114

Animal Birth Control
1950 Pacific Coast Highway
Lomita, CA 90717
310-539-3112

For Pets' Sake - R.E.A.L.
PO Box 1079
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
Low cost spay/neuter.

SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program)
Los Angeles CA
310-364-4282
Free s/n in Los Angeles.

Pet Assistance Foundation
South Bay Chapter
PO Box 1506
Hawthorne, CA 90251
310-372-9593
Low cost spay/neuter for all pet cats.

North Figueroa Animal Hospital
5550 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA
323-258-8068

Animal Birth Control
San Jose CA
408-244-8351

Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley
2530 Lafayette Street
Santa Clara, CA
408-727-3383
Low cost spay/neuter, testing, and vaccinations for ferals and pets.

City of San Jose
801 N. 1st Street, Box A
San Jose, CA 95110
408-244-8351
800-434-7729
For any cat residing in San Jose.

St. Francis of Assisi Spay Clinic
12000 Murphy Ave
San Martin, CA
408-683-0866
Open two days a week for free spay/neuter and low cost vaccinations.

Animal Birth Control Clinic
738 A Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-456-7515
Low cost clinic for spaying, neutering, and vaccinations.

San Francisco SPCA
2500 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-554-3000
Low cost spay/neuter for pets and ferals.

Marin Humane Society
Novato, CA
415-883-3383
Low cost spay/neuter clinic and low cost exams and vaccines.

Fix Our Ferals
Berkeley/Oakland CA
510-433-9446
www.fixourferals.org
Please visit their web site for important information about their great s-n clinic for ferals, which operates on Sunday.

Oakland SPCA
Spay/Neuter Clinic
410 Hegenberger Road
Oakland, CA
510-569-0702

Animal Save
Grass Valley CA
530-271-7071
Low cost s/n clinic and free s/n for pets of low income people. To determine if you qualify for the free s/n of pets, call 530-271-0220.

Pet Adoption League
Grass Valley CA
530-273-7958
For pets and ferals.

Nevada County Sheriff's Office Animal Control
Grass Valley Ca
530-273-2179
Provides discount coupons for s/n a few times a year.

Butte County Humane Society
2379 Fair Street
Chico, CA
530-343-7917
Low cost or free spay/neuter in exchange for a specific number of hours volunteer work for the humane society in advance. Since there's usually a two-month waiting list for spay/neuter appointments, it's best to start work at least two months before your cat needs spay/neuter.


Yuba Sutter SPCA
Yuba City
530-673-6390

Animal Spay and Neuter Clinic
11458 C Avenue (DeWitt Center)
Auburn, CA 95603
530-889-8800
Low cost spay/neuter for pets and ferals, including cats as young as 8 weeks. Also offers low cost testing and vaccinations.

Siskiyou Humane Society
PO Box 1437
Mount Shasta CA 96067
530-926-4052
Certificates for low cost spay/neuter.

CCSPCA Education Office
103 S. Hughes
Fresno, CA 93706
559-233-0115
Free spay/neuter for cats of qualifying low income people.

California Feline Foundation Spay/Neuter Clinic
Fresno, CA
559-650-3122
Very low cost s/n for all feral cats and also low cost s/n for the pet cats of qualifying low income people.

Valley Oak SPCA
Visalia, CA
559-651-1111

Animal Care Center
Golden State Humane Society
Long Beach CA
562-423-8406
For residents of a particular area, low cost s-n. Call for information.

Coalition for Pet Population Control
San Diego, CA
619-595-4505

Feral Cat Coalition
San Diego, CA
619-497-1599
Free spay/neuter for feral cats.

Spay/Neuter Action Project
San Diego, CA
619-525-3047

Pet Assistance
San Diego, CA
619-544-1222
Referrals to low cost spay/neuter.

Palo Alto Low Cost Pet Clinic
3281 East Bayshore Road
Near 101 & San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA
650-329-2433
Low cost spay/neuter and vaccinations for all pets.

Peninsula Humane Society
Near 101 & Peninsula Avenue
Burglingame, CA
650-340-8200

Silicon Valley Animal Rescue
Animal Medical Center
Redwood City CA
650-529-1390
www.svar.org

Bouquet Veterinary Clinic
Canyon Country CA
661-296-0619

Kern Humane Society
900 21st Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
661-325-2589
Provides discount certificates for all Kern County residents.

Tehachapi Humane
707 Valley Blvd
Tehachapi, CA 93561
661-823-0699
Several services for low cost s/n and vaccinations.

Society
Morgantown WV
304-296-6247
Low cost s/n for feral or stray cats.

Humane Society of Napa County
3265 California Boulevard
Napa, CA
707-252-7442
Very low cost spay/neuter for all.

Sequoia Humane Society
Eureka, CA
707-442-1782
Low cost or free spay/neuter for pets of qualified low income people.

Friends of the Animals in the Redwood Empire
Rohnert Park, Cotati, CA
707-544-5713
Provides discount certificates for s/n for residents of Rohnert Park, Penngrove or Cotati.

Sonoma County Animal Regulation
1247 Century Ct
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-565-7100
www.theanimalshelter.org
Provides discount certificates for s/n for low income residents of the county.

Animal Discount Clinic
13252 Euclid Avenue
Garden Grove, CA
714-537-0570

Humane Society of Sonoma County
PO Box 1296
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
707-542-0882 ext 204
www.sonomahumane.org
Low cost spay/neuter programs for qualifying low income households and annual spayathons.

Humane Society of Sonoma County
"Strawberry Fund"
707-526-5312
For pets of qualifying low income people.

Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County
1275 Fourth Street, #366
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-576-7999
Low cost spay/neuter for ferals.

Larkfield Veterinary Hospital
Santa Rose CA
707-578-1228

Pet Population Control Fund
707-579-7729
Sonoma CA
Low cost s/n vouchers for cats and dogs of low income residents of Sonoma and Sonoma Valley.

Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital
Santa Rosa CA
707-584-8273

Petaluma Pet Pals
707-769-2199
Assistance with feral cats -- and also low cost s-n vouchers for cats and dogs of low income residents of Petaluma.

Petaluma Animal Shelter
Petaluma CA
707-778-4396
Depending on whether funds are available, the shelter provides lower cost s/n surgeries for cats and dogs.

LaPlaza Veterinary Hospital
Cotati CA
707-794-1298

Animal Hospital of Sebastopol
Sebastopol CA
707-823-3250

Analy Veterinary Hospital
Sebastopol CA
707-823-7614

Guerneville Veterinary Clinic
Guerneville CA
707-869-0688

Upvalley Spay/Neuter Network
PO Box 841
Calistoga, CA 94515
707-942-9066
For pets and ferals in the upper Napa Valley area. <

Mendocino County Care-A-Van
707-961-2526
www.mendocino.ca.us/animal
Operates a mobile clinic in a van for low cost s/n in rural Mendocino County towns.

Pet Partners of Victor Valley
PO Box 1241
Apple Valley, CA 92307
760-247-5312
No collect calls, please. Provides help for spay/neutering of cats and dogs in the Victor Valley area of the Mojave Desert.

Victor Valley Animal Protective League
Apple Valley, CA
760-247-4640
Low cost spay/neuter clinic.

Animal Samaritans SPCA Inc
Thousand Palms CA
760-343-3477

Animal Birth Control Clinic
Thousand Palms, CA
760-343-3697

Inyo County Animal Reserouces and Education (ICARE)
PO Box 76
Bishop CA 93515
760-872-3802
www.icare.cjb.net
Low cost s/n for residents of Inyo County.

Spay/Neuter Clinic of Ventura
Oxnard CA
805-278-4433
Santa Maria Humane Society
Santa Maria CA
805-349-3435


Central Coast Spay Shuttle
Mobile Spay/Neuter clinic
Arroyo Grande, CA
805-481-5119
Toll free 866-PET-SPAY Travels the central coast, providing low cost s/n in areas ranging from Paso Robles to Santa Maria.

PALS
San Luis Obispo, CA
805-544-0984

Feline Network Information Line
San Luis Obispo CA
805-595-6612
Call here to hear a recording listing the low cost s/n services in the local area.

Concerned People for Animals, Inc.
PO Box 632
Somis, CA 93066
805-640-6941
Helps with low cost s/n for feral and pet cats living in Ventura County.

SPAN
PO Box 622
Ojai CA 93023
805-646-1919 answering machine
Thrift and Gift Shop (Tue-Sat 10-5) 805-641-1170
www.spanonline.org
Offers information and/or financial assistance for local resources for spaying/neutering for companion animals.

Humane Society of Ventura County
Spay/Neuter Clinic
402 Bryant Street
Ojai, CA 93023
805-646-6505 or 805-656-5031
Low cost s/n for all pet cats plus low cost vaccinations and microchips during s/n surgery.

Greyfoot Rescue
PO Box 310
Ventura, CA 93002
805-649-4840
This group may have information about low cost or free s/n for cats in Ventura.

Santa Barbara Humane Society
5399 Overpass Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
805-964-4777

Best Friends Catnippers
Los Angeles, CA
818-377-9700
Free spay/neuter clinics for feral cats at various clinic locations in Los Angeles County.

Spay For Life
9909 Topanga Cyn Blvd #178
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-700-2741
email: [email protected]
www.spayforlifefnd.org
Helps people find low cost s/n vets and clinics in Los Angeles County.

Pet Family Planning
8256 Louise Ave
Northridge, CA
818-705-7729
Pets and ferals.

Cat Crossing
PO Box 3696
Winnetka, CA 91396
818-759-6554
Gives information about Los Angeles area low cost or free spay/neuter for ferals and pets.

Actors & Others
818-755-6045
Information about discount certificates and low cost s/n clinics.


Living Free
PO Box 5
Mountain Center, CA 92561
909-659-4684
Low cost spay/neuter clinic.

Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley
763 West Highland Ave
San Bernardino CA 92405
909-882-2934 or 909-886-5026

Sacramento SPCA
6201 Florin-Perkins Road
Sacramento, CA 95828
916-383-7387 ext 9111
Low cost spay/neuter pet clinic for members of the SSPCA, or low-income people, or senior citizens.
 
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mybabies

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MyBabies...even if you cannot take her....definately find a rescue group or an organization who will help to spay her. If she isn't spayed soon, she will most likely become pregnant again.

That is why I am so anxious to catch her BUT if she goes into the trap at night she will have to stay there till morning when I can come up and get her AND what happens if the babies do not get in with her? I can and will rent 2 or 3 traps but I worry about the babies and if they can get along without her and if I do not get all of them. THEY are wild but she WANTS to trust me.

I have an alley Cat Guardians here that will spay a feral female for free and they do it every 2 weeks BUT I have to take her home after that and foster her and the babies and I DO worry about any diseases they would pass on to my kids. I could put them in a room by themselves but the babies are not litterbox trained either.

Mainly I worry I will get only some and not all and that a baby will be left and die.
 

zinc

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You're soo lucky to have a feral org nearby..but I understand your concerns..in a way or another these are issues we all have to deal with at some point.
You'll get different and various opinions but here's what I think;
Abt the momma & kittens being separated for some time..if the kittens are babies (less than 3 mos) they do need their Mom..unless you trap them and keep a watch on the kittens while their momma has surgery. I can't help much with it b/c I've never dealt with the situation; kittens have been over 3 mos and were OK without momma for a while, or another lactating female helped to care for them. That is not the norm but happens in a feral colony sometimes. Then again, yours is a different scenario so I'll let others advice you on it.

Abt bringing Mom and babies in; don't think you'll family will be compromised unless they are in direct contact with them. You will have to isolate the kitties
even if you don't have other pets, Mom needs some privacy with her kittens, don't leave her completly alone though b/c she might freak out and hurt the litter in an effort to spare them torture (I know, sounds exagerated but sometimes they kill their litter when confined) it depends on each cat's nature so just keep an eye on her.
Ideally the kittens and Mom should be tested, maybe you can have the mom spayed and then check everybody by a vet? If you can swing that it'd be less expensive.

Abt the kittens being litterbox trained, well that depends on the kittens, ussually they do use a litterbox but they might get confused which happens at their age, you'll have to have an easy to clean floor & several litterboxes.
Good luck, I hope all will work out & thank-you for saving these kitties.
 

beckiboo

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Originally Posted by MyBabies

That is why I am so anxious to catch her BUT if she goes into the trap at night she will have to stay there till morning when I can come up and get her AND what happens if the babies do not get in with her? I can and will rent 2 or 3 traps but I worry about the babies and if they can get along without her and if I do not get all of them. THEY are wild but she WANTS to trust me.

I have an alley Cat Guardians here that will spay a feral female for free and they do it every 2 weeks BUT I have to take her home after that and foster her and the babies and I DO worry about any diseases they would pass on to my kids. I could put them in a room by themselves but the babies are not litterbox trained either.

Mainly I worry I will get only some and not all and that a baby will be left and die.
If the kittens are old enough to be walking around, I think they are old enough to be separated from their Momma overnight (if she is trapped). The younger they are, the more likely that they will stay near her (IMO). If they really seem too little, wait another two weeks, then borrow the traps and get her.

I have heard that you take kittens away from feral Moms when the kits are 4 weeks old, so you can tame them. (I know yours isn't technically feral.) And keeping her in a separate room is a great idea. Or maybe someone at Alley Cat Guardians will take her? Good luck with this little family!
 
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mybabies

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Just wanted to thank ALL of you for your support and ideas! TCS IS the best place for friends and help!

Unfortunately some "dear" Chuch person chased them out of the basement and put a netting up to prevent them from gettting back in. They have now dissappeared.

I feel so bad! I feel as though I let Mamma down! They knew I was feeding her and one lady kNEW I was trying to get her trapped but I guess just because they work for a Church does not make them all kind, nice people!
If she shows up again I WILL get some traps and get her - GOD willing!
 

zinc

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So sorry that happened! I understand how you feel. Don't give up though, kitties get attached to a place where they were fed, so even if they don't have a way to get back to their lair they might come back for a bite..have that trap ready.
Best wishes & prayers the'll come back and you'll be able to get them
 
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