Kittens in Friend's Backyard

These really cute stray kittens are living in my friend's backyard. They don't have a home. When she tried to take them to the SPCA, they rejected them and said they were too wild. Now those poor kittens have nowhere to go, even though they are young enough to be trained. Advice?

How old are the kittens? I'm going to assume at least six weeks--eyes and ears open and moving around on their own. If that's the case they can still be socialized, but that's gonna be your job, not the SPCA's--that's not what they're there for.

The sooner the process begins the easier it will be, so get them in now! The easiest and fastest way to get them to trust and bond with you will be by providing food and shelter....

They are about three months at most, and the mom is already pregnant again, or so my friend thinks. They tried to catch them once before, but they could only catch 2/3, and they were so scared they were paralyzed and hid in a tree for the two weeks after that.
Is that a normal reaction?
What should they do next, or should they just let them be?
They live in the greenhouse area, and the family feeds them every day, and gives them a cardboard box and some flea medicine to help them. Is that everything they can do?

If the kittens are three months old they're well on their way to being independent. If two have been caught you should try to catch the third, at least to have it spayed/neutered. But if Mom's pregnant again you should focus on catching her.

That's easy enough to do--you can get humane spring-loaded traps from either a hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot or a local animal welfare group.

Once you catch Mom, be ready to give her a safe area to have her kittens. If she's a socialized stray a spare room stripped of furniture will do; if she's a feral a large dog crate works nicely.

As the kittens are being weaned, visit often so that they get used to your presence--this will make socializing them much easier....

Here are some good PDFs on how to care for kittens:

http://www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html#10

I would certainly get them spayed/neutered as soon as possible.

Katie

Thanks for the help. My friend thinks that the Mom cat, which they have named Blackie, might be pregnant again. Her original litter, Piglet, and his two brothers, are alone, although she sees them together often. They look very cold most of the time, and so the family gave them a box to sleep in. Along with a blanket and some flea powder, they seem to be doing all right, but the family has no intention or re-catching them and seeing if anyone anywhere will spay and neuter them.
The SPCA rejected them, said they couldn't even spay or neuter them, which doesn't sound right, but that's what the family said.
Anyone have any ideas where I can get three stray kittens and their wild mom spayed and/or neutered?

but the family has no intention or re-catching them and seeing if anyone anywhere will spay and neuter them.
The SPCA rejected them, said they couldn't even spay or neuter them, which doesn't sound right, but that's what the family said.
Anyone have any ideas where I can get three stray kittens and their wild mom spayed and/or neutered?

Click to expand...

I provided links in your other post if low cost clinics by state...you should call them and see how young they will spay/neuter cats.

It's a shame this family will not re-catch and spay/neuter mom or the kittens...do they realize that by leaving them outdoors and intact, they will simply continue to breed and what is now a small colony will grow in size.

Since you believe mom is pregnant again, she should be the first one trapped and brought in for a spay procedure. I realize that some people have personal issues with spaying pregnant cats, but this is a cat that is living outdoors..not one that is in a home...and as such, she deserves to be litter free.

Katie