3 Feral Kittens and a Very Feral Mom... help me name them!

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My friend moved into her new house about a year ago, with her family. It was her uncle's old house, and it was very big and very creepy.
But then they noticed something that wasn't creepy at all.
There, by the greenhouse area, were several pairs of stray cats--one was exceptional. Her name was now Blackie.
Now Blackie had just given birth to kittens about four months after the family moved in, and the kittens are about 4 months now. Anyway, there were 3 kittens (only one of them has a name, so far--"Piglet", the brave one) and they were all feral.
They lived under a stack of wood in my friend's greenhouse and soon after that, my friend started feeding them.
Water, the occasional wet food that her own cat got, a little blanket, a box, and some toys.
Awhile after that, my friend tried to catch all of them and take them to the SPCA. They only caught 2/3, but they couldn't catch Piglet.
They took them to the SPCA and the people there said, "We cannot take your cats into adoption--they are too wild. If we take them, they will be euthanized."
How's that for a no-kill shelter?
Anyway, they released the now traumatized kittens back into the yard, speechless, where all three kittens got stuck in a tree. All my friend could do was watch.
They did get down safely, and now it's the daily thing to go feed the kittens. In fact, they are warming up to my friend and let her come within 2 feet. Isn't that cool? Even Blackie isn't scared anymore.
They get flea powder, but are not spayed or neutered. They got food and water, but must have at least one more disease that cannot be treated. They get close to humans, but if the kittens are not tamed soon, they never will be.
They are black kittens with white bibs and paws and tails. The runt has no name, and usually stays away from Piglet and his brother.
Piglet is very adventurous, and my friend only named him.
His brother (or sister) has no name, and looks exactly like the others, only he, like Piglet, is big. He has no exceptional qualities.
My friend asked if I wanted one of the kittens when Tiggy died. Actually, she begged, and I said, "I can't take them until they're tame. Besides, Tiggy just got hit a few days ago." She hasn't asked me since.
Is there any other way to help the poor kittens? Can you think of any names?



Short Story

There are three kittens that live in my friend's yard. They are not spayed or neutered. SPCA will not take them, and the family gives them food, water, shelter, toys, and attention, but they are still extrememly feral. They have just gotten flea medications. Piglet and his siblings are black and white. Do you have any name for them? Piglet is the oldest--the runt and the other brother need to find names--and homes.

Is there any other way to help the poor kittens? Can you think of any names?

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If they are going to live outdoors...then they need to be retrapped and spayed/neutered. I would contact the low cost clinics in your state and see if they will spay/neuter kittens and if they will spay ferals. The problem is that if they are all left outside intact, then they will grow up and become pregnant or create additional litters and what is now a few stray cats...will continue to grow. Feeding only encourages these cats stay around and mate....so it is very important that if your friend is going to provide shelter, food, water...that she also needs to provide spaying/neutering. It is true that many no kill shelters don't have the foster base to socialize feral kittens...and many do euthanize them as "unadoptable" so I would not blame the SPCA for being honest with you. No kill does not mean never kill...it means it will not euthanize adoptable and healthy animals. Unfortunately, ferals are labeled as unadoptable. Perhaps as we bring the numbers under control...that will change.

Below is a link to low cost clinics:

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

Additionally, here is a link to TNR groups by state:

http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html

I would certainly try to trap mom first and have her spayed..and then I would concentrate on trapping the kittens to be spayed.

Have any names?
OH BIG NEWS~!
They are now willing to come into my friend's house, running in and out, and they will let you pet them if you approach slowly.
The mom has gone off somewhere new to have another litter.
The family will try to take them to get them spayed.

name the runt "link". It reminds me of the legend of zelda, a game i played when I was a kid

Originally Posted by mfluffykitty

Have any names?
OH BIG NEWS~!
They are now willing to come into my friend's house, running in and out, and they will let you pet them if you approach slowly.
The mom has gone off somewhere new to have another litter.
The family will try to take them to get them spayed.

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They need to get them fixed...whether they trapped this family themselves or contact a TNR group....the problem is if they don't trap them and get them fixed early enough...if there are any girls, they could become pregnant. Mom absolutely needs to be trapped at the next opportunity or she will become pregnant again and again...

Katie

My cat, Bestia(it means beast in Spanish) was a feral kitten when I caught her. She was about 6-8 wks old when I caught her and quite vicious. She actually bit my finger and wouldn't let go for about 5 minutes! My arms and hands(and fingers) were all torn up by the time I got her in the house. She had 2 other brothers but I was unable to catch them. I was actually the first person to ever touch her and am the only person that she lets hold her to this day(8 months later). She knows her name but will not come when called, she just lookss at me as if to say, "if you really want me that bad then you can come over here and get me." LOL! She has a lot of spunk.

However, she and her brother all had some type od deformity due to the fact that the mother was not getting the nutrience she needed during pregnancy. Bestia is WAY too small(the size of a 4-5 month old kitten), one brother had really short legs, and the other one had a curved tail.(it was lika a dog's tail, it was ALWAYS curved and could not be straightened. It was actually kinda cute.)

Anyways, because of that I would have to agree with TNR1 and try and get them spayed. Plus, when you spay them they ought to calm down ALOT and may even become "adoptable" as some would say.

Whatever you and your friend choose to do, good luck with it!

Thank you

She says she is going to have them, the now half-tame kittens, spayed and/or neutered as soon as they are completely tame. Breakthrough!

Originally Posted by mfluffykitty

She says she is going to have them, the now half-tame kittens, spayed and/or neutered as soon as they are completely tame. Breakthrough!

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But what about the mom cat?? She will become pregnant again unless she is spayed now....also, these kittens can become pregnant as early as 4 months of age....if she is going to work on "taming" them...she needs to have a timeline to spay/neuter them by 4 months of age.

Katie