New Feral Kittens

[Andel85]

Hi, I'm hoping for some advice about a feral family in our yard.

Last year, two feral cats took up residence in our yard. A few months later, four kittens emerged from wherever mom had given birth and we were able to trap two and we adopted a third. We were never able to catch mom or the last kitten. Mom had two more kittens in the last week, but this time in a pet bed we put out underneath a makeshift shelter. She's caring for the kittens and is somewhat trusting of us.

The weather is about to take a turn (high winds, rain) and I'm not sure what we should do. The family is currently living in the bed under a tarp that is well anchored but doesn't cover on all sides. Mom comes to the door but I'm not sure she would tolerate being indoors. Should we try to bring them in and see how it goes, or leave them as is and keep close watch? Any guidance is greatly appreciated!

 

[Norachan]

Hi A Andel85 Welcome to TCS.

Yes, if you have a room you could keep mum and the kittens in, bringing them indoors is the best thing to do.

Do you have a small room you could keep the family in? Or a large crate? If the kittens are small enough to handle bring them in first. You can use the kittens as "bait" to trap mum, but she might follow them indoors anyway.


Kitten Lady has some great videos about helping feral cats on her channel.

Mom might not be too happy about the idea at first, but keeping them indoors will mean you can get the kittens socialised and ready for new homes. It will be much easier to trap and spay the mother too.

 

[Jcatbird]

That video is great! I hope you follow Norachan’s advice because it’s excellent. Now is your chance to get Mom and babies. You’re wonderful for helping them! Thank you for doing that and good luck getting them inside! I know Mom may be reluctant to be indoors but many of us work with ferals and it truly is the best thing you can do for her and the babies. If you need assistance or tips on handling things further or once you get them in there are lots of great people here who will be willing to offer more tips. Welcome to the site! It’s great to meet a kitty hero! Please keep us posted. We’d love to hear more.

 

[kittychick]

I'm glad you found us - - -it's a great group of people, many with lots of experience in just about anything and everything kitty-wise....and best of all, happy to share what they've learned. I know it's been a big resource for me - - mentally and informationally ---so welcome!

As always - - I'm in complete agreement with Norachan and Jcatbird .
You're doing a wonderful thing taking such good care of momma and her two generations (and even adopting one of her babies!). SO many people look the other way - -- big props for you for caring so deeply.

It sounds like Mom already has begun building a trust with you, which is a big step in the right direction (and one many of us don't get to start with!). The babies are SO tiny that now is a GREAT time to bring everyone in - - - socialization definitely usually gets harder and more time-consuming once they pass 6-8 weeks. It certainly can still be done - - but if you start off with them at this teeny stage (the little "snausage stage" as my hubby calls it), your chances of a relatively easy and complete socialization are REALLY good! Your only impediment at all will likely be mom, and it sounds like you've already got a foundation of some trust built there, which really is a great start. And I"m not sure where you're located, but I know the weather across the US is still SO iffy (with alot of violent weather out there!). And between wind, rain and cold - - even with the shelter you've given them (which is wonderful!) - - it'll be really hard for ones that little. Even if Mom ends up needing to be spayed and released after raising her family (although hopefully you can socialize her too!), getting them inside definitely gives them the best chance for surviving upcoming weather, etc.

As noted above - - there are lots of wonderful videos out there on working with feral moms (and babies). But the Kitten Lady video that Norachan attached above is one of the best ones out there - - and the way I trap mom and babies when I need to! And there are lots of threads in this forum about working with moms and babies!!!). Will mom will let you get near the babies? If so, bringing them in and using them as "bait" is indeed probably the easiest way to get mom (as shown in the Kitten Lady video). I also wouldn't recommend trying to just pick mom up and bring her in (unless you know you can pick her up easily). She'll likely - because of the babies - be more defensive to anything that feels threatening to her. And picking her up and taking her inside a home she's never been in would likely feel very threatening. And the last thing you want to do is pick her up and terrify her to the point of her taking off - - and possibly injuring you in the process. If at all possible -- - would she go into a carrier? If she's already using a cat bed, if you could transfer it to a carrier (putting her babies in if possible would be the ultimate lure!), she may just go inside the carrier. Let us know how much mom trusts you and we'll be able to advise more on options for getting the little family inside.

Do you have a room you can isolate the little family in? A spare bedroom is ideal. You can also use a bathroom if necessary - - - but that's so tight kitties can feel trapped and threatened. I use a spare bedroom, and put a huge Great-dane sized dog crate in it with food, water, a litterbox, and a cat carrier inside (with the door off) for mom to "nest" in. I start off with the carrier covered on three sides - and lots of snuggly stuff inside for her and babies (nothing with loops on it though like blankets with fringe - - babies can get caught in them). I also cover the crate on three sides and top initially so that mom doesn't feel like she can be snuck up on. Mom will need lots of high calorie nutrition. I keep the room closed, with a tv on softly on something like HGTV (no explosions or yelling ) or a radio on NPR (or something soothing with some talking - to get all used to human voices - plus it helps mask the new "scary house sounds" that mom won't be used to). We close off all "unders" (under the bed, under dressers - - anything a kitty can hide in) so that we don't "lose her" or she doesn't take herself and babies somewhere you can't get to. We start off with the dog crate closed (some people give immediate access to the room - but I have the best luck - and seem to stress out kitties less - by just initially keeping them in the crate. My hubby then adds plywood "walls" to give them more space, but still restricting access to the whole room. That makes sure that you are able to be close to mom and babies without being right on top of all and stressing mom out.

I also use Gerber's Stage 2 Chicken and Gravy human baby food (most of us call it "kitty crack" they love it so much!) to lure mom into coming closer and eating near me - - and helping her realize that I bring the super yummy stuff!!!!!! I start off offering it on a retractable spoon (a retractable back scratcher works too!) - - -or at least a long-handled tea spoon.

Anyway - - - didn't mean to get so much into the things we use to start socializing. I - - and lots of us - have tons of tips and tricks we'll happily share! So let us know a little more about mom and how social she is, and we'll help you try to figure out the best way to get her (and her snausages!) inside safely.

And again - -BIG kudos to you for caring about this little family!

Keep us posted!!!!

 

[Andel85]

Thank you so much for all the responses. We're in Colorado so it's never actually one season. It was 80 last week and now it's going to be rainy half of next week.

The first batch of kittens were roughly 8 weeks when we learned about them. I started sitting outside with them and mom and feeding them chicken. Mom ate from my hand a few times, but preferred that I drop the chicken in front of her. During that time, we left our door open and she and the kittens came in and explored a bit so she has been in the house before, just for brief periods.

When we go out to check on the new kittens she watches from a few feet away but doesn't seem to view us near them as a threat. Sometimes she even leaves the yard while we check on them. When she does come to the door, I get the feeling that she might want to come in. We do have a spare bedroom that's almost empty where we could keep them. I just worry that if she doesn't want to be inside, we might end up having to care for the kittens and that wouldn't give them the best chance to grow up healthy.

 

[Andel85]

We have the kittens indoors but mom won't follow. She's seen they are inside but still walks around the outside of the house meowing. I'm not sure how to entice her inside.

 

[catsknowme]

How are the tinies doing? I have heard great things about the mini Miracle Nipple, if you need to feed them while getting mama kitty. You may need to trap mama kitty. Prayers and vibes that all goes well

 

[Norachan]

If she won't come inside on her own you will have to trap her. You can use the kittens as bait, as shown in the video, or you could try trapping her using food or the bedding her kittens have been sleeping on.

I know it's really hard to keep a feral cat indoors, but for now it's the best thing for the kittens and her. It doesn't have to be forever. If she really miserable indoors you can always let her back out after the kittens are weaned and she been spayed.

Keeping the kittens indoors will mean you can get them used to being handled and then they can be rehomed. If you put them back outside they're going to grow up feral, which means you'll have to TNR them too in the future.

Set up a room as a cat room for the family and get a feliway diffuser. This will help the mother cat relax.

 

[Andel85]

We finally managed to get mom and babies inside and in their own room. She seems pretty calm and has continued taking care of the kittens. At what point do I need to start handling the little ones?

 

[Andel85]

Mom hasn't left the bed with the babies in it. Not even to eat or use the box, and it's been about 17 hours since she's come in. Should I be concerned?

 

[Norachan]

No, it's OK. Just make sure she has food and water and her litter box nearby. Sometimes cats go for 24 hours without eating or drinking or peeing when they find themselves in a new home. Just make sure her litter box and food are at least a couple of meters apart, cats don't like it when they are too close together.

You could try a Feliway diffuser in the room. That's always helped calm my semi feral cats down.

https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser

Another good trick is classic harp music, played at low volume. For some reason cats really like this.

Handle the kittens as much as possible. You can pick them up and pet them now, while you sit in the same room as Mom. The more you handle them the better.

Jcatbird probably has some good tips for making feral moms and kittens feel at home.

 

[kittychick]

SO SO SOOOO happy to hear you got the whole furry family into your spare bedroom!!!!! That's PERFECT! How did you end up getting mom in the room with them? Obviously mom feels pretty comfortable with you, since she's let you be around her babies (most true ferals wouldn't let you come anywhere near - - and if they sense someone/something is "onto" where their nest/kittens are, mom goes about moving them one by one the minute the coast is clear)!

As far as her not seeming to be leaving her babies yet - - - Norachan is right (as always ). Don't panic. Her babies are still SO little that moms usually stay with their babies almost 24/7 at that point. She knows she's the ONLY thing standing between her kittens and any predators who would harm them! And as much as we wish we could talk to her and explain "you're inside now - - you can relax - - no predators around here - you're safe with us!" But I'm pretty sure you just can't get her to understand English yet darn it! Also - moms rarely leave the nest when babies as tiny as yours bc the kittens depend on for EVERYTHING, from nourishment...to stimulation to potty....to helping regulate their body temperatures (which is critical!!!!). So she'll only leave when she absolutely has to for right now.

As Norachan said - - - put her litterbox, food, and water close to where she has the kittens. Cats rarely like their litterbox near where they sleep and/or eat, but mommas with teensy babies are a bit of an exception as they want eyes on their little ones every second. (I do just a few feet away for litterbox and just a few feet further for food/water at this stage - - plus I'm often utilizing a large dog crate at this pooh). In a few weeks you can move the litterbox a bit further away. (Tip: kittens usually start imitating mom and trying to use a litterbox as early as 3 weeks old. But early in my fostering "career," I'd occasionally have kittens that seemed to prefer corners of the room, or right next to the litterbox, etc. Then it hit me - - their legs are SO teeny & most commercial litter boxes have 5-6 inch high sides -- it's too high/hard for them to climb into! So we use cardboard boxes, putting newspaper underneath since cardboard isn't "liquid proof." We cut the box sides down to about 3 or 3 1/2 inches high, with 1 side - the side facing the babies - having a section where the side is cut even lower - app 1 ½ or 2 inches tall. And most vets will tell you to stay clear of the clumping litter with kittens, using clay litter, litter pellets, etc.until they're older.

And yes - start handling them now! I pick the "tamest" one to work with first (sometimes it's the boldest one - - sometimes the shyest - it's definitely a case by case decision). Kittens are "copy cats" - if they realize you're touching a sibling and that sibling isn't being harmed (maybe even enjoying the attention!) - the others will often become easier to work with because brother or sister did just fine with you! Make your initial little "contact sessions" brief with each (don't forget momma!) - and do it multiple times a day. I sit on the floor or - if I'm just trying to gently touch them, I lie down (standing up and bending over them is VERY intimidating). Talk softly, gently, and in a high, soft, soothing singsong voice. I work my way up to holding/placing in my lap, by getting them to enjoy touch , stroking their head gently (but NOT approaching from the front/above/over their head - it's intimidating). They also usually love scratching under their chins. I also try approaching with a closed fist, imitating a friendly cat greeting of "head butting"- gently butting their head with my closed fist. I also end any little touch session (and eventually play session too!) with some kind of treat. At this tiny an age (since they're reaching the "lap"/lick off your finger stage") I'd try offering a little "kitty crack" - - Gerber 2nd Foods Chicken and Gravy baby food (below is a link to it on Amazon - - it should be in baby food aisle at any grocery). Babies AND adults usually go pretty crazy over it -- so I use it sparingly as a real "high value treat"!!!! (seems like 90% of kitties go crazy for this - but if you try another baby food - make SURE it has no onion as that's toxic to kitties).


Feliway plug-ins are worth a try! I've had them sometimes work wonders, and sometimes do nothing. But when they do work they're wonderful!

Lastly - hopefully you've cleared the room of most places mom can "hide" herself and babies and be out of your reach. You don't want to "drag" anyone out of anywhere - - it'll just be upsetting for all. Give the little family places they can feel safe and warm. Boxes turned on their sides with soft blankets, etc. work well. You should - with a little work (like working with kittens can really be called "work"" - right? ) - be able to socialize - and adopt out - all three of the babies as they're at a great stage to be able to socialize. Hopefully you can socialize mom too!!!!! But if worst comes to worst -you at east have the option of TNRing Mom - and then taking care of her outside. But I'm crossing my fingers that - since she seems to already like you - - that Mom and babies all have "forever indoor homes" in their future!!!!!

Keep use posted!!! (pics are always loved!) And sorry SOOOOO long! I tend to write long tomes (I can't seem to help it!) - -- but hopefully I offered some help along my long, long way.

 

[Jcatbird]

kittychick jas a very good point about boxes turned on their side. I am thinking Mom May feel that she is in a strange environment and a little wary of leaving kittens. Especially if they are in a box with a large opening. A carrier might seem more secure. Make sure the door can’t get closed and shut her out. I take the doors off when there are kittens. A box upside down with a hole cut into it will worn too. A blanket or something under it. They really like a cave sort of space to keep kittens secure. I think she might feel better about leaving to go to the litter box if she knows they are protected. If she is already in a secure feeling place then just wait. Make sure lights are off in the room at night. A night light is okay. All the previous advice is great. Mom should be out a little bit here and there but you can expect her to stay very close to the babies until she knows that they are in a safe enviroment that doesn’t contain dangers. Do start handling the babies. Mom might leave the babies if you stick your hand in to get a baby. That’s okay. She will be watching but maybe she’ll go potty while she’s out. Just be relaxed and confident around them. Speak softly but with love. They’ll catch on.
I’m so happy to hear they are in and safe! Great job!

 

[Andel85]

She ate some overnight and has been drinking water. Hopefully she uses the box soon, it's been well over 24 hours since she last did her business.

She had the babies in a cat bed we had outside. We moved the whole bed into a cage and covered it on three sides with a sheet. When mom finally went inside to see them, we closed the cage up, covered all sides and then moved it to the room. I took the front off of it in the room so she can move in and out freeley. I left the sheet covering three sides so it can be a safe space for her. So far, she's stayed in the bed with the kittens so I haven't had a chance to handle them yet. I think once she gets comfortable in the room, she might leave the cage long enough for me to check them out.

 

[mazie]

Any pictures of the family?

 

[kittychick]

Yes - - -pictures pictures pictures!!!!!!!!!

And SO SO SO glad to hear she's eating and drinking! You're doing the right thing by keeping an eye on her food/water/box usage. And don't worry about feeling like you're watching that stuff too much. I said to my hubby after fostering my first few litters ages ago - "I never thought I'd spend large portions of my day talking not just about cats, but about cat poop!"

I also think you're doing wonderfully with how you handled getting them as calmly and safely as possible into "their" room!!!!! And just curious (so we're all trying to use the same "language" and understand each other as much as possible!) - - when you mentioned cage, do you mean it like I was saying above - a metal dog crate with the cat carrier inside that? Or do you mean just a cat carrier? Again - no right or wrong, just asking! You're doing a great job -- and are obviously very good with her! I'm glad Jcatbird mentioned using a carrier (I usually note that too, but I think my eyes were glazing over by writing wayyyyy too much - - sorry - - got on a roll and couldn't get off! ). We always give any fosters/kitties we're socializing a decent-sized hard plastic cat carrier (not a soft-sided one) - - particularly mom and babies. It's a great "safe space" for the family (plus, if need be, you can remove the top and get to a baby if you really need to - - we actually remove half the screws holding on the top so that we can get in faster if need be -- just put screws somewhere no one can get at them and swallow them!). I always put a sheet/some type of cloth) over the whole carrier (or big metal crate AND inside cat carrier - except the front opening. Then side/back ventilation holes are covered, and she won't feel like she can be "snuck up on." It'll provide her a real sense of security, which translates into calmer mom and calmer babies. I also put another piece of some soft and fuzzy fabric - fleece is good - on top of the carrier, giving mom a soft place to go rest a bit and take an "I'm a milk machine" break, but still be very close to her babies.

We do still put boxes around the room like I explained above - - as it's likely she'll periodically move her babies. Often for no "real reason" you can see - - moms do that in the "wild" so that it's harder for predators to figure out where the defenseless babies are and mom's schedule of leaving the nest. That's why we give moms some options besides the carrier to safely move them to (plus you can't beat the cost of free cardboard boxes!!!!!). But I've found over 20+ years of fostering that a covered up carrier is perfect for her and the babies to "hole up in" and feel safe. Just definitely, as Jcatbird said - take the carrier front door off completely. Then it can't accidentally swing shut and frighten her/babies).

And go ahead and start gently and slowly handling the babies as often as possible (and mom too - -at least working on scratching her under the chin, etc. - - I get them used to that before I start picking them up). We all have different things that work for us, and you'll find what works for you and your new family soon. I lie on the floor talking to all for a few days before trying anything - it'll help mom start to trust you more and be less scared to see you reach in (and as I said earlier - - I have the best luck approaching slowly with a closed fist so she can "head butt" - -reaching over her head is usually threatening). I often even get a pillow and just lie close by - - -reading a book/napping/whatever.

You certainly can wait for her to leave the nest before trying to touch babies, but it could be quite some time, as she'll likely run right back in with them soon as you enter the room. Again - - the Gerber Stage 2 baby food is a GREAT treat (I also use canned mackerel). I lie on the floor and start softening mom up by chatting softly and getting her to take some off a spoon, and eventually my finger. It'll help her trust that you're not there to hurt her babies - - but that you're there to provide comfort and - best of all -- YUMMIES! (who doesn't love a good canned mackerel - yum-O!!!! )

And I also agree with Jcatbird - - cats are SO intuitive - and she'll sense if you're nervous. And she'll feel calmer if you do speak with love - -- I truly believe they sense our underlying reasons for doing what we're doing. I think in no time you'll have a lap full of mom and babies!

(Again - - - sorry - - waaaaay too long - - -but hope some helps!)

 

[Norachan]

So glad to hear she's eating.



You've had loads of good advice already. I just wanted to add that if you're worried about handling the babies while Mum is with them try making a petting stick. Get a long handled wooden spoon and wrap something soft around the end. Ideally something that has your scent on it so the babies get used to your smell and learn to associate you with good things.

You can use this to pet Mum and the kittens, then when Mum feels more comfortable you can use your hand.

Yes, pictures please! I'd love to see some. Does Mum have a name? How about the kittens?

 

[Andel85]

No pictures quite yet. I tried to take some when we discovered the babies last week and mom hissed at me, so I'm going to wait a bit before trying again.

The bed they're in is in a metal dog crate with one side removed. There's also another hiding place in the room for when she needs to get away. She's starting to accept the situation, I think. She's eating, drinking and using the box.

We've called mom "Mama" since she had her first litter last year. We have yet to name the kittens because we did that with her first litter and now have a female cat with a boy name lol. Thankfully, this litter only has two kittens.

 

[kittychick]

Cats/kittens are often afraid of cameras - not in some spiritualistic "that lady's capturing my spirit!" way but more of a "I'm barely used to this big person-thing and now they shove this giant black thing near me - what more do they want from me?!?!" I'm semi-teasing - - but there is some truth in there. Over the years I've learned that any cat that's living based more in fear at that moment is often frightened by a camera. My theory (based solely on my experience- no big studies by major universities ) is that professional SLR cameras (not your phone camera) like I often use are usually black & decently sized, which often frightens them. Part 2 of my theory is that the kitties may be getting used to you, but when you put a camera up to take a picture, you generally at least partially cover your face. So suddenly - you're not "you" to them. I've even seen it happen with my own TNR'd ferals (which are far less feral now - after 3 years!). They'll be happily taking treats out of my hand- - but put a camera up to my face, and they're running under porch furniture! Less so with a smaller phone camera ---but anything that covers my face seems to trigger a little fear.
Anyone else ever encounter that? Or am I just holding my camera wrong?

And I know this info is still a ways off - - but you might mark your calendars to show when mom & babies need to get fixed, as you'll probably be so busy socializing & loving these furry ones....that you might forget! But it's a good idea to get babies fixed by the time they're 4 months old. They can get pregnant at only four months of age! And kitties, unlike humans, don't worry about "keeping that stuff out of the family." Mom can get pregnant from her sons, and siblings can get pregnant from each other. It's an old wives tale that momma cats can't get pregnant while they're nursing or while they have a litter - - - neither is true! Mom's can go into heat again VERY quickly after giving birth (generally it's around . But you do want to wait, if possible, until the kittens are weaned bc they get loads of good stuff from momma's milk.

I think you really are doing WONDERFULLY! You're obviously a very caring person, AND you're open to suggestions, which is fantastic in and of itself. Mama and babies were VERY lucky to have found you - - GO YOU!!!!!!!!

 

[kittychick]

And meant to mention - - this is a site I've gleaned some good info from over the years. I don't agree with everything she suggests (for example, I think she pushes "picking them up" too quickly). But I believe it's good to get other points of view and see how other people do things - I think it's worth reading!

How to Tame Feral Cats