what's it like to foster a feral queen?

[gussy14]

Hi all,

So we got our first foster queen and all her babies adopted.

 Which makes me happy, but sad. Which of course, makes it a great time to foster another queen! 

There are 2 queens with teeny tiny babies - 3 days old. We're worried about timing due to a trip in May. They would not be able to be with us for the first 8 weeks fully if we took one of these litters. There are plenty of fosters in my network that I am sure would take them when we go on our trip, but I don't relish the idea of them being forced to move before they get adopted out, although they would go to an equally good foster home. The queens are socialized to humans.

There is also a feral mama with 5 kittens who are about 3 weeks old (I didn't look at their official DOB, but their eyes were open, ears a little droopy still). It would be squeezy, but we could probably get them adopted out before we go on our trip (I had 9 inquires in 48 hours on my last litter). The queen let me touch a couple of babies ... gave me quite the stare, but no aggressive or defensive behaviors. She also let me touch her paw, which she moved away, but again, no aggressive or defensive behaviors. Oh, and one of the kittens is not hers, she took in an orphan. 

I've only ever done the one queen before, so I'm intimidated by the thought of doing a feral one. Of note, we have two of our own cats, which we keep well-separated from our fosters, but they accidentally met our foster queen/kittens a couple of times (which has resulted in them being scared of and hissing at the little kittens 

) I'm worried that the feral mom would tear up my guys if they did accidentally meet.

So, my questions are: How difficult is it to foster a feral queen versus a socialized queen? Would it be bad to foster a tame queen only to send her and the kittens to another foster home before 8 weeks?

I help out in a pretty high-kill area, so I really want to help as much as I am able without adding too many gray hairs to my head. 

 Oh, and there is also has a great TNR network, and if the feral mom is truly feral, she would get returned to where she came from once her kittens are gone. 

 

[StefanZ]

Nay, semi-ferale queens arent much more difficult than home girls. Think a protective suspicious home girl, and you essentially dont have any difference.

The psychological key is easy. For cat moms, like for human moms, the most important is the welfare of her children. NOT "freedom" as such.  As soon she recognizes you are going to help her and her children, you being their best practical chance, so does accept the situation and copy with it as well she can.  As long as you handle the kittens respectfully, she lets you do it... etc.

It is not sure she herself will be socialized, but usually there is no problem with socializing her kittens.

So, taking care of a shy semi-ferale queen and her children is in practice often easier than helping her semi-ferale shy brother.    

That said, if she let you, a stranger, not yet her protector, not only touch her kittens without any protest, just being watchful, and even let you touch her paw (many cats dont like touching their paws!). She is no ferale, no way, Sir Madam.   Perhaps, just perhaps, a semi ferale. But 100% sure no feral.

 Oh, and one of the kittens is not hers, she took in an orphan. 

Here, I got touched.  She, herself the poorest of the poor, had place in her heart and her bosom to adopt and help another  who was in desperate need of help.

Good luck!