Need help on capturing feral kittens

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Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
For the past couple months there has been a feral cat that I have been feeding. She was obviously pregnant at the time so I kept her fed well. I knew she had given birth about a month ago and she has signs that she has been feeding them.

Today I noticed , what looked like a pile of fur at the edge of the woods, then I looked closer and it is 4 of the cutest kittens. Two have grey blue fur ,one tan, one black. They ran when I tried to get closer. I don't want them to grow up like the mother so I want to catch these and try to domesticate them before they get too old.


I need some way of trapping them, obviously without hurting them. Has anyone done something like this or have any ideas ?

Thanks
 
lizardth

lizardth

Golden Member
Oct 5, 2005
1,242
0
76
My parents had this problem too.

Live animal trap + can of tuna = win

You might also see if there is a facility that will spay/neuter feral cats in your area so you don't have to deal with this every spring and fall.
 
nakedfrog

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
62,798
18,992
136
Contact the Humane society, a friend of mine did that and they let them borrow some traps.
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Contact the Humane society, a friend of mine did that and they let them borrow some traps.
Click to expand...

We have 3 formally feral cats that we trapped from a storm drain when they were kittens along with the mother. It will take a lot of patience on your part to trap them and even more patience to domesticate them but it can be done. Like nakedfrog suggests we borrowed the traps from a local animal welfare group. We kept them in a large dog crate for a week or so while letting them gradually get used to us enough that we could take them to the vet to get them checked out.
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
I checked with local animal control and they do have traps to loan but not any available for probably a week.
The worker suggested I try the simple box held up with a stick method. I figured what the hell, and got an old box that a pc case came in and cut some air holes, made a door on the side and taped it shut. Propped it up at the edge of the woods and tied a string to the stick.

I had some cooked ground beef so I put that in a bowl under the box. The mother went under it first and was eating and all the kittens joined in. I waited a bit and the mother walked away a bit and I pulled the string.

I got 3 out of 4 very unhappy kittens. I grabbed another box and went back out to find that one was halfway out the vent holes I had cut. I tried to grab him but the sucker already has teeth and when I let go he took off running.

So I picked up the other two with a towel and now they are in a box inside my house.
I put a towel in the bottom and at first they were upset, but now have cuddled up with each other in the box corner.

Now I just have to get the other 2 :)

The mother cat is still looking at me with an evil eye. I feel kind of bad because she trusted me and I stole her babies.
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Nice work. Try some tuna to get the remaining 2, it is pungent and they generally love it.
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
This is a very bad idea esp when one doesn't even know how to capture them.

First if you take them too early they will not develop a lot of proper skills.

Second, if you are hoping to take them to a shelter they will more than likely be euthanized anyway. Very few cats are ever adopted.

Then you will have to test for various diseases. Usually with littermates testing one or two is sufficient.

I have three indoor cats, they stay indoors. I also take care of a few ferals one which has a litter of 4 right now. Two of the ferals are the remaining 4-5 that were born last year. One I found dead in my driveway near the road when they were just starting to roam from their mother.

It's a hard call but I'd make sure you are looking at adult cats in the future and not perpetual kittens.
 
Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
When I was younger, we usually just got them when they were younger. The mother will want to get back to her kids, so if you took the kids... the mom was much, much more accessible to "capture." They never seemed to mind it as long as they were fulfilling their primal instinct to nurture their kids :p.
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: Modelworks
I checked with local animal control and they do have traps to loan but not any available for probably a week.
The worker suggested I try the simple box held up with a stick method. I figured what the hell, and got an old box that a pc case came in and cut some air holes, made a door on the side and taped it shut. Propped it up at the edge of the woods and tied a string to the stick.
Click to expand...
Someone happens to walk past and just quietly stares.

"What? I'm hunting wabbits! Shhhhh!"



Originally posted by: alkemyst
This is a very bad idea esp when one doesn't even know how to capture them.

First if you take them too early they will not develop a lot of proper skills.

Second, if you are hoping to take them to a shelter they will more than likely be euthanized anyway. Very few cats are ever adopted.

Then you will have to test for various diseases. Usually with littermates testing one or two is sufficient.

I have three indoor cats, they stay indoors. I also take care of a few ferals one which has a litter of 4 right now. Two of the ferals are the remaining 4-5 that were born last year. One I found dead in my driveway near the road when they were just starting to roam from their mother.

It's a hard call but I'd make sure you are looking at adult cats in the future and not perpetual kittens.
Click to expand...
Geeeez, he's capturing kittens, not performing surgery on them.

 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Geeeez, he's capturing kittens, not performing surgery on them.
Click to expand...

And my points still are valid. The OP needs to figure out what they are trying to accomplish. If they are willing to give a home for all four then there is still 'things' that need to be considered.

Feral cats are nothing like those born in captivity. If you get them young they can grow up no differently. Too young or too old and they will have behavioral problems.

Also disease is a critical thing. Certain things can become fatal conditions and then as a PET OWNER one is required to provide the treatment or an humane solution.

Usually if one is providing food for a feral cat group they will not roam so much and usually live more decent lives. They still have a much shorter lifespan than indoor cats or even indoor/outdoor ones. They will still spend much of their life fighting each other as males and pregnant and hungry if a female.


 
T

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
If they are REALLY young then you need to take a lot of extra precautions to ensure the health of the kittens. I think it's something as crazy as feeding them water from a dropper every two hours, but you should google around to see how to take care of kittens < 2 weeks old. Do NOT feed them random food in your house, they will possibly die.
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Originally posted by: torpid
If they are REALLY young then you need to take a lot of extra precautions to ensure the health of the kittens. I think it's something as crazy as feeding them water from a dropper every two hours, but you should google around to see how to take care of kittens < 2 weeks old. Do NOT feed them random food in your house, they will possibly die.
Click to expand...

If they are running around and eating cooked beef he put out they are old enough to be cared for like any other kitten.
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Linflas
Originally posted by: torpid
If they are REALLY young then you need to take a lot of extra precautions to ensure the health of the kittens. I think it's something as crazy as feeding them water from a dropper every two hours, but you should google around to see how to take care of kittens < 2 weeks old. Do NOT feed them random food in your house, they will possibly die.
Click to expand...

If they are running around and eating cooked beef he put out they are old enough to be cared for like any other kitten.
Click to expand...

I don't think you know much about animals yet alone cats.

Also the mother will train 'litterbox' habits. This is a huge problem with many taking kittens too early whether feral or not.

It sets them up for the inevitable euthanasia or dumping them in the woods that so many do already when they tire of cats.
 
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