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Author
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Topic: My backyard feral had KITTENS!
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thirteen
Knowflake Posts: 880
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted April 27, 2007 01:13 PM
 
And they are in the cat house on my back porch. There are two of them. One gray stripes and one solid white. What do I do??
Will i be able to tame them? Im at a loss here.
We just got a new digital camera. As soon as i am good at using it i will take pics and post them. In the mean time im open for adivce. Should i look for a spay/neuter program and just let them live out their lives with us?IP: Logged |
Neferemi
Knowflake Posts: 85
From: Soon-to-be Boulder, Colorado
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted April 30, 2007 08:59 PM
My cat was born "wild" and lived under the bushes of the house next-door to me. Mama Cat got hit by a car before she could be trapped, one sister disappeared and the other sister was adopted by a guy who mows lawns around here. My kitty was about 3 months old and the last one under the bush when I caught him & took him in. He had to live in my enclosed porch for a month, which was screened-over completely, because he had ringworm. But after many, many, many unhappy baths he was able to come inside. He was feisty - he had always hissed at me when I went to feed him & his family! But once he became a house-kitty, he developed into the most affectionate, smart, loving, devoted cat in the world! And he's a faithful litter box user since his first day in the porch. I had him neutered right after he moved in the house, and I think that helped a lot. If you are able to take in the kittens, I would recommend it as soon as they are done nursing. The fact that they were born "wild" doesn't mean they cannot become loving pets. My cousin catches feral cats, even grown ones, gets them neutered and set with shots, then she brings them in and keeps them seperated in an extra bedroom until they are used to being inside. Then she slowly introduces them to the other cats. Some of them get adopted out but some stay with her. She has never had a cat she couldn't "tame" into being a housekitty. Of course, cats have their individual personalities, and some are more aloof and some are more dependent - but that's how they would be even if they had been born in a house. If there is a local cat rescue group, they can help you with catching the Mama Cat and getting her discount spaying once she is done with nursing. You may not feel she needs to come inside, maybe she is happiest outside, but at least you won't have to worry about any more kittens. I am so glad that I took in my feral cat. I can't imagine my life without him. All best to you and the cats! Let me know what happens with them! IP: Logged |
thirteen
Knowflake Posts: 880
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted May 01, 2007 10:32 AM
Thank you for that reply. I am learning more and more about ferals every day. Well the mother moved her kittens because of the lawn guy ( i think). He had come that day and he uses a big commercial cutter that probalby scared her. I did have two days to talk to the kittys and hope they know my voice now. Im sure they will be around when they can get around. The mother and father do come every night to eat so there is no change in them. They seem happier outside but they have both chosen to hang around by the house quite a bit. I like that.I am learning about the trap/spay/neuter concept and now that there are two more i am going to get involved. I have a list of 3 clinics in my are that offer low cost care and i will start calling around. My concern is trapping them. Is there anything to know about that process. Won't they be terrified.. I appreciate your help. Thanks again.
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Neferemi
Knowflake Posts: 85
From: Soon-to-be Boulder, Colorado
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted May 01, 2007 02:10 PM
I was able to catch my kitty with my hands because I had been visiting and talking to him and bringing him food and water for a while. I think you won't have any trouble catching the kittens, it's Mama Cat you will need to trap.I used a cat trap from the local rescue group when ANOTHER Mama Cat moved into the same yard next door and had six kittens. The rescue group said it would be easier to adopt out the kitties while they were little. The trap was a wire cage box with a dish of tuna in it along with a bowl of water. The first night I caught a skunk and I had to call a guy out to take the trap out further into the country and release it. I kept checking the trap because I didn't want much time to pass with the cat inside because, like you, I was really worried about her panicking. I hated causing terror... but I knew that it was the only way to give her a better life. After a few nights, I woke up one morning and found the new Mama Cat in the trap. I sat and talked to her until the cat rescue woman came out and then we rounded up the kittens in our hands and everyone went into her car to go to her home. You can call cat rescue groups and they might be able to advise you better on all of this. DO take care about ANYONE'S advice, though. The woman who runs our local cat rescue group told me to put down my kitten if I found out he had ringworm. When I took him to the vet, I found out he had it. I didn't put him down because thankfully the vet explained that it is TOTALLY TREATABLE! It's even common for children to get ringworm from playgrounds. It just takes a $16 bottle of special shampoo and regular baths over a few weeks... The vet didn't charge for me to bring him in once a week so he could be checked under a blacklight to see if he was clear yet. I had always been a dog owner, so I didn't know much about cats. It makes me nervous to think about how wrong her advice was! IP: Logged |
Blue Baby 143
Knowflake Posts: 34
From: AL
Registered: Apr 2007
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posted May 01, 2007 03:05 PM
Build a big cozy wooden house so they can stay there. That would be nice.
These look nice:
http://www.angelicalcat.com/pethouses/dog_house_cat_house.shtml
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thirteen
Knowflake Posts: 880
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted May 01, 2007 04:33 PM
Thanks again, i love the tips.
I do have a wooden doghouse for them. They use it but not every night.
Last night it rained so one of them used it. the Mother was probably with her babys. I had hoped that she would bring them back to the house for shelter but she did not.
Ok im going to plan to trap the mother and get her spayed. I have to wait till she cares for the babys though, so it will be a month or so before i will feel safe enough to take her to a dr.IP: Logged |
hippichick
Knowflake Posts: 1257
From: The Ether
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted May 03, 2007 04:22 PM
Congrats!!!I have 4 house cats and one is a ferel--followed my mother home one day...then I adopted him... He is such an oddball---looks strange, acts strange and is truely his "own" cat!!! He is approx. 4 years old and still is very shy and reserved....but warms up on according to his wishes!!! I am very thankful to have Tiggy in my house and life---he is truely a blessing and having cats all of my 45 years here on earth, he is the most unique and amazing of them all!!! IP: Logged |
angel_of_hope
Knowflake Posts: 1088
From: The Valley
Registered: Jul 2004
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posted May 08, 2007 08:06 PM
My mother has a feral cat, Bob! It took Bob a lil while to come around with my Mom and Dad. He does really well when its just them in the house. But when ever anyone else comes into the house, he hides right away and will not come out for anything. They'd since gotten another female kitty for Bob to play/love on. He's now taught her to be skidish when people come around. Then there's my old kitty, she was feral, aty about 1yrs of age and prego to boot. I was rather young at the time, 6yrs. She seeked me out while i was playing outside. I brought her back to the house and asked mom for permission to feed and care for her. Of course mom said yes to the food but no to the caring of the cat. She moved around from house to house eating the nummies that people in the neighborhood would leave out for her, but she always returned to our house in the evening. I put her in a cardboard box and carried her all thru the neighborhood asking every person i saw if they had ever seen her before or knew where she was from. No one knew, no one claimed her, no one wanted her. It started getting cold at that point in the year and i begged mom to let me bring her inside for the night to keep her safe ..... from that moment on we formed a bond that could never be severed no matter what stupid things i did to her at a young age. She was my best friend from there on out. She never once exhibited the feral type personality.When wild cats are caught at a younger age, such as yours, theres like a 99% chance they will come around. It's when they are older and thats all they've known (to fend for themselves and humans are something to be scared of)that they take a while to come around, if at all. In the end though, love conquers all. Gain their trust and they are sure to come around. I wish you all the best with your new found friend.  ang- IP: Logged |
Blue Baby 143
Knowflake Posts: 34
From: AL
Registered: Apr 2007
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posted May 08, 2007 09:37 PM
Every time I look at an animal my mom says don't even think about it.IP: Logged |
Blue Baby 143
Knowflake Posts: 34
From: AL
Registered: Apr 2007
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posted May 08, 2007 09:37 PM
lolIP: Logged |
Neferemi
Knowflake Posts: 85
From: Soon-to-be Boulder, Colorado
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted May 09, 2007 02:22 AM
quote:
In the end though, love conquers all. Gain their trust and they are sure to come around.
Awwwww.... that's so true! Here's my baby who was feral-born:  IP: Logged |
angel_of_hope
Knowflake Posts: 1088
From: The Valley
Registered: Jul 2004
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posted May 09, 2007 06:05 PM
Awwwww! Sooooo cute!! Your both lucky to have one another! ang- IP: Logged |
thirteen
Knowflake Posts: 880
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted May 10, 2007 01:32 PM
I bought a toy for them. I went onto the patio on my knees and played around with it and they were watching me so intently. Then i went into the house and they ran over to it but the won't play with it. I told my husband last night that my way into their trust will be thru play. I sense this. Maybe it will be with the little ones. The white one is always on my mind becasue he was the one i had to talk to and calm down one day. I have been calling him powder. But... mom feral took them to her home in the trees so i have not seen the little ones for a while. I miss little powder.IP: Logged |
Lindaland
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