Help! We Found A Feral Mother Cat and Her 3 Kittens

[Kathy in Cambridge]

and we're trying to trap them. We called the ASPCA and they don't come and trap cats. They are by our front door behind some bushes. We put food up on the porch and tried to get them inside but only a couple came up to eat.

It's 13 degrees here and expected to be below zero tonight!

Please help with suggestions-they need to get inside!

:scared:

[Tripper11]

1. Some kind of string toy..

maybe you can coax them in that way

[ElsewheresDaughter]

2. put a cardbox with hay or blankets in it on its side with the opening

facing the house to protect them from the wind....she may have more kittens in another location to move yet....how old do the kittens look?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. Kittens actually look about 2 months old-hard to tell

One is snow white and adorable, there are two tortoiseshells and the mother is a tortoiseshell.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[bahrbearian]

3. Go to the feed store and buy a HaveaHeart Trap

I've caught a few Ferals that way a can of cat food for bait. about $35.00

[flamingyouth]

5. You might be able to rent one for the weekend

Good luck to you. We managed to use these traps to get a mother and her five kittens to a vet and a feral shelter a couple of summers ago.

Try luring them in there with tuna. Of course, you can only get one cat at a time, but once you get the mother, you might be able to get the kittens on your own.

Good luck!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

8. Thanks-they are so shy!

Tuna didn't work, but my sister's homemade chicken soup was a hit! Of course, we couldn't get them-they move so damn fast!

[spooky3]

24. boiled chicken or Meow Mix usually attracts any cat

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. Can I get one at Home Despot?

[flamingyouth]

14. Try pet stores - preferably smaller ones

They would be more likely to offer tips, I think.

On second thought, I'm going to try to find a website that might help you - I'll be back soon! :hi:

[flamingyouth]

15. Does this help you?

http://www.feralcatproject.org/tap.html

I think this is where I found the info that helped me with out batch. Good luck! I know you have severe weather back there! I'm pulling for you!

BTW - you are a completely awesome person for doing this. :hi:

[jmowreader]

21. Probably not

My store doesn't have them; then again, there is no fixed inventory list for a Home Depot--yours has things mine doesn't.

Try a feed store.

[brainshrub]

4. Offer a health-insurance plan and a 401K...

that should get 'em.

[davsand]

9. Stinky food and a box to sleep in...

Use a lot of stinky food like tuna or seafood and put put a box (covered) with blankets or old carpet in the bottom for them to sleep in. As was suggested upthread, turn the opening of the box away from the wind.

Before you panic, remember--mama and kittens have survived up to now outside--so one more night probably isn't gonna kill them--especially with each other, a full tummy, and a warm box for shelter. They DO wear fur coats, ya know... :)

It may take a few days of the stinky food to lure them into a live trap, but you will fell much better after you do it...

Laura

[meti57b]

10. According to this webpage, you would think in terms of ....

building the cats a shelter, outside. This webpage has some instructions for an instant shelter out of cardboard boxes: (scroll down)

http://www.petfinder.org/journalindex.cgi?path=public/animalcare/feralcats/1.5.1.txt

That webpage is linked to the Alley Cat Allies webpage, which is an organization that advocates trap/neuter/return of feral cats:

http://www.alleycat.org/

Wish I could help more than that but I'm in Southern California where it doesn't get all that cold.

[Don_G]

11. Electric Blanket....

Aquarium heater under a few towels with food and water enclosed in a cardboard box.

Just make it appealling for the cats without being threatening in any way.

[Flaxbee]

12. You've helped them just by feeding them...

and put a large-ish box outside with a blanket and if you can swing it, a heating pad (well insulated by the covers) on low. Or, a hot water bottle, or something to warm the covers a bit. Put some food nearby, and when Mama knows it's safe, and gets worried about her babes, she'll bring them in. Just try not to peek too often once the set-up is complete if she's skittish... if the bed is quiet for a bit, and warm, with food nearby, you'll probably have box-residents fairly quickly.

When I moved to Virginia from SoCal, I asked my vet how in the world cats made it through the winter, and she said that if they can get some food & are OUT OF THE WIND (the most important thing!!), they can curl up and get/stay warm pretty easily. If possible, could you put up some sort of wind-break around the bushes they're in? Even that, and a towel or two on the ground, would help.

[carols]

13. Don't know what state you are in but you may try calling a cat rescue

Here is a page of links by state:
http://www.saveacat.org/featurerescue/links.html
Carol

[Carni]

16. Get a rubbermaid type storage container

Get like a rubbermaid type storage container (not a clear one)
Cut like a small door (oval just big enough for them to get inand out) in one of the ends of the bottom of the box. Then snap the box together. (When you finish you'll have the lid of the box as their floor.) Put some old carpeting, blankets, straw or whatever you have around in the box. At least thy can stay out ofthe wind and those boxes make a good shelter that is more insulated than cardboard

Just feed them until you can catch them, or get an animal service out to your place. If you want to catch the kittens later they can certainly be domesticated and will make great pets
(I know my three cats were all feral kittens and they are a wonderful pets)

Unfortunately the mother is probably not going to go near a human. Once they are a certain age, forget it!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

17. Thank you everyone!

My sister and her husband put out two boxes with fleece in them. They are behind the evergreen bush where the kitties hide out. We couldn't find a place with a Have A Heart trap, so we will have to wait until tomorrow.

Even though it's very cold, one of my friends suggested putting out water because the cats may resort to drinking anti-freeze, which is lethal.

These kitties were so cute it really breaks my heart...

[Carni]

20. Yes, forgot to mention

Put out a bowl of warm or hot water (it'll cool quick)

[flamingyouth]

26. That's good news

Great idea about the water. Yes, they love anti-freeze, which is a bad, bad thing.

Keep us posted! Sending positive kitty energy to these little guys! :hi:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

27. Thanks!

You can't imagine how cute they are...I feel for them in this cold!

[joeybee12]

18. Is there a feral cat assistance leaguein your area? They'll help

with trapping. Good luck!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

19. No, we made a lot of calls

and no one does the trapping :wtf:

We will have to make lots of calls on Monday if we are unsuccessful tomorrow.

[joeybee12]

22. Good luck--they're tought to catch because they are so wary--one cat

in my old neighborhood kept spewing kittens every few months--could never get her. Was able to get a couple of the kittens once and find them homes, but that was it. I wanted to get the mother spayed because she was quite "active."

[spooky3]

23. wish I could help for now--longer term...

If this happens frequently...

I have friends who have a special trap that they use over and over to catch ferals in their neighborhood (a rough part of town). They get the adults neutered then release them back into the neighborhood (to keep rodent population down). Kittens they rescue and tame, then find adoptive homes. There is one mother that is so clever she outwits the trap but it has worked for the others.

It's kind of you to care so much and good luck.

[spooky3]

25. maybe you can at least catch the kittens if not Mom but they

are quick too, I know.

[Rhiannon12866]

28. I borrowed a "have-a-heart" trap from my local animal hospital

That's how I managed to bring mine in, after taking her to the vet first. There was a woman there who works with the ferals and she suggested that I use something with a strong odor, like tuna or sardines or chicken, to lure her into the trap. The door automatically shuts behind them. That was two years ago this week.

I can't believe that the ASPCA won't help you. When I needed help catching my cat to take her back to the vet, my friend who has caught cats for the ASPCA came into my house to catch her for me. She has a little kitty house and is safe and warm in there in the corner of the room. That's why I finally had to resort to the trap, because it was getting cold and I was worried sick, especially at night.

Good luck with this! Those kitties are very lucky to have found you!:-)

[Rhiannon12866]

Please let us know how this turned out!

It got to be 14 below in my neck of the woods last night and I am so grateful that all my little guys, two dogs and a cat, all rescue, are safe inside and warm.

[Rhiannon12866]

29. Please let us know how this turned out!

It got to be 14 below in my neck of the woods last night and I am so grateful that all my little guys, two dogs and a cat, all rescue, are safe inside and warm.