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#1
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Help! found feral cat and kittens in my garage
Check your phonebook or with vets for a reputable no kill shelter/rescue.
They probably have someone with experience who can help you out with catching them. Your plan is reasonable. Actually, mom cat might be able to be tamed. Many people have had extremely rewarding relationships adopting and socializing a feral. "Jamie" wrote in message ... There are a couple of feral cats that have been hanging around my yard for a while, one is part siamese, the other an orange cat. I'd been leaving food out for them as they looked pretty skinny. Anyway, yesterday I discovered that the siamese cat with three kittens in a fairly inaccessible corner of my garage. She got scared, hissed at me and ran off. The kittens don't look newborn, but their eyes were still shut so they must be young. I put them on a couple of old towels, and left food and water nearby in case mom came back. I peeked in the garage this morning, and saw part of momma cats leg, so she's back. I couldn't see more, as the area she is in is hidden away. Anyway what should I do about all this? I don't have a problem with them staying there for a while, especially as it's been rainy and miserable here the last few days. My idea is to leave food and water there, then try to catch the kittens when they're older and get them nice homes. As for mom, she's wild, but at least I'd want to capture here for spaying and vaccinations, even if it turns out I can't make a pet of her. Does this sound reasonable? Am I missing anything? Finally, one kitten is a tabby and the other two are white, could the orange cat be the dad? |
#2
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"Jamie" wrote in message
... There are a couple of feral cats that have been hanging around my yard for a while, one is part siamese, the other an orange cat. I'd been leaving food out for them as they looked pretty skinny. Anyway, yesterday I discovered that the siamese cat with three kittens in a fairly inaccessible corner of my garage. She got scared, hissed at me and ran off. The kittens don't look newborn, but their eyes were still shut so they must be young. I put them on a couple of old towels, and left food and water nearby in case mom came back. I peeked in the garage this morning, and saw part of momma cats leg, so she's back. I couldn't see more, as the area she is in is hidden away. Anyway what should I do about all this? I don't have a problem with them staying there for a while, especially as it's been rainy and miserable here the last few days. My idea is to leave food and water there, then try to catch the kittens when they're older and get them nice homes. As for mom, she's wild, but at least I'd want to capture here for spaying and vaccinations, even if it turns out I can't make a pet of her. Does this sound reasonable? Am I missing anything? Finally, one kitten is a tabby and the other two are white, could the orange cat be the dad? Sounds like a plan to me. Your local Humane Society may have humane, "Have a Heart" traps that they will loan out (for a deposit). Megan ) knows the most about trapping feral cats, so you may want to talk to her about technique. If the orange cat is hanging around he probably is the father - are you going to try to trap and neuter him also? Hugs, CatNipped |
#3
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"CatNipped" wrote in message
... "Jamie" wrote in message ... There are a couple of feral cats that have been hanging around my yard for a while, one is part siamese, the other an orange cat. I'd been leaving food out for them as they looked pretty skinny. Anyway, yesterday I discovered that the siamese cat with three kittens in a fairly inaccessible corner of my garage. She got scared, hissed at me and ran off. The kittens don't look newborn, but their eyes were still shut so they must be young. I put them on a couple of old towels, and left food and water nearby in case mom came back. I peeked in the garage this morning, and saw part of momma cats leg, so she's back. I couldn't see more, as the area she is in is hidden away. Anyway what should I do about all this? I don't have a problem with them staying there for a while, especially as it's been rainy and miserable here the last few days. My idea is to leave food and water there, then try to catch the kittens when they're older and get them nice homes. As for mom, she's wild, but at least I'd want to capture here for spaying and vaccinations, even if it turns out I can't make a pet of her. Does this sound reasonable? Am I missing anything? Finally, one kitten is a tabby and the other two are white, could the orange cat be the dad? Sounds like a plan to me. Your local Humane Society may have humane, "Have a Heart" traps that they will loan out (for a deposit). Megan ) knows the most about trapping feral cats, so you may want to talk to her about technique. If the orange cat is hanging around he probably is the father - are you going to try to trap and neuter him also? Hugs, CatNipped Sorry, that should have been . Hugs, CatNipped |
#4
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Anyway what should I do about all this?
If you know for sure the klttens are still in the garage and haven't been moved I would set a live trap (Havahart raccoon size is ideal) in there tonight and get the mother. You can usually rent these traps, borrow them from animal control or a rescue group, or buy them at a feed store. If there is a way to close down your garage so momma cat can't get out *at all* that's even better and will allow you some time if she doesn't go in the trap the first night. If you wait and do nothing now she may move the kittens, it will become harder to trap them all and you could very well end up with *more* kittens before you can catch them all. Use very smelly canned food as bait. Tuna or canned mackeral will work well. To ensure the cat doesn't get the food without springing the trap, when you set the trap, make sure to put a newspaper on the floor of the trap, folded lengthwise so it doesn't touch the sides and covers the trip plate. Often cats will step over the trip plate if they see it and will get the food, but not spring the trap. This is a good precaution to take that will greatly increase the odds that that won't happen. Check the trap often (if you have a window in the garage you can peep through so you don't have to keep going in and out and disturb the mother that would be best) and when the cat is caught immediately cover the trap with a sheet so she doesn't freak out and injure herself. Have either a small room (with *all* items that can be knocked over or broken put away and any hiding spots where you couldn't reach the cat/kittens made inaccessible) or have an *at least* 2'x3' or larger wire dog cage set up and put her in it, then go get the kittens and put them in with mom. If you use a cage you can set the cage up so bedding is in the back and litter is in the front, which will make it easier for you to change litter. Regardless of where you put the cat, you'll probably want to put a layer of dirt on top of the litter as ferals are used to peeing in dirt and often don't understand what the clay is for. Once the cat gets the hang of the litterbox you can switch over to regular litter. It could very well be that this momma cat is not feral and just scared, but either way it is a very rewarding thing to bring such cats in and work with them to get them socialized. If she is feral let us know and we can teach you how to socialize her, at least enough to where she can be out and about in your home. As for the kittens, if you get them inside now they will be easily socialized and adoptable and you can work on finding good homes for them. Maybe you could keep mom and one kitten and find a good home for the other two together? You have options, but the first order of the day is to get these cats inside and safe. It would also be wise to catch the other cat as well and get him fixed so you don't have the same problem all over again. If he's a nice cat you could find a good home for him too. If he's truly feral and you're up for the challenge, you could socialize him as well. The other option is, after getting him neutered and vaccinated, to release him and make sure he has food and shelter. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray |
#5
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"Jamie" wrote in message ... There are a couple of feral cats that have been hanging around my yard for a while, one is part siamese, the other an orange cat. I'd been leaving food out for them as they looked pretty skinny. Anyway, yesterday I discovered that the siamese cat with three kittens in a fairly inaccessible corner of my garage. She got scared, hissed at me and ran off. The kittens don't look newborn, but their eyes were still shut so they must be young. If their eyes are still shut, they're less than 10-12 days old. I put them on a couple of old towels, and left food and water nearby in case mom came back. I peeked in the garage this morning, and saw part of momma cats leg, so she's back. I couldn't see more, as the area she is in is hidden away. Anyway what should I do about all this? I don't have a problem with them staying there for a while, especially as it's been rainy and miserable here the last few days. My idea is to leave food and water there, then try to catch the kittens when they're older and get them nice homes. As for mom, she's wild, but at least I'd want to capture here for spaying and vaccinations, even if it turns out I can't make a pet of her. Does this sound reasonable? Am I missing anything? Finally, one kitten is a tabby and the other two are white, could the orange cat be the dad? What are the chances of closing off the area of your garage where the kittens are until they're old enough to come out to the feeding station and eat on their own? This way you can trap the mother with little worry about the kittens surviving for a day or two without their mother. Otherwise, I would suggest delaying trapping the mother until the kittens are at least three weeks old and have a better chance of surviving for a day without the mother. In the meantime, feed the mother kitten food - it contains more protein and calcium and phosphorus - she needs as much nutrition as she can get while nursing and recovering from birthing. In situations like yours, I generally trap the entire family - its not as difficult as it sounds. You can use the kittens as bait with a drop trap that you can build yourself. Just make sure you put the kittens in a kitty bed in the center of the trap and make sure they're not near the perimeter of the trap when you trigger it. Commercial animal traps are a little dangerous for young kittens because kittens tend to follow each other into the trap - thus when the first kitten triggers the door, it could close on the next kitten injuring her. Most of the time, I don't need a trap to catch kittens. If you think a drop trap would work in your situation, I'll send you the plans along with instructions for transferring the cats to a cage or carrier. If you decide on a commercial trap for mom, and you have a choice, I recommend either a Tru-Catch 36D or Tomahawk 608 or 608.5. All three have vertical sliding rear doors which makes transfers to cages easier. The The Tru-Catch 36D and especially the Tomahawk 608.5 are also excellent recovery cages - the rear door also makes feeding easy. Have a blanket ready - large enough to cover the trap after the cat is in - this dramatically reduces her stress. For bait, try Kentucky Fried Chicken (without the bones) yep - that's right. I and many others have had great luck with KFC! After you trap the mom and *before* you neuter her, use some of her used litter as bait to trap the male(s). After she's neutered, used litter won't work as well. Before you trap the cats, make arrangements with your vet *first* - make sure he'll work with a feral - many don't. If he's familiar with ferals, he'll know you can't exactly make appointments. Ideally, try to find a vet who works with ferals - preferably a vet whose experienced in early-age neutering so you get the kits neutered at 8-12 weeks. Nothing is worse than having a cat in a trap and no vet to neuter her. So make all the arrangements before you even set the trap. Next you'll need a recovery and nursing area - in pinches I use a baby playpen (flea market or garage sale $5- $10) with black construction mesh tacked to the bars and a 1" x 1" frame over the top also covered with construction mesh. The top is secured with hinges on one side and a hook-and-eye lock on the other. You can also cut off the bottoms of a few bars to make sliding a litterbox in and out for cleaning easier. Do the same for food and water bowls. On the other side of the pen, you can place a large carrier with the gate open and tied to the bars. The carrier will not only provide a save haven but will also make releasing mom (if you release her) easier. She'll be used to going into the carrier voluntarily to sleep safely. While she's in, untie the gate and close it with a broomstick - you can follow the same technique with a carrier whether you use a playpen or large cage. The kits are definitely young enough to tame. Don't separate them from each other for at least 8 weeks as this is the socialization period when cats learn to interact with each other. Separating kittens too young will make them difficult to get along with other cats when they older. Also, try to handle the kits as much as possible - this will make them better with humans. Speaking of ferals - I'm late feeding my colony - so I gotta run! I'm sure others here will give you additional information. Best of luck! Phil |
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"Jamie" wrote in message ... "Phil P." wrote: What are the chances of closing off the area of your garage where the kittens are until they're old enough to come out to the feeding station and eat on their own? This way you can trap the mother with little worry about the kittens surviving for a day or two without their mother. Otherwise, I would suggest delaying trapping the mother until the kittens are at least three weeks old and have a better chance of surviving for a day without the mother. In the meantime, feed the mother kitten food - it contains more protein and calcium and phosphorus - she needs as much nutrition as she can get while nursing and recovering from birthing. It would be relatively easy to put up some kind of enclosure to keep the kittens from escaping. It might be difficult to build one high enough to hold mom. I think she entered the garage by way of a side door that often doesn't close properly, I could easily secure it so she couldn't get out. If you can, the best way to go is keeping the family together until the kits are old enough to eat on their own and can survive for a few days without mom. I'll pick up some kitten food later today. Excellent. Kitten food is the most nutritious - you also may want to add a little vitamin C - but not enough for mom to detect. In situations like yours, I generally trap the entire family - its not as difficult as it sounds. You can use the kittens as bait with a drop trap that you can build yourself. Just make sure you put the kittens in a kitty bed in the center of the trap and make sure they're not near the perimeter of the trap when you trigger it. Commercial animal traps are a little dangerous for young kittens because kittens tend to follow each other into the trap - thus when the first kitten triggers the door, it could close on the next kitten injuring her. Most of the time, I don't need a trap to catch kittens. If you think a drop trap would work in your situation, I'll send you the plans along with instructions for transferring the cats to a cage or carrier. Please send me the plans and instructions. They're on the way in PDF format. Let me know you received them. After you trap the mom and *before* you neuter her, use some of her used litter as bait to trap the male(s). After she's neutered, used litter won't work as well. Will she even know what to do with litter? This is definitely a feral cat. On somebody elses advice a put out a pan of garden soil, don't know if she's used it yet. Urine-saturated dirt or leaves works well, too - probably better. Its the scent of intact female urine that's important. Before you trap the cats, make arrangements with your vet *first* - make sure he'll work with a feral - many don't. If he's familiar with ferals, he'll know you can't exactly make appointments. OK, I'll do that. Is this the type of situation in which vets tend to offer discounts? I'm thinking that the costs of vaccinations, deworming, spaying, etc for four cats might get expensive. Some vets offer free or very low cost neutering and vaccinations to people and groups who work with ferals and TNR. Some vets even have mobile clinics that service large areas. Let me know your area and I'll try to locate one for you. My other concern is if this might affect the health of my cat. The garage is one of his favorite play areas. He hasn't been allowed in there since I discovered the kittens, but he may have had contact before I found them. It's also possible that he may get in again. There's a door between my kitchen and garage which is used several times a day as the washer/dryer, chest freezer, and some hobby materials are all in the garage. If there is further contact what health issues should I be aware of? You probably should continue to restrict his access to the garage until you can have the mom and kits tested when she's neutered. If your cat is an indoor/outdoor cat and up to date on his shots, he should be ok. Even unvaccinated adult cats are highly resistant to FeLV. However, I'd err on the side of caution and keep the cats separated until the new cats are tested. Kitten season is here - so this may not be your last rescue! Your garage may turn out to be a gold mine for trapping females and providing a safe shelter for newborns. If you can trap and neuter more females, you'll be doing Catdom a world of good. You're already off to a great start! Best of luck. Phil |
#7
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"Phil P." wrote in message
nk.net... Kitten season is here - so this may not be your last rescue! Your garage may turn out to be a gold mine for trapping females and providing a safe shelter for newborns. If you can trap and neuter more females, you'll be doing Catdom a world of good. You're already off to a great start! Best of luck. Phil Just wanted to chime in and second Phil here. Thank you, Jamie, for doing this! The more people who TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) the less cats there will be dying horrible deaths in the street or euthanized at shelters. Having feral cats picked up by animal control just doesn't help the problem - it won't even reduce the number of cats in you area since when 10 cats are removed from an area and euthanized, 10 *other* cats will move into the area. Even if you can't "tame" ferals and bring them inside out of harm's way, if you can TNR them they will keep other non-neutered cats out of the area since cats are territorial and eventually the population will be controlled by attrition. Again, thanks - you've doing a wonderful thing! Hugs, CatNipped |
#8
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I saw someone advising you to trap the whole family, which is good advice. It was NOT good advice to suggest you take the kittens and use them as bait. What you do NOT want to happen is to have the mom abandon the litter. Set the trap a comfortable distance from the kittens with stinky food, catch mom, THEN gather up the helpless kittens and reunite the family in a secure indoor place. You may well find the momcat is not feral, by the way. I hope you call me. I do this sort of thing all the time and want to help you. Sharon Talbert Campus Cats 206-524-7326 |
#9
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Sharon Talbert wrote:
I saw someone advising you to trap the whole family, which is good advice. Yes, it is important to get the whole family and get them *now.* It was NOT good advice to suggest you take the kittens and use them as bait. I agree and also posted a simple plan that would get the mother, and then she could go get the kittens. What you do NOT want to happen is to have the mom abandon the litter. Set the trap a comfortable distance from the kittens with stinky food, catch mom, THEN gather up the helpless kittens and reunite the family in a secure indoor place. You may well find the momcat is not feral, by the way. ITA with everything you said and posted the same. There is no sense in waiting and risking abandonment or worse, that the mother would move the kittens. I hope the OP contacts you for further assistance since you are close to her area. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray |
#10
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"Sharon Talbert" wrote in message .washington.edu... I saw someone advising you to trap the whole family, which is good advice. It was NOT good advice to suggest you take the kittens and use them as bait. It must be good advice because I've used a drop trap w/the kittens successfully many times to catch the momcat. You've never used a drop trap with kittens, have you? You might want to try it before you say its not good advice. Do you know what a drop trap is and how it works? A drop trap is much larger (3' x 3' or larger) than a live trap. The kits aren't put 'inside' the trap and the momcat doesn't need to 'enter' the trap - the kits are out in the open and easily accessible to mom - which increases the sensation for her to move the kits. In fact, a drop trap is often the only way to trap a trapwise cat or mom and her kits. Mom must enter the drop zone to smell her kits to know they've been handled. Its also the only way (other than a net) to trap a specific cat. What you do NOT want to happen is to have the mom abandon the litter. If a momcat is going to abandon her kits, its usually after she smells they've been handled. She must enter the drop zone to do that. Set the trap a comfortable distance from the kittens with stinky food, catch mom, And what if the kits follow each other into the trap and the second kit gets crushed by the trap door? And what if the mom is trapwise? THEN gather up the helpless kittens and reunite the family in a secure indoor place. This presents the same risk of abandonment from handling and moving the kits. I hope you call me. I do this sort of thing all the time Apparently not with a drop trap. Try it, I'm sure you'll find it very effective. If you'd like plans to build a drop trap and instructions how to use it and transfer the cats from the drop trap, let me know. Phil |
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