Question Re: Kittens?

there are two kittens living behind my place of work... I would guess they are about 2-3 months. They do have a mother cat but the kittens are all over our parking lot across the street in a supermarket parking lot and I am very concerned for their safety. I would like to try to get the kittens away from the place, I've had folks tell me they are better off with their mother. They seem to stay in the day time in an old abandoned barn behind our workplaces property so the shelter issue seems not to be a problem not to mention an abandoned house that goes with the property that they have access to (thanks to a few windows that are broken out. They are not totally terrified of me but five feet are about the closest they will allow me to get to them. I feed them and they seem comfortable with me as long as I don't try to touch. How would I go about capturing (I hate that word) them if that is the best thing to do? Is that the best thing to do? Could there be people locally that do this and have expertise on what to do? How do you find them? I guess I just feel like feeding them is not enough. I would not want them to be taken to a shelter to be killed. Any advice would be appreciated.

They usually have traps available. They're pretty humane - you put the food in and the door closes behind the cat when she goes in to eat.

Kittens that young can be socialized to be pets. Mamma cat may not be able to be socialized though. They are old enough to leave mamma, though. 8-12 weeks is when many kittens go to new homes.

Mamma should also be trapped, neutered and released. You should call the humane society and see if they have a TNR program set up. Mamma cat is good for keeping mice and rats at a minimum around the store.

PCat

There is one in your town. http://www.netpets.com/cats/catresc/westvirginia.htm

as I actually work in Wythe County Virginia about thirty miles from my home in West VA. I've found a listing for a place in Abingdon VA called the "Best Little Cat House In Virginia" I think maybe calling them on Monday would be a good start. Thanks so much for your help.

They may be able to direct you to available help in the area where you work. Good luck and keep us posted.

these kittens must be de-wormed, vaccinated, and
'fixed' before they can be adopted.

I took out my cat carrier (for my own cat) and put some food in it. Then a attached a string to the door of the carrier and waited for the kittens to go in to get the food. Then all I had to do was snap the door shut with the extended string. It worked like a charm. And the kittens now live on a farm with my neighbor's mother.

I would adopt them myself before I would let them be put down. I have two Alpha male cats myself that would be truly pissed at me if I did that but I guess they would forgive me in time. I just have never had experience with a situation like this before.

First, there are more and more places other than the SPCA taking in animals and finding homes for them these days. But that is the place to start. Ask them about shelters that find homes rather than destroy.

Then an humane capture cage is probably the next step. Most places will lend you one or two.

Best to capture? You bet. Catch them, neuter them, innoculate them and find homes for them.

While they are still kittens, they can learn to be normal cats and be around people. If they reach adulthood as feral cats, there is a much smaller chance that they will ever make good, friendly pets.

Depending on where you live, there is a humane society or even a more specialized cat rescue league that can "capture" the cats using humane trapping methods. Often, they will get the whole family, put the kittens up for adoption, but may simply spay the mother and return her to her feral lifestyle.

Capturing them will be the best thing for them: they will be safer, healthier, and get more regular meals if they are somebody's pet. The only shelters that would kill the animals are the public shelters (and only because of limited funding). Again, depending on what services are available in your locale, the Humane Society or other private animal welfare groups DO NOT euthanize pets. They keep them until adoption or do the catch, spay & release feral program.

I would feed the cats until you can get the group to come out and do the rescue. If you can't find a group in your phone book or on the web, call a vet who advertises a specialty in cats: they should be able to refer you to someone. They'll give you all the instructions you need. Good luck!

it might not be to difficult...the cats show up like clockwork around the same time ever day to be fed.