Question about kittens

This weekend while doing some yard work, I discovered that a cat has had kittens underneath my deck and steps area. It's a very well protected space b/c we had stored a big plastic concrete mixing container under there and in blocks the view of the "nest" about 98%. I should have known something was going on b/c my dog has gotten hissed and spit on a lot lately. The mom is so tiny that when i originally saw her, i assumed she WAS one of the kittens.

Anyway, they seem to be about 1.5 to 2 weeks old. I just breifly peaked at them so as not to freak the mother too much. She generally goes under the house when we are in the back yard. Our neighborhood is over run with wild cats. They absolutely will not come near a human at all.

Is there any hope that I could tame the mom and kittens enough to catch them when they are old enough for adoption?

I have a friend who helps with pet rescue, and she'll foster cats, including feral ones. The feral adults may never completely domesticate, but if you get the kittens soon enough, they should be okay.

TlalocW

But you need to get the mom too. Get the kittens into the house, put them in a box w/ a blanket and a heat source, like a lamp directed onto them.

Put one kitten into a trap -- like a cat carrier w/ a string attached to the door, so when the mom walks into the carrier you can pull the door shut. Then put her and the other kitten w/ the others and put them in a quiet room by themselves and shut the door.

Go in several times a day and touch and hold the kittens. Talk to them too. The mom will hiss but she'll get used to you. You may never be able to tame her but you can tame the kittens at this age.

If by chance the mom never makes it back to the kittens, call the humane society. They'll have someone who can foster them.

If you want info on how to control this wild cat population, PM me or see http://www.alleycat.org/

Good luck!!

edit: sorry, wrong URL

local shelter. The kittens will be fostered or kept with mom, and then placed out; mom, if she can be settled, will also be placed and fixed.

I took a litter up there once and they said that they just simply don't have the resources to nurse the kittens until they can eat food. They said that they would have to put the kittens to sleep so that it would be best if I put the kittens back where they were and let their mom care for them until they are 5-6 weeks old. So I put the kittens back but it wasn't my yard that time so I never found out what became of them.

I'm afraid I simply can't accept this veral cat into my home. I have a grown cat and a dog, and I don't have an extra room to set aside for them. Also, I'm genuinely frightened of dealing with the mother at all.

I have put some food out for her, but I'm not sure if she's accepted it.

Is there some way I could wait and trap the kittens in a few weeks when they get out and about or would that be too late for their socialization?

Many of my neighbors feed the veral cats in the area and they like their presence claiming that they keep the pests away. I personally would rather not have so many b/c one day I may want to have an outside cat who I wouldnt want mingling with the ones who haven't had their shots.

than I can. But I know that if you wait to trap the kittens, they can't be socialized very well (at about six weeks, your chances of full socialization are already shot). Besides, socializing them means allowing them to be a part of your household, and if you expect the feral mom might have a problem w/ your pets (or v.v.), it's probably not a good idea to bring them in unless you can keep them isolated.

And you don't have to keep the feral mom forever -- after the kittens are socialized and adopted, you can get her spayed & eartipped* then let her go again.

If you can't dedicate a room solely to this little family, I suggest continuing to feed the mother, then attempting to trap the family for TNR after the kittens are weaned.

Again, Funky, best of luck. And again, feel free to pm or even email me if you want a better discussion.

the kittens, but probably not the Mom.
I think your best bet would be to contact your local Humane Society (if you have one?) or some organization of that nature. Wild animals can be dangerous, and exposing yourself to attacks by possibly diseased animals isn't a good idea.

edited for spelling

will snag the mom. she's nursing; she needs to eat. then you can go get the kittens.

as far as socializing, the mom is a probably a lost cause, but the kittens could be domesticated.

Later I put the food inside the nest and I haven't checked to see if she's eaten it. Unfortunately, due to lack of space and 2 inside pets, I can not accept this veral cat into my home. I'm actually afraid of her. She has lunged at my dog (70 lb Lab) several times, so I doubt she'd be very open to me. My dog takes the hint and gets away from her.

call around and see if there is a group that does this sort of thing

there in New Orleans. Give them a call and ask for help if you need it. Otherwise, sound advice from these other DUers on this thread.

at a certain stage in their development, or else they won't ever do it at all. The prevailing opinion is to rescue them with the assistance of a pet rescue organization. I got my cat that way, and I really love having him.

to the vet. Get in touch with a rescue organization that has a cat room @ a pet smart. They will let you use their discount if you place the kittens with them with you as a foster parent.

The resuce groups by me allow me to use their discount if I find a kitten and foster it on my own and they display it on their web site and I bring the kitten to the adoption days.