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About Ali
Expertise
I am currently owned by 3 mixed breed cats ranging from 4 to 10 years old. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats in different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on feral cat colonies, help rehabilitate strays and find them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there is a significant difference. New cat/kitten introductions can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because they are territorial and don't like change. There is a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a house with one or more resident cats. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am not a veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience
I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am the proud pet guardian of three wonderful cats. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up.

Education/Credentials
No related education.

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Cats > Cats > feral cat rescue

Cats - feral cat rescue

Expert: Ali - 11/7/2009

Question
My mother has found a very small kitten in her backyard. She has seen the mother cat come around and nurse the baby. My mother put canned food out for the mom. And the baby ate the food. Mom leaves the baby for several hours a day. Any noises, and mother cat jumps the fence and leaves the baby. I would like to take the baby but am concerned that momma cat will grieve. We are also concerned b/c there are several possums in the area. I have read that the best time to tame a feral kitten is between 4-9 weeks So now would be the time. Then, we would trap the feral mom to get her spayed. Can you provide any input to the appropriateness of this and any advice?

Answer
Jennifer,

Given that mom leaves this baby for extended periods of time and there are abundant numbers of predators in the area it might be best for all concerned if you could offer mom and her baby a sheltered place where they have everything they need (a room in your house, a place in a heated shed or garage, etc) and they'll be safe from predators. The baby is probably partially weaned based on your description, but if you can keep mom and baby together until the little one is at least 12 weeks old that would be best in terms of preventing potentially serious behavioral issues later in that kitten's life - kittens learn important social behaviors and skills from their mom in those first weeks of life. If mom absolutely will not consider coming indoors on her own with baby you can trap her and set her up in a safe environment with food, water, litter, etc with the kitten - some stray cats (these are abandoned pets, ferals are generally the offspring of abandoned pets if you trace things back far enough) actually act feral outside on their own and getting them indoors is the only way to ascertain which category they fall into. Certainly if there isn't a way to keep mom and baby together then you could take the kitten, it's not ideal, but if it protects her from predators and provides you/your mom with a loving companion I'm all for it, but be prepared, such young kittens have special needs in terms of nutrition, attention, medical care, etc. If this kitten is truly feral it's not impossible to tame her later than 4-9 weeks of age - with the use of homeopathic remedies like Bach flower remedies I've had success with turning adult cats into loving companions provided that they're kept indoor only (which is just better for them on a variety of levels anyway). Spaying mom and spaying/neutering her kitten (when your vet will perform the surgery, some will do the surgery when the kitten reaches 2 lbs, others want to wait until the kitten is nearly sexually mature or has actually reached sexual maturity, it's a matter of hot debate and personal preference within the veterinary community at this point) is crucial, the cycle of pet overpopulation has to be stopped somewhere and this is a start.

The easiest way to assess how friendly the mother and baby are is to very gradually, quietly and slowly approach them together or individually - the kitten may put up a fight so if you intend to catch her I'd recommend donning leather welding gloves just in case, their claws and teeth are so sharp when they're that young. Ideally you'll want to pick the kitten up by the scruff of the neck if s/he's hissing, spitting and generally unhappy about her capture, just be sure that you're wearing thick enough clothing that you can bring baby in close to your body to minimize his/her stress. If you can't catch mom or baby by hand then you can set a humane live trap (Alley Cat Allies and other organizations will sometimes loan them out) baited with something extra smelly and tempting from a cat's point of view - canned tuna, salmon or sardines packed in water seem to work well as bait. NEVER set a trap that you aren't around to monitor - it sets the cat up for a more stressful capture than necessary and can lead to injuries or even complications from exposure to the elements. When I set a humane live trap I generally sit within earshot, but just out of sight of the trap, when I hear the trap close I immediately go over and toss a thick towel or blanket over the trap (once I'm sure I've caught a cat and not something wild) - this helps to minimize the stress by taking some of the stimulation away from a stressful situation. Immediately bring your captured cat or kitten indoors into a climate controlled environment so that you don't end up having a cat who gets chilled or overheated depending on the climate and time of year.

*NOTE* Preparing a cat friendly room with food, water, toys, bedding, etc ahead of the capture is a good way to do things because you can then take kitty immediately to the temporary accomodations and gently release him/her/them from the trap into a safe room where they can calm down. Adding a Bach flower remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy to the kitty's water (you can also purchase it in spray form and spritz it around the room) is helpful, gentle, safe and effective to help reduce the time it takes to recover from the stress of handling, the capture, etc. After some time has passed then I'd recommend slowly, quietly going into the room with the mom and/or baby, sitting down onto the floor without making eye contact or speaking (incidentally keep things quiet during the capture, it's easier on the cats) and stay quietly in the room for awhile to guage the reaction of the cats without being overly obvious about observing them. I tend to take the time to read a book, crochet or do a crossword puzzle, it helps keep the focus off of the newly rescued kitties and allows them to introduce themselves to you naturally and on their own terms without feeling forced into a corner. Remember direct eye contact and unnecessary vocalizations aren't polite in kitty culture, normally cats aren't that vocal in their natural environment, they've adopted new behaviors in terms of their vocal patterns exclusively intended to get our attention.

Do consider checking out the following websites to learn more about the nutritional needs of our feline companions:

- www.catinfo.org
- www.catnutrition.org
- http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/pet_food_what_you_need_to_kno...
- www.felinespride.com

Hopefully you'll see this information as a starting point for dealing with this situation. I'd be more than happy to provide more information and answer any questions/address any concerns that you might have, so please feel free to contact me again.

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