Topic: Help Please (Read 9478 times)

Millys Mum · « **Reply #21 on:** November 28, 2006, 16:42:47 PM »

I would trap them in the manner Teresa suggests, to the vets and then straight in the spare room in a cage. You will have a better chance with them in a small space where they cant hide!
If they are 6 months you have got yourself a challenge but it can be done

They will learn to use the tray, you can sprinkle soil in the tray to give them a hint.

Mum cat should spring the trap if shes not a smart cookie!

carl (billy and baggys dad) · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2006, 10:35:20 AM »

I can't offer any advice unfortunately but just had to say that I admire what you're doing Sam, you're doing a grand job

Teresa Pawcats · « **Reply #19 on:** November 26, 2006, 08:14:54 AM »

The kittens should be heavy enough to spring the trap, have you checked that the trap is set ok ? If all is set ok a little trick I do to catch lightweight kitties is to put a small heavy stone on the plate in the trap to add more weight,you can also fiddle with the mechanism at the top of trap(if its the big grey metal type) to set the trap to go off more easily, just tweek the little bar that goes through the top to hold the door until it is right on edge. When you put the food in it needs to be right to the back of the trap and make sure none is trapped under the plate.
When you get these kittens in the trap do you intend to take them directly to the vets in it or have you been loaned a proper carrier to transfer them to you ,because you will not be able to get near them without being torn to shreds, have an old blanket ready to cover the trap once they are caught that way kittens will be calmer, also try to get vet to keep them overnight and ask for intradermal stitches and a left earnick. Feel free to email if you want my phone no to talk it all over. Final thought dont set the trap when you know the vet is closed.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #18 on:** November 25, 2006, 21:20:18 PM »

Email recieved and passed on, sounds to me, with limited knowledge you are doing OK. You going by good instincts I think

samginger97 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 25, 2006, 21:17:52 PM »

I have been feeding them when I feed my own and they are used to the schedule now!

I go out before work and when I get home I feed them and talk to them while they are eating so they get used to my voice. I just can't get closer than a meter away not even with smelly fish! The mother is different as I can call for her and bang on a tin and she lets me stroke her as she eats. She goes mad if she comes in the kitchen and I shut the door though, this then sends my cats mad whom I shut in the living room but she still comes back for fuss when I open the door.

She will make some-one a good cat but she would need a flap to get out - I cant put one in as my cats are house cats and I do not let them out. See my dilemma?

I have their food bowls outside my door under two roof tiles so the food will not get wet. I have put boxes out there before now as well to try to encourage them to sleep there but they always go back to the shrubbed land between all the houses - its fenced off and humans can't get in. It was left to go wild so I think its where they shelter.

I have a back room- spare room, But I do not know if they will use the kitty litter boxes???!!!!. I will go back in when I'm finished here and see if they have used the litter. My cats do not go in the spare room anyway so it would not be hard to keep them in there. Should I get them in the cage, neuter them and give them their injections and then bring them in?

Have no clue what I am doing.......

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #16 on:** November 25, 2006, 20:57:53 PM »

So kittens are defo old enough to be nuetered then but the mother need to be caught urgently cos she could be pregnabt again.

The kittens could be trained to act as normal moggies, but they need somewhere nice and warm and to be fed on a regular basis.

Through food you will be able to train them.

What is Patricia telling you?

Do you have a spare room where kittens can be housed or just the garage, they really need loads of attention and to be taught to play, and it sounds that Patricia is just treating them as feral kittens and will pick up the bill on that basis.

Waiting for your email and will send it on as I mentioned together with link to this thread.

Hope you may get some other advice on this thread too.

samginger97 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2006, 20:48:38 PM »

They do not come together anymore its just Marbles and Liono that come together

I keep calling them kittens but from what I can piece together from my neighbors they are about six months old now, there first appearance in my Garden was June/July time and thats when they were gangly and not too good on their feet they came with their mother every day then but now the mother comes to feed much later than the 'kittens'

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2006, 20:36:31 PM »

SAm

Do I understand this right, you have got the kittens in the garage but not the mother?

Do you know where the mother is? You said that she would come to you and sniff fingers. Were the kittens together with the mother normally?

samginger97 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 25, 2006, 20:06:30 PM »

Back again!

I have tried to trap the 'kittens' with the trap Pauline gave me and the walk right in and eat whilst standing on the metal trigger. I have watched them do it! They are not heavy enough to get the trap to close.

I was catching all my neighbors cats in it!

Yesterday I came back from work to find them BOTH out on the street by the road and I nearly ran from the car before it had stopped. I knew I had to do something as I did not want to come back to one of them lying in the road

I decided today I was going to get them in the garage- without the trap. I spent the time setting up litter trays feeding bowls water bowls and I put some of our clothes in the cage we brought (which is a huge dog cage) I them tempted them in with tuna and put the bowls in the cage. They still stay about a meter from me but when I came out and stood by my back door Liono and Marbles went in. I them followed and shut the door behind me. I stayed for a while taking to them but as Angie said they hid behind my barbecue and did not come out.

I felt awful shutting the door as they don't understand.

Now I need to know what I need to do as I spoke to Pauline and she said I must get the mother to her as soon as possible as she thinks the youngsters are still too young to be spayed/neutered. What age should they be done? Mine were already done when I got them from the RSPCA in barnshill so I do not really know.

I will have to get them in the cage though as I will need to take them for their injections.....its so hard knowing if I am doing the right thing though, as Pauline said that she would just release them back here after she had spayed them. I asked my husband if we could try to intregate them into our family rather than doing that as I would die if I found them on the road. Would I be able to socialize them enough in the garage for them to become housecats like mine or is that cruel?

Help please????

Ela · « **Reply #12 on:** November 20, 2006, 09:23:28 AM »

We always ask the vet to flea and worm while under anaesthetic in these cases. I too do not think she is feral just a cat who has been let down by her owner.

I would certainly take her to be spayed ASAP she has gone through so much already, if you just wait to see if she is pregnant again, she could well get pregnant.

A vet will only terminate when they think it is safe to do so and this decision is not taken lightly and is not an easy one but in the cats interest. Our vets carry out this procedure in a most professional manner and ensure the kittens do not suffer as a result of the termination. I appreciate that not everyone agrees with termination however my reasons are purely in the interest of the cat and the cat population in general. We can usually find homes relatively easy for our kittens however that could well be at the expense at the life of another somewhere else who could meet an cruel extinction due to the fact that there are too many kittens and the owner cannot find a home for it or more usually them. the horror stories we hear almost daily are beyond belief and heartbreaking. Also the mother cat by having the termination is less at risk from certain ailments and mammary problems if she does not have the kittens. We are doing the cat and the cat population no favours by letting the pregnancy continue we need to put the cat first in spit of our own feelings and thoughts. also the pen that is blocked up by the kittens could be used to save another?s cats life, there are so many cats with no one to care for them and if we cannot take them in they suffer.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #11 on:** November 19, 2006, 20:56:10 PM »

She may also need worming.

She sounds less feral than Sasa, who is not supposed to be LOL. Good luck, so pleased thay have found someone who cares

Beccles · « **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2006, 20:05:25 PM »

Sam - that means mum is DEFINATELY not feral, no way Jose would she have let you touch her if she was. She'd take your hand off first!
How lovely, it sounds like this family is going to be A-OK with you.

If mum cat is preggers again but only very early in the pregnancy (3 weeks or less) it may be an option to spay her anyway. A lot of people would not feel able to do that, it's a very personal ethical choice - it's balancing the lives of little ones who are still a long way from knowing the world against those already born and waiting for homes, ultimately. I know which decision I'd make but I hope I never need to make it.

It might be that she's too young, too thin, her previous litter too recent to be able to safely carry another lot to term, also.

Best of luck with trapping them - maybe you'll be able to lure them into the garage or kitchen with food and pen them from there rather than trying to use a trap in the garden?

samginger97 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 19, 2006, 19:30:59 PM »

Just a quickie to tell you how I got on!

Spoke to Pauline, she showed me how the cat box worked and she told me that she would pay for the spaying, after I saw how many cats were there I offered to pay her she said half would do as there were three of them. She was really doing me a favour and my husband would be pleased with the fact we got some money off.

I'll have to pop somewhere and get a kitty pen after work tomorrow. Thanks for that - pets @ home should do them.

Been cleaning the garage out all afternoon and I put a radio in there so they get used to hearing human voices, made a bit of a breakthrough as well.

The mother cat actually sat at the entrance to my kitchen door. I had it open as I was in the garage and the back passage leads to the garage.

Spoke to her calmly and travelled on my hands and knees from the sink, till I was right next to her

I do not know what I looked like and I STROKED HER. I do not know how I did not cry!!!! as soon as I got up to shut the door she got startled and ran off but it gives me more hope now. Keep you all posted thanks for the advice about the cages

How can you tell if they are pregnant as she looks bigger on both sides when she is lying down, I expected her to put on weight again as I have been feeding them - but not that much. Pauline has really made me panic!

tammy · « **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2006, 10:05:36 AM »

Good luck with that, nice to know people like you exist

Ela · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2006, 09:02:51 AM »

Quote

I'd suggest you borrow a large dog cage or kitten pen to keep them confined in.

I agree 100%. We would pay the full cost for an MOT flea/worm treatment for all, and mum to be spayed. If kept confined and given plenty of attention I suspect they will all come round quickly and then hopefully find loving homes.

Angiew · « **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2006, 00:27:40 AM »

I'd suggest you borrow a large dog cage or kitten pen to keep them confined in. If they have the roam of a garage you may never see them. They will need some time to come round. When I had my first batch of feral kittens I spent a lot of time trying to get them into playing with bits of string, if one is more friendly than the other concentrate on him and the other may join in when he sees how much fun it can be.

feeding highly desirable treats by hand also helps.

All 3 of the kits grew up to sleeping on our bed and being very affectionate with us , though very nervous. Sadly one was killed (RTA) just before xmas last year.

samginger97 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2006, 00:20:35 AM »

Yes I spoke to Pauline tonight she was wonderful!

I am picking up the trap tomorrow so I will speak to her then about what the cost will be. She said it will take a bit to get them socialised but I have a garage connected to my house that I can set up to house them until they are more used to us. I can only try, then the problem will be introducing them to Whiskey and Ginger who may not like the intrusion.

Pauline was also worried that Misty may already be pregnant. I nearly had a panic attack on the phone, she doesn't look it though. Do you think I should take a donation of cat food round as a thankyou for the trap and the help?

Angiew · « **Reply #4 on:** November 19, 2006, 00:14:39 AM »

Is it Pauline that is helping you? - she will prob. pick up the bill. Wellcat do a sterling amount of work in Birmingham - we help them by sharing our pilchard bonanzas when we get them.

samginger97 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 19, 2006, 00:11:38 AM »

Birmingham. I spoke to a lovely woman at wellcat as when I first found them or should I say they found me, I rang the RSPCA and Cats protection and they had no room.

The mother actually sniffs my fingers and meows in my general direction but its taken two months of sitting cross legged out in my back garden for the 'kittens' to come that close to me. I have a numb bum now I can tell you.

I couldn't tell you really how old they were but they were still at the ungainly stage when I first saw them and they used to hide behind the tree right at the bottom of the garden so I think I have come a long way!

My cats sit bleary eyed at my living room window, as Whiskey and Ginger are indoor cats I think I would have a problem bringing the strays into the house. I've named them already too, become attached really quickly, you know! The fluffy ginger one Liano, the smaller ginger Marbles(shes a bit dippy!) and the mother Misty

Beccles · « **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2006, 00:01:12 AM »

Hi Sam

How old are the kittens?

Mum is not necessarily feral, she may just be living rough and wary of strangers... and the babes if they are young enough may be able to be socialised and homed with people. I don't think many free-running feral cats would let a human get as close as a meter to them unless they were cornered - and then they'd be telling you what for and bolting given half a chance. It may be that once mum cat is confined and warm and had a few days with quiet friendly humans around constantly she will remember that she used to be a pet!

I will let one of the cats protection ladies answer your query about financial help properly cos it's not my area of expertise but I'd be surprised if they didn't offer you some support.

SO good to hear of someone helping some outdoor moggers... where abouts are you?

samginger97 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 18, 2006, 23:56:05 PM »

I have two indoor house cats already, a few months ago a stray cat had kittens in a shed a few doors down and I have been feeding them.

I rang a shelter and the woman offered to give me a trap to capture them so we can get them spayed/injected. As I already have two indoor house cats I know that 3 bills will be expensive at the vets. Will I get money off for any of this if I enquire at the centre tomorrow? As they are all classed as feral they will be brought back here afterwards anyway but I need to know the procedure anyone know what happens and what I should do? They are not so skittish anymore but the mother has started taking swipes at the kittens. I can get within a meter of them now. Help please!

Author Topic: Help Please (Read 9478 times)