Alley Cat Allies recommends "trap-neuter-return" programs for feral cats. The hope is that it will decrease the population of wild cats. They also recommend that cat lovers care for feral cat colonies by providing food, water and shelter. Their recommendations for kittens support capturing them, giving them veterinary care, taming or socializing them and finding homes.
The Best Way to Capture Feral Kittens
Of course there's always the tried and true method of chasing the kitty and grabbing it by the scruff of the neck. (Ask any eight year old how to capture a kitten.) By making gentle mewing sounds, a tiny kitten can be lured into waiting hands.
The older a kitten gets, the more frightened it will be. Grabbing it might set the taming process back a bit. The best idea is to use a humane trap made for a larger animal. That way the wild kitten's first encounter with a human hand won't be traumatic. A large dog crate can be set up with food on the inside, far from the open door. A long rope can be tied to the door and drawn through the crate to the back side. Once the kitten is happily chomping away on the food, the rope should be pulled quickly to close the door.
Sometimes this can be accomplished after a few days of feeding the kitten. He will return to the same area to feed each day. Perhaps one day he will find a more "fragrant" cat food hiding inside the strange contraption. What cat can resist a nice meaty can of cat food or a jar of chicken baby food?
What to do After Capturing Feral Cats
Before placing them with other cats, kittens need to be checked for feline leukemia, worms and fleas. It's best to isolate kittens who test positive for feline leukemia because it is highly contagious. Flea medicine should be given, and the kittens wormed.
The cat should be spayed or neutered if it is old enough. After the surgery females will need three or more days of special care indoors, but males may need only one day. If the goal of capturing the feral cats was to spay or neuter, they can be released afterwards.
But if the goal is to help the kittens become adoptable, there are many strategies for socializing feral kittens. Depending on the age of the kittens, it could take anywhere from three days to three months, or even longer. It often takes a lot of time and patience to tame older kittens.
For more information on trap, spay, neuter, release programs, see Alley Cat Allies.
Christiane Marshall - Christiane is a freelance writer and copywriter, has an M.Ed in Spec. Ed. and many interests. See her full bio for more information.
