CAWS - Taming Feral Kittens

Taming Feral Kittens

One of the services CAWS offers the public is assistance with responsible care of feral cats

cats who are not tame and usually cannot be touched.
CAWS offers large, high quality, humane traps and assistance with spay/neuter and other veterinary care for these cats. At times, someone finds a litter of kittens born to a feral momma cat. Although it can be hard to take the kittens from their mom, in the long run it is more compassionate to give them the chance for homes as housecats.
A CAWS volunteer shares her advice and experiences about taming feral kittens:

    Taming feral kittens is a challenging and sometimes frustrating task, but as my once-feral, now love-bug Indy reminds me every day, the rewards are purrfectly enormous!
    To start, if the momma cat is still caring for the kittens when you find them, it is best to bring the kittens in at six to eight weeks, so they are likely already weaned. Try to not disturb the mother cat; if she feels concerned, she may move and hide the kittens.
    If after checking around it appears the kittens are abandoned, bring them in right away. If they are younger than 5-6 weeks, please contact your veterinarian or a rescue group for information about caring for these fragile little ones. (A word of caution  do not give them cow's milk  they need kitten formula to survive).
    We have successfully tamed kittens that are older than 8 weeks. My Indy was 16 weeks old when I brought her in, and she is the oldest kitten I have tamed. But some folks have been able to tame cats brought in near 6 months old. The oft-quoted rule that 8 weeks is the limit simply does not hold true in the real world.
    To capture the kittens, if they are old enough to scamper, it is preferable to use a humane trap. Do not try to corner and grab them with your bare hands; you may be bitten, the kitten may be injured in the struggle to get away, and its fear of humans can be increased. Traps are available for loan at many local animal shelters; CAWS also has humane traps for loan.
    Plan ahead for a place in your house where the kittens can be kept isolated from other animals. In this room, place a cage or carrier large enough for:

a shallow litter box with nonclumping litter;
a box with a towel, or a small kitty condo, where they can hide until they feel safe, and
food and water dishes that do not tip over easily (kittens can be rowdy).

This formerly feral kitten is ready for a new home!

This container should, however, be of a size so that you can reach into the cage and handle the kittens.
The room you keep the kittens in should be small and a "safe room" for the kittens to eventually explore without harm or being able to escape. About escaping

we're not just talking about unsecured windows. Kittens are curious and flexible, and can squiggle into little openings you may have never noticed (the gap between the floor and kitchen cabinets often goes unnoticed by us, but is a favorite for kittens). Be sure to examine the room and block these tempting routes before you're ready to let the kittens roam.
When you capture the kittens, place them directly into this container. Make water and dry kitten food (preferably high quality) always available. Again, do not give them milk. If they are not yet weaned onto dry cat food, you can moisten dry food with water or kitten formula and discarding the dampened food if it becomes stale. Give them a dollop of canned cat food, also. I believe wet food is the golden key to taming wild ones!
Start to handle them by reaching into the cage and slowly petting them, where ever they are. Please wear gloves

these little guys are scared, and know how to use their teeth and claws. Once the kittens are comfortable enough to not attempt to bite or scratch (they may continue to hiss for a while), bring each one out and place it on a towel, in your lap. Again, gently stroke the kitten, and offer treats of wet food (yes, do use bribes). At this stage the kitten may try to creep away; gently bring it back to the center of your lap, offer the treats, and talk soothingly to the kitten. Always use caution and never put a kitten near your face.
Lest this sound too scary, not all kittens are so feisty - they each have individual personalities. And some tame up surprisingly quickly, including some of the spit-fires!
During this process, try to spend an hour, or preferably, two hours, daily interacting with the kittens. Two or three petting and handling sessions during the day help to speed the process.

This project does take time, but a few minutes while you drink your morning juice, or while you look at the mail after work, can fit in fairly easily. If there are young people in the home who can help you, holding kittens can be a time to sit and chat a bit. But the kittens can also be a great excuse to read a book (to the kitten, if you feel like it), or return a phone call, or just give yourself some quiet time, "I can't do (you name it!) until next month

these kittens need to be tamed before they get older!"
When you can reach for the kittens and they are unafraid, they can begin to explore on their own in the "safe room" described earlier, and play with cat toys. if they do happen to run under something and you can't get to them, coax them out with that handy wet cat food, or a cat toy.
Once the kittens are out-and-about in their room, it is important to start introducing them to other people. This step is critical in helping them become adoptable and able to adjust to new homes.

Some additional hints:

If one or more of the kittens are not responding as quickly as the others, sometimes separating them will help them bond with humans, rather than relying on their siblings.
You may have times when you think "This little beastie will never learn to trust me!" But persevere if you put in the time, the breakthroughs will almost always happen. They can be sudden, and especially heartening.
These kittens will need the standard veterinary care, including vaccines and deworming. Please check with your veterinarian for the appropriate vaccine schedule and deworming medication.
For more information regarding caring for feral kittens, please contact CAWS and also check Alley Cat Allies' website.
Consider working through a rescue organization to place the kittens. These groups can help you ensure the kittens will be adopted to responsible homes.
If the kittens have not yet been placed and they are 3-4 months old, we recommend that you spay/neuter them before they are placed.

And last but not least, please don't forget the mother cat. She needs to be trapped, spayed, vaccinated, returned to her home area, and provided regular food and water. Not only does she deserve this care, but if she is neglected, the entire cycle will start all over again. I've seen feral cats have up to three litters in one summer.

If the kittens are indeed too old to be tamed, they should be trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their mother. If you can, wait until they are 3-4 months of age, so they can be vaccinated for rabies at the same time they are spayed.

CAWS has humane traps for loan, advice for how to use them, and references for veterinarians who will spay/neuter feral cats. Just let us know by sending an email to cawsdotorg@aol.com or call us at (801)328-4731.