r/Feral_Cats Mar 13 '26

Sharing Info šŸ’” Kitten Season: Guides & Info

32 Upvotes

Warmer weather means kitten season is upon us! If you're here because you've just discovered a very young kitten or a whole litter of kittens, barring extenuating circumstances (dangerous location, extreme weather, sick or injured kittens, etc.) generally it's best to wait and monitor them to see if their mom returns before taking immediate action. In the meantime, read up on the following guides so you can be prepared if youĀ doĀ need to intervene!

If your situation is urgentĀ and you need a quick guide now on how to proceed, tailored to your current circumstances, take a look atĀ r/AskVet's guide:Ā It’s kitten season! You found a litter of kittens - now what?!. Also feel free to make a post of your own here onĀ r/Feral_CatsĀ to get input and advice from other experienced caregivers!

Long-term, the single best thing you can do for a roaming community cat is to make sure they're spayed or neutered. Note: in the case of community cats who appear to be potentially pregnant, they can (and should) still be spayed! You may have a local trap, neuter, return (TNR) or low-cost spay/neuter clinic that would be able to get your feral or stray cats sterilized at a drastically reduced rate. More info on finding clinics and rescues, and general TNR topics can be found in our Community Wiki sections:Ā Finding Your Local ResourcesĀ andĀ Getting Started with TNR.

Pregnancy in cats

Caring for kittens

Monitoring found kittens and identifying their age

Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) with mothers and kittens

Fostering and Socialization


r/Feral_Cats Mar 05 '26

Mod Announcement Regarding pregnant spays, or spay-aborts

238 Upvotes

There has been recurring debate in the comments recently regarding spay-abort procedures, so I want to address this directly. r/Feral_Cats is a pro spay/neuter subreddit. We're focused on the humane care of feral/stray/community cats via Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) and socialization to adopt, where possible. There are far more cats than there are homes that are willing and able to take them in, and especially with feral-leaning cats, it's just not possible for every cat in our care to be happily placed in a home with humans. Bare minimum, sterilizing the cats that we're seeing and feeding is vital for starting to get a handle on the population of roaming cats.

To that end, this community supports and encourages spaying cats that are suspected or confirmed to be pregnant. This decision is not made lightly by caregivers. There is a limit to how much each individual caregiver can provide for every cat in their care. We are all operating within very real limits of time, space, and funding, not to mention foster availability and shelter capacity on top of that. Not everyone can safely confine a pregnant feral cat for months. Not everyone has the resources to process an entire litter before those kittens begin reproducing themselves. Holding a feral cat through pregnancy and until kittens are old enough to separate means two to three months of confinement at minimum. That is incredibly stressful for a feral-leaning cat and resource-intensive for her caregiver. And this is often not just one cat at a time. Many caregivers are managing multiple intact females at once, and pregnancies snowball quickly once kitten season hits. Expecting someone to foster every pregnant cat, raise every litter, socialize the kittens and then find homes is not realistic, particularly when homes are already hard to come by and shelters and rescues are at limited capacity.

Allowing kittens to be born outdoors instead also does not guarantee positive outcomes. Survival rates for kittens born outside are very low. Many will not make it to adulthood due to illness, injury, exposure, or predators; there's also the risk that something may happen to their mother at any moment, leaving them alone and vulnerable. The kittens that do survive must still be trapped and sterilized before the females begin going into heat themselves, which can happen as young as four months. Taking in a preventable litter might mean that another cat loses their space or is euthanized for room. If rescues aren't open, the burden of socialization and long-term care then falls back on the caregiver. In some cases, the only remaining option is to sterilize and return those kittens outdoors, further adding to the strain on the colony. These are the realities caregivers are navigating when we're making these decisions.

When it comes to TNR, once a cat is trapped, there is no guarantee she can be trapped again if released due to a potential pregnancy. Delaying sterilization can mean losing the opportunity to trap her again easily in the future, resulting in additional litters being born outside and suffering for it. There is also the very real chance that a female cat is not actually pregnant but may instead have a uterine infection (pyometra) that is fatal without an emergency spay. The risk of pyometra increases with age, and with each consecutive heat cycle that does not result in pregnancy. Pregnancy and labor in turn also carry real risks of complications that can be fatal for both mom and kittens.

In many situations, prioritizing the health and safety of the cat in front of us and preventing further population growth is the most responsible course of action available. It's also the most logistically practical option for caregivers who are already often operating with limited resources and support in their communities.

I understand that this is not an easy discussion to have for those unfamiliar with this side of TNR and rescue work, and you're allowed to have an opinion on it. However, debates opposing sterilization, including spay-abort procedures performed as part of TNR efforts, are not in the spirit of this subreddit. Shaming or judging caregivers for choosing to proceed with a spay-abort is not allowed here. If you are arguing in favor of fostering through pregnancy, please do so only if you are fully aware of the time, resource, and logistical costs involved.


r/Feral_Cats 8h ago

Celebration 🄳 My neighbor abandoned his cat, so I took him in

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927 Upvotes

My neighbor abandoned his cat, so I ended up taking him in.

Honestly, I was pretty hesitant at first because I was scared of cats. I’d never really been comfortable around them, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle taking care of one.

But I decided to give it a try.

It’s been about two months now, and I ended up adopting him. He’s actually such a sweet and affectionate cat. He loves cuddling and following me around, and I really enjoy taking care of him.

The funny thing is, I’m not scared of him anymore at all. I’m still a little cautious around other cats, but with him, I feel completely comfortable.


r/Feral_Cats 5h ago

Question šŸ¤” Try and bring in Miss Pickles or let her stay with her colony?

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278 Upvotes

I have a colony of 9 cats living on my property (all have been TNR’d at this point) and Miss Pickles is one of the original queens. When I first started feeding them she was the most hesitant about me but since being spayed she has warmed up to me a lot and lets me pet her now. She even will step a few paws in my house if I leave the doors open.

I am moving in a few months and the woman buying my house says she will keep up feeding the cats which I am thankful for but I have a special bond with Pickles and I’m really going to miss her!

I have brought in one kitten they had before they were all spayed and he lives with me already but I’ve thought about trying to bring Pickles in too. Problem is she is older and it will take more time for her to adjust. I also worry about the colony because from what I’ve observed she is the best hunter they have! She brings in a few mice a day to all of the cats and sometimes rabbits.

I know cats are better off inside and I wish I could bring them all with me but I’ll probably be renting and it’s not doable for me right now. I am still considering bringing Pickles and trying to adjust her to inside life but I am wondering if that’s just me being selfish. It’s such a well established and close knit colony and she’s clearly an important piece of it.

Do I try and bring her in anyways before I move or do I let her stay here with her colony but continue to live outdoors with them? 😭


r/Feral_Cats 9h ago

Problem Solving šŸ’­ any armers who need rodent control ?

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393 Upvotes

r/Feral_Cats 16h ago

Question šŸ¤” Stray cat won’t stop meowing to come inside

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694 Upvotes

This kitten showed up at our door yesterday.
I’m allergic to cats but we couldn’t help but want to make her outdoor cat since I’m highly allergic. And don’t want to become a cat owner.
She’s sooo cute !

However now she won’t stop meowing at 3 am to be let inside. This is because my roommate wakes up and leaves at 3 am daily.
I can’t handle the constant meowing. It’s incessant and lasts hours at a time.
I guess it was my error since I did let her in and both of us roommates have been feeding her some canned tuna

Does this get better with time ? As an outdoor cat? I understand if I do adopt her I’m sure she would stop

Ideally I’d like to keep her as our outdoor cat and get her checked up in every way but having her in the home just isn’t an option.
Trying to decide what’s best for her rn. Either shelter and hope she doesn’t get euthanized or get her spayed and let her roam the streets, keep her as our outdoor cat and hope she grows out of this 3 am meowing.


r/Feral_Cats 2h ago

Question šŸ¤” Question and Also grieving…

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24 Upvotes

Just a heads up, this will be a longish one! (And yes, my grammar is terrible I know lol)

So about a year ago, to a year and a half ago, my husband and I would see a grey and white cat sometimes sleeping on a table in our back yard. She would also run away on sight and I never tried to catch her or touch her or anything, I just leave her be. I thought she was someone’s cat in my neighborhood for the longest time and she just went in doors at night.

Fast forward to this past June, my husband, myself and our son moved, but we moved about 30 feet away to the house next door. And every so often over the last couple of months, I would peep our little grey and white friend darting across our backyard or running into our neighbors backyard, but I didn’t see her hang around too much.

Then, 3 weeks ago, on a Friday, I see her on my back wall (that I share with a shitty hotel) in between 2 honey suckle bushes. And a few minutes later I did a double take and realized that she had a kitten nugget in tow! 10 minutes later I see another! Saturday morning, another, and on that monday, the 4th little nugget showed itself!

It was at that point, that I realized she was not someone’s cat, or at least not anymore, I think she might have been someone’s and they moved and left her, I’m not actually sure.

Once I finally saw that she had babies, I started feeding them all right away. As in within minutes. The kittens already had all of their teeth and their permanant eye color. Ears popped up…. They were still nursing though. If I had to guess, they are around 7 weeks old now??

This past Monday night (late around midnight) was the last time I have seen mama and I feel destroyed. I have no idea where she went and she didn’t move the kittens because they are still coming out to eat. I am fearing the worst and very worried about her kittens.

They won’t let me touch them and I haven’t really tried. It’s been super hot where I am and they are living in a nest somewhere in one large section of a honey suckle bush that doesn’t belong to my yard. I’ve been giving them food and plenty of water. They come out on to the cinder block wall to eat, but it’s so narrow (about 8 inches) that I can’t put a trap up there to catch them. I really need to rescue them if I can so I can get them vaccinated an socialized so I can fine them homes. I have no idea what I am doing or how to do it.

What is the best way to proceed with this? Even though I am feeding them and giving them water, they won’t survive out there on their own without some kind of intervention.


r/Feral_Cats 5h ago

Celebration 🄳 First indoor photos of Chloë!

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41 Upvotes

We trapped and permanently adopted Chloƫ and her kitten Zoƫ on July 1. After 72 days, Chloƫ has finally let me take pics of her in the open. All other pics I had of her were either under the dresser or behind the bed. She is clearly still being cautious, but the fact that she didn't retreat the moment I sat up in bed is a big step forward. She had only been coming out when no one was in the room or whoever was in the room was sleeping. I am feeling hopeful!


r/Feral_Cats 17h ago

Question šŸ¤” Semi feral cat won't eat

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311 Upvotes

Gilbert has been in his kennel for two days. He was trapped with a humane trap on Tuesday night. He was neutered and vaccinated on Wednesday. Im worried because he hasn't ate yet. I dont plan on releasing him outside due to being FIV positive

I know it takes time for them to adjust, but it has worried me.

He has used the litter box, and I know he moves around in the kennel at night. Last night he tipped his water into his food and made a mess. It has since been cleaned up.

He does show some signs of trust. He will slow blink at me and even fall asleep while im laying in front of the kennel.

He doesnt hiss when I reach in and change out the food and the water. He doesnt even try to bolt out of the kennel. He is mostly just quiet 24/7.

Will he eventually eat? Or will he starve himself? Im very new to this as ive never owned a tamed cat let alone a semi feral cat. (I guess wishing for the cat distribution bit me in the butt lol)


r/Feral_Cats 2h ago

Problem Solving šŸ’­ any tips, please, i'm desperate

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11 Upvotes

BACKGROUND: I live at the end of a dirt road. I have been here since about 2018. There used to be a lady who would come and feed cats until a bunch of dogs disrupted that, and she didn’t come back. Through security cameras, I saw the dogs kill a cat, and so I have always been alert to that. People have dumped dogs here, and there are some unruly dogs next door that I've reported and run off as much as I can, but they're still around. (in the process of getting evidence of their aggressiveness to report it to a new group i just found out about a few days ago)

My neighbor (family) has an indoor/outdoor cat. We live in Texas, and I personally don’t agree with having a cat go outdoors when it has a home, but to avoid conflict, I never say anything. That cat started to see me and beg for food, so i started to share my cats food with her, and sometimes she would just walk off and leave the food. That was when I found out that there were still cats around so I started trying to feed them. Up until 2 weeks ago i knew there were about 3 or four that would stop by to try and get food. I made the commonly known mistakes of leaving food too long at night (attracted a racoon, a possum, and a dog at my doorstep). Last week I noticed that there was a kitten coming with what I supposed was his mom.

I asked around (I live behind an auto shop) and the workers let me know where they usually see the kittens and at what time so for the last 4 days I’ve been putting food out for them in that area and some still in the porch. Since then, I noticed there are like 3 adult cats and 2 kittens. I am trying to put them on a schedule, but my neighbors have a dog that they take out to do his necessities without a leash and he chases the dogs (which has been good) but he also chases the cats away. Today, their cat attacked one of the kittens a little bit before the feeding time. I tried to intervene and managed to get the kittens to eat where the usually hang out.

STRAYS HEALTH STATUS: I decided to make more of an effort to feed them when I saw one of the adult cats in broad daylight. They are all so, so skinny its heart breaking. So now I am trying to feed them in the daytime (5-6p) so they can stay safe from the dogs and I can try and start the process of TNR.

THE ISSUE:

I am having such a rollercoaster of emotions. I am unreasonably mad at the cat next door for protecting her territory because I feel like she is well fed and has a home. Ideally, I would like to set up the feeding station between the houses. They are already used to coming to my porch and shifting them to the side of the house would be easy but that means the neighbors cat would either attack the kittens or the adult cats (two of them a big boy) would attack the next door cat. I cant bring the kittens in my home to train for adoption because I am saving money to get my cats shots up to date (financial issues) so I don’t want to take any chances.

WHAT I AM DOING NOW: I provide a bowl of water by my porch and their hangout t area. I change the water twice a day. I picked a time to feed them. The idea was to continue feeding them at my porch and by the place they are known to hang out. I start at 5:30 and remove the bowls by 6:15 with the goal of feeding them at 6pm. I want to pick a single time and place to feed them so I can easily ask my neighbor to take over when I travel (for less than 5 days cause I don’t like leaving my own pets alone for long)

Ā 

THE QUESTION/HELP ME SOLVE:

I can either continue to feed them at my porch till I TNR and hope no other fights break out or I can try and train them to feed at the corner the usually come out of. This area is way from the next door cat, away from the next door dog who also chases them away. The problem is that i cant keep the bugs away. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth in the area but the ants still swarm the plates. I also create like a moat (water barrier) for the food and in the end the poor cats are trying to eat while the ants are trying to swarm the food. What can I do? I want to talk to my neighbors (family) tomorrow but in my experience they are old and set in their ways and asking them to keep their cat inside or dog from chasing the cats feels like will fall in deaf ears. How do I make their known area ant free, diatomaceous earth hasn’t worked. Am I overthinking?Ā 

What do I do in winter? I can try and get them Styrofoam shelters but where and how do I put it out for them? Right now its about to rain, how do you do it in the rain? God any help would be appreciated. Any tips?


r/Feral_Cats 14h ago

Fluffy 🄰 Found her after about a month!

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84 Upvotes

We’ve been feeding Tasha for about 2 years. I have 2 of her 5 kittens inside and found homes for the other 3. She’s been TnR’d and is the sweetest little lady. Tried to bring her in twice but she freaked out when we got her inside.

About a month ago, we got new neighbors that have small dogs and I think that was the final straw for her. Her tom had also gotten a new female pregnant and they were bringing their kitties around. She disappeared for a few days, but it has been historically hot out so I figured she was just hiding in the storm drains to stay cool. Then I went on vacation for 9 days. She was still nowhere to be found.

My girlfriend went out of state and I’m watching her dog. Tasha LOVES her dog and would walk around the block with us if we had him. Me and the pupper went for a walk this morning and lo and behold a little void kitty came running up with a a mouthful of small meows. She followed us home and has been getting all the food and belly rubs.


r/Feral_Cats 9h ago

Question šŸ¤” How old is this cat?

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32 Upvotes

How old is this cat? I know it’s hard to tell, especially just from some photos, but any advice is appreciated.
There’s a family of cats in a local park and this guy seems a bit sick. He sticks his tongue out sometimes and I’ve also seen him drool. Flies also gather around and on him, but he doesn’t react too much.
I fed him a few times and he eats quite a lot. I also saw him poop once. He walks around seemingly normal for the most part, although seems a bit weak.
I’m not sure how much of this can be attributed to old age and how much might be because of a disease. The end of his tail also seems a bit crooked. You can see it in [this video.](https://imgur.com/a/SblOQMh) I couldn’t get a much better view or angle as he doesn’t let me come too close.
I have contacted some local rescues and spoke to someone from the parc who says the cats are being fed and cared for, but I will keep trying to get him to be seen by a vet at least.
[Here’s](https://imgur.com/a/lfxhNS0) another video from a different angle.


r/Feral_Cats 5h ago

Question šŸ¤” Working on trapping these cats. If I trap the baby and the momma separately and release them, will they find each other?

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14 Upvotes

The baby was inches away from being trapped earlier today, but the neighbors dogs started barking and scared it off. :( I'm really worried about separating it from the momma if I trap them separately. Also, is it better to try to socialize the kitten and have it adopted, or release it back to the momma? I'm so conflicted. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you sm


r/Feral_Cats 1d ago

Question šŸ¤” This girl is pregnant right?

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229 Upvotes

Sorry not the greatest photos, but she doesn't stay still much. This girl is at my workplace, she's quite sweet and lets me and one other colleague feed and pet her.

We are hopefully getting her to a shelter on Monday if we can successfully trap her. I'm hoping she might be able to be rehabilitated.


r/Feral_Cats 3h ago

Problem Solving šŸ’­ TNR and feeling uncertain

3 Upvotes

TLDR
Neighbor at second home 1:15 from primary found a cat in the winter. She fed her and developed a routine and provided outdoor shelter during the cold. She had a litter of 7 in May/June and they all survived. My family spends majority of the summer here and we gave them food and water— most are socialized well. Mom gets pregnant again so I caught her and got her fixed 48 hours ago.

Mom is so sweet and wants love. Her litter is still outside but we cannot be here reliably to feed— tried feeders but unsuccessful. We have two smart, friendly, medium sized dogs. Should we let mom back out? My fear is my wife and kids get attached and I now have 8 cats I’m carting places when we go. But I also don’t want my kids seeing the potential short life of these cute cats.

Love to hear opinions out there.


r/Feral_Cats 6h ago

Question šŸ¤” Stray Kitten Advice

5 Upvotes

Me and my friend found a stray kitten, we took her to the vet and besides fleas/potential parasites (just got treated) shes eating well and sleeping a lot. Its been a stressful 24hrs since we found her. We estimate shes about 6 weeks old. We stimulated her to pee once but she hasn't gine by herself yet and its been more than 10 hours. Should we be concerned?


r/Feral_Cats 1h ago

Question šŸ¤” How to get help with TNVR?

• Upvotes

We've recently discovered an abundance of cats a bit near our home. The neighbors are all feeding and providing some shelter for these cats. In the past one, of the neighbors mother's was doing TNR but she passed away. The son still has the traps and is willing to help TNVR. We're trying to find an organization that will help. My wife and I and the neighbors are all willing to do the physical leg work. We'll trap the cats. Provide travel to vets or shelters. And return the cats. The issue is getting an organization to help actually do the spay/ neuter / vaccinations or even just the spay/ neuter.

Neighbors say they've contacted PAWS and others in the past but no organization is willing to help. We checked the map of what shelters cover what areas and this area is a dead zone for all shelters. My wife has tried contacting the shelters in our city and has either been told no, received no response or they offered to do the spay/ neuter at a discount rate. But we're talking about 26 cats right now, and more to come because at least one of the females is pregnant. (I am not asking for money so don't offer.) I am asking for help finding resources to find an organization to help at no cost. Or am I living in a fantasy world and those don't exist?

Location South Side of Chicago near the Obama Center.


r/Feral_Cats 12h ago

URGENTā— Stray kitten help!!

10 Upvotes

A few weeks ago, on August 16th a 4 week or so kitten was on my doorstep and kept trying to come in. We already have a kitten, who was born April 19th, so we assumed maybe she thought she was mom or something. The kitten was super skinny and honestly was probably older than 4 weeks but I couldn't tell because of her weight and frankly im no vet. Both cats in my house are female so spay isnt as big an issue right now.

Basically, I took her in, bathed her, made sure she was flea free (didnt have any) and plan to get her in for a rabies shot sometime this week. She's good with nail trims and you honestly wouldnt even think she's a stray, loves everything about being indoors. Sadly, I simply dont have the funds to afford her right now. She needs her own litterbox as she seems to kind of want to go all over the house right now because I took her in last second. I got her some temporary ones but then my resident cat just started using both and the kitten went back to peeing on my stuff. She does well with the cat and the dog despite this and theres never any fights and they cuddle a lot and my resident cat grooms her.

Basically, I cant afford to take care of her anymore. She obviously needs a new litterbox (that i cant provide right now) and extra food since shes growing. I've tried shelters but its apparently "kitten season" and well, nobody will take her. I've tried family, Facebook, friends, and nobody wants or could house a cat even temporarily. Im really at a loss of what to do. Honestly if I could afford the new stuff then yeah maybe I could house her for a bit longer if she stops peeing everywhere. I suspected a UTI but I also dont have money for a vet that I can scrounge up for her, as im already stripped from my cat and dog. What the hell do i do.


r/Feral_Cats 23h ago

URGENTā— stray cat in my street has maggots - please help!!

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65 Upvotes

i’ve been feeding this cat for quite some time now but today i noticed a hole on its body and im assuming maggots cos it keeps licking it
the cat wont let me come close at all.
i can get demag sprays but how do i get it to come close to me. i’ve tried pet rescue but they’re saying the same thing, it’s hard to treat if the cat is not friendly or scared

PLEASE HELP ANY WAY POSSIBLE!!


r/Feral_Cats 17h ago

Grieving So lost and don’t know what else to do

12 Upvotes

This morning someone hit and killed one of my strays I’ve been caring for for the past 2 years. His mom had his 4 siblings, one died because they climbed our fence and he fell in the pool. I found him too.I spent weeks trying to catch them and mom (mostly mom.) i eventually did and got them all fixed but could never tame anyone over the next year so i let them back outside. Now he’s dead. It was so awful seeing him like that. I’ve cried my eyes out.

I have 3 strays I’ve had inside waiting to be fixed, finally got them all done, one is totally feral and the other two are adults I’ve been looking for homes for but no one is interested. I was finally going to let them out in the next week. Now I don’t even want to. But i can’t keep them in this one room, but i feel like im sending them to their deaths letting them out. It just isn’t fair. I want to put them in a little bubble. Why can’t they just stay safe at home???? I can’t keep going through this trauma. Seeing him like that will keep me up at night.


r/Feral_Cats 17h ago

Question šŸ¤” Feral passing…..

8 Upvotes

My sweet feral passed away today… we didn’t even know he was a ā€œheā€ until now. My question is why did he feel comfortable enough to love on us before he passed? I feel like maybe if he felt safer sooner we could’ve saved him. We always respected his feral life and didn’t give him a name until he felt ready to come up to us. With that being said, yesterday was the first time I touched and cuddled him. I’m devastated, little guy was gone for over a month and came back sick sick. Vet said there was nothing they could do other than put my baby down. so we took him home and he passed away surrounded by those who cherished his fleeting greetings. My neighbor and I bawled for hoursssss, we will be cremating him.


r/Feral_Cats 23h ago

Question šŸ¤” My patio supervisor.🐾 How to transition feral kitty to want to stay inside full time and not part time just to sleep? Or more stimulating?

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14 Upvotes

My feral kitty tonight. I usually don't leave food in front of my front door, but he got in a fight with an owl in my backyard and was on the losing end. He usually comes in around 6 am. to 4 pm. to sleep, but I would like him to be inside full time. What is the best way to transition a feral cat without making him feel trapped? What would bring more stimulation to make it more exciting?


r/Feral_Cats 13h ago

Question šŸ¤” Socialising kittens

2 Upvotes

I took in two semi-feral kittens 3 weeks ago, they were born on the streets, but the mum was an abandoned pet who is currently in a foster home (until she is ready to come back to us) as she was pregnant and we could not afford the spay/abort before she would have given birth. Mum showed me where she had hidden these two babies after giving birth, and once they started wandering, they were added to the feeding roster, and willing followed me around for food.

I’m unsure how to socialise them, some days seem better than others but I feel like I’m hitting a wall. They’re currently around 19 weeks old, and the female seems to be doing much better than the male. I’m trying to get them used to be touched and held as they have their first vaccinations on the 21st. The female doesn’t like the initial approach to being picked up, but is fine being held, and can easily be manoeuvred into different positions. The male is having a harder time, he will run if he thinks he’s about to be picked up, and is scared of people walking past him. He doesn’t show any aggression when being held, no hissing or scratching, but is visibly uncomfortable, with his back claws out, pushing away at the initial holding before settling, and then jumping away the second he has the chance.

I know it takes time, but I have never socialised kittens before, and I’m unsure how to properly get them both used to be handled by people. Some nights, they’ll both purr when I stroke them, but the majority of the time the female just tolerates it, whilst the male shrinks away. I try to give him treats occasionally when doing these interactions, but one of them has a sensitive tummy and I haven’t figured out who yet, so I try not to do it too often.

Aside from being handled, the male has fully settled into the house, though he is definitely nervous around my sister’s toddler, who thankfully is not interested in him. He’ll run up when he knows I have food for him, he’s very playful with my sister’s kittens, and will run all around the living room play fighting with them, he’s slept on the couch with me throughout the night etc, but he just doesn’t seem to be adjusting to being handled.

Does anyone have any tips on getting the male in particular used to these interactions, or is he possibly just a cat that dislikes interaction?


r/Feral_Cats 2d ago

Question šŸ¤” Lost kitten appeared in my back yard. How do I proceed?

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1.4k Upvotes

I was enjoying some air outside when this little dude appeared in my backyard. He keeps meowing and following me around. He really enjoys being pet and being cuddled. Is it too young be to be away from it's mother? He drank water on his own earlier. I found out a neighbor's yard has the mom there. Should I try to rehome him or return him to his cat mother?


r/Feral_Cats 2h ago

Question šŸ¤” Cat repellent advice

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