Still being patient with feral kittens

[sfreeman8]

Still can't get near them. Figured out it's my shiny metal 4-prong cane that scares them. Momma has been in the house a couple times but she is really skittish. i have to mute the TV because she thinks it's someone else talking and wants out right away.

I call the 4 kittens white face, runt, smoke, and teaser, 3 females and 1 male. Teaser and runt are less fearful of me. Teaser will plop down on the ground on her side and roll but don't touch!   White face and smoke won't come near us.

Today I made more inroads with Runt and Teaser. Runt touched my cane with his paw and saw it didn't move. LOL I had the screen door open and was talking with the 2 of them when Teaser walked right in the house, took a good look at the great room, went into the one bedroom, and then sat by the door to go back out. It's only 50 degrees out there and is supposed to go down to 30 tonight.  They're going to be cold even though hubby made them a little cardboard house. I have a wood fire going.  Teaser and Runt stood outside looking in through the side window on the door and I slowly opened it again. Teaser came right in while Runt got to the threshold and  backed out. I think he has an aversion to silver metal.  I gave Teaser a little treat on my finger and she rolled on her side and back as usual. I got to pet her by slowing putting my one hand around her chest under her chin and pet her on the top of her head. She liked it but then as if she was in a dream, woke up and wanted to be left go, which I did. But she didn't go far.

There might be hope for her. Who knows. I'm looking for a no kill shelter that could catch them, fix them, and then let them go. They follow hubby every morning because he feeds them. It's so funny. My avatar is Run if you can see him/her.

[BlackSheepNY]

You sound like you're getting there slowly but surely.  How old are the kittens approximately?  What you might want to try is some canned kitten food.  Put some out on a flat dish and sit close by the dish.  They'll get that aroma and may be leary at first, but I bet they'll come over and eat.  This will get them closer to you and you can gain some trust with them.  Before you know it, they just might be running over to you because they'll know you're the one with the food, LOL.  With younger kittens, we used to use baby food - Stage 1 Gerber or Beech Nut "Chicken" - just make sure the ingredients are nothing but "chicken and water."  We used to feed the babies through a syringe, but it sounds like these little kitties might be older than that.

[nadinastarr]

Aww sounds like they are getting there!! It may be another week or two and then they will be wanting in all the time! We used to have a kitty that would come in at night, sleep with us, and then want right back out in the morning! He would eat and drink inside, but really didn't want to be in. Then in winter, he found sleeping with my dad was way better! LOL!

[froggylover227]

Aw, how cute! It's great that you are making progress with these feral cats, but if you can't take them and find them homes, I would recommend looking into a TNR program. Trap, Nueteur, Release programs work great for feral cats who are reluctant to become household pets. Basically, professionals will come and get the cats, neuter them, and them release them back to their area. This helps keep the feral population down and allows the cats to continue living the way they are used to. Good luck with them, and I hope they are able to be homed and taken care of!

[JediJohnnie]

Glad to hear you're making progress! It sounds like they're still young enough to be domesticated. I hope you can find an agency that will provide homes for them.

[haimsterette]

Still can't get near them. Figured out it's my shiny metal 4-prong cane that scares them. Momma has been in the house a couple times but she is really skittish. i have to mute the TV because she thinks it's someone else talking and wants out right away.

I call the 4 kittens white face, runt, smoke, and teaser, 3 females and 1 male. Teaser and runt are less fearful of me. Teaser will plop down on the ground on her side and roll but don't touch!   White face and smoke won't come near us.

Today I made more inroads with Runt and Teaser. Runt touched my cane with his paw and saw it didn't move. LOL I had the screen door open and was talking with the 2 of them when Teaser walked right in the house, took a good look at the great room, went into the one bedroom, and then sat by the door to go back out. It's only 50 degrees out there and is supposed to go down to 30 tonight.  They're going to be cold even though hubby made them a little cardboard house. I have a wood fire going.  Teaser and Runt stood outside looking in through the side window on the door and I slowly opened it again. Teaser came right in while Runt got to the threshold and  backed out. I think he has an aversion to silver metal.  I gave Teaser a little treat on my finger and she rolled on her side and back as usual. I got to pet her by slowing putting my one hand around her chest under her chin and pet her on the top of her head. She liked it but then as if she was in a dream, woke up and wanted to be left go, which I did. But she didn't go far.

There might be hope for her. Who knows. I'm looking for a no kill shelter that could catch them, fix them, and then let them go. They follow hubby every morning because he feeds them. It's so funny. My avatar is Run if you can see him/her.

I applaud you for doing your best for them. There aren't many like us out there, sadly, and it warms my heart to know you're doing all you can. It sounds like you will eventually be able to pet them fully and win their trust. It takes A LOT with feral kitties, but when they're kittens it is a bit easier. Our neighborhood feral, Aberdeen, still won't let us pet him after 3 or 4 years, just quick little touches and only on his terms! He is always purring and kneading the ground and acting super friendly, though. I agree with the no kill shelter idea. A proper cat house (we have one--might have been made with a small dog in mind) with hay or blankets will keep them warm, especially if they all cozy up in there together. Best of luck! I hope they are all okay through the cold weather!