Apr
2 kittens were roaming aroud my boyfriends house for like 6 months and we've actually gotten to pet them just by hanging around them everyday. well the girl one got pregnant by a neighbors cat and she ended up having 4 kittens. we found them on the side of the home and they’re about 2 weeks old now. we've checked them out and they are fine. she takes really good care of them and knows we’ve touched them and know where she keeps them. i even sat and watched her feed them. i was wondering, with all this human interaction we’ve with the kittens at such a young age, when the kittens reach 8 weeks, will they be socialized enough for me to take one home and for us to give the other ones away? or will they always be nervous feral cats?
btw, we’re going to spay and neuter all of them so this doesnt happen again, and let the mother continue living outside
Answer:
The very ideal thing you can do is to find a way to get the mom inside the home, if you can. The good thing, right now, is that you do know where the kittens are, and as you stated, you have even touched them. If you think you could lure mother into your house, then you could also bring the babies inside, too. The worry would be if the mom moves the babies and you don't know where she has moved them to. If you are feeding the mom, then at least, if she moves them, you can keep an eye on her, and then you can see where she goes, and then hopefully find them again.
If you consider the mom to still be a true feral, running away from you, etc., then you might need to take the kittens from her by about 4 or 5 weeks of age (and bottle-feed them). If she continues to grant you to touch and hold them before that, and does not seem to have a problem with it, then you could wait until about 5 weeks of age, or so. Play it by ear - if they seem like they are accepting you, each time you go there, then you are O.K. If you find they are becoming less friendly by about 4 or 5 weeks of age, you will need to bring them inside right away. The kittens will become good pets if you continue to interact with them. When truly wild cats have kittens, if they’re taken by 4 or 5 weeks of age, they’ll turn around, even if they’re hissing and acting feral. They learn that they get food and safety from people. Mom cat may very well become burdened by the kittens by about 5 weeks or so, since she is living outside. Please be advised that mom can become pregnant by the time the kittens are 2 weeks of age. If you need help, you can try contacting a rescue league. Don't take them to the shelter, or they will be euthanized. Watch everyone and see how it goes, but continued human interaction is the best thing for the babies. You might be able to find a rescue league who will help you with the spaying of the mom.
Answer:
the more socalizing the better. This has happened to me. The more you pet them (maybe give them names it helps), feed then when they are old enough, and handle them, you can give them away easily and they should be fine as long as the owners socialize with then for a few days. I’ve done this with 4 litters from a stray cat.
Answer:
Ya know thats a good question. I would assume that if you’ve contact with them daily then yeah they should be good enough to take home and give away. But I would really try to be sure about it first. Maybe bring a couple people that they haven't seen before and try to play with them and see how they react. But ya know 8 weeks is still very young. I bet they would be fine. They would learn.
Answer:
If you play with the kittens every day, they should become socialized. Good for you for planning to spay and neuter, but having your cat outdoors is not a safe place for it.
Answer:
If you spend time with the kittens daily (pet them, pick them up, play with them) they should become socialized enough to be pets.
Answer:
Yes! This sounds like a great idea. Have them all spayed or neutered. Keep the ones you want and find the others good loving homes.
