Kitten fosters- we have 2 ferals- HELP

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We have fostered lots of kittens but the two who have recently been dropped off (never ending kitten season) are just little ferals. They are beautiful but incredibly scared- about 14 weeks from the size of them so a lot older than the ferals we have had before (without mum) . They are terrified. We had them in the crate but one actually managed to get his head through the bars and almost strangled himself- I was savaged trying to help him get free! I have worked out they like to live in an old 1920s sideboard in our living room so have set up beds/ food/ litter in there. I think what they probably need is lots of time to get used to people but any other advice much appreciated!

My pair were adult ex-ferals when they came home - were trapped along with the rest of their colony at about a year old then another year unwanted at the rescue before I got them.

To be honest, it was nearly all just time that turned them into the demanding, pampered overlords they are now. They stayed in the living room and apart from always greeting them and sometimes chatting to them about whatever I was watching on TV I left them to their own devices. They lived behind the sofa if I was in there, and I would occasionally leave a trail of Dreamies leading from there into the room. I also used a Feliway plug in.

3-4 days before the bolder one was even spotted, a few more before the shyer one. Only sign of life was that the litter tray was being used and food/water gone, and the occasional scrabbling sounds from inside the sofa if they were startled - they had worked their way inside the coverings, and it's a recliner.

@Allergictoironing thank you. I think we will just leave them be and give them time. I have ordered feliway and will just feed them and empty the litter. Not seen them at all today!

I disagree with leaving them be and giving them time. That is how you deal with adult ferals, but with kittens you have to keep forcing contact on them. That's why a cage works best - they can't escape from you. You just have to keep touching and stroking them, even if they appear to hate it. Also use food as a bribe. It's nice of you to take on the challenge.

Take heed of what TCN says - she's an expert and total goddess when it comes to rescues and ferals 😎

Thank you. They are going in for neuter early next week so plan to get them in the cage by this weekend and they will obviously be in when they come back. Feliway plug-in ongoing and Alexa playing music for cats. They are popping out more and we are giving them chicken etc. They are really beautiful so hopefully will get there. They are trapped in the one room (living room) and getting slightly braver. We will get them in the cage and hopefully they will feel calmer than when they first arrived. I have bought lots of hidey hole spaces/toys that will fit the cage better than the ones we have for a bigger space. 🤞

We took 2 farm kittens at about 12 weeks. They were terrified to begin with, but we just kept persevering with stroking whilst feeding, lots of playing with non contact toys like feather chasers and spills, and lots and lots of treats. Time and persistence pays off - they still won’t seek out affection but they will sit nearby in the day and at night they’ll snuggle on the bed, and can be picked up for a cuddle if you time it right.

Getting them in a cat carrier for the vet is a huge challenge, however.

They ended up in DDs room and she got her ski gloves (and coat etc ) on an we got them back in the crate a few days ago. They have a hidey house in there (with a lid we can take off) and a scratch post with a tunnel they can snuggle in. They have just started sitting in there and staring out at us. They will let us stroke them for a few seconds - but hiss at us. Last night they actually started to play together and interact with toys in the crate, same tonight. One took chicken from my fingers through the bars today! Still no real interest in lazers or feathers but play is very new to them.

They were actually 16 weeks when they came to us and from a feral colony so considering this they are doing really well.

Dunno but here is an adorable video of a feral kitten having a bath

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk5bGqOhMHI

Now able to feed dreamies, creamies through the bars!

Huge progress made today. They are both very beautiful boys

What lovely cats! I can see them softening 😍

Aw, great news.
How gorgeous. You're obviously doing a great job.

I am so jealous, black cats are my favourite! Looks like they're going to be won over by you 🥰

@RumNotRun will let you know when they are adoption ready 😁. Managed to get them in the carrier without too much trauma this AM for neutering. They are not happy about the cones!!! However far better report from the vets (so less blood loss than their 1st set of vaccinations 2 weeks ago). They are back in their crate and playing despite now having a huge plastic halo. I love the little savages. Not sure how getting pain meds down them tomorrow will work out though....

That is a face of a cat who is very pissed off and planning his revenge.

Don't tempt me, I would quite easily be persuaded to adopt two more black cats, but I think 9 cats (including 5 black ones) may be a tad excessive 😞

@RumNotRun feral kitten update! We are getting there. They came to us at 16 weeks from a feral colony and now are just lovely naughty boys! No crate but they have hidey spaces and they do not really come to us for cuddles but like them when we catch them. No ski gloves needed now! When we are not looking and they think we do not notice they creep next to us for sleeps- quick to move though when they know they have been found out! We have other rescues in who are older and they are not bothered by them (although one girl who is the sweetest thing - abandoned at the vets at a year old- bloody hates other cats. She is mainly living in my bedroom and on top of the wardrobe when these two come to play upstairs)! Let me know when you want them dropped of 😉Merry Catmus everyone!

Merry catmas.

We have 4 ferals living their best life on our terrace at the moment. One a little older and the sweetest most affectionate and cuddly cat I've ever known, she won't come indoors yet but in time I think she will..and 3 kitties whose mum was killed a few months back that started sleeping on our chairs so we've given them cushions, baskets and beds and a heat mat to stop their kitten milk freezing when the temps drop. One will let me stroke her head and back but the other two no chance. Although one is letting me get within a foot before flouncing off. The other one if you look in their direction shoots off to hide.

They are all adorable and two of them accompany us for walks around the garden every day. Tumbling over each other and playing with the leaves and anything else that moves. Cuteness overload.

@AlisonDonut you sound amazing! The kittens really need to come indoors- one of the rescues we foster for with mainly trap stays and their kittens. It stops colony's interbreeding. The kittens get fostered then rehomed before they become part of the problem and older impossible to rehome cats are treated (often eyes need to be removed) neutered and then returned to somewhere they are fed outdoors and provided shelter.

So tempted to keep these two but deep down know that is not the right thing. My friend has a catio and has the older siblings of my boys and various older ferals who have been treated and neutered and will go to be farm cats (and then there are all the tiny ones in her house, she is on the verge of divorce)!

We are in rural France so there is a campaign that runs to catch and neuter ferals. The issue we have is although we are in a village the Mairie doesn't seem to participate as it costs them money and so many of them get run over on the roads here. Ours do seem to be spending a majority of the day and night in our large garden and we are giving them lots of string and ball based things to play with and they are catching and killing prey [mouse and a bird that we know of just this week].

I'm fully expecting them to disappear off as they get older and it gets warmer. We will go see the Mairie in the new year and ask about the neutering campaign and what they are planning.

I think they'd die of a heart attack if we shut the door and tried to keep them indoors.

The bit about them creeping up for sleeps and then scarpering when you notice is just like my little Frankenstein. He's a teeny black cat (his litter brother is twice the size) For a while Frankie would cuddle next to me on the sofa and let me stroke him. It took about a year to get to that stage. Then I took him to the vet so he hated me.

Eventually I had another week or so of sofa cuddles, but he's decided my bedroom, on a wooden box, is his new bed. Every now and again, he'll appear on my bed next to me purring but only ever crouched down. If I dare to acknowledge him or touch him, he runs away as if I am about to flea treat him!

His brother Fred is quite skittish if I'm stood up, but ridiculously purry and affectionate when I'm lying down in bed. He has the loudest purr ever. My other cats are (relatively) normal so goodness knows why Frank and Fred are big weirdos.

Oh and stop with your evil kitten temptress ways! I am very easily influenced 😂