Catching Feral Kittens

[tinydestroyer]

We have a LOT of feral and stray cats in my rural neighborhood. That's how we ended up with our two. There's one friendly stray who loves on the road going to the highway (about 3/4 mi from my house,) who we called Turtle Kitty. We called her that because she had a patch of tabby marking on her back like a turtle shell, but she's mostly white everywhere else.
There are three kittens near her house which I believe are hers by their markings, and I've been leaving food and water for them whenever I pass by on my car or on a walk. I just leave it on the side of the thick bushes where I've seen them pop out 2x a day. Nobody notices the containers of food and water because there's so much litter on the side of the road, and I always pick up after them, but the area is not on my property. Nobody takes care of their animals around here, and cats are let to roam around. It's very dangerous, and I've seen more than a few cats hit by cars.
I'm not sure if Turtle Kitty is someone's outside cat, of a stray, but she's sort of friendly. At least, she isn't totally feral. I haven't seen her in a couple of months. The kittens are completely skittish and feral, and we're definitely not being fed by the looks of how skinny they were. I was trying to figure out how to catch them, because their burrow is on someone else's land, and the local TNR said I can't leave their traps on someone else's land without their express permission. The land owner there doesn't (seem to) speak English, and also doesn't seem very nice when I approached him about leaving a trap. They're maybe 4-5 months old now, so way too fast to catch without a trap. I figured that feeding them was at least something, and maybe I could coax them to come closer with food. Then, this morning, I saw one of the three kittens far away from the feeding place (maybe 3/4 a mile past my house from that direction,) and he was dead. I assume hit by a car.
What can I do here to capture the remaining two and try to find a better situation for them? Since the other cat was found so far away, do you think they'd come all the way to my house if I changed feeding locations? I've had very little luck with TNR (only catching two males for neuter,) because I assume they can smell my dog in the yard. Any suggestions? I'd like to find these kitties a home or shelter before I move in a couple of months.

 

[kittypa]

Live Cat Traps for Humane Trapping - Havahart®

I have two of these. One small for kittens and one large for cats. Sometimes there are TNR/rescue organizations or even veterinarians who have them and will lend them out with a deposit. I ended up buying them because my vet always had them out and I couldn't wait. I got mine at Ace Hardware.

Edit: I made covers out of old shower curtains because I'm told that the cats will have less stress if they're covered while you transport them.

 

[tabbytom]

Well, that's a pretty handful you have here and living in a community where people don't look after their pets well and take no responsibilities of whatsoever.

Since you have a TNR group there, you can try working with them and also find out what nationality that person is where the kittens are and maybe get a note translated in his language and explain what you are trying to do. This is to strike up a friendly conversation and if he understands what you are doing, he might even lend a hand.

The other things to get the kittens and momma over to your yard should be able to work but it takes lots of time but you have to work fast and hard. You have to spend time hanging around them, feeding and playing with them till they totally trust you and can be petted or at least eat next to you where thesis the chance to grab them. You have to have the carriers ready each time and you must take the whole family along else they'll find their way back to where they were.

The other thing is I guess the person that is living there have been feeding them else they won't hang around there. Maybe you can tell him about TNR and what are the benefit from it.

Hope you can get the cats and get them to good homes.

 

[kittypa]

I imagine it would be less problematic for an individual to trap them than for an organization. You can play dumb.

 

[tabbytom]

You can play dumb.

Maybe speaking in two different languages might work as the both parties don't understand what each other are saying and ends up in an argument that leads to nowhere and the owner just give up and let you do what you want