Last year when I bought my house I knew that there were two feral kitens in the barn but was unable to do much then. Now that I have finally moved in I have discovered that they are still here (a black male and a female tabby) and that they have produced a family of their own! There are now two more barn kittens, a black and a solid grey. Over the last three weeks the adult male (I presume father of the new kittens) has become quite friendly and I was able to trap him yesterday and take him tot he vet. He was FIV/FELV negative, so they neutered and vaccinated him and I have treated him with Frontline.
But although I am leaving food for the barn kittens every day I cannot yet get near them and it is hard because they are in the hayloft and hide in the bales, where their mum has dug tunnels. As for hte mum, I only see flashes of her as she runs across the fields. I have now started putting the food in the back of an open trap, and it is being eaten, so I am going to set the trap soon. But I must try and catch all three of them as soon as I can. I have a possible home for the kittens later - they are only 4-5 weeks old, I think, though it is difficult to tell. At least we won't have more kittens next year!
The male feral though, launches himself at any of my cats he sees, and I have not let them out without harnesses till yesterday, when he was at the vet. Thankfully he won't give them any nasty diseases. I am not sure how to gradually introduce them - right now he is in my spare bathroom, happy to see me but ready to destroy them. Should I keep him indoors and try to socialise him first - he is headbutting me already and purring and I can stroke him while he eats, so he has potential. Should I try the vanilla trick with a feral? I have not named him yet - I must do that before I take him for the second vaccine next month.
But although I am leaving food for the barn kittens every day I cannot yet get near them and it is hard because they are in the hayloft and hide in the bales, where their mum has dug tunnels. As for hte mum, I only see flashes of her as she runs across the fields. I have now started putting the food in the back of an open trap, and it is being eaten, so I am going to set the trap soon. But I must try and catch all three of them as soon as I can. I have a possible home for the kittens later - they are only 4-5 weeks old, I think, though it is difficult to tell. At least we won't have more kittens next year!
The male feral though, launches himself at any of my cats he sees, and I have not let them out without harnesses till yesterday, when he was at the vet. Thankfully he won't give them any nasty diseases. I am not sure how to gradually introduce them - right now he is in my spare bathroom, happy to see me but ready to destroy them. Should I keep him indoors and try to socialise him first - he is headbutting me already and purring and I can stroke him while he eats, so he has potential. Should I try the vanilla trick with a feral? I have not named him yet - I must do that before I take him for the second vaccine next month.