In Process Of Trapping Feral Family - Mom Moved Kittens

[kayath2o]

I am in the process of trapping a mom feral and her 3-week old kittens. I had a trap set out for a week with food to get the mom used to it. She was regularly eating the food from the back of the trap. When I finally set the trap, she was able to eat all of the rood without tripping the mechanism. I reset it, and made it more sensitive so she would trigger the plate. Then she rubbed against the outside of it and triggered the door.
She is now terrified of the trap, and has moved her kittens. I don't know where she moved them, and she hasn't touched the food near the trap for 2 days.
Does anyone have any ideas to find the new nest? Do you think she will come back or bring the kittens back? FYI this is at my elementary school in a very developed area - not much in the way of plants, etc.

 

[surya]

I think she will come back for food. Then she may get used to eating in the trap again. You can zip tie the trap open, if you want her to get used to eating in it. But I would try and catch the kittens first. In a week or two they will be old enough to eat soft food and trap. And they will be old enough to wean and keep without the mother. Hopefully you can find the new nest. They don't usually go far away from their food source. You can look around and see where she goes when she starts coming back for food. I would not want to catch the mom first and not be able to catch the kittens. Then you would probably want to release her to care for her babies and it would be harder to catch her again. After you catch all the babies, you can place one of the babies in a separate carrier or trap. Place it at the end of the trap with a towel covering it, so the mother can see the baby when she looks in the trap, like a tunnel. She will go in their to get her kitten and get trapped. You will probably want to use the bottle and string method for the kittens. If you are lucky you may be able to get all the kittens in the trap at once. But if you have to get them separately, get the most shy ones first.