Ferral Kittens and their mom -pics

[superconnected]

These are the ferral kittens I'm tyring to tame. They live in my parking lot. There are 2 kittens and 1 mother.

I got a quick pic as they were on a car next to mine when I came out of my place today.

The black one is sleeping.

They actually come up to my door to eat now. For me that means they're almost in and then I can try to tame them and find them homes. I want to get the mother fixed, keep her or find her a home.

Remember I have 6 and my apt complex only knows about 1.

My only worry is someone will call the Humane society before I can catch them.

I try to catch them but they scamper away fast. Really fast.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. They are gorgeous!!!!!! Good luck with your quest!!!

[ET Awful]

2. Good Luck!

They're beautiful :).

I highly recommend trying to find her a home rather than keep her. . . things could get really ugly if your apt. manager found out. I'd hate to think of you having to move or fight with them.

[superconnected]

3. I'll try to find her a home after I get her fixed.

It's just that if I can't find her one, she'll have one with me.

Yes, I'm worried about the landlord. So far nobodys said anyhing to me though.

For ferral cats, they let people get within a few feet of them before they move. They're socialized to living in the city. They do know that the humans give them food now - me. I think that helps. So they're probably not as wild as barn cats.

It's a busy parking lot and they are always under cars. That scares me. - a pic I just snapped is below.

I just want to tame them and get them inside..

[ET Awful]

4. You're doing a good thing :)

Have you ever seen the "City Cats" gallery?

http://alleycatphotos.com/

http://www.pbase.com/streetkid/city_cats_

Very striking photos and upcoming book about . . . well . . . city cats. Very touching stuff, take a look.

[superconnected]

5. I hadn't seen that before

Those pics in the 2nd link are exactly what is happening in my parking lot. Lots of strays.

Some humans are really pissing me off.

[regnaD kciN]

6. I hate to tell you this...

...but if they're taking up residence around your car, you're going to have to check under the hood every time you use it. Some cats don't know enough to stay out of the engine compartment, and I don't want to go into what happens to them if someone starts the engine while they're in it.

When we were in the same complex, Bartholomew (the Maine Coon we wound up adopting) got intimidated by one of the other neighborhood cats, and wound up hiding out in an engine compartment. Fortunately, it was a car that rarely got used, but it took me a whole lot of effort to coax him out of there so I could get him inside.

[IndyOp]

7. Could you try live trapping them?

Possibly not - given that you are trying to get 3 and the first one stuck in the trap will bellow out a warning that will scare the other two from coming back - but perhaps not as much if you can trap the two kittens before mom?

Good luck!

[superconnected]

8. I think I am _very slowly_ getting somewhere taming them.

I'm a vegetarian, but I now put meat out for them along with their dry food. They wait for me to show up with the dry food, and they go for the meat. They let me get very close now - within 2 feet. But they still won't let me catch them.

I have a feeling showing them my brood-who follow me around outside and jump on my back and climb my head and sit there, when I go out with them at night, will be the final part to taming the mother.

Its worked for other cats in the neighborhood. The problem is these cats are out my front door in a busy parking lot and my cats go out my back door at night, in a grassy areas between buildings.

If I could get the kittens to come around to the back, I'm sure they would enter my back door and go eat like every other cat in the neighborhood does.

The little black kitten will be harder to tame. He doesn't let me get that close and he acts more wild.

You can't tell from the top pics but the momma kitty is very small, half the size of my other adult cats - I mean literally half the length. She is very young. Her kittens are very small too. They look bigger because in the pic she looks like an average size cat. I figure at the most she could be a year but she is nowhere near full grown.

[calico1]

9. I don't know how your apt is situated

but how about putting the food just inside the door and see if they come in? Is that at all possible? Good luck with them. They are sweet looking.

[superconnected]

10. the problem with my door being opened is it would let the 6 cats I

have out. They are certianly welcome to come in though. My back door is open 4 hours every night. My cats are trained to run around then and come back before the door shuts. Oddly it works.

I'm going to start putting food just in the door at night as the momma cat gets more trusting. Right now she runs when I show up. But I know she's eyeing me as a possible friend. It's just still early in her trusting me/my apt.