Mittens the Kitten was accepting abundant pets and scritches, this afternoon

[Siwsan]

If it wasn't so cold and damp, I'd still be out there. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon will be nicer and I'll try sitting outside while they eat. I hope to get Scooter more comfortable with my presence.

And Spooky dashed a slightly shorter distance when I put down her dish.

I'm feeling good about Mittens but can't do anything about a TNR until I get my car back. Once I can get her (him?) in a more controlled environment, I'll have a better idea if Mittens can be truly 'human habituated', even if it's as a mostly outdoor member of the family.

[hedda_foil]

1. How old are the bigger kittens now?

[Siwsan]

2. I'm going to guess aroun 8 months old

I first saw them in the Spring and they were still pretty small.

[hedda_foil]

3. Wow! Isn't that awfully close to reproductive age?

[Siwsan]

4. Yes - which is why I hope if Mittens is a female, I can get her trapped and spayed

Both Skittish and Spooky are so nervous, I'm wondering if I'll they will go into a trap. I find myself hoping that both Mittens and Scooter are male. I'll still trap and neuter but at least they wouldn't be birthing more kittens.

And I was just wondering what the survival rate is for feral kittens born during a Michigan Winter. These felines are sheltering under a cluster of evergreen shrubs at my neighbor's house. I've watched them, and they head to an inaccessible area. We are going to construct some sort of shelter to see if they will relocate to a kinder environment, in my yard. That might make catching them much easier. AND make it easier to remove any kittens. I'm now comfortable with taking on young kittens but I need to find a place that will, eventually, take them off my hands.