OK, does anyone here know anyone looking for some barn cats? Or willing to take some feral kittens?

[Flaxbee]

(This will be cross posted to the Lounge)

I live in the mid-Atlantic region (northern Virginia) ... and last week I caught a momma cat (Lily) and her three feral kittens that she just started bringing around to the place where I fed Lily (right in front of our office door). Lily was living near our offices - a nice place, run by a landscape gardener so there were plenty of hidey-holes and wooded areas for Lily to have her kittens.

Anyway, I've been feeding Lily regularly since last fall/early winter. I wasn't able to catch her this spring before she had kittens, but I did get her and her kittens last weekend.

I'd found a woman through Alley Cat Allies to take Lily and her babies and have them spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and to evaluate the kittens for their adoptability.

Today she said she thought the kittens were too old - 4 months - to be properly socialized to be adopted by a "normal" family (people who don't really 'get' cats, aren't patient enough, etc.) She's not in the business of placing hard-to-adopt ferals, and I promised her that if the kittens were unadoptable, I'd take them back and release them at our office area. Which I will do, if that's all that can be done - at least they won't reproduce and will have had their shots.

Lily I'd always planned to release after she was spayed (and had recovered) and maybe turn her into an office cat after a while.

I'd rather not release the kittens at the complex if at all possible. I'd love to find them homes with people who are willing to gently, slowly tame/socialize them, or place them (all together, if possible) with someone who has a barn, where they'd have shelter and hopefully regular kibble.

There is one all-gray kitten, one all-black kitten, and one gray/brown tabby. They all have huge ears

They're all together now with this woman for about a month; the next spay/neuter clinic is Sept. 17 and she's trying to work with the kittens. She also doesn't have time to devote to them exclusively, since she does place other cats.

Anyway - I have a month or so to find a solution for the kittens. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

Thanks!

[japple]

1. You might contact people you know who own horses, board horses, or ride horses. They almost always

know where there are barns or stables, and a lot of those need the services a barn cat provides. You also might contact any goat, sheep, or dairy farms in the area. I would be hesitant to put notices on places like Craigs list because there are always those creeps lurking about who want/need innocent animals for weird/dangerous perversions. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Flaxbee]

2. Hm. OK, will definitely ask around. I used to ride but haven't for so long

I don't know anyone in this area.

I'll reach out to other cat people in the community, too.

Thanks!

[bearssoapbox]

3. Try this link.

http://www.catsrule.org/ They have tons of info.

Here's their N. Virginia list- http://www.catsrule.org/implinks.html#Rescues

Here's another that's good. http://www.metroferals.org/

I haven't had any contact with these organizations for a few years but they were good then and they both still look good.

My wife and I rescued cats for about 30 years and I had a bit of interaction with these two. I live in mid-west Ohio so the only time I dealt with them was when I sent someone to them and never heard anything bad about them.

Good Luck.

You're doing a very good thing. Way to go.



ps.

4 month old ferals can be socialized. We've done it with many different ages of cats. It just takes time and patience. We've only had a few(very few) older ones that didn't get completely social but they were good enough for a farm.

[Flaxbee]

5. Thank you very much for all of this info; I really appreciate it.

Lily and kittens will have been in captivity for almost a month before they're spayed/neutered, so they may be coming up on 5 months by the time they're ready to be adopted/socialized. I don't know how much time the woman who has them can spend trying to socialize them (she focuses on finding homes for elderly or otherwise 'not perfect' cats). I am hoping just by getting regular food and hopefully some handling they'll be on their way to being socialized; I need to write the woman and see how much she can handle them.

Someone else I know might also take them in once they've been 'fixed' provided they're healthy (no FeLV, etc.) if his family OKs it. So with your info, and with this other possible option, I think there's some real hope.

I'll help any creature I can. Thanks for your input and warm fuzzies

[hamsterjill]

4. If you send them to a "barn cat" situation, please make sure that it is handled correctly.

Cats that go to these "barn cat" situations need to be properly handled to acquaint them with their new surroundings; otherwise, they don't survive. A minimum of two weeks confinement is recommended so that the cats will know where to come for food and water and shelter.

If the possibility exists to tame the kittens, please consider it. Barn cat situations are not usually ideal for cats that were not born in that environment.

Thank you for caring about them!

[Flaxbee]

6. yeah, I know. I'd only work with people who would be willing to familiarize them to

their new location, provide water and kibble on a regular basis, etc.

Sounds like I might have some other options, though. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

[hamsterjill]

7. Thank you.

I know you will have their best interests at heart. Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made, but it sounds like to me that you're very knowledgeable and caring. These guys are lucky that they found you!

Appreciate your efforts for them!

[glinda]

8. I believe cats can be still socialized at four months old. They just need to be

caught, isolated and get used to people. A chicken wire floor to ceiling cage made in a garage or somewhere helps. I am now working to rescue two four month old kits under our shed and hope I can tame them. I think I can.

[Flaxbee]

10. The woman who has them now says two are friendly, and the third one is becoming less skittish

Momma (Lily) might not ever, but right now she's safe and awaiting shots and spaying.

I think I have someone who - if his family goes for it - will take all three for socialization. He's a cat lover and well-versed in socializing cats. Keep your fingers crossed!

[trueblue2007]

9. YES 4 MONTH OLD FERAL KITTIES CAN BE SOCIALIZED. I know this for fact

My husband has some feral cats. we have rescued 3 kittens who now live with us and we have found homes for 6 others. some of the kittens were 4-6 months old. It takes love, kindness and patience.


I'm mom to ANNIE, TAFFY, INKY, SADIE & SALLY

[Flaxbee]

11. By the time they're spayed/neutered, they'll be close to 5 months, but will have been in a confined

safe, human-centric environment for about a month. Right now they're in a big cage together; I caught them as soon as I could and the woman who has them now - sort of in a halfway house for kitties - will keep them until they are spayed/neutered/vaccinated on Sept. 17. Then on the 21st/22nd, they might have another place to go for more hands-on socialization in a bigger home environment. Keeping my fingers crossed for these kitties!