Any idea how I can get them out? I'm trying to help them, but they won't come to me! any idea on how to make them WANT to come out there?
PLEASE HELP! I have a family of kittens under my house!
- Thread starter miraclefan
- Start date
Plecostomus
Commodore
Where is the momma cat?
Good Question! Both me and my dad have seen a ''larger'' cat with a kitten roaming the ally, we think it might be the moma cat, it goes out to hunt for food during the day and comes back at night, but we are not sure?
Know of any traps to put said tuna?
and YES I have tried that, but they won't come out! I did put some tuna out last night where my dad saw one of the kittens and the tuna was compleatly gone the next day, so I'm hopeing the kittens are getting SOMETHING to eat!
They might be too young to be interested in tuna. They're also probably feral, or at least completely unsocialized. Hang out quietly by the entrance for extended periods with some soft food or tuna in case they're weaned. No quick moves, no loud noises. They might come out as they get used to your presence.
Alternatively, you can try to make friends with the mother cat. Same rule - offer food while hanging around quietly so that she can become used to you. If you earn her trust and she comes to think of you as a food source, she'll bring you the kittens.
Alternatively, you can try to make friends with the mother cat. Same rule - offer food while hanging around quietly so that she can become used to you. If you earn her trust and she comes to think of you as a food source, she'll bring you the kittens.
Are they causing any trouble? Being loud? IF not, it's cute -- let them be kitties.
It's probably best to get them out so they can be adopted, spayed, given shots, etc (help reduce the feral cat population).
Kitties are domesticated animals and are not meant to live under houses as wild animals. They will lead much happier, healthier and longer lives if he can have them seen to and adopted and cared for, as they are meant to be.
Is the crawl space large enough for you to physically get in under there and get them out by hand? Or are there other considerations (i.e. black widow spiders, other critters, etc) that preclude going in?
Are the kittens just newly-born, or are they moving about on their own? If the latter, try a laser pointer...a cat will follow the laser dot, pouncing on it. As you lure the cats out, be ready with a fishing net or what-have-you.
If you just want them out and aren't concerned with whether they live or die (not a judgement on you, and folks, don't judge me on this advice; the goal of the advice is no more kitties under the house...), then have someone who hunts use a no-kill trap to catch something larger and more predatory than a feline, like a badger (I'm assuming wolverines aren't indigenous to your area), and release it under the crawl space; ergo, no more cats, whether they take off like rockets when the new denizen is introduced, or whether the badger feasts upon their flesh. When the cats are all gone and stay gone, the badger having enshrined himself into local feline legend, then have the buddy use the no-kill trap to recapture the badger for release back into his natural habitat. Or use tuna or cat food to bait larger mousetraps or rat traps, but secure the trap to something so if you catch a cat's paw in it, you can retrieve the cat and it hasn't run off with your trap.
OK, now the animal rights people can tell me how much of an asshole I am...
Are the kittens just newly-born, or are they moving about on their own? If the latter, try a laser pointer...a cat will follow the laser dot, pouncing on it. As you lure the cats out, be ready with a fishing net or what-have-you.
If you just want them out and aren't concerned with whether they live or die (not a judgement on you, and folks, don't judge me on this advice; the goal of the advice is no more kitties under the house...), then have someone who hunts use a no-kill trap to catch something larger and more predatory than a feline, like a badger (I'm assuming wolverines aren't indigenous to your area), and release it under the crawl space; ergo, no more cats, whether they take off like rockets when the new denizen is introduced, or whether the badger feasts upon their flesh. When the cats are all gone and stay gone, the badger having enshrined himself into local feline legend, then have the buddy use the no-kill trap to recapture the badger for release back into his natural habitat. Or use tuna or cat food to bait larger mousetraps or rat traps, but secure the trap to something so if you catch a cat's paw in it, you can retrieve the cat and it hasn't run off with your trap.
OK, now the animal rights people can tell me how much of an asshole I am...
well, if you know it, you don't need me to tell you and get another warning.
Exactly.
I've noticed you have a very "laissez-faire" attitude when it comes to strays Tharp. I invite to visit Bucharest to see all the strays here and see if you feel the same way.
We have lots of strays here, at the park I walk at, and a ton of the beach. Beach goers feed the cats, the cats have places they hang out at and live decently.
The kitties at the park get fed spurattically by about a dozen people, sometimes they get fed three times a day; so much so that they don't even eat it all.
During the harsh winter, they either cuddled together (and they all lived), or they went to a building next door and went under it where the brick building and nearby water heater kept them more than warm.
These kitties also got captured by a local animal place, spayed/neutered, given worm medicine, and some general care, then were released. I assume most of the beach cats had it similar.
Contrary to your belief, not every cat needs to have a home. Some live well, in fact more so than indoor cats. Some owners don't give their cats any shots and care, feed them once, and some even don't let them outside. These park cats get fed more than needed, are medically taken care of, and have total freedom. And it's obvious not all of them are wild, some were obviously domesticated at one point. In fact, the friendly domesticated disappeared many months ago; there had been a group of old ladies who said they were going to take it home.
The kitties at the park get fed spurattically by about a dozen people, sometimes they get fed three times a day; so much so that they don't even eat it all.
During the harsh winter, they either cuddled together (and they all lived), or they went to a building next door and went under it where the brick building and nearby water heater kept them more than warm.
These kitties also got captured by a local animal place, spayed/neutered, given worm medicine, and some general care, then were released. I assume most of the beach cats had it similar.
Contrary to your belief, not every cat needs to have a home. Some live well, in fact more so than indoor cats. Some owners don't give their cats any shots and care, feed them once, and some even don't let them outside. These park cats get fed more than needed, are medically taken care of, and have total freedom. And it's obvious not all of them are wild, some were obviously domesticated at one point. In fact, the friendly domesticated disappeared many months ago; there had been a group of old ladies who said they were going to take it home.
Agreed!
sometimes I can hear them right under me, but I'm trying to help them. I'd like these kittens ALIVE thank you very much. And I'd say the place were the kitties are is a crawl space of two feet high maybe a cupple of inches give or take , also the kitties are old enough to come out of there, I just can't get to them(they run and hide) or they refuse to come out.
Call your local animal shelter. They will probably loan you no-kill traps for a small fee (and possibly a deposit). Put something tasty in the trap and hope for the best. I mean, short of going under there and grabbing them yourself, your best bet for luring them out is food. And that's only good if they're old enough to care. Tuna, wet cat food, just something moist that smells yummy to cats. Put it in the trap, and let 'em have it. You may catch one or two at a time this way, if you're lucky.
Ooooh, good point.
Actually, my advice regarding the badger was more environmentally-friendly than my original planned advice...set up a net at the entrance to the crawl space behind you after you enter said space with a can of hair spray and a lighter, and mini-flamethrower-herd the kitties into the net. This would guarantee that (1) you can illuminate the entire crawl space, insuring you account for all cats, and (2) also eliminate the black widow spider problem.
Oh, be sure you bring along a small fire extinguisher, just in case. And check for gas leaks BEFORE you light up. If you decide to take my good advice, that is. Let me know how it turns out.
