Barn Kittens

[Talithahorse]

I have a question for you cat people out there. Recently we lost our beloved cat of 17 years. About a two weeks after he passed away, a feral cat had kittens in our barn. As near as we can tell the kittens are about 3 1/2 weeks old. As soon as is best for the kittens, we plan on collecting them up so that we can tame them, rehome some of them and spay and neuter the ones that are left in the barn. The problem we have is that we may have to be out of town for a few days right when they will be about six weeks old. Will 6 !/2 weeks be too late? Will starting to handle them now increase the chances that Mom will move them? When should we start to put out kitten chow instead of adult food?
Mama cat is completely feral and will growl when we come near her kittens. Heck she barely lets me in the barn to feed her (which she will wait by the food dish). The kittens are under some boards and buckets in the barn aisle and so are relatively safe as feral kittens go. When Mama is not around we do talk to the kittens and they are not afraid of us. (We have not touched them).

 

[Talithahorse]

Also, my daughter wants one to bond heavily with one of them. If we care for the kitten for the first week (she has to go on a trip), then turn over the care, will this negatively affect its bonding with her?

 

[Kes]

Most shelters and breeders don't adopt out kittens until they're 8-10 weeks old, so I don't think 6 1/2 weeks is too late. If anything, it might be a little too early.
It's hard to say if handling them would increase her chances of moving them. It would really depend on the mom and she may move them eventually regardless. If there's any way that you can gather up both mom and kittens and keep them somewhere safe for the next month, I think that would be ideal. Maybe then you can have the mother spayed too when they're weened.

I don't think keeping a kitten for a week and then giving it to your daughter will interrupt their bonding. It's going to depend heavily on the cat's eventual personality anyway. I have a cat who was found at three weeks and given to me at four weeks and he's very attached to me and my mom both, even though I haven't lived with my parents for nearly two years now. He still tries to nurse on fingers and ears sometimes at four years old. It's somewhat endearing, but not a quality I would suggest aiming for. Being separated so young, he didn't know how to act around other cats for a really long time and was very aggressive with both other cats and us because cats first learn what "too rough" is from their mom and siblings. If your daughter already has a cat too, it's good to keep it mind that there's a chance that all the kittens could be FeLV positive. : /

 

[cassie]

I have tamed barn kittens later than that. I put them on my lap and fed them bits of tuna or chicken or pieces of hamburger by hand. You have to confine the the kittens some way.

 

[Ducklover2]

Post pics of kittens if possible.

 

[Talithahorse]

It’s hard to see them but here they are

 

[Ducklover2]