The Colony Chronicles
Volume 2, Issue 3
Successful Microchip Identification Returns Cat to Recognized Colony
Adult feral cats can rarely be tamed. However, if you find that a feral cat has had a litter of kittens, usually they can be tamed and become adoptable. Here are some suggestions for taming feral kittens.
1. Do not take a kitten from its mother before it is 4 weeks old. However, after 4 weeks of age, the sooner you can trap the kitten for taming, the quicker it is likely to be tamed.
2. Using a humane trap, trap the kittens. A large carrier or cage, or small room such as a bathroom, should be used for the kittens introduction to life as a pet. Provide a small litter pan and food and water. Using old clothing as bedding can help the kittens get used to human smell. Carefully transfer the kittens to their new home but do not handle them for the first 2 days.
3. After 2 days the kittens will feel a bit safer in their new environment. Using a towel to remove them, put the towel over the kitten to pick it up. Do not approach the kitten from the front, as it will cause it to be more afraid and likely hiss. If the kitten stays calm in the towel, gently stroke it's head from behind. Reward the kitten with a treat such as meat baby food. Repeat this as often as possible.
4. Use a soft brush to groom the kittens as they become more tame. Be sure to remove fleas that can cause anemia in small kittens. As the kitten becomes tamer, increase it's exposure to people. If the kittens are tame by 8 weeks they can adopted to screened homes. Have the kitten vetted. Make sure that the adoptive home will have the kitten spayed/neutered at the appropriate age.
Like most people, I started practicing TNR because I wanted
to help some feral cats in my own neighborhood. I started with that colony and, once
under control, began working on other situations in the community. I soon learned I
was not alone--TNR was being practiced all over our state, throughout the U.S., and even
internationally. TNR is recognized the world over as an effective feral cat
management tool.
I was fortunate
to get to see some international TNR first-hand. My family is from Buenos Aires,
Argentina, and I first visited there in 2001. As a cat lover, some of the things I
saw in Buenos Aires were difficult to deal with. The Recoleta Cemetery was
particularly appalling. There were hundreds of cats there, most with injuries or
respiratory infections, ulcerated eyes or even some with skin cancer. I left there
crying, wishing there was something I could do to help these unfortunate creatures so far
from my home. Visits to other parts of the city brought more sad scenes. I
returned home from my trip with a heavy heart, haunted by what I had seen.
Over the next few years, I searched the Internet occasionally for news about any TNR
efforts in Buenos Aires. In 2005, I returned to visit my family. This time, I
was armed with some hopeful news that I had seen in my research. The Jardin Botanico
(Botanical Garden) had recently implemented a TNR program to deal with the large number of
feral cats that called the gardens home. I was excited to visit this place and was
not disappointed. The cats here were healthy, well-fed, and happy! Most had a
left ear tip indicating they were spayed or neutered. I left the gardens excited and
happy for these lucky cats. 
That same day, we went back to the Recoleta district. I had not seen anything on the
Internet indicating that the cats at the cemetery had the same good fortune as the cats at
the Botanical Gardens. As my family prepared to enter the cemetery, I told them I
could not go inside. I did not want to see what I had seen a few years before so
told them I would wait outside the gates until they returned.
A half hour later, my sister returned. She was excited to tell me that the Recoleta
cats looked great! Most had ear tips, looked healthy, and had plenty of food.
She had taken pictures to show me on her digital camera. It was true--TNR was making
a difference at Recoleta, too.
I now follow
international TNR news with interest. TNR is practiced worldwide from Tokyo to
Toledo to Tel Aviv. Most recently, it is even being used to help feral dog
populations in Eastern Europe with great success. TNR is truly a grassroots
phenomenon that begins with one caring person, no matter where in the world they live,
helping out in their own neighborhoods and cities just like I once did in my neighborhood.
I am now part of a global effort to improve the lives of ferals. Bon Voyage,
feral cat lovers!