How to Care for a Feral Mum and Her Kittens Indoors

Part of Ireland's TNR Manual

How to Help Community Cats

Adapted for Ireland from Alley Cat Allies.

  1. Keep the feral mum and her family in a holding cage inside a bathroom or other small, quiet room that you will visit regularly. Cover the back and sides of the cage with a blanket or sheet, and provide a feral cat den to help the mother cat feel more comfortable.
  2. In our experience, the mother cat - even when completely feral - is somewhat comfortable indoors because her kittens are with her. We do not recommend holding feral cats indoors for any length of time - except in instances such as these, where the kittens are safer indoors and need to remain with their mum, ie. where it is the best thing for the kittens.
  3. Feed the mother cat more than you usually would. Nursing mother cats need on average three times the amount of food than normal.
  4. Give mum some alone time daily so that she can relax, away from her kittens (all moms need a break!). This is a good window in which to begin socialising the kittens to people!

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Part of Ireland's TNR Manual

How to Help Community Cats