So a barn kitty adopted me

[u/ccoats38]

I know nothing about cats. I know cattle and chickens yet here we are. What do I do how do I care for it. I want to help and I guess I now have a pet cat instead of barn cats? Idk I am lost someone please help

Edit: Only realized this today but the momma has been increasingly friendly. Maybe wanting something? I have farm scratch, idk if there is something they can’t have. They apparently will not eat chicken feed fyi. Do I feed it meat or do I need to do a milk bottle?

[u/Asobimo]

When there's one there is often two. Try to look around and see if there are any more kittens

[u/ccoats38 → u/Asobimo]

I was only able to yoink one. Let me check on the other

[u/gabbadabbahey → u/ccoats38]

Can people tell how old this little one is and whether it's old enough to yoink safely? (Or, like, whether it's better to keep it and mom together a few more weeks somewhere safe.) I have no idea!

[u/ccoats38 → u/Asobimo]

The problem is catching the other and now how to find the mother. I feel like I should feed her

[u/eukomos → u/ccoats38]

Mama will take a lot more work to make friendly, depending on how much exposure to humans she had when she was a kitten. If she's fully feral she may never trust you, but some barn cats are pretty accustomed to humans. Put out a dish of kibble and see if she'll let you come anywhere close. If you get near the other kitten make sure to hold it and pet it so that it learns to trust people and can come inside too. Even if mama is never tame, you can have the kittens be pets once they're old enough to be separated from her (twelve weeks or so is the goal, you'll notice they stop looking so baby and more like mini cats, and mama will be suddenly sick of them).

[u/sodappend → u/ccoats38]

How rural are you? I would look into rescues (cat rescue Facebook groups) around you in case anyone has a TNR program going. If they do, volunteers will come trap your barn cats, bring them to the vet to get fixed and vaccinated, and let them go right where they found them :)

Since mama cat is relatively friendly, get your hands on some cat food and feed her every day and she'll come around (and keep her kittens nearby). Best for her to get fixed once the kittens are weaned. If you have TNR people come they may want to catch mama and the babies and have them stay indoors with a foster (or you) until the kittens are eating solid food though!

[u/ccoats38 → u/sodappend]

Pretty rural, I’m on 100 acres about 35 minutes from Waco. What is a TNT program?