Feral Mother Cat & Her 2 Kittens

Question
I've had a cat who has come to my door everyday for about a year to be fed...she lets me pet hervery sweet. One day she brought her litter of 5 kittens to my back door.  I took 3 of the kittens to the Humane Society and took the mother to the Vet where she was spayed and taken care of.  I decided I would take the cat and her 2 kittens in.  The Vet said to keep the mother away from the kittens for about 10 days due to her surgery. Now I have put the mother back with her kittens and she won't have anything to do with them.  My first question is "will this get better"?  My 2nd question is "should I return the mother to the outside"?  And lastly, the male kitten is very playful, purrs when he's petted, and just as sweet as can be.  The female is very skittish.  I've held her in a towel and pet her for a long time...she relaxed and fell asleep, but as soon as I put her down, she hid in corner again.  She and her brother are very close, which is a good thing, but is this just the way she's going to be or is there a chance she could become social?

Answer
Shelkira,

Cats usually go by smell in recognizing other cats, not by sight. Since the kittens have been away from her they now smell different so she may think that they are 'new' kittens to the family. Also, once kittens are weaned the mother will have no recognition that they are her "children". Cats have no concept of 'family', or 'relative' (hence the incest among cats and other animals), instead they are just familiar resident cats. Some cats do not like kittens until they grow up some. It may be due to their smell or their level of energy. In that case she may not be 'friends' with them or care to be around them so the best you can hope for is acceptance. It will all depend on the temperament and personality of the mother. Cats are all different and do not follow one rule of behavior.

I would not try to force her to be around them but you can help the situation along. I would feed the mother and kittens some yummy cat treats, like tuna, tinned sardines in oil, etc., TOGETHER. That is so the cats will associate each other with something pleasant and not negative. A pet laser light is helpful too. The cats focus on chasing the 'little red bug' together and it helps them interact together which also helps them get used to each other. And, if you can, hold the mother on one side of you and a kitten on the other side and simultaneously pet them. That way they can see that the other is "OK" and not an interloper.

If a cat is used to being outside and likes to hunt she may be happier being an indoor/outdoor cat. You may want to keep the kittens in a room then leave your door cracked open to let her go outside if she wants to. She may or may not. Leaving the door cracked open gives her the option to go out, but lets her come back in if she wants to go out for awhile. Some cats that were previously outdoor cats can get unhappy and aggressive being locked inside. On the other hand, some outdoor cats, once they discover the pleasure and comfort of being inside don't want to go back out. She could have been a dumped or abandoned cat that was previously a housecat so she may be content being inside only. She will definitely 'tell' you if she wants to be outside!

The kittens have different personalities because a mother cat can have kittens by each tomcat that bred her during her heat cycle. The father of the male may have been a domesticated or 'tame' cat while the father of the female probably was a feral cat. Feral cats are not like domesticated cats and will not behave like one. They normally bond to one person (usually their caregiver) but remain skittish around other people and noises. It helps though that you can work with her at a young age. Even though I have some feral kittens that I have had from birth they still exhibit the feral tendencies. Ferals have an inbred distrust of humans and their basic personality will remain the same. One of my ferals, if she hears a strange noise will hide under the bed for hours! The others are very loving and sweet, but the still do not like to be held or petted for very long.

Here is a link that has a GOOD 4-part article that is informative about ferals and their behavior that you may find helpful:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole link into your address bar)

http://petplacestation.com/articles/?s=jacobi%26paged=2

With time and patience, you will have some nice cats, and all the "trials and tribulations" will be worth it!

Tabbi