If you find kittens, DO NOT TOUCH THEM. By touching them, you are asking their mother to move them to a more secure location and will most likely not be able to find them again. Their mother may be out eating or looking for a place to move them. Keep an eye on them from a distance, watch for their mother. Even if it is one kitten, she may be in the process of moving them.
All kittens up to 4 weeks old should remain with their mother. The mothers nutrients are essential in making healthy kittens/cats.
Taming feral kittens
Feral cats are not homeless cats, but may have been born in the wild; others are pets who were abandoned or have become lost. They are for all intents and purposes wild animals. Those adult stray cats which were once owned, or feral cats of quiet temperament, may sometimes be tamed with patience. However, the feral kitten is often easily tamed if it is captured young enough. Considering the short miserable lives that feral cats suffer, those kittens which can be tamed and adopted are indeed lucky.
Feral moms usually give birth in quiet unseen spots where kittens will not be visible for several weeks. With no human contact they will be totally wild. When kittens begin to romp and play, they are first noticed by humans, at approximately 5 weeks old, and are not easily captured. They may be captured in humane traps as described in the Tips section. Kittens should be removed from mom at 4 to 6 weeks old. Older kittens can also be captured and tamed, but the process gets slower and less successful the longer the kittens stay in the wild. They should not be taken from the mother before they are old enough to be weaned, approximately 4 weeks old. Kittens taken too young are vulnerable to disease and may not survive. The mother should also be captured and spayed to prevent future litters.
The process of taming kittens can take from 2 to 6 weeks (longer for exceptionally skittish kittens) depending on their age and state of wildness. Each kitten differs greatly in temperament even within the same litter. Some may tame up immediately and some may take quite a long time. Any person attempting to tame kittens should be totally committed and patient. If you are able to connect with another person, taking turns with the kittens will have a much better chance of socialization by introducing new situations/people. The taming process is always worthwhile. You are saving lives and producing affectionate loving companions.
The steps involved in the taming process are:
1. Containment* in a cage or large pet carrier.
2. Periodic/brief handling with protective towel.
3. Containment' in a small room.
4. Exposure to other humans.
5. Placement in suitable adoptive homes.