u/Apprehensive-Two-280

Hi all, I posted not long ago on r/feralcats seeking advice on trapping some feral kittens that the mama (who I have been feeding for some time and suspected was nursing) brought to our garage several weeks ago (pictured here). I'm not seeking TNR advice. As of Sunday, all of the kittens have been trapped and are safely inside acclimating in our spare bedroom (currently in dog crates).

Mama (we call her Tux) has been calling and searching for her babies every night since we took in the last of them. (We shut the garage door to trap them and she immediately bolted as I worked to close it. So she never actually saw us take them.) It's breaking my heart. I am planning to trap her and take her for spaying on Monday. She's really warmed up to us since she brought us the kittens, she rubs our legs and shows us her belly, though she's still wary if we try to pet her. She's shown some interest in coming inside, and I'd like to attempt it after her spay to see how she does. We live in Texas and the heat has already become unbearable.

So, my question is, has anyone here successfully done this? If so, how did you do it? I know we will need to have her crated at first too. And I plan to keep her in a separate room at first so that she doesn't panic about the kittens being contained. But at what point could I reintroduce them? And how do I reintroduce them? Does she need to be totally calm in her separate space, first? And after a few days of being isolated in her own crate, will it be ok for me to work from the same room? I'm a therapist so I'm on meetings and calls all day and I wonder if my presence will help her acclimate more quickly or stress her out.

Clearly I have a million questions. I'm trying to do some research but figured the best option would be to go straight to the source. I'm open to any and all suggestions/advice. TIA!

Hello! I'm seeking some advice on kitten capturing.

Background info if interested (skip ahead if you don't care): Earlier this year we started feeding a few ferals in our neighborhood (picture of Tux aka the mama cat for cat tax). Right around the time I started realizing we should attempt TNR, I presumed she had had a litter. (Excuse my ignorance as I previously didn't realize springtime was the most vital time for spaying/neutering.) We realized this because she had gotten much bigger (which I assumed was thanks to our feeding...wrong) and then about 7 weeks ago she was suddenly shrinking. That same week I saw her nipples, which confirmed that she was nursing. We have been a constant stable food source since then and I have been patiently awaiting her bringing the kittens to us.

I had started to think that maybe the kittens didn't make it, or that someone else might have taken them in. (We've seen her go into other neighbors backyards and many folks have sheds.) But then, this morning...a kitten!!! She was outside for a morning feeding (rare) and kitten was hanging back behind a shelter we put out for her. I tried to lure the kitten with the Royal Canin Mama/Baby wet food we've been feeding her. It was not interested, just scared. And ultimately, it got spooked and ran down the fence line of our backyard. I left the food where they could both see it and went back inside. But no dice, the food was left untouched. This afternoon, Tux is hanging around (which is again rare for daytime) and almost seemed to be leading me to something, but I've checked the perimeter and no kitten in sight.

TLDR: So, what is my best bet for luring a 7ish week old kitten? I was able to get close enough before that I probably could've scooped her if I had gloves, but I would prefer to lure her into a carrier on her own volition if possible. I'm now so nervous/anxious knowing this kitten is out there with cars and hawks and all sorts of dangers, but mama is currently chilling under my car and doesn't seem worried at all. Is it likely that she will come back again in the morning with kitten in tow? Do I go full on crazy cat lady mode and carry some stinky fish around the neighborhood in an effort to get the kitten to come out of hiding?

Secondly, what do I do after capture? I'm going to check out some of the kitten lady's resources. We have a spare room but 2 of our own indoor cats who will probably be going nuts (they already do just seeing the ferals outside eating nightly). I also don't want Tux/mom to distrust us after scooping the kitten (since we still need to TNR her). I wondered if giving mom the option of coming in/out of the window at times would be a feasible option, or if that might just stress everyone out more? Any advice appreciated as this is my first time in this situation!