I have been feeding a feral cat for about 6 mos.she had 4 kittens about 8 wks.ago.3 of them didn't make it.i have seen the one remaining kitten a few times and my plan is to catch it and take it to a shelter and hopefully it will get adopted.i can catch the mother and have her spayed .how ever if i catch her before i catch the kitten i am afraid the kitten will die because i can't get near it because of thick brush she hides in.i would like to know how long the mother can or will nurse her.winter will be upon us so i don't have a lot of time.please help!! a cat lover to the extreme

Usually the kittens nurse for maybe 4-6 weeks.

Is there some way to trap/catch both the kitten and the mother? Do they ever show up together when you feed them? Can you get close to either of them?

Many shelters will lend or rent out humane traps, by the way, and will help you find a vet to inexpensively neuter feral/stray cats.

Your best bet is to catch the kitten first, and then the mom (who can survive if the kitten isn't around).

WG, cat rescuer