What happens to feral cats if I stop feeding them? Will they be okay?

It is possible that she has milk. Let mama tend to them but keep bottle feeding them. If they are not hungry because they got enough milk from mama, they will drink less or not at all. She is obviously a very good mama. Suckling is also an important comfort factor, even if there is no milk. It gives the kittens security and bonds. Leave them with their mama until they are 12 weeks old. She will teach them everything they need to know including how to use the litter box, what to eat and what not, hunting, etc., and you will get well adjusted kittens without behavioral problems. And thank you for taking such good care of them! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am not a lawyer or with law enforcement so please do not consider this any sort of legal advice. This is a tough one. You can always call the animal shelter/ animal control near you. Perhaps you could just offer the cat food off your property? Start with just a little off your property, then move closer and closer to the neighbor's? Or, if she is friendly toward you and you can handle her, you could consider trying to make her your official pet. In most cases, if you can get her into the vet for a checkup, a vaccine or two, and a microchip-ideally, then she is yours and you can claim her as your own outdoor cat. Of course be aware that other cats may head your way when you start placing food outside - you may end up back where you started. Best wishes to you and the kitty!

Typically when cats stop eating, it means they are sick. It's actually very serious when a cat stop eating, as if they don't eat going on 72 hours, they develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. I would take them into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

If there is a TNR program in your area, this would be a great option for getting them spayed and neutered - they are old enough to do this now. To catch them, you can get live traps and leave them out overnight with cat food inside - when they go in to eat, the door closes behind them.

You are correct that is too long. If a cat goes 72 hours without eating, they will develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. Do not do this. They only need to be fasted for 12 hours to be safe for surgery.

It may take some times before the cats become comfortable. Cats have been on their ownfor a while may develop a healthy fear of humans and it will take some time to gain their trust. I recommend to try to associate yourself with food. Get something that is very tasty and high value to the cats and sit quietly nearby while they eat. Gradually work your way up to hand feeding them or touching them while they eat. Most cats instinctually want to play so try to entice them with toys. If they will play with you, they will usually bond with you as well. I’m not sure if you have veterinary access but the one who is not eating could be ill. Make sure to deworm both cats as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It might really stress her out to be inside if she's never been inside, so I would just leave out food for her, and set up a shelter for her and her kittens. I would try to catch her after the kittens have weaned, and have her spayed. If she will allow it, I would try to handle the kittens to tame them so you can find them homes. I hope this helps!