This is Biwa (aka Biwako-of-abi) again. Your thinking about these things show that you are a good cat owner. I personally would never trust my cats on a balcony, or high-up deck, again, unless it was on the first floor, and then there would be the problem of their escaping into the yard and perhaps getting run over. Don't be fooled by the fact that your cats have been all right so far on the 3rd floor deck. I am sure they like it, but even the cats in the same family can playfully do something that could lead to one or more of them falling. There is a first time for everything, and depending on what they land on, they could get killed. Suggestions about what you can do: (1) You could always keep the door to your deck shut so the cats can't get out there. They do not have to be able to go out on a deck to be happy. You probably know there are many types of toys for cats to entertain them inside the house. (2) If you own the house and can do what you like to it, you could put strong chicken wire or some other barrier anywhere on the deck where a cat might try to get out, or even build a large cage-like area on part of the deck if it is big enough. (In such a case, even the top of that area should be covered with strong wire fencing.) Alternatively, you could just have some sort of strong screen door where you go out on the deck--I mean, one that a cat's claws would not tear if it climbed up as if the door were a tree. I do think a cat would be miserable if it had to be kept in a small cage in the house much of the time, but that could be a temporary solution for times, for example, when you have guests who might unthinkingly leave the door to the deck open. (3) Climbing is also not necessary for a cat's happiness, although you are right that a 4-month-old kitten, especially, is going to want to climb and jump. For that, you can buy, or get someone to make, a pole for the cats that has 3 or 4 little platforms along it, so they can climb up and rest. (Cats, as you probably know, just looove to be up high and gaze down on everyone else.) We never wanted to spend money on something like that, but you can get the same effect using pieces of furniture that are different heights. You could even provide the kitten with fun and exercise by running around trailing a piece of string for him to chase. Just don't leave the string around where he could swallow it and necessitate an expensive visit to the animal ER. (4) I wouldn't rely on the following trick to keep your cats from jumping up on the railing of a deck, nor would it work to keep them off the deck, now that they know it is a fun place, but I did succeed by using noise to give my cats an aversion to climbing up window screens. You know that cats hate unexpected loud noises. We had moved from a place where our cats had had an outdoor cage-like area (about 6x6x6 feet) right outside a window so they could go in and out at will, to an older house where we couldn't do that, and I was afraid they might try to climb up the screen on an open window. The very day we moved in, I took the time to sit and be on the alert to catch any hint that the cats were interested in those open windows, and if a cat so much as stood on its hind legs to peer out through the screen, I briefly pressed the alarm signal on one of those devices a woman might carry to scare away an attacker. I didn't have to do it many times. My four cats very quickly caught on that something awful happened when they touched a window or its frame, and very soon I no longer ever had to worry about open windows and screening. You could probably get the same effect by clashing metal pots against their lids. However, the noise has to be something that the cats will not realize has a human source. Yelling at them and clapping your hands will only teach them to be naughty when you are out of sight. I hope you will find a good solution for your problem. Anyway, I commend you for your concern for your cats' happiness and their welfare. It's always nice to meet a fellow cat lover. Just for fun, here is a site I love to look at for the pictures of all the things one cat owner did with his house. How I wished we could imitate him, but I am sure my husband would never have agreed, lol. (So I am NOT saying you should fix up your house like his, either! But enjoy looking.)

If they are feral, you'll really have to watch that the mother doesn't take them off into the woods to teach them to hunt....If these kittens are that old, you could introduce them to "kitten chow" and maybe alittle wet canned food. And also, make sure they know what the litter box is before you adopt them out... A few years ago, we had 2 semi feral gals that presented us with litters..They had them in the woods and then brought them to our back patio..They were content to live there with their families and let us play with them, thank goodness...After a while, they tried to take them off and my DH would run through the yard with a box, collecting kittens..We did have to bring them into the laundry room and just take them outside for nursing..The mothers seemed OK with that and we were able to potty train and get them all ready for adoption...It was a fun time with all the kittens, but shortly after that, we had both gals spayed.... Good luck with your fur babies....

Oh. Sounds a little bit like a cat I rescued. Here's the story, there might be something here that will help. Found a stray cat in my yard. About 12-18 months old, not neutered. Took him in, kept him separate from my two older female cats until after vet visits, surgery, etc. He was a very jumpy, nervous sort of cat. He jump in my lap, stay for 10 seconds and jump off. I could pet him for about a nanosecond, and then he'd turn and bite me. Hard. Never broke the skin, but did leave bruises. Forget about picking him up or holding him. That was NOT going to happen. The bites would come out of nowhere--he'd be sitting next to me and just suddenly bite my hand. Introduced him to my other cats, slowly, following every idea I'd ever read about. Didn't work. He attacked them. He'd chase them under my bed and they were afraid to come out. He'd keep them from the food and water and litter box. Attempts to place him in a shelter failed. So, because I was living in a small, one-bedroom apartment, he was confined to my bedroom. (A litter box in my bedroom, oh joy!) Every day, for about 45 minutes to an hour, I'd go in and play with him. Lots of dangling, interactive toys. Things that would tire him out. During this time, I did not try to pet him or hold him or touch him. I'd just play with him. And he got to sleep on my bed at night with me, if he wanted to. And I talked to him all the time I was there and awake. I'd read in bed before going to sleep and I'd read out loud to him. During this time, he'd accidentally scratch me while playing, or if I moved while asleep in the night. The backs of my hands and my forearms were covered in scratches for months. It took about 11 months, but one morning, as I was sitting on my bed, he crawled into my lap. I held my breath, I tell you. He sat there for at least a minute, then walked off. That was the turning point. Very, very slowly, I started to pet him. And he stopped biting. About a year and a half in, and he started to purr so I could hear. It got to the point where I'd walk into the bedroom, and he'd start jumping around, because he knew he'd get half an hour of play, and then half an hour of lap time. I'd wake up in the morning, and he'd be pushing his head into my hand to get ear rubs. Sadly, despite my best attempts, I could not get him to stop attacking the other cats. And he learned how to open doors. After the third vet visit for an abscess for my older cat, I had to find him a new home where there were no other cats. So this might sound like counter-intuitive advice, but maybe confine him to a smaller space for a few months. A big house and big yard might be frightening to him. Everyone in the house should agree to not pet him, not pick him up. Let human contact be on his terms. Two play sessions a day. Lots of talking to him. If he bites, everyone should use the exact same correction--a hiss, a bop on the nose, and then remove yourself from the cat. (Or whatever correction you choose.) I think it is very important to be consistent. It will take a lot of time. It took over a year before my cat was anything close to "normal" for a cat. Yours is younger, so maybe he will be able to change more quickly. But I don't think there is a quick fix for this situation.

Maybe too many cats within a limited area. Just a thought. We had 3 that had a litter all at the same time-Oh that was fun. We had to keep one mom and kittens in one room and the other two were ok. The original mom became aggresive and we did have to watch her. Later when the kittens got older and got new homes it became better. I asked our vet and he said that some cats just plain don't get along with others. Just my own experience.