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Dog person finds a kitten - help!
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11-10-2014 7:42pm#1
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Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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Pumpkinseeds wrote: »Oh, also take a look at the just rescued a 2 week old kitten thread on here, there's loads of advice on there too.
It's this thread here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057271029
Let us know how it goes, please and thank you :pac:0 -
an update on my little feral kitten.
Its certainly old enough to EAT! everything Ive left out for it is gone when I next go out. Ive been feeding it x4 times/day - Question: is that enough?
Of course the cat milk I bought (only store near me) was bloody Whiskas 8-( Will look for something better when I go to the town next. Question: If the kitten is eating food, do I need to give it catmilk - or just a good idea as a supplement? Ive left it water.
When I open the door to the wash house, the kitten dissapears behind boxes.
I left it a toy in its little bed, the toy has dissapeared :rolleyes: Left it a tennis ball this a.m.
There is a box of old dishes on the floor - its pooping and weeing in a bowl
I didnt get a chance in the dark to see if its eyes were still blue
Since its eating well, and its bed is being used, Im not too worried about it but I am worried about trying to tame it... I dont want to frighten it too soon - any chance that it might start to get less frightened when it realizes that Im the source of food, or is this highly unlikely in a feral?
Question: What should my plan of action be?
Will I just keep feeding it, keep it in the shed until its old enough to be allowed out. If we get to the mature stage, what age should I think about neutering. Would like to get it to the vet for shots/worming at some stage too...0 -
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 76242
Is the kitten the only one who has access to that food, or is there a chance that some other animal -hedgehog, birds, rats, other cats- could get to it? Usually cats stop eating when they're full, so if everything is gone it either means that someone else eats the left-overs, or that s/he may still be hungry. Have you tried observing (read: spying on) him/he after you've put the food out, i.e. does it take him/her long to get to it, or does s/he rush out of his hiding place?
If you're certain s/he's the only one eating the solid food, I'd say it's safe to assume s/he's weaned, and the cat milk could be just a treat rather than a necessity, plenty of water is absolutely indispensable, though. And a kitty litter box. Also, please don't ever invite me to your house for dinner... I now know too much about your delph...
If the kitten is definitely feral, I'd say it's HIGHLY unlikely that you'll be able to tame him/her. In the long run s/he might get used to you and your presence, but s/he wouldn't become a cuddly cat. If s/he's semi-feral, or if s/he's stray/had contact with people, then you might stand a chance.
As for vaccination/neutering, do read up the first few pages of the thread we mentioned before, I know it seems very long but most of the information is easy to find. It's a step-by-step guide on kitten-rearing, and kitten-rearing troubleshooting.
Photos and/or dimensions of the cat would be helpful. Especially photos. Or videos, whatever. 0 -
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Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 76242
I suppose the amount of food might depend on the brand - there should be a feeding chart/table on the box/pouches. Personally, I'd try to give him a more than what you mentioned - if I'm not mistaken a pouch should be enough for one portion for one adult cat and I think they're supposed to get 2 or 3 a day, so maybe half to 3/4 pouch should probably be one portion for one kitten. If you manage to get your hands on some kitten-specific food it might suit his tummy better, I think they have a different proportion of nutrients compared to the adult version, and the chunks/nuts are kitten-mouth sized.
If he is fully feral, it will cause him stress to be confined... He's probably understood that that's where his food comes from by now, so if you let him out he'll come back for food and possibly shelter. You'll probably need to get a cat trap to catch it and bring it to the vet at a later stage -don't wait too long or it might get pregnant/catch some nasty disease-, but that would still be less stressful for him than keeping him confined until then.
By the way, any cat, not only feral cats, would scratch/bite/hiss at anyone who approaches/grabs them if they don't know them and don't trust them or if they haven't been fully socialised, or simply if they're scared, so I wouldn't decide only on that part of their behaviour alone that the cat is feral. Having said that, I'm not excluding that yours is.
Also, let him out of the door, rather than the window, for two reasons; the first is that although he might be able to get out, he might find it hard to go back in from the outside while he's still so young, and the second is that some small windows are terribly dangerous for cats, depending on how they are fitted. They can get stuck and hurt themselves terribly, I remember reading stuff about it ages ago. Would you consider a cat flap?
Ring a local Trap and Release organisation, they'll give you great advice and might be able to help you with the kitten's parents and siblings and feeding. 0 -
Ok, so if its feral, I have no hope of it becoming an indoors cat.
My 5 year old cat Beau was a feral when I took him in at 4 months old, it took a lot of time and effort to get him used to me alone. He was very hissy but thankfully not biting. Lucky for me he knew how to use a litter box so I let him live in my room only. He wouldn't let me touch him for a while but he would come and lie on my shoulder at night time, I slowly started petting him and feeding him from my hand and now he is one of the friendliest cats we have ever had so it's definitely possible you can have the kitten as a cuddly indoor cat. It's going to take a lot of gentle handling. You're terrier may take more convincing 0 -
My 5 year old cat Beau was a feral when I took him in at 4 months old, it took a lot of time and effort to get him used to me alone. He was very hissy but thankfully not biting. Lucky for me he knew how to use a litter box so I let him live in my room only. He wouldn't let me touch him for a while but he would come and lie on my shoulder at night time, I slowly started petting him and feeding him from my hand and now he is one of the friendliest cats we have ever had so it's definitely possible you can have the kitten as a cuddly indoor cat. It's going to take a lot of gentle handling. You're terrier may take more convincing
Just want to +1 this.
Yesterday was Maxs 1st gotcha day, he was about 6 months old or so when I trapped him last year and now he's the cuddliest cat you could meet. It took a lot of time to get to this point but the younger they are the easier is supposed to be to tame then.0 -
My but Beau looks like a fierce wild creature all together.
It seems we know less about the cat, its habits and potential than we do about dogs who have gone further down the road of domestication.
The BBC did an excellent documentary series recently called Cat Watch where they filmed the behaviour of some pet cats in a village and some semi feral cats on a farm that were kept there to do a job of work and that was to keep the rat problem under control.
The semi feral cats sometimes had too many kittens and the farmer purposely handled some of those kittens regularly and socialised them to humans. The programme showed a few of those cats that had grown from that semi feral condition to become pampered lap cats. Situations and individual cats vary however some people will tell you they have had no success with feral or semi feral kittens and that in those examples the cat never fully accepted humans.
If you would like to develop a better relationship with the kitten there are lots of videos etc online posted by people giving suggestions on how to do that.
I would also suggest you get a litter tray as soon as possible into the wash house. Kittens naturally look for a way to hide or bury their poo and pee and by simply providing a tray with some nice litter in it you will be making the job of cleaning up after the kitten a lot easier and getting her use the the idea that litter is the place to hide poo not in bowls,basins, clothes left on the floor etc. You do not want a problem with an adult cat who thinks these things are an option to use later in life. Thats not because the kitten is dirty its because she is clean, she is naturally conditioned to hide her poo or pee and you can buy a litter tray in any local pet store or use any tray you have to hand that will hold soft sandy soil etc but litter and a litter tray is easier. The kitten will probably start to use the litter tray as soon as she gets use to this strange object in her space and begins to explore it. Mother cats show their kittens how to use a litter tray by scratching the litter about a bit which seems to encourage a response simular to us hearing a running tap. You could try making some of those scratching sounds yourself while calmly sitting on the floor of the washouse and getting the kitten use to you non threatening presence.
Best of luck.
Part one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpEcxIgMhyQ
Part Two
Part Three https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP8E-yFXCT40 -
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If he is fully feral, it will cause him stress to be confined... He's probably understood that that's where his food comes from by now, so if you let him out he'll come back for food and possibly shelter. You'll probably need to get a cat trap to catch it and bring it to the vet at a later stage -don't wait too long or it might get pregnant/catch some nasty disease-, but that would still be less stressful for him than keeping him confined until then.
Ive been wondering about keeping it confined on its own
Should I let it out of the washhouse now?!?!? After being in there since Saturday evening - will it know to go back (its monday afternoon)?? It seems awfully small to be out in the world on its own. I can leave the door propped open a bit but not all the time (we store stuff there) - there is also my terrier to worry about - hes a house dog but is in & out during the day (contained garden)
Will get a litter tray organised asap.
jeez dont know what to do now - poor little kitten - its definately feral as we are not close to many other houses. There is 1 cat in my nearest neighbor but that is semi-feral (we trapped and had it neutered - its neutered sibling was recently killed on the road)0 -
Any young kitten, feral raised or not, can be tamed.
Also, stay away from the milk-any kind of milk that is not kitten formula.
If the kitten is eating solid food, no need for kitten formula either so water is fine.
a kitten de wormer would be the next step that needs to be taken, drontal kitten wormer (liquid) can be mixed through the wet food.
Vaccination about 1-2 weeks later. Good lukc and well done for takimg him/her in. 0 -
Ive been wondering about keeping it confined on its own Should I let it out of the washhouse now?!?!?
I don't think the kitten has already learned that the shed is her/his home. Generally for a semi-tamed cat the advice is to keep them inside for at least 4 weeks.
This kitten is too young to hope she/he can manage to survive on her/his own. If you open the shed the kitten would run away, you'll never find her/him again and the kitten could die in a couple of days.
In my opinion, you should keep the kitten in your shed for at least two or three months. Even better if you could bring her/him inside, where the chances of contact between you and the kitten are more frequent and hence the kitten will be used to the human presence more easily.
My younger cat (13) was a semi-feral cat. I brought her home when she was 8 months old. She would hiss and bite and scratch in the first month because she wasn't used to be touched.
After six or seven months she started coming near when I was watching the TV, and in a couple of years she started curling next to me and sleep so tight that induces me a deep sleep as well
P.S.: Wow... my 500th post! 0 -
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What Ever2010 said is a good idea.
I remember now when in 2011 I fostered two feral kittens in a large cage (like the one that vets have) in my garage.
Every night I went to them and sat by the cage and read them two pages of a newspaper without caring them too much.
What was important was my presence there and the sound of a human voice for quite a long time. I usually stayed there for an hour.
I think that those two kittens became experts in political and financial management and also very up-to-date with what was going on over here
How do you think you could grab the kitten in your shed? You said that he hides when you get inside.
The crate should be closed on each side, or the kitten would jump out and have the run of the house.
Chances are that if the kitten is young enough (I mean younger than 8 weeks) you could tame him quite easily.
Another important thing is to get him used to be held in your arms, on your lap.
One I had read that if a kitten learns to stay in somebody's arms (read off the ground) he won't be scared to be taken on lap when grown up.
My younger cat was taken home when she was 8 months old, too late to teach her to stay in my arms and that it's true: keeping her off the ground is a fight!0 -
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My elderly neighbour (she with the neutered ferals!) tells me that on saturday she found a small black kitten lying on the eggs in the hen house (heat?) She said it was half starved looking. She then found the kitten dead in the hen run later that day, so now I am very glad Ive got my little kitten safe inside & eating well. I got a litter tray for it today - its used it already!
I got a wormer for it - will give it that tomorrow - although I dont know how old it is - question: should I wait? Which is better/worse, to give a too-young-kitten a wormer, or to wait ...
I guess I'll have to buy a crate to bring the kitten indoors if its ever going to get socialized... question: until I get the crate, the kitten is in our washhouse, hides behind boxes/etc when I open the door - do I try to grab it thus frightening the life out of it - Ive sat there talking to it and making that pishpishpish noise that we humans all do to cats - for the past few days, with zero progress... Any suggestions where to buy the cheapest crate in the Naas/Newbridge/Blessington/Maynooth area?? 0 -
Fair play to you aonb, I had a feral litter of one born under my shed to a cat that was no more than a kitten herself. The mother cat realised it was warm inside houses so would often leave the kitten while she was looking out my neighbours window all snug. I spent evenings sitting doing what you're doing now chatting away to the little kitten, he was hungry so I'd put out food and sit nearish to it - he linked me with the food and allowed me to sit nearer and nearer to him slowly allowing me to stroke him. We eventually got him crated and he got an outdoor run. Keep persevering! It takes a while for a cat to accept you as his slave the poor kitten in the shed. 0
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You might find this useful
https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-care/kitten-care-must-know-tips-for-raising-kittens/0 -
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Thats great you got a litter tray which is an essential thing for your kitten as she is indoors all the time and isnt she a smart little thing to be using it already. Litter tray use as a kitten will probably prevent possible future confusion over where to toilet when indoors later in life. Now you just have to make sure to keep it clean, scooping out solids with one of those little shovels with holes in it every single day which will make life easier for kitty and keep the place smelling much nicer for you .
Cats and kittens can be fussy about hygiene and do need litter to be clean or they may avoid the area and you are back to square one.aonb said
I got a wormer for it - will give it that tomorrow - although I dont know how old it is - question: should I wait?
Personally I would catch the kitten preferably putting her in a carry crate and bring her to the vet for a quick look over. The vet will be able to tell you the age of the kitten and will be able to give you any flea or worm medicine appropriate for age and weight. I would be worried about giving too much of something at too young an age or to a kitten not yet healthy enough, its not something I know much about so maybe others can advise better but a vet check seems to be a very good start and something you will probably have to do anyway to give injections just as you would a puppy.
More reading if your up to it on How and When to Care for and Socialize Feral Kittens http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=907
On the subject of warmth, one of all little animals basic requirements I find this item fantastic,
Its a very solid disc you heat in the microwave and it does actually keep its heat for 8 hours. Many animals who chew through or are frightened by the wobble of a hot water bottle will readily accept this and many humans I know have decided they are so good they have to have one of their own. Just one very important thing Do Not give to an animal if the bottle is over hot or the animal is too weak to move away from it if uncomfortable and wrap it up to keep the heat down a little for the animals body.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/thermal_pads/129427
You could try a hot water bottle if you cant get one of these or if its too expensive but it wont last as long, still you could always keep reheating it.
Another tip you can sometimes get bargains on equipment for animals like carriers, cat flaps or crates etc on Adverts.ie try cat accessories http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/pets/pet-accessories/cat-accessories/637/0 -
Progress:) : Left my husband in charge of "livestock" today when I went to visit my mother down the country. When I got home this eve he said "we cant leave that poor little kitten on its own in the washhouse any longer"!!! So we SPRANG in to action (rather than let him slip back in to procrastination mode) Got a crate! Got on our gloves, and went out to the washhouse, emptied all the junk & got the kitten. Its in the house now - in the work room, out of sight of the terrier. Its the CUTEST little thing you ever saw - its nice and heavy feeling (after a week of eating and kitten milk) and its ears are up and its eyes are not blue (I read that their eyes change colour at 6 ish weeks?) - sort of greenish brownish. So I put, according to your advice a little cardboard box with a couple of nice new fleecy blankets in the crate, along with its litter tray and some food and water and its stuffed toys. It let me stroke it for quite a while, looking around with alertness, wasnt freaked or anything, so we're delighted with ourselves. THANK YOU for all the advice, Im off now to read those two pointers from Ambersky and Pumpkinseeds. I'll leave off bringing it to the vet for shots and checkup and wormer for a while until its handled a bit more (it spat at me a couple of times from inside its little box-house!) Husband took some photos, will post them on here in a little bit when I get him to download them off the camera - definately the cutest kitten on Boards for quite a while (well except for Finbar of course!) 0
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Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 76242
AWH, he's a beauty... I like the big oven gloves too! Self preservation and all that, eh?
I must admit he seems to be pretty relaxed in your arms. Delighted to see I was wrong about taming a stray I guess getting him at an early age makes a big difference.
Congratulations on your good deed, I can guarantee you won't call yourself only a dog-person for long any more :pac:
As for the name, I know someone who would be over the moon if you named him/her Boardsie.0 -
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Like the names! But CERTAINLY wont be letting you lot name it though after poor old FINBAR!!! (Though it kinda grows on you doesnt it) Anyway, had a cuddle-fest just now - LOTS of purring going on - and trying to crawl up on my shoulder (afraid it will take off, so Im not taking any chances with it yet) And have dispensed with the glove!!
Just two more questions - how do you stroke a cat?!?!?!? What do cats like - you know how dogs always love being scratched on their ears and tummies - I realized tonight I havent a clue how to stroke/fondle a cat!!! They're so bloody fragile feeling and flimsy its scary.
Can I give it cooked fish at this stage? Tried it with a few tiny bits of raw haddock tonight, but it didnt touch it. Was going to cook the fish? Do Kittens not all love fish?!?!?
Jeez Im going to be worrying all night about this bloody kitten
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