Uh oh! Just found a small kitten in the yard!

MoochNNoodles

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I just went outside to shake out a bag and I found a tiny kitten in our yard. He looks maybe 5-8 weeks old. I haven't gone too close to him. He's all black, but his eyes still look kind if kitten blue. It's dark so it's hard to see. I first noticed him as just a blob in the grass, but then it moved so I turned the light on and sure enough, there he is. He's sitting under the back fender of DH's car at the moment.

We have a lot of ferral or just outdoor cats around here so he might be from one of them, but I don't know what to do. I don't have anywhere to isolate him and we're leaving first thing in the morning for a vacation. The only shelter here is the SPCA and we've got a long ride tomorrow so I don't know if I can get him there.

Any advice?
 

jen

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ahh well I can be of absolutely no help!

I would get the kitty inside to safety, try and find it a home and everything. Or foster home.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I just went out with a flashlight and he was curled up sound asleep under one of our cars in the grass. I got him to wake up and I tried to get a good look at him. His eyes are either blue or the light was too bright for him or they look kind of off--possibly infected? His nose looked wet too but I was having a hard time seeing him.

I don't know what I can do before we leave in the am!
 

catsarebetter

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Hrm, I live in DC, Delaware isn't too far from me, but.. I honestly don't know where I'd house him with my crew.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by CatsAreBetter

Hrm, I live in DC, Delaware isn't too far from me, but.. I honestly don't know where I'd house him with my crew.
I'll be dring by DC tomorrow actually......
 

catsarebetter

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Any idea on what type of care he's going to need? I might be able to put him in a bathroom. My sister is going to murder me, though.
If he's going to need bottle feeding, I'm going to run into an issue come Monday when we go back to work. And how long are you gone for? He has to go back home with you, lol. I've added to many to this house and my domestic is flipping out.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I think he's too old for a bottle. It's kind of hard to see him in the dark here. DH is allergic so adding another kitty is really not good on him. My girls were about 10-11 weeks when I got them. I'm trying to remember how big they were to guess his age. He's not much smaller than them I don't think...if he is. He's black and it's black out!
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I just went out again. He's now cuddled against the inside of a tire. guessing from the way he's curled up, he's about 6" long??? I couldn't wake him up with my noises this time to try to see his eyes. He's very fuzzy.
 

catsarebetter

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Do you think he's in danger, or do think there's a litter nearby that he belongs to? I'm kind of in a situation here where I want to help but I'm sitting here thinking about it and while mine are all vaccinated, I can't really risk bringing him into the household and I don't really have an effective way to separate him out from the others.. not to the extent that I can keep them out of whatever room he'd be in. What time are you leaving tomorrow? I may have a neighbor, if I can catch them in the morning, that might be able to watch him for the time you're on vacation, but are you looking to rehome him or just for someone to watch him while you're gone?

The sister I can deal with, but I'm not sure how much attention I can give him, and I definitely can't keep him. And I have to put the four-footers I have here as a priority, and without taking him to the vet and getting all the tests run, I have no idea what I might be exposing my little monsters to. So, I'm not sure how to work it out, unless I can contact the neighbors (they just lost all their cats to old age and have none currently.. haven't been emotionally ready for it yet) and they might be able to watch him as there wouldn't be any other animals that any health issues might affect.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I completely understand where you are coming from. I'm deffinatley not going to be able to keep him. I don't even know anyone who can foster or anything for me unfortunately.

I'm hoping there is a mama nearby he belongs to. there are lots of strays and things. I know there are a few people that feed the strays here.
 

catsarebetter

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Well, my guess is he's come from some litter nearby... although I hate to make that assumption and then come to find that some idiot dumped a bunch of kittens on the side of the road to fend for themselves. It's pretty likely, though, if there's a lot of them there, that he belongs to one of the families.

UGH!!! I'd love to help, but besides all the things that were already mentioned, I'm particularly depressed and having a time bonding with my two kittens (after the loss of Tavi) and I just know bringing that sweet little soul into my life, personally, is a bad bad thing for me. And the domestic is already on the warpath with the other cats.. we've had to employ Feliway, and it may come down to having to get her on meds.
I just know I can't keep him, and I just know that's what will end up happening.

This is the major reason why I can't do rescue.. I'd keep them all. Well, that and the landlady only thinks we have one cat... There's about 16 paws too many for that to be accurate....
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I could never do rescue either.... I'm a mess myself! I haven't gone out to check on him in a bit. My housesitter came by for the keys and we got chit chatting. She'll keep an eye out for him.

Maybe it would be best to let him be for now. I unno.
 

catsarebetter

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At least she's going to keep an eye out for him. It's so hard to tell what the right call is.
I'm going to be worried about him the whole time you're gone. Although at the moment I could easily put my crew in kitty jail and not blink.. dunno what i was thinking when I brought home a Bengal.
It's a good thing I like them. Keep me updated on him. I'll be worrying.

Oh, and above all that, have a good vacation...
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Thanks....I actually feel much calmer and more peaceful than when I first posted. I appreciate you answering back, even though neither of us can really do much but pray for now! The girl who's house sitting is my best friends sister, and she just told me that my best friend is flying in tomorrow from Japan. (it's a last minute arrangement or I'd have known...figures she'd get it worked out the week I leave town!) I have a feeling that if this baby is around and it needs help, she'll try to do something. That gives me some peace too. I'll probably be bugging my house sitter to see if she's seen this little one. Oh dear!
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

I completely understand where you are coming from. I'm deffinatley not going to be able to keep him. I don't even know anyone who can foster or anything for me unfortunately.

I'm hoping there is a mama nearby he belongs to. there are lots of strays and things. I know there are a few people that feed the strays here.
Hey Mooch....I'm hoping that the people that are feeding the strays are also trapping them to be spayed/neutered. I wouldn't leave him outdoors to fend for himself..if he is friendly (or even a little scared) he shouldn't really have a problem with a finding a home through the local humane society.

Katie
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by CatsAreBetter

This is the major reason why I can't do rescue.. I'd keep them all. Well, that and the landlady only thinks we have one cat... There's about 16 paws too many for that to be accurate....
That's precisely why I do rescue. I have 2 cats of my own. I know my limit. But because I volunteer with a rescue group, I can help to find homes for kittens and cats that need them. We pull from shelters in Virginia that do not have as high of an adoption rate. We recently placed a cat we had in our rescue for 2 years. I absolutely love it and I have no concern about wanting to "take them all". The way I look at it...I can help to match the right kittens/cats to the right people. That is always rewarding.


Katie
 

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ooo I know how you feel, we were like that when Teddy showed up, we weren't in the market for another cat, but its so hard not to do anything
As you know we kept him
but I know your situation is completely different.

I am sure your house-sitter will keep an eye on things


ooo I do hope you get something sorted for the little mite
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I know one lady was spaying and neutering, but she just moved. I've never talked with the other people. Only a handful of people around here are ever outside and friendly. I know we do have some 'unsavory characters' for lack of a better word. So I think they are keeping us nice people on the lookout.


I just went outside and he was gone. My neighbor scared to stuffing out of me though (a friendly one) because I was about to walk around the house and he hollared "What are you doin out all early!" So I told him I'd seen a kitten under the car last night. He asked if it was a little black one. He drives a big ol deisel construction vehicle home in the evenings and parks it behind where my house is. He said there is a litter over there and he thinks that kitten is from there. He said they run when he comes to park but will come back a few minutes later. I told him how that kitten had slept under my car. I think he'll keep his eye on them. I think back the way that litter is, is another one of the people that feeds because I see cats hanging out around there a lot.

In other news, I found my bedroom screen torn while I was out there! DH said he saw it the other day and thinks something hit the window because it's scratched. To me it looked like there was 1 big tear and it was pulled a bit and where it pulled it tore across just a bit. DH really doens't think it looks like a knife or anything. He said he saw a small bone (like a small piece of chicken) under the window also....so maybe a bird? I'm just glad I do have someone staying here while we are away...and she's a state trooper cadet so I think she'll be a good house guard too!
 
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