Just trapped a young feral kitten. Need some advice.

Hello All,

I have a small feral colony I have been feeding for about 2 months now. It is a colony of 4 they are all adults. It appears to be 2 females and 2 males. I have contacted a TNR to come and help me get them spay and neutered but I am on their waiting list. So until then I will continue to feed these guys and do the best I can to keep them safe. I have set up shelters with bedding for them since it is winter time.

About 2 weeks ago I noticed a little one hanging around. "It" appears to be about 8 weeks old. It is very young you can tell. I can't tell if it is part of the colony I have or if it just appeared. Judging by the other cats I don't think it was part of their group as they smack it when it tries to eat with them. It soooo wanted to be friends and would rub up against them and all but one of the males want nothing to do with it. The one male I call Pumpkin was starting to let it eat with him and seemed to becoming the kittens safeguard. If Pumpkin would come close to eat the kitten would too. If Pumpkin ran so did the kitten. During the day I noticed the kitten alone sleeping on a wood pile in the woods across the street. I "think" it was sleeping in the shelter at night as my husband said he seen it run out in the morning when he went to work.

During this time I have been trying to befriend the baby. I feared it wasnt going to survive in the cold. It would just never let me get to close to it. They all keep their distance from me. Once in a great while one will let me barely touch them before running away. They are truely wild cats. Well tonight the baby came really close to me. I decided to see if it would eat out of my hand and it did for the first time! I slowly kept trying to pet it and it would run away. Finally I laid the food dish near my legs and sat on the ground. The kitten came up to eat out of the dish and I once again attempted to pet it. It let me! First one hand and some rubs then both hands and rubs. I knew we were supposed to get 3-5 inches of snow tomorrow so I figured if I was going to catch it now would be the best time. I opened my door sat in the doorway with the food dish and let the baby eat. Slowly started petting with one hand again and then 2 hands. Then BAM I nabbed it! Struggling kitten in both hands and the door wide open. Darn how am I going to do this? I kick the food dish off the porch grab the door with my foot and tried to pull it closed with my foot all the while juggling a very scared kitten. I am lucky I have a mud room with a door to the main house that was closed. I let the kitten loose and grabbed the outside door and closed it. I have glass french doors going from the mudroom to the main house and the poor thing kept slamming it's self into the glass I felt so bad. My 2 cats and dog was watching from the other side like what the heck is that woman doing?

Finally got hold of the baby and hubby brought me a towel and I wrapped it up and cuddled it. It calmed down pretty quickly. Tried to hiss at me and show me who was boss but gave up quickly. I brought it in and put it in my bathroom. Poor thing crawled in my laundry basket and curled up. I went downstairs and got a large dog crate and set it up with a kitty bed, litter box, food and water and put the baby in the crate in a room in that with a blanket over the crate.

Do you think that is ok to keep it in for a few days while it adjusts to me and until I can get it to the vet? Should I let it loose in the room? The room is pretty big 20x20 it is a bedroom with furniture I fear I will lose the baby underneath, My dog goes to physical therapy every Sat for her leg. I am going to bring the baby tomorrow when I go and have it checked out.

My plan is to keep it in the crate for a week or so. I will let it out in the room alone with me off and on for a few days and once it is checked by the vet and cleared. I will start letting my animals in the room with the baby in the crate. I figure that is a good way to introduce them all while keeping the little one safe until I am sure everyone is going to get along.

Is there anything I am not thinking of that I should? I have taken in many friendly strays but this is the first truely feral baby I have taken in.

Thank you for reading.

GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! You have done a great thing for this baby~!!! The crate IS absolutely perfect for this little baby right now. I use large crates all the time for socializing kittens. This is much more effective IMO rather than having them run from you and hide in a small room. Even if it is a couple of weeks - the crate is the way to go. As soon as you are able to pet this kitten (in the crate) then it is time to let the kitten have a "safe" room of it's own. BUT no hiding places that you cannot access easily. You always want to be able to pet the kitten. Have a few of those kitty cubbies or tents that velcro together with blankets inside for the kitten's hiding place. Don't let the kitten hide somewhere that you cannot reach in to pet. That is why the crate is a great way to initially socialize a kitten - until such time as you are able to pet the baby. Use a closed fist when you reach in and pet under the chin. Don't go over the kitten's head at first - that will intimidate the baby. Make sure you have this kitten tested for FeLK/FIV, and begin vaccines. Plus deworming. Then it would be fine to let your other cats in the room (with the kitten inside the crate) to investigate. Please take things very, very slowly. The slower the better. Do not have expectations and rush the kitten in any way. This is the best way to get the kitten to totally trust you and then things will progress quickly from there. The most important thing is not to let the kitten hide from you and avoid relating to you in anyway. Have a hiding place for the kitten - as long as you can still have close contact with the kitten!! Thanks so much for caring for the feral's. It is a good idea to get the four adult's you have outside sterilized as quickly as possible. Otherwise - more kittens to come .

Kitten is doing pretty well all things considered. It will allow me to reach in and pet it. Poor dear looks so scared but at times starts purring and you can tell it is enjoying it until it realizes that wait I am scared of you. It doesn't run in the crate when approached, just stays in it's little bed. I will post a picture in just a minute. It is such a doll.

Seems I am having an issue uploading photos.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.

Nice!   Jolly well done!

You prob got some backslash when you catnapped him, but it couldnt be helped. He will recover and soon gain new trust in you.   

Please give some extra good and nice food to Pumpkin. Or even, if it is possible for you, choose Pumpkin as your next big fostering project.  He deserves it.   He too is helping our smallest brethrens.

Good luck!    *vibes*

What a pretty baby!  I'm glad you were able to grab him, yes it's traumatic for them but it is the quick and easiest way to do it. Especially when they are so young. I bet he comes around just fine!

We are almost 24 hours in now and baby is doing really really well. Does not seem to want out of the cage at all. Sleeps in it's little bed. It will eat out of my hand and also it's food dish. Ate breakfast and dinner like a champ. The only thing that concerns me is it hasn't used the litter box at all yet.  I have hand raised quite a few babies in my time so I am using the same approach I use on them. Baby is letting me pet it now so I use that time as our mommy grooming time. Tonight after supper I spent a good 15 mins grooming the baby and it rolled over so I could clean every where. I decided maybe I needed to attempt to use stimulation to get it to go potty. Once I did it went in the litter box but didn't do anything. I am going to try again in a little while and see if that works. I am wondering if it is just nervous. I may take some dirty (lack of better word) litter from my cats box and put in there and see if that helps as well. I was a tad hesitant to do that for fear the baby might be afraid to use it because it belonged to another cat. But at this point I have nothing to lose.

I am suprised it is taking to human contact so well. It purrs so loud when I pet it. I have not attempted to pick it up yet as I want to give it a few more days to get comfortable with me. Since I can't really pick it up I can't seem to get it to flip over well enough to find out if it is a girl or boy yet. Maybe soon we will know and baby can get a name.

Vet could not see it today but does have an appointment Monday afternoon so that isn't too bad.

I will post updates and pictures as I can.

Well good news! We pottied. I knew as soon as it happened. The smell was not something my cats do. It traveled clear across the house lmao. But I was actually happy to smell it because I was getting worried. Hopefully after a couple of days the smellies will go away once on some good food.

Meowmmy_Aprile said:

Well good news! We pottied. I knew as soon as it happened. The smell was not something my cats do. It traveled clear across the house lmao. But I was actually happy to smell it because I was getting worried. Hopefully after a couple of days the smellies will go away once on some good food.

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Wonderful!   *beaming*

That smelly is probably because he surely has worms.  Will be better after deworming.

Him nervous is probably adding too...

Him purring?   It may be because he is young, still almost in the "window".  But I suspect it is a form of survival strategy. Try to copy and survive.

Like he tried to please himself into this hostile pack of adult cats.  and why, he succeed. He got at least one friend and protector, mr Pumpkin..

So now is another, but quite similiar situation:  he tries to copy with this new, threating situation. But he also understands there ARE possibilites to get through, even to improve.

He has entirely right in this!  

Good luck!   *vibes*

YOU HAVE POTTY!!!!!!!! PHEW..... I was a bit worried a few posts up BUT your updates are completely positive and things couldn't be going any better, really . AND Baby eats from your hand WOW she has really, really taken with you. I think she is absolutely beautiful and adorable. What a sweetie and so very cute. Great job. Please keep the updates coming

Babykins is doing really well this morning. Ate all of it's breakfast and is now enjoying it's mid morning snack. We played this morning. It loves to play but only in it's crate. It has decided it's kitty bed is the safe zone and if anything frightens it, it runs straight back to it's little bed. We played string this morning and I tried coaxing it out of the crate with the string. Little bugger will come half out of the crate but prefers to play inside which is ok we will work on that in the next few days.

I did manage to pick it up and hold it for a few minutes. It tolerated it but does not seem to enjoy it which is ok. I am taking to the vet on Monday and just wanted to be able to handle it without it being to frightened which we are getting there.

I tried to peek at the sex. It has a little black bottom which makes it very difficult to see, especially inside the crate. Last night my husband was laughing at me because I had the flashlight out peering at the babies bottom. From what I can tell it is a boy. I will confirm in a day or 2 but placement of it's button is low which tells me it is most likely a boy but again it has a black bottom and it is difficult to see even with the flashlight.

Good news: I have found it a home already if we do not decide to keep it ourselves. I gave my husband the decision. We have 2 cats and a dog already and the 4 ferals outside. I am having knee surgery on the 21st and I am not sure if I am up to working with a kitten while trying to heal especially since I wont be able to bend down and get into the crate for awhile after surgery. Hubby told me to wait and see if baby is out of the crate when I have surgery and maybe it wont be an issue. I secretly think hubby wants to keep it even though he swears he wants no more animals. He was a big factor in my catching kitty. He kept telling me every night to leave the mudroom door open for it so it could come inside. But in the next breath he mumbles no more animals. Yet there he is laying next to the crate talking to the baby. Men, who can figure them out!

I am going to take somemore pictures today and will post them later. Since baby is up moving around in the crate I am sure I can get some good ones.

Oh! Baby needs a name. Anyone have any ideas. If it is a boy I was thinking Henry since he has that funny Barbershop Quartet looking Mustache lol.

AWWWWW HENRY!!!!!!!! My Jack Russell Terriers name is Henry - I LOVE THAT NAME. And Baby does look like a Henry OR a HOWIE ... Super news that you might have a home already I always say if a home comes along and you just can't keep the kitten right now because of other commitments in your life - then let the kitten go to this good home. BUT you DO sound like you are "falling" :heart3: I am sorry about the knee surgery.... that would make taking care of a kitten a challenge. Your hubby does sound like a softy - AWW - but don't tell I said so :lol3: I do think it is so heartwarming to see the hubbies warming up to the kitties and talking the baby talk Good luck with you decision - and it is incredible that you can pick up the kitten already .. Suggestion..... wrap the kitten in a towel (swaddle) with just the baby's head out. And hold and snuggle the baby. He will really like that . Good luck at the vet's. And then we will find out for sure - girl or boy. Henry could become Henrietta.

Another update:

Babykins is doing wonderful!

We were talking about hubbies yesterday and I think this little one has stole my hubbies heart. Though he wil never admit it in a MILLION years. Last night I went to bed around 10:30pm. Before I did I went into babies room and took his toys out of his crate and covered him with his little blanket in his bed and told him good night. Around 12;30 I got up to get a drink and as I am walking through my living room I notice a crate in the livingroom? I had to take a double take because when I went to bed there was no crate in the livingroom.

Well it seems hubby thought baby was lonely.... so he drug baby crate and all to the livingroom so he could sit and watch TV with him and the other animals. Ughhhh. Some parts of me I admit were a tad angry as baby was not supposed to be exposed to the other animals until after his appointment this afternoon. I had explained this to hubby before but his soft spot got him in trouble, Another part of me kinda melted when I realized he cared enough about the baby to worry if it was lonely. He gave me this whole long story about how he had been talking to the baby and it wanted to come out and play with the rest of the family and it was all dark and lonely in that room by it's self. Well yeah it is night time baby should be sleeping. So needless to say baby has moved up in the world and now lives in the livingroom with the rest of the family. The dog thinks it is her baby and lays next to the crate, Fat cat could really care less that it is there but he did notice that it gets food when he doesn't so goes and stares at the food in the crate and looks at the baby like are you going to eat that? My Princess wants no part of it. She ignores it the best she can but if it dares look in her direction she is a hissy mess. But to be honest she is a hissy mess with everyone and everything but me. She is def my cat.

When I got up and went to check on it this morning it stood up and started crying like it was happy to see me. Oh melted my heart he is getting used to me and happy to see me. I opened the crate door and he actually wanted to come out and greet me! That is a first. I fed him his breakfast and the bad thing he will only eat if I am sitting there with him. This we have to work on because he soon is going to have to learn to eat by himself. But it does feel good to be needed. He purrs now, he is gonna be a huge purr box I can see it.

After breakfast I always put his toys back in the crate and we play. Oh do we play now. I played with him for about 15 mins and I went and got my coffee and he is still in his crate playing away throwing his little mouse around and looking at me like did you see that?

I have to admit he is doing really well in the livingroom. Infact he seems happier in here than in that bedroom which suprises me for how fearful he was at first. I figured when I saw him out here last night we would regress back a couple of days but then it seems we have actually moved forward a little quicker. (And who said men don't know anything)

He/she/it goes to the vet this afternoon. That should be a treat and maybe that is where the regression will take place. Luckily it will be quick and hopefully we will be ok. I know in a couple weeks he will have to go back to get snipped but we should be a normal house kitty by then and handle it much better.

Oh and some more name ideas. We are big The Chew fans, I know, I know cheesy but my mother in law, hubby and I watch the dvr'd show from earlier in the day together while we have coffee after dinner.  It is our family time. My son will even come over and watch it with us sometimes. So I was thinking if it is a boy maybe Mario after Mario Batali or Symon after Micheal Symon ( I admit I have a secret crush on Micheal Symon) Henry is still in the running and my husband suggested Joe. Don't ask me where the name Joe came from. lol

Have a great day everyone. Sorry I didn't get pictures yesterday will try to get them today. We had to go out yesterday and get the Princess her birthday presents from Petco. My baby turned 4 today. God I love that cat! While we were there Babykins had to get some presents too!

:lol3: Hubby does love the little baby What a cute story about a crate appearing in the living room overnight . Sounds like this kitty has wiggled and purred itself into your home and you even got new toys for him :heart3:. Even the dog loves the new kitten :rub: Hope the vet visit went well today. You are definitely bonding and the vet visit will solidify that trust even more because you will be bringing Baby home to where he feels safe and loved and he will be grateful for that. More pictures ix: when you can

P.S. like the name Symon . Joe :scratch: Maybe Joey is better :lol3: