Kitten worries

Sorry, yet more questions from a ferals newbie.

I'm in the process of rescuing a semi feral adult and her 6 month - ish kitten. I had to feed earlier than usual today. Mum wasn't there, but kitten eventually made an appearance.

She is very confident around me even though we only met a few days ago. But...she's really jumpy when she's eating. She doesn't even glance at me, but is looking to the places that her mum ambushes her from when she's with me. Every time I've fed kitten, her mum has chased her away, sometimes growling and hissing too.

The kitten appears to be stuck in a small section of the cellars that run under the barn, whilst mum has the run of the place. Mum looks very well and well fed, but kitten seems very skinny by comparison.

I feel as though I need to get kitten out straightaway, even though I don't yet have a home for her. It's not as cold as it is for some of you in the US, but snow is coming tonight.

Would kitten be better off in a large dog crate in my garage, where at least she could eat without fear? I have a lead on a possible home for her, but no news yet. I'd love to have her myself, but I have an elderly dog who's going downhill and is taking up a huge amount of my time. My first duty has to be to him.

I don't know what to do for the best.

NB - the kitten only showed itself recently and my focus has been on catching her mum first (who I've known about for some time)...especially as I already have a home lined up for her.

Forgot to say - the cellars kitten's in is basically a mid length fairly narrow corridor below the grain drier. Nothing but the odd pile of forgotten grain and possibly bait for rats/mice (but I'm not sure of that). She has a pile of grain at one end that appears to be her nest and a smaller pile halfway along that's her 'litter box'. That's it.

I would trap the kitten and get her inside the dog crate.  Outfit it with a litter box and bed (or a cozy carrier if there's room.).  She will need a place to hide as she will be frightened by the changes.  As soon as possible, have her spayed.  It sounds like she's getting old enough to present some territorial issues with mom.

You can work on soicalizing her a bit when she's in the crate.

Mom will need spaying too (unless you want more kittens!).  If you are able to socialize her some, too, it will make her transition to the new home easier.

Thank you so much for helping them.

Thank you. I'm planning to get them both spayed as soon as I can. No way would I re home before that was done. They will both get health checks, wormed, de-fleaed and anything else needed as soon as my vet can fit them in.

The crate is big enough for a leggy greyhound, so plenty of room for tray, bed and hiding places. In fact, I can just about squeeze in there *with* the dog so it should be ok for kitten!

Mum has a home from May (with someone who used to have 3 ferals), and a rescue that does a lot of work with ferals and semis can foster her til then. I didn't know about kitten when I arranged this, and they haven't places for two.

I'll hate to see them go, even to good people. Thanks for your support.

Update:- I caught the kitten! I can't believe she's even semi feral...was eating out of my hand and let me pick her up and put her in the carrier (she would *not* go all the way in by herself. I was so excited and happy until we got to the vet...

She's got multiple old bite wounds on her front paw, bruising all the way up that leg and seems anaemic...really worried about FIV/FeLV now. Also has a big abscess in her armpit. The nurse thought she was about a year old. No microchip. Early stages of pregnancy.

Had to leave her at the vets. Will know more in the morning. I'm just so sad for her. She's really sweet and pretty.

Feel like I've let her down somehow...

Columbine said:

Update:- I caught the kitten! I can't believe she's even semi feral...was eating out of my hand and let me pick her up and put her in the carrier (she would *not* go all the way in by herself. I was so excited and happy until we got to the vet...

She's got multiple old bite wounds on her front paw, bruising all the way up that leg and seems anaemic...really worried about FIV/FeLV now. Also has a big abscess in her armpit. The nurse thought she was about a year old. No microchip. Early stages of pregnancy.

Had to leave her at the vets. Will know more in the morning. I'm just so sad for her. She's really sweet and pretty.

Feel like I've let her down somehow...

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Thank goodness you got her when you did.  You have not failed her instead you may have saved her.  I would call the vet later today to check on her.  She's in good hands. 

You are her angel for saving her.  Let us know any updates.  You are in my thoughts.

Thank you. I can't call the vets later today...I'm in the UK and it's 5.45pm. They said to ring at 10am tomorrow. I'm really worried about her, but the vet I use is really good...and she was seen by the best cat vet in the practice (country vets who deal with anything from gerbils to cattle and everything in between). All I can do is wait and hope.

Columbine said:

Thank you. I can't call the vets later today...I'm in the UK and it's 5.45pm. They said to ring at 10am tomorrow. I'm really worried about her, but the vet I use is really good...and she was seen by the best cat vet in the practice (country vets who deal with anything from gerbils to cattle and everything in between). All I can do is wait and hope.

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Hopefully you hear good news tomorrow morning.  I know what a worry it is.  Please let us know.  Hope is a wonderful thing to hold onto!

Yes, please keep us posted.  You have done so much for her, so do not feel badly.  Think of all the suffering you have prevented for her!

She's going to be ok!

Negative for FIV and FeLV. She'll be sedated later today so they can get a proper look at her bad leg, and they may spay at the same time if she's well enough. They were able to take blood when she was concious. Think she's a stray not a feral. She's handling well and eating well.

I'm keeping her. Her name is Aashka (blessing in sanskrit...It's a blessing she'll be ok).

Columbine said:

She's going to be ok!

Negative for FIV and FeLV. She'll be sedated later today so they can get a proper look at her bad leg, and they may spay at the same time if she's well enough. They were able to take blood when she was concious. Think she's a stray not a feral. She's handling well and eating well.

I'm keeping her. Her name is Aashka (blessing in sanskrit...It's a blessing she'll be ok).

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Such good news!!!  Hopefully she does well today and get her spay done too. Thanks for updating.

Hurray!  Hurray!  Such good news for you and the kitty.  I am so happy you are keeping her - and you have chosen the perfect name for her!

Thank you both. I've blown it with the older cat though

She was virtually in the carrier, but had realised that she could just about reach the food without putting her last paw in. Seeing that it was the best chance I had, I slammed the door. She managed to reverse out just as it was closing and got hit in the face with the door.

She's fine. Hisses at the sight of me. I've lost all trust, and I'm not sure I want it back after seeing what she's done to Aashka. Still have to remove her and can't see how to do it. I've had enough...It's really hard trying to do this at the yard as no one can see the point of what I'm doing and are just impatient for her to be gone. I avoided traps as she's a big cat and I'm worried about injuring her when the trap closes.

I know it seems harsh of me. I've no problem with continuing to feed her, but I don't particularly want to build bridges again.

Sorry for ranting. I'm just tired, stressed and have had enough...

I've trapped really large cats before and they fit just fine in the trap.  It's really best to use the trap.  Just start putting all food in there for a week or so.  You may need to slowly move it back each day.  Just leave the trap unset for a week.  Then one day after the cat has been eating in the trap, set the trap.  It's the best and safest way.

Things will really calm down once the cats hormones are in check.  It's really best to try and trap.

Thank you. She's got to be removed from the yard and spaying was always the plan. I'll get hold of a trap and try that. I was just so hopeful of getting her today since she hadn't been around to be fed for a couple of days.

Maybe I need to ask my mum to give me a few days break...one of us needs to focus on Aashka (though I've got a feeling shes going to become Asha [sanskrit for hope])now anyway.

It's not helping that my greyhound is refusing to eat anything at all now...just something else to worry about.

Sorry about rant earlier. I was tired and frustrated. I'm going to give it a week of just feeding the remaining cat and then introduce the trap as suggested (I can borrow a trap from someone but it'll take them a few days to get hold of it).

The kitten is definitely Asha not Ashka. Don't ask me why, it just suits her better! Collected her from the vet a couple of hours ago. The lumps that we thought were abscesses are just lumps...only blood came out when they pierced them. She's *not* pregnant. The lumps that were thought to be early pregnancy were her kidneys and fecal matter. She's literally skin and bone. I picked her up and it was like holding a furry skeleton The vets felt she wasn't fit enough to spay as she's definitely anemic. They want to get some weight onto her before an op.

She's cheeky, clever and very affectionate. I've had her going back and forth across my lap and rubbing herself against my back. She's been exploring her crate and has even managed a few purrs.

She just doesn't seem feral/semi. I just can't work out how she'd survived at the yard unless the bigger cat is her mum. There was definitely a kitten like her a few months ago that hitched a ride to another yard. The mum (?) (who has actually become Ashka now) was listening to and responding to Asha's meows, which seems unlikely if they aren't related. It doesn't matter really. I'd just love to know.

Will post some pics of Asha in the next few days. I want her to settle on before I bring out the camera!

So glad she is home safe.  Hopefully the spay can happen soon.  Are you planning to keep her inside only? 

Be sure you secure her in a room of her own for awhile.  Also be sure it is cat proofed.  If there is a bed in the room, put it flat on the floor or pick it up.  Under the bed is the first place a cat will hide making it very difficult to get them out.  Also block areas behind bookcases and other furniture.  They can squeeze into very tight spaces.

It would be nice for her to have a perch to look outside.  Just be sure windows/screens are closed and blinds or curtains out of the way. 

Give her a nice cozy bed, access to a litter box, food and water.  Then just allow her some time to settle.

Thank you for rescuing her.

I hope you are able to help the other cat too.  Just be patient.

The cats might be related or they just might hang out together.  Cats can and do form colonies to live with each other.  There will always be one that is more dominant. 

Asha will be indoor only, though I might train her to walks on a harness when she's fully settled, healthy and spayed.

I've set up a big dog crate in an out of the way room. She's got a bed, cardboard scratcher, litter tray and a water bowl screwed into the side of the crate. I checked on her a while ago and she was curled up in her bed.

Unfortunately I don't have a room I can totally give over to her, but I'm going to work on making a bigger space available for her when she's fully settled and used to me a bit more. For the time being it's the dog crate with the door shut when I'm not there, and the crate door open when I'm feeding her. It's the crate my greyhound had after leg surgery and it's (just) big enough to fit me and the dog together!

I'm so grateful for all your support and advice. No way would I have coped without it.

That sounds like a great setup for now.  Just be sure to spend as much time with her as you can so she can learn to accept you and be out and about soon. 

Wait a bit on the harness training especially until she is spayed.  I have a cat that likes to come outside in a small dog cage.  He just sits on the deck with us and takes it all in.  He is as happy as can be inside the cage.  We tried the harness, but he freaked out.  He never did anything buy commando crawl!  It was so funny. 

Lol at kitty commando crawl!

I think Asha's accepting me already. I've never known such an affectionate cat - she's all over me when she's finished eating. I keep her out for a bit after and she's exploring the area around the cage with her tail held high and rubbing up against everything to mark it as hers...well, as far as the 'wall' of boxes that I've set up to deter her from entering non cat proofed space anyway.

I'll be up with her loads. It's tearing myself away that's hard! I'm totally in love with her. :rub: )