Found A Kitten (Can't be more than 2 - 4 months): Lost? Abandoned? Mother Looking For Them?

Recently a kitten found their way to my house and just decided it was theirs (which is perfectly fine by me, I love cats and since I'm moving out of my parents' house soon and can't bring my older two with me, I'm more than willing to take the kitten). My dad took them in and the way they attacked the food, we assumed they were either dropped off in a nice neighborhood by someone unable/unwilling to take care of them or was a stray that the mother either abandoned or lost. Either way, (s)he was desperate to come inside and eat.

This would be the second night that I've kept them inside with me and they have made zero effort to go out. If anything, I may have imprinted on them as their mother since they follow me like a duckling.

I plan to make an appointment for my two cats and this new kitten for the vet (I was planning on getting the other two their shots this week anywho). After that I'm going to put up signs saying that there's a found kitten in the possibility that they just got the wrong street and thus the wrong house but just now when all is quiet late at night, I swear I can hear another cat meowing outside.

I really don't know much about cats and how they handle separating from their mothers and since I can't be sure how old this kitten is I don't even know if they had separated naturally. I just know that I would hate it if it turned out the kitten was just fine and had a mother that was taking care of them only to have my dad and I trap them inside. Like I said, the kitten doesn't seem interested in going back out. They don't even respond to the sound of the meowing cat outside.

I know that this neighborhood has plenty of cats so the meowing could be anything but I also know that when this kitten is left alone in a room or has lost sight of either my mom, my dad or myself that they start crying to be found. Is it possible that the kitten had previously been looking for their mother and found me instead and that the actual mother is now looking for them and if so is there a way to find out for sure and what should I do? If the mother is in distress, I'd hate to be the cause of it. However, if it's perfectly acceptable I would actually really like to keep the kitten. I've seemed to have attached myself to them.

Of course, I could be over-dramatizing everything, it's sort of in my nature to do that. I know that kittens are separated from their mothers at much younger ages but I also know that sometimes the mothers can get rather lonely and upset for a time when this happens. Since I know that I am very much lacking in the knowledge department of this sort of thing, I know it's possible that I could be doing something wrong and yet think I'm doing something right.

Sorry if I'm wasting forum-space but thank you for reading this.

Hi @KairiYajuu  Welcome to The Cat Site.

Thank you for helping this kitten. The fact that she/he followed you home and isn't scared of people makes me think this is probably a kitten that has either got lost or been dumped, rather than a feral kitten that has lost their mother. Feral kittens take a lot longer to warm up to people, even if you are lucky enough to pick them up as young as 2 months old.

Also if that was Mum calling outside your kitten would definitely respond. Kittens will stay with their mothers until they are around six months old, just staying in your house for a couple of nights won't make them forget what Mum sounds like. With or without Mum the kitten stands a much better chance of surviving if you keep her/him indoors.

I think taking the kitten to the vet to have them checked over is a good idea. You could ask your vet to scan for a micro chip just in case this is someones kitten that has managed to get out. It is quite possible that the kitten was dumped though, sadly that happens quite a lot.

Could the cat meowing outside be another lost kitten? If someone dumped one kitten near your house there could be siblings out there somewhere.

KairiYajuu said:

 
Recently a kitten found their way to my house and just decided it was theirs (which is perfectly fine by me, I love cats and since I'm moving out of my parents' house soon and can't bring my older two with me, I'm more than willing to take the kitten). My dad took them in and the way they attacked the food, we assumed they were either dropped off in a nice neighborhood by someone unable/unwilling to take care of them or was a stray that the mother either abandoned or lost. Either way, (s)he was desperate to come inside and eat.

This would be the second night that I've kept them inside with me and they have made zero effort to go out. If anything, I may have imprinted on them as their mother since they follow me like a duckling.

I plan to make an appointment for my two cats and this new kitten for the vet (I was planning on getting the other two their shots this week anywho). After that I'm going to put up signs saying that there's a found kitten in the possibility that they just got the wrong street and thus the wrong house but just now when all is quiet late at night, I swear I can hear another cat meowing outside.

I really don't know much about cats and how they handle separating from their mothers and since I can't be sure how old this kitten is I don't even know if they had separated naturally. I just know that I would hate it if it turned out the kitten was just fine and had a mother that was taking care of them only to have my dad and I trap them inside. Like I said, the kitten doesn't seem interested in going back out. They don't even respond to the sound of the meowing cat outside.

I know that this neighborhood has plenty of cats so the meowing could be anything but I also know that when this kitten is left alone in a room or has lost sight of either my mom, my dad or myself that they start crying to be found. Is it possible that the kitten had previously been looking for their mother and found me instead and that the actual mother is now looking for them and if so is there a way to find out for sure and what should I do? If the mother is in distress, I'd hate to be the cause of it. However, if it's perfectly acceptable I would actually really like to keep the kitten. I've seemed to have attached myself to them.

Of course, I could be over-dramatizing everything, it's sort of in my nature to do that. I know that kittens are separated from their mothers at much younger ages but I also know that sometimes the mothers can get rather lonely and upset for a time when this happens. Since I know that I am very much lacking in the knowledge department of this sort of thing, I know it's possible that I could be doing something wrong and yet think I'm doing something right.

Sorry if I'm wasting forum-space but thank you for reading this.

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Tx for your very sympathetic and wonderful letter!

First; several years ago it was common cats got their shots every year. Later on they discovered it was enough to give it every second year - some even whispered it could be enough every third year.

Nowadays, we know if they got fully vaccinated as young, its really life covering.   (its not entirely true for all vaccines in the Core tripple vaccine, but you get the idea.  Let the vet check them up yearly, but its not sure they need the shots. Google / talk through with the vet).

It happens one of the kittens in a litter of semiferales, is more naturally sociale as the rest.   And leaves his momma and litter, goes inside and behaves as if he always lived so.   I have met several such examples.

That said, its more probable he got dumped or got lost.

Re momma perhaps missing him.  Sad, but the best gift to him and to her, is if he gets a good home.  So no point of trying and return him to a semiferal momma, even if she stood outside...    And for cat mommas the most important IS the wellfare of her children.  So soul to soul - you have completely good conscience with her soul.

The only question is this as Norachan mentions: there is perhaps one more sibling outside?  It would be swell if you could help it too - if you can and want.

Can you put food next to your front door? Maybe mommy will come to eat too, or brother or sister, or whoever is meowing out there. You could find out this way.