My new kitten

A stray kitten has wandered up from the barn. Over the years there have been several cats out and about but have never let us come near them. I was sitting outside last Saturday night and a kitten came up and rubbed up against me. I picked her up and took her inside trying to find something for her to eat. I only had a can of potted meat and a piece of bread. This was probably wrong but she was hungry and I had to do something. That night I left her outside hoping she would still be there in the morning. She was! So I went and got her canned cat food and a litter box. I immediately started googling how to care for kittens as, we have only ever had dogs, and tried to educate myself on how to take care of her because at this point all we knew how to do was love her. The kids and I named her Allie Cat. The internet described her as being around 8 weeks old. the first few days she followed us around demanding our attention with constant meows and snacking constantly like she wasn't going to get another meal. She is still in the process of litter training,which she is catching on quickly, and she still eats well and is clear of fleas and worms but now all she wants to do is lay around. She still doesn't want to be alone but being a stray,she doesn't know how to really play or be social. She refuses to go back outside and seems to be afraid of the dark.ive looked for her momma and siblings but it seems they have moved on. The past two days she has decided she doesn't want to be held as much and no longer meows. She does however try to assert herself into our family activities . She constantly purrs and lays on her back for a belly rub but mostly she just lays around. Is she just comfortable and lazy and no longer feels that she has to win us over or is she depressed? Any advice?

hello! if that's the kitten in the picture she looks a little older than 8 weeks, we have a kitten who is around 16 weeks and approximately the same size. She should be gaining confidence at this age. You have given her a loving home where she feels no fear, there should be no reason for her to cry and vocalize for attention, that's probably what she has figured out too. Her purring is a good sign, laying on her back is a signal of trust, she wants you to know that you are her queen and she will allow you to rule her. Great stuff!

Watch out for things like sneezing runny nose, runny eyes, sticky  inner ears. She will need basic vaccinations but be sure to tell the vet how you got her. Certain viruses are common in ferral colonies, they will be able to advise you better about anything relevent in your area. Most importantly ensure she is neutered in a couple of months or on the advice of a vet, if she ever does return to her ferral back ground she will not give birth to more kittens.

Your little cat is not depressed! Quite the opposite. She has made her own luck & chosen you. She probably thinks she's died & gone to heaven.

When little cats have spent their entire lives outside trying to survive "playing" is not #1 on their agenda. As you can imagine. She doesn't want to go outside because she is afraid you won't let her in again.

As the lady above has said, get her neutered. If it were my little cat, I would try to give her a quick bath if she will let you. She may have fleas that you haven't noticed yet. Kudos to you kind people for taking the time to care for an innocent animal.

Thank you for the advice. She actually did great in the bath, I thought to be sure she would claw me but she just sat there. So...16weeks, wow I didn't think she was that old. She seems so small. Also, I have tried to introduce her to dry food and she has nothing to do with it. I don't like leaving the wet food out, it kinda stinks. Any advice on that?

tdaniel said:

Thank you for the advice. She actually did great in the bath, I thought to be sure she would claw me but she just sat there. So...16weeks, wow I didn't think she was that old. She seems so small. Also, I have tried to introduce her to dry food and she has nothing to do with it. I don't like leaving the wet food out, it kinda stinks. Any advice on that?

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My cats get brekkies, lunch & dinner of wet food. Dry kibble is always out for them to nibble on. Don't leave the wet food out - remove it when she is done eating. Leave kibble for her - she will eat it eventually when she is hungry.

Thank you. I feed her wet for all three meals, whatever she don't eat I put in a Tupperware container and stick it in the fridge. I leave dry food out during the day but she won't touch it. I feel like she's starving when I get home. She's a stray and I don't ever want her to be hungry again so I feel guilty trying to make her eat something she don't like. She's already spoiled lol.maybe I should just try a different brand of dry food. Thanks again for the advice

Try another brand. My cats love Fancy Feast dry, which comes in 3 flavors. Don't leave too much out at once - it stays fresh in the bag. If she leaves wet food in the dish, she is not hungry. But, trust me, I know exactly how you feel with regard to not wanting her to be hungry. Kudos to you for saving her!

We feed Wellbeloved adult to our kitten, I checked and since it has no grains or anything in it, it's only difference to the kitten food is the moisture and the size of the kibble. He gets plenty of cat pate and wet food, I honestly don't think there is any problem with feeding different foods. Kittens will quite quickly show you what they can't have either by ignoring it completely or getting the runs, obviously the latter is bad, so you mix what you want them to eat with what they have been, slowly.

You can try to increase the available water sources if the kitten does not take to the dry food. Cats are meant to get something like 70% of their water from food. Dry food just doesn't provide this. Another tip I've learned is to put the water in another place, away from the food. you can also put it above the food if the space allows as cats in the wild do not like their food to contaminate their water. just keep the bowl away from anything electrical!