Feral kitten now indoors, but...

crankydave

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Of the two feral kittens I've been feeding/sheltering, I've made a lot more progress with the smaller of the littermates. She would run inside for food and playtime the instant I opened the patio door, and would purr like a motorboat when I started petting her. (The other one will come in, but only if my two resident cats aren't in view.) Anyway, the temperature has been dropping into the teens (Fahrenheit) lately, so I've been trying to get them inside permanently. The outgoing one wasn't a problem since she already likes it in here anyway, *but*, even she gets incredibly claustrophobic after a while, yowling to be let out. It was in the single digits overnight last night, so I ignored her increasingly loud meowing and kept her inside. She didn't react well. She's been in hiding all day. I've left food and water by my bed, the likely hiding spot, and she knows where all three litter boxes are.

My question is, should I let her mellow out in her own time, or upend the bed to get her out, risking traumatizing her even more? To make matters worse, her poop was pretty runny the last time I saw it, so I'd been giving her baby food, lots of water, and had given her a dose of (over-the-counter) deworming medicine. I had hoped to get her a little less wild before taking her to the vet, but I want to get her treated for that ASAP. I've never had much luck with calming diffusers, so I'm reluctant to shell out for yet another. Those things aren't cheap.

She's tiny, but I know she's nearly five months old. Is this too late to transition her to indoor living? She *was* warming up really well, even napping on my leg at one point, but this is a pretty big setback. I guess it's like locking someone inside Disneyland - she loved to come in and play here, but is iffy on the thought of being stuck here for good.

(Also, the mom and the sibling both love to curl up inside the shelter on the microwaveable heating pad I bought, and the heated water bowl keeps it above freezing, so at least they have the essentials out there. I make sure to reheat the pad at sunset and then again before I go to bed.)

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm just trying to help, but the little ball of fluff doesn't see it that way.
 

shadowsrescue

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The kitties really need to get the vet especially since you have other cats in the house.  You want them to have a clean bill of health first.  Also spay/neuter is a must or the little one will end of pregnant soon.  

When you bring them inside, they need a space of their own that is cat proofed.  As you can see going under the bed is the first place a cat will run to hide.  You do not want them hiding.  THey need to be forced out into the open or socializing will be most difficult.

Is there a separate room you can place them in away from your other cats?  The room should have a bed flat on the floor or picked up off the floor and behind and under all large furniture blocked.  You can then provide them with a cozy bed ( even a cardboard box will do).  The key is to keep them inside and not allow them any more time outside.  You will need to work with them each and every day.

Feeding the kitty babyfood each day is not ideal.  She needs proper nourishment from cat food.  The diarrhea is not something to mess around with.  It can spread to the other cats very quickly.  Take a stool sample to the vet.  I would call the vet and tell them your situation.  Most vets can sedate the cat if necessary.  You might just want to do the spay/neuter at the same time if possible.  
 

josephsmama

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Thank you for your kind heart in bringing the kitty in. I am new here as well new to taking care of ferals/strays. I do want to perhaps help regarding the diffusers. I found a site that sells the kits as well as the refills at a much more affordable price. (In case you weren't already aware of it)

http://m.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8906

Hope it helps. Good luck
 

jimmycatlover

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So sorry to hear about your situation.  Ditto with the vet visit.

Keep us up to date and hope everything works out for the 

better.  
 
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