Found a Stray Kitten

It broke my heart the other day when my Husband and I were a couple miles from our complex and saw an orange kitten. We actually were able to go up to him to check him for a collar (which he didn't have) and he was all over us trying to get as much attention as he could. We had some food in the trunk (just came back from the pet store) and laid a nice big pile out for him.

We didn't think about it until later but we don't know if it was a good idea to give him food or even to pet him. We haven't heard of anyone missing a kitten but it was so sad because you could see his ribs and he couldn't have been more than 3 months old.

I don't know what to do if we happen to get in that situation again...what would you guys do?

It was midnight and there weren't any shelters open either...

In my own Humble opinion, he would have come home with me if I could get that close to him. Then, if I couldn't keep him, I would contact as many cat people as I know to find him a home. I've done this several times. I've used my vet, a local no-kill shelter and a couple of friends who luckily knew of someone looking for a kitten.

Well, it is sad but there are literally millions of homeless cats because people are too ignorant to get their pets spayed or neutered. And the lowlife simpletons think it might be fun to have a cat, so they adopt one and then throw them out when the novelty wears off or they run out of money.

So what to do? There are literally dozens of homeless cats in my neighborhood. Discarded pets, the offspring of discarded pets, true feral cats displaced from natural territory by recent construction...out of all that mess I rescued Nano.

But I am a pet owner and not an animal rights activist. I focus on providing a good home for a single cat instead of performing life-perserving services for dozens of cats. I "saved" Nano and gave her a last chance for a forever home, but the fate for the vast majority of these homeless tame cats won't be pretty.

Since he was skinny, I probably would have taken him home and kept him in my bathroom (segregated from my cats) overnight. If you couldn't keep him yourself, I would have taken him to a local shelter. (I figure if a cat is starving, even a regular shelter beats staying on the streets. If it were me, I would much rather be put to sleep than die of starvation.) Since he was friendly, I would put up signs, call local vets, and put a "Found" ad in the paper letting people know where he was taken.

Last September, my boyfriend and I found an adult cat who was all skin and bones. I took him home and to the vet the following day. I called all of the area vets near where he was found and put an ad in the newspaper (they do free "Found" ads). He wasn't claimed, and I decided to keep him. He is a wonderful older boy with hyperthyroidism, which contributed to his skinniness. The only thing I wish I had done would have been to put up signs. At the time, I figured that he was abandoned because he was so skinny. I still figure he's found a great home with me where he gets the care and love he deserves. Just wanted to share my experience.

One thing to do would be to take him to the nearest vet and have him scanned for a chip. All strays are not ferals, some are neglected by people who figure they can live outside just fine, some are lost and need to be reunited with their owners. And yes, many are just products of the idiots who decide that spaying and neutering is interfering with God, and so they let their cats have multiple litters and think nothing of it. This one sounds like the owner just threw it outside to fend for itself. I would be going back to look for it, and then making a trip to the vet for a scan and a spay or neuter at least-

Thanks everyone for your help. I thought about sneaking him into our complex but I tried that before with an animal and got caught

I can only have two cats in my apartment at one time and I already rescued two strays and they are the ones I have decided to keep.

After considering al of your advice. I have decided to call a local no kill shelter and even though they are full, I am going to ask them if I find him or another cat where can I take them? I am going to need to have somewhere to take them right away other than my apartment.

Unfortunately I really don't have the money to take him to a vet otherwise I would at least get him neutered and get his shots and check him for a chip and etc.

Animals mean as much to me as children or any other human. I can't stand to see anyone hurting animal or human. Maybe I'll open my own shelter one day...

Originally Posted by Sweets

In my own Humble opinion,

he would have come home with me if I could get that close to him. Then, if I couldn't keep him, I would contact as many cat people as I know to find him a home. I've done this several times. I've used my vet, a local no-kill shelter and a couple of friends who luckily knew of someone looking for a kitten.

Click to expand...

Me too