Found a kitten

Hello, looking for some advice.

Earlier today my wife and I came home from doing a bit of shopping and discovered a kitten in our back garden. This isn't unusal we just assumed it would go away but it stayed out there for ages.

We think it must be lost or may have been thrown out possibly, it doesn't have a collar and it's very young.

We took it in and gave it something to eat but we had to let it back out as we have a dog. We would loved to have taken it in but the dog was going crazy so we had to put it out.

More time passed and the kitten was still out in our garden so we called the Scottish SPCA and they asked us to keep a hold of it until they came round, we told them it was about 6-8 weeks old and they said they would take it but when the woman came round she told us she couldn't take it as she estimated it was about 13-14 weeks old and it can look after itself.

She said we can keep it overnight if we like but no longer as we could get into trouble (accused of stealing it?). We decided to put it back out when the woman left but a bit later we were feeling guilty, it was cold, dark and wet outside and it was still in our garden so we took it back in and it's now sleeping in our spare room (away from the dog).

What should I do with it, it's a cute little thing and I'd love to keep it but I don't think the dog would be able to live with it.

Thanks for taking care of this little one. You did the humane thing taking him/her in because he/she would probably die out in the cold. I have to say I'm not sure I understand the logic of your SPCA representative there -- do you suppose the policies in Scotland are different from those in the US? It just sounds strange to me. I really don't know why the SPCA representative told you you had to turn the kitten out, but maybe someone else from Scotland can help here?

The best solution seems to find a new home for the kitten. Someone else on this board had pretty instant success finding a home for a foster kitten by posting a cute flyer (with a picture -- that's key) at local vet offices and pet stores.

In the meantime, I think it's just plain ethical of you to give this kitten shelter and food.

Yeah, it would've died probably, especially in a Scottish winter.

I must say I too was surprised by the response from the SPCA woman, surely they should take any animal that is lost? She said if it was ill or really skinny she could've taken it but she said it was healthy and needs to learn to go out on it's own.

Also when I called them they said that no one had reported a kitten missing in my area so that leads me to believe it has been abandoned.

I really do want to keep it, especially as it's the spitting image of my old cat who sadly passed away last year after a short illness.

If someone can give me advice on getting my dog to accept it then I'll gladly keep it. My dog HATES cats with a vengance, he went mental earlier when we tried to introduce them to each other.

Meanwhile both me and my wife are working 12 hour shifts tomorrow and don't know what to do with the kitten. We are both out early so don't really have time to phone around.

oh no...

he's peed in the spare room!

The little guy is prob scared or he may be ill!!

You should take him to a vet anyway but it sounds as tho you might have to move up the appointment.

Here is a good explanation on introducing a kitten to a dog:

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/catintro.htm

Good luck and thank you for caring for this little fellow. I also can not imagine what that SPCA worker was thinking!!

Originally Posted by johnboy

oh no...

he's peed in the spare room!

Click to expand...

Peeing is normal.... does he have a litterbox in there? Or do you mean he peed outside of the litterbox?

I am not religious so what I am about to say is not coming from that direction - but these 2 sentences hit home with me.

Originally Posted by johnboy

Also when I called them they said that no one had reported a kitten missing in my area so that leads me to believe it has been abandoned.

I really do want to keep it, especially as it's the spitting image of my old cat who sadly passed away last year after a short illness.

Click to expand...

I am a big believer of our rainbow bridge kitties helping to guide another little soul to us that needs our love and care.

Thankyou for taking this little one in. I also do not understand the attitude of the SPCA, but will not comment further on it.

I am not sure if I can offer much advise on how to get the dog to accept it, but I am sure this is possible. What sort of dog do you have? big or small?

I assume the same type of introductions apply when introducing a new kitten to another cat or a dog. Someone will correct me if this is incorrect.
Here is some information on introducing cats to cats.
oh actually that link that cyberkitten has given looks really good!

Your dog and this new kitten need to be kept seperated for a while and introduced slowly. You need to ensure that your dog gets the attention first, fed first and such.

as for peeing in the spare room - YaYas_Mom asked a good question.

He is more than likely extremley scared as well. His whole life has changed so quickly.

hope you can pop back in and give us an update

I'm afraid I've lost it. I had to let it out this morning before I went to work as me and my wife were both going out on long shifts. Me 14.5 hours and my wife 10 hours. I wouldn't have left it locked in a room for all that time and I couldn't risk giving it the run of the house because of the dog so I had no option.

I had a look about when I got home a short while ago but there is no sign. I can't help thinking it is close by though because my dog keeps looking out the window as if it senses it.

Originally Posted by YaYas_Mom

Peeing is normal.... does he have a litterbox in there? Or do you mean he peed outside of the litterbox?

Click to expand...

No I don't have a litter box, it just peed on the bed but I don't mind, it's only to be expected.

Originally Posted by huggles

I am not religious so what I am about to say is not coming from that direction - but these 2 sentences hit home with me.

I am a big believer of our rainbow bridge kitties helping to guide another little soul to us that needs our love and care.

Thankyou for taking this little one in. I also do not understand the attitude of the SPCA, but will not comment further on it.

I am not sure if I can offer much advise on how to get the dog to accept it, but I am sure this is possible. What sort of dog do you have? big or small?

I assume the same type of introductions apply when introducing a new kitten to another cat or a dog. Someone will correct me if this is incorrect.
Here is some information on introducing cats to cats.
oh actually that link that cyberkitten has given looks really good!

Your dog and this new kitten need to be kept seperated for a while and introduced slowly. You need to ensure that your dog gets the attention first, fed first and such.

as for peeing in the spare room - YaYas_Mom asked a good question.

He is more than likely extremley scared as well. His whole life has changed so quickly.

hope you can pop back in and give us an update

Click to expand...

I believe that kitten being there is a sign.

My cat Flash is a splitting image of my cat;Phil, who we sadly had to put down 2 years proir to when we found Flash. We feel he sent her to us, and she loves to eat just like he did, it's amazing! Coincidently, the vet said Flash was 2 years old when we took her in, which would mean she was born right after Phil died. Phil was very sick most of his life so when we had to put him down we knew he would be out of pain, but we would also miss him because he got sick so quickly, it came too fast for us and before we knew it he had to go to sleep. But yeah I surely feel he sent her to us, she was not your average stray i'll tell you that. Besides asthma, she was perfectly healthy, even the vets we shocked, they said, "she's really a stray?; she's gorgeous and nice too!". And thats her story!

well if the kitten does come back and i take it on full time then i hope it doesn't take on the eating habits of my old cat who died last year.

it would only eat freshly cooked chicken drumsticks.

oh no...

okay when the kitten comes back (and I am saying when cause we need to be positive here) you need to decide what to do... the poor kitten has obviously run away because he is so scared.

The kitten would of been fine in the room until you can introduce him successfully with your dog, but you do need to get a litter box or else of course he will pee in places you dont want him too.

Put some food out and hte chances are it will come back. Get a litter tray -use an old roasting tray if you have nothing else for hte moment, and the kitten will be fine in a small room, even a bathroom for a day or two, while it gets used to the smells of the house. Give it some toys - crinkled up foil balls, a toilet roll tube, a cardboard box, and it will be OK. I hope it comes back.

I hope that this kitten makes its way back. Sending good thoughts your way!

an update...

a guy just came to my door asking if we had seen a black and white kitten recently. told him we had took it in on friday night and the sspca wouldn't take it.

doesn't look good for the kitten! wished we had kept a hold of it now.

Is it possible you could keep it outside and build some kind of enclosure for it like a dog house? You could put a hot bottle of water or some kind of heating pad in there for it in the cold, or could you possible keep it in the spare room where he/she is now? It might take a while but the dog could get used to it you know.Good luck bless you for caring about the dear kitty

i don't know where it is. i haven't seen it since saturday and a man came to my door today asking if i had seen a black & white kitten.

I hope you got his number in case the kitten comes back. Poor guy must be worried sick about his kitten.

Oh I hope this kitty is found and SOMBODY takes it in and cares for it!
Linda