- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 2
- Purraise
- 3
Hi, I am new to this site but I've read quite few forum posts since discovering it earlier today and it looks like a fantastic community and resource.
9 days ago I went and picked up a feral born kitten (approx 10 weeks old) that was living on the streets with her mum (approx 1 year old). They kitten and her mum were lucky to have found a caring human that was providing them with some food and putting the word out to try and find the kitten a home before it became too feral. After having the kitten for one night I enquired after the mum cat and offered to take her and get her spayed. I was told the Tom cats had been out again the night before harassing her so I went straight over and brought home the mum cat too. It had been about 24hrs and mum and baby were really happy to see each other. Especially baby.
The mum cat quickly made herself at home and shows a lot more affection that the kitten. Mum cat curls up in sunny spots, rubs my leg and purrs, she enjoys being around me and likes to be stroked. She tolerates being picked up but will often bite (without hurting) to say she wants down.
The kitten, on the other hand, doesn't crave human attention at all. She doesn't seem scared as she won't run away. She'll play games but she doesn't like to be touched or picked up. She'll cry to be put down. And we haven't heard her purr once it the 9 days we have had her.
Mum and kitten play fight - mostly it looks like fun but the kitten will often cry out when the mum bites her or hold her down. I've separated them a few times. The kitten likes to chase mums tail and mum generally tolerates it but sometimes snaps at her. Kitten likes to follow mum around and will copy things she does. Eg. mum stretches, kitten stretches. Mum scratches the couch, kitten scratches the couch
I expected the mum to be harder work as she is older and the feral-ness is more ingrained but she is actually friendlier than the kitten - she likes attention. I know there is a chance she was once owned but she isn't microchipped, no signs of a collar, obviously not spayed and she's been known to be hanging around in the area for around 4 months and she's a year max now. So if she was owned she would have had to have gone missing as a kitten. I am going to list her on the found pet sites just in case. She doesn't try to run away either. She's explored our garden a little - with me following close behind and then taking her back inside after a few minutes. But she'll just slowly walk the edges of the garden sniffing and sussing the place out. She doesn't attempt to run or hide and will let me pick her up and take her back in.
Mum has been fine with the litter box since day 1. No accidents at all.
Kitten has peed on my bed 3 times! The only time she will hop up onto the bed is to pee on it! Other than that, mum and baby don't come on the bed at all. I keep thinking she might be starting to enjoy company and come for a snuggle but no - she's comes for a pee and then hops down. Other than that, she's fine with the litter box.
My questions are:
1. Is this kitten's non-purring, non-affectionate behaviour normal? Will she learn to become more comfortable with us in time and start to purr or do some cats just not like human attention?
2. Is kitten trying to tell me something by her peeing on the bed behaviour? It doesn't appear to be related to any other incident.
3. Is the mums friendliest due to her still being motherly and if so, will she revert to her more feral ways once her baby is fully weaned?
4. What are the chances that mum cat is pregnant again? She eats a lot. Her tummy has definitely become rounder however she is being fed properly now so that could easily explain that. The kitten still occasionally tries to get in and get some milk so she's still got the mum nipples.
5. I have them both booked in to be spayed and microchipped in two days time. Will the vet check to make sure she is not already pregnant before operating?
9 days ago I went and picked up a feral born kitten (approx 10 weeks old) that was living on the streets with her mum (approx 1 year old). They kitten and her mum were lucky to have found a caring human that was providing them with some food and putting the word out to try and find the kitten a home before it became too feral. After having the kitten for one night I enquired after the mum cat and offered to take her and get her spayed. I was told the Tom cats had been out again the night before harassing her so I went straight over and brought home the mum cat too. It had been about 24hrs and mum and baby were really happy to see each other. Especially baby.
The mum cat quickly made herself at home and shows a lot more affection that the kitten. Mum cat curls up in sunny spots, rubs my leg and purrs, she enjoys being around me and likes to be stroked. She tolerates being picked up but will often bite (without hurting) to say she wants down.
The kitten, on the other hand, doesn't crave human attention at all. She doesn't seem scared as she won't run away. She'll play games but she doesn't like to be touched or picked up. She'll cry to be put down. And we haven't heard her purr once it the 9 days we have had her.
Mum and kitten play fight - mostly it looks like fun but the kitten will often cry out when the mum bites her or hold her down. I've separated them a few times. The kitten likes to chase mums tail and mum generally tolerates it but sometimes snaps at her. Kitten likes to follow mum around and will copy things she does. Eg. mum stretches, kitten stretches. Mum scratches the couch, kitten scratches the couch
I expected the mum to be harder work as she is older and the feral-ness is more ingrained but she is actually friendlier than the kitten - she likes attention. I know there is a chance she was once owned but she isn't microchipped, no signs of a collar, obviously not spayed and she's been known to be hanging around in the area for around 4 months and she's a year max now. So if she was owned she would have had to have gone missing as a kitten. I am going to list her on the found pet sites just in case. She doesn't try to run away either. She's explored our garden a little - with me following close behind and then taking her back inside after a few minutes. But she'll just slowly walk the edges of the garden sniffing and sussing the place out. She doesn't attempt to run or hide and will let me pick her up and take her back in.
Mum has been fine with the litter box since day 1. No accidents at all.
Kitten has peed on my bed 3 times! The only time she will hop up onto the bed is to pee on it! Other than that, mum and baby don't come on the bed at all. I keep thinking she might be starting to enjoy company and come for a snuggle but no - she's comes for a pee and then hops down. Other than that, she's fine with the litter box.
My questions are:
1. Is this kitten's non-purring, non-affectionate behaviour normal? Will she learn to become more comfortable with us in time and start to purr or do some cats just not like human attention?
2. Is kitten trying to tell me something by her peeing on the bed behaviour? It doesn't appear to be related to any other incident.
3. Is the mums friendliest due to her still being motherly and if so, will she revert to her more feral ways once her baby is fully weaned?
4. What are the chances that mum cat is pregnant again? She eats a lot. Her tummy has definitely become rounder however she is being fed properly now so that could easily explain that. The kitten still occasionally tries to get in and get some milk so she's still got the mum nipples.
5. I have them both booked in to be spayed and microchipped in two days time. Will the vet check to make sure she is not already pregnant before operating?