Feral kitten found in drainpipe

[kabama]

I have struggled with the feliway - my supplier couldn't get hold of it, so i will have to buy when in the UK in a couple fo weeks. This is annoying as i could really use it NOW. 

Yesterday I went and ate my dinner (a sandwich) in the room. He mewed at me pitifully a couple of times, made no attempt to come down or be near me but was happy to watch me, quite alert, head and ears up. I fell asleep, and he sneakily moved  from the curtain track to the air con unit. So it's moving slowly, but god is it slow. 

He cries a little at the bedroom door when he is left alone (after i am in there) but when i go back in, he climbs that curtain like it's on fire!

This morning I popped in to feed before going to work and he was quite alert, again, ears up, head up, just... as usual... on the air con unit. 

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
I have struggled with the feliway - my supplier couldn't get hold of it, so i will have to buy when in the UK in a couple fo weeks. This is annoying as i could really use it NOW. 

Yesterday I went and ate my dinner (a sandwich) in the room. He mewed at me pitifully a couple of times, made no attempt to come down or be near me but was happy to watch me, quite alert, head and ears up. I fell asleep, and he sneakily moved  from the curtain track to the air con unit. So it's moving slowly, but god is it slow. 

He cries a little at the bedroom door when he is left alone (after i am in there) but when i go back in, he climbs that curtain like it's on fire!

This morning I popped in to feed before going to work and he was quite alert, again, ears up, head up, just... as usual... on the air con unit. 

These are all baby steps and progress is being made.  When working with ferals I find it easiest to celebrate the tiniest of steps.  For the feral, the tiny steps are giant leaps.  You are noticing subtle differences and that is great.  I would spend as much time with him as possible.  Take your laptop or other work into the room.  Talk non stop to him so that he gets used to your voice and talking.  You can even read a book aloud to him.  Also try to engage him with a toy or laser pointer.  Even if he only follows it with his eyes, that is progress.  The laser pointers are great since you can interact from afar yet get the red dot right up to him. 

Hopefully you can get him to the vet soon. 

How old is your other cat?  He might be of help in assisting this little one if he/she is friendly.  When introducing cats there are some great articles available and lots and lots of great tips here.  Yet he must be seen by a vet first.

Keep up the good work.  I look forward to your updates.

 

[jtbo]

I have struggled with the feliway - my supplier couldn't get hold of it, so i will have to buy when in the UK in a couple fo weeks. This is annoying as i could really use it NOW. 

Yesterday I went and ate my dinner (a sandwich) in the room. He mewed at me pitifully a couple of times, made no attempt to come down or be near me but was happy to watch me, quite alert, head and ears up. I fell asleep, and he sneakily moved  from the curtain track to the air con unit. So it's moving slowly, but god is it slow. 

He cries a little at the bedroom door when he is left alone (after i am in there) but when i go back in, he climbs that curtain like it's on fire!

This morning I popped in to feed before going to work and he was quite alert, again, ears up, head up, just... as usual... on the air con unit. 

That is good, he is starting to be bit curious!

But be aware that vet visit is big shock and can reset all small steps for some period of time so that you have to start all over again, it is not dangerous or anything but it is something which is easy to feel disappointing after the Vet visit, even there is no real reason as there is no other way to do it really. That is why I think often is said to do vet visit right at beginning before starting socialization.

I would recommend to trap him and get him to Vet before doing much of socializing, but of course only you know if such is possible or not.

 

[kabama]

My other cat is incredibly socially awkward, but very loveable to those he knows. He also was a street cat who was very weak and was cared for my fiancé, he never had the aggression to him and but was extremely skittish and hid on top of the closet when he frets came to mine.
We
Now he is a total baby and likes lots of attention. So far he is aware that there is another cat in the house, and he tries to get in the room. He's very curious, but isn't showing aggression. He once ran in after me and then didn't know what to do with himself, he just stood there, like "now what?" My other cat is my avatar, his name is "Cat".

Yes the vets, I really need to do that. The first time I took cat to the vets it was horrendous, he freaked out and became very hostile. He was a big boy with all his junk so they got taken care of. Fun fact, the vet said his balls were the same size as a dogs.

Anyway, yes I need to trap. I really don't want to, I wish I could have him come to me willingly, I just don't want the added trauma for the guy, not when I will be disappearing to the uk in a couple of weeks. I'm being a wuss about it.

 

[jtbo]

My other cat is incredibly socially awkward, but very loveable to those he knows. He also was a street cat who was very weak and was cared for my fiancé, he never had the aggression to him and but was extremely skittish and hid on top of the closet when he frets came to mine.
We
Now he is a total baby and likes lots of attention. So far he is aware that there is another cat in the house, and he tries to get in the room. He's very curious, but isn't showing aggression. He once ran in after me and then didn't know what to do with himself, he just stood there, like "now what?" My other cat is my avatar, his name is "Cat".

Yes the vets, I really need to do that. The first time I took cat to the vets it was horrendous, he freaked out and became very hostile. He was a big boy with all his junk so they got taken care of. Fun fact, the vet said his balls were the same size as a dogs.

Anyway, yes I need to trap. I really don't want to, I wish I could have him come to me willingly, I just don't want the added trauma for the guy, not when I will be disappearing to the uk in a couple of weeks. I'm being a wuss about it.

It only feels bad to trap him, I felt the same, but then I did the trapping and they got to learn their new room all alone, I just brought them food for few days, also my job was taking me around the country so they had plenty of time alone, they are now quite bit social, very stubborn ones though!

I don't think that you will get him enough socialized in a few weeks that you could get him go willingly, it probably would take months of time and after vet visit he would be still as traumatized. Of course there is not knowing that for 100% sure, but that is what I think based on my experience and what I have read about these first steps.

But I think few weeks would be enough to see him recover and getting bit used to routines, if you could take him to vet very soon, even it does feel horrible to trap him, it does not necessarily go bad way.

When I used humane trap to trap my boys, it was actually thing that made them bit more trusting to me, as trap closes by itself they seemed not to connect trapping to be my doing, but after the vet visit when I let them wake up in a trap and then kept door open so they could get out from trap, that they seemed to like being my doing and somehow they considered it a good thing.

It is perhaps because they don't see or think like we do. However one that I did trap into carrier by closing door after him (was difficult as he was so fast), he never has really became a lap loving cat, I don't know if it was because he saw me closing the door or maybe because he just has such genes, but after that I decided to get a real trap and with that things become silk smooth, also I think less stressful for cats too. There were seven of them, oh and eight one which was only one night with me, before moving on.

I think it indeed feels more of doing bad thing while it actually can be best thing to do and even kitty might not think it that way at all, he might think that oopsie, I walked into wrong place, then when he is let out from the trap he might consider that human letting him out was a nice tall monster

Either way you choose (to wait or to trap), I wish you good luck

 

[kabama]

Just found out that my international vet (anyone living in china, do NOT go local, seriously) offers a compassionate service for rescued animals - with check ups, neutering, stays at the hospitals and advertising for adopters. There is still a charge but greatly reduced. 

Now i have just to catch the bloody thing. The vets plan was for me to throw a towel over the kitten, but with it always above my head, i just don;t know how to do that. I am look at traps, but they all look so barbaric, even the humane ones. I wish i had just taken it straight to the vets when i captured it - serious rookie error. 

 

[thesighrye]

Just do your best and I'm sure you'll be able to catch the little guy in no time. I know you're going through a lot and experiencing so much with the little tyke but I promise you this will all be worth it in the end! Next year at this time I'm sure you'll be wondering how on earth you ever lived without him 

 

[rachelinaz]

Can you use a fish net? Scoop him up? Maybe? I am just trying to think. :/

 

[jtbo]

Can you use a fish net? Scoop him up? Maybe? I am just trying to think. :/

For me such sounds more traumatizing for the cat and the owner than trap, even they may look barbaric, they are probably most less stressful options.

 

[smokem]

I brought in a female adult feral years ago.She would not come out from under the bed.

Never lived in a home,terrified.The only reason she came in the first place is she got injured.

Your baby sounds traumitized.I brought in another cat.Can you try letting Cat in the room

just to see if it calms him a little?I think you are doing a great job.My boy rescue took

literally four years before I was allowed to pet him.He ate slept crept around,I had to learn

to leave him alone.Now he is a lap baby!!True story!!

Let it go.if he eats uses toilet etc. he is fine.

Think of where he would be if you didnt take him in??You have to adapt a cat attitude,play dead or ignore him.

 

[kabama]

Well I tied the curtains up so he couldn't get on the air con unit any more... turns out he has some amazing jumping and climbing abilities - puts my other cat to shame. He is currently back on the air con unit, looking at me like i smell. My other cat may calm him but it isn't worth my other cats health until i get the kitten checked out. I am literally playing cat and mouse. Not sure who is the mouse. 

 

[jtbo]

Well I tied the curtains up so he couldn't get on the air con unit any more... turns out he has some amazing jumping and climbing abilities - puts my other cat to shame. He is currently back on the air con unit, looking at me like i smell. My other cat may calm him but it isn't worth my other cats health until i get the kitten checked out. I am literally playing cat and mouse. Not sure who is the mouse. 

They can jump quite serious heights when motivated enough.

Worse thing for cat is if someone is chasing him, that creates very strong fear as they are hunters and they know how hunters work, so if one chases a cat that must mean for cat that he is being hunted which makes their brain into survival mode in which even known persons are considered a threat, 1st priority is to loose the hunter and hide, if that is not possible it is kill or die situation in their minds.

When you attempted to stop access to his safe spot, he may think that as a threat where you are the hunter that is putting him into corner, so he probably got bit scared of that.

One mistake I did was to attempt to trap one of my ferals into carrier, then quickly close the door, sure enough first attempt failed as he launched out in such force I could not imagine being possible from the cat of such small and cuteness. Then I did made more mistakes, I tried to catch him by hand, which result chasing from hideout to another, it was real disaster, kitty was hissing and growling ball of sharp objects inside a curtain he tangled with and there was no any means to get anything else done that just make him more scared.

So I bought the trap, put it next to wall and old mattress against wall so that it created kind of tunnel, 15 seconds or some such short time later there was sound of trap setting off and there he was, looking bit confused, I put old sheet to cover the trap and took him to vet, no stress, no tears, no claws and hissing. Of course it depends how self sufficient cat has been, how little tame he is and how strong is his urge to be in control, but those that were who knows how many generations since human contact, they were truly fighting from their lives when attempting to make them do something they did not wanted.

That is why I'm not too fond of any other methods than trapping and it is so much hazzle and stress free job too, I was amazed how easy things could be.

Those younger ones of mine are completely different, their momma had been socialized and even her kittens were not it took only days to be able to pet them, completely different thing, there it might be possible to use carrier or even to catch them by hand, but truly feral, never.

One of mine is several years old feral, once I did attempt to catch her by hand I did found out that in blink of an eye my wrist had many new holes from her teeth that had not been there surely eye blink earlier and this was cat that had used to sleep next to my head at window sill while I was sitting on sofa. so that you know what they are truly capable of, those closer to tame pets are such that they don't really bite human so easily, but for real feral there is nothing telling not to if such feral considers himself being in danger. 2mm to side and largest blood vessel in wrist had been cut open, I got lucky, also I got no infection which was lucky too, one can get hospitalized from cat bite.

I'm telling this as I don't want you to find out it first hand, cat bite does hurt and certainly it does not help with socializing.

I think that feral cat should be thought to be exactly like a real Tiger, sure they are smaller, but they work very much the same way, they have same tools even though smaller, but still sharp and harmful.

Just be careful and don't cause him to feel being cornered and being hunted, that is when he will possible become dangerous, I still have white marks on my wrist from that event even it did happen years ago to remind me that forcing a feral is bad.

 

[kabama]

Thank you so much for this - I'm following the advice from the vets but it doesn't irk. Trap it is. Does anyone have a picture of an ideal trap? I will search on a Chinese website for one

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have both a Havahart humane trap as well as the TruCatch ltd 30 which is my favorite.

 

[jtbo]

It seems I don't have full picture, but there is pics of trapped cats that shows bit of what kind of trap I have, first is my Mauku who left marks to my arm, she was just waking up after Vet visit here.

In above photo you can see part of trap door, it is hinged from one end and lower part is lifted up and small hook keeps it there, then there is step plate which moves the hook away and door closes, there is also one shaped metal bar which turns so that door can't be opened before that metal bar is moved which is impossible to reach from inside of the trap.

This is one of young ones I did rescue, he or she did go to shelter where owners of mother cat of this one got him/her, they left him/her outdoors immediately and of course he/she started looking for mother cat because of so young and nobody has seen him ever since.

What I would do in China, would be to go to local market at the early morning, where locals get their stuff, probably there are traps too, at least in more rural parts, not so sure about bigger cities, but then I would need a translator with me

Traps for Raccoon sized animals should do fine, I don't know if there is raccoons in china, but there probably is some of such. We have bit of problem with this animal here and trap it with similar traps that are suitable for cat trapping:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_dog

I see there is also some of such creatures in China, where such is native species, from Wikipedia you might find Chinese page where you can see it's name and it should be easier for you to find then traps for that creature locally. Hunting shops and such might be also places to find such traps. If one does not mention it is trapping for a cat, things might go smoother, sometimes some people don't quite understand so for example when I bought my trap I told it was to hunt raccoon dog, got even very cheap offer, who knows maybe things work same way other side of earth too


Challenges don't end with cat in trap though, in Vet, you should tell all personnel involving of handling the trapped cat that it is wild animal, trap should not be opened until cat is sedated, even if you tell it at front desk, you need to tell it again as so often information is not told to all needed even if it should and if trap is opened without cat sedated that is one real mess of situation, because trapping again will be near impossible and if he bolts out he will be in such panic that he tries to run up to walls, bite and claw it's way trough people etc. Or then he will just shudder in fear unable to move, but to get it done properly they need to use forcing cage or if lucky then maybe between the bars of cage is possible, but such is the case that even they are professionals they may not truly understand what is a feral cat. All this is also to limit amount of stress for the cat, but also to keep people safe.

I did not understood that at the beginning, so nurse came in opened cage stared cat to eyes and reached her hand towards the cat, poor little Tiger thought that the end is near and faster than I could blink nurse's rubber glove was in shreds and few blinks later blood started to appear to her hand, they are that fast, eye can't catch what just did happen, I could only see results which apparently were actions of cat suddenly appearing to poor nurse's hand.

Well, maybe that is worse case that has happened to me, but with wild animals one should always be prepared to worst case, imo.

 

[kabama]

Well I had an incident.

I went out for a few hours and came home, no sign of my other cat. Somehow and we don't know how, he managed to get in the kittens room. I freaked out a lot but from what I can see, they got along fine, no problems at all, and perhaps even snuggled up together. I'm stressed as now my other cats health has been put in jeopardy and I will never forgive myself if he ended up gravely sick. He will be going to the vets ASAP.

The kitten was definitely curious and made efforts to come a little closer. He and cat were interested in each other though the kitten growled when cat got too close. Cat was super nonchalant about the whole thing and just came and chilled by us.

Everything was going well until the kitten made a beeline for the open door, and we had to shut it quickly- that freaked him out and he ran up to his air con unit. But now instead of being all hunched over, he's all sprawled out.

Something has definitely changed.

I'm so stressed that my cat had access, unintentionally and unsupervised- that could have been so bad, on so many levels. I have to pray now that no lasting health damage is done. But- the kitten warmed up a bit.

 

[ondine]

I wouldn't worry too much about it.  The kitten has been with you long enough that if he has something terrible, the symptoms would have shown by now.  It is wonderful they got along - your cat must be pretty laid back.

Take him to the vet to be sure and keep an eye on him, just in case.  Has the kitten been to the vet yet?  May be time for that, too.

All of this has had a good result - the kitten is "getting it."  Your cat can be a great role model for him, once everyone is health cleared.

 

[kabama]

I've been reading horror stories on and fiv and packing myself that I've signed my cats death warrant. Did I ever mention I am the worlds biggest worrier?

I'm trying to get the kitten to the vets- this week it will happen, definitely. Big cat is due his shots anyway, just Urgh. Everything I'm doing seems to be the ballsed up way.

I'm proud of Cat, he was such a good boy, though he mocked sprayed everywhere. He doesn't spray, just wiggles his bum on things.

 

[ondine]

Even if the kitten has something, Cat probably won't get it.  FIV can only be spread with deep bites or sex.  FELV is spread more easily but most likely not with the limited contact kitten and Cat had.  So they should be OK.  We all worry - the key is worrying about things we can change!  Until you get to the vet, there's no sense.

And beating yourself up won't help either.

I had to laugh at Cat's bum wiggling.  Bless his heart.

 

[kabama]

Haha yes his wiggle puts Rihanna and Miley Cyrus' twerking efforts to shame