Just rescued the "school cat"

[eve shtern]

Hi, everyone,

There was a family of cats, a mother and two kittens, living on the campus where I am a teacher. They lived under a school building, and the kids took food from lunch and fed them every day. They were social enough that the children could pick them up and pet them. Over spring break, I think the school hired someone to catch the cats and take them away (I don't know where). But one of the kittens was left behind. I discovered her hiding under another building and scrounging for food. She had lost a lot of weight, and had a sore on her nose.

I fed her for a week, and then today I lured her into a cat carrier and took her to my house. She is sitting in my guest room, but I have no idea what to do now!! If we enter the room at all, she runs around and cries and hides.

I know I need to get her to the vet eventually, but I'm afraid of traumatizing her again, and I have no idea how I will get her back in the carrier. I am not sure what my next step should be.

I think she can be socialized because when I was feeding her she allowed herself to be petted, and I was even able to pick her up.

Eve

 

[mrblanche]

Give her food and water and a litter box and then spend time in the room talking to her, reading aloud, etc. Let her come to you. Keep her in the one room for a while.

 

[cat-astrophe]

What a lovely person you are, I would leave a big box upside down with a hole cut in it for the cat to hid in if it gets scared, try to hand feed it as well as leave food and water down fo rit and let it stay in the one room and get used to all the noises around it. Never stare straight at it but do slow blinks so it wont see you as a threat and approach it slowly talking softly to it and in time I think you will find it will come to trust you. Thet say feral cats tend to bond to one person so you might have a new best friend. No rush to get it to the vet, let it bond to you first so it feels confident when you have to take it there, at least it will have someone it can trust with it. Good luck.

 

[StefanZ]

You got good advices.  Remember, time, patience and love are your allies here.

I agree also NOW when she is already at your place, there is not great hurry with the vet.  As she seems reasonably healthy and well. [seasoned rescuers take them to the vet the first they do after the catching, before they bring them home]  Although she surely has worms and fleas.  Worms arent dangerous to you, but fleas may infest your place if you arent observant. 

If you can get  Revolution drop on or Profender drop on, the version for cats, you just drop on back of her neck - and get rid of both most worms and fleas.  I think Revolution is nowadays prescripion free in USA.

Otherwise, a vet can perhaps prescribe it to you without seeing the cat, if you promise he will be your vet.        Be careful with  over the counts cat medicines sold at pet shops, unless you know exactly what the are... Bought at  apothece/pharmacia is safer.  Advised by vet is safest.

The only real reason for hurry with the vet visit here and now, is, if she is old enough, she may have already gotten pregnant.  And you want to spay her now when she is early pregnant, then later, when she is visibly pregnant...    Do you know how old she is?  Or at least, how old she does seems to be?

("seems to be" is dangerous. If undernourished, or petite, they seem to be younger than they are}

What they do say?  "To save a person, is like to save a world".

With cats it is a little different, as the first you do is to spay them.  But it is still a jolly good deed!

Keep reporting and asking!

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!

 

[ondine]

Thank you for helping her!  I've learned that almost any new activity and/or change in a cat's life can traumatize them.  That is just their nature - they don't like change.  So even though everything you have done is good for her, she might not agree. 

But, like everyone says, take it slow and easy.  Reading outloud to her will help her understand you mean no harm and get her used to your voice.  She is not used to being inside, not used to having a lot of attention and not used to having her food provided to her.  All those new things can be overwhelming for her.

I agree the vet can wait for a bit but you need to take her soon.  Fleas are my main concern, followed by -yes - she might already be pregant, poor dear.

Good luck and thanks again!

 

[katluver4life]

Hello and welcome to TCS. There isn't much more I can add advice wise, all that has been said is dead on. Time, patience and love is what she needs right now. Thank you...thank you for taking her in.

Some other things you can also try is to play soothing music in the room such as classical or soft mood type music. Sit or lay on the floor when your visiting her, your less threatening in those positions. Leave something in the room with your scent on it like a really sweaty tee shirt. Place it where she hides or sleeps. These are things that will help you 2 bond.

Getting her into the carrier, though not an immediate need, is still a something that should be worked on at the same time. Leave the carrier in the room with her with the door open. Put something soft on the bottom. You can put food in it to the way back. Let her become accustomed to it and unafraid of it. Once you see she will go in there freely, even if you still have to use treats or a tiny bit of food, that's when you can make an appointment and get her to the vet. She may even start using it as her hiding place.

Good luck and keep us posted..thank you again for doing this for her. She is a lucky girl.
 

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you for rescuing this kitten.  I would definitely make a vet appointment in the next few days.  All vet visits are traumatizing and I would think it's best to get it out of the way.  You can make sure he/she is healthy, get a few shots and see about spay/neuter. 

Feliaway plug ins are helpful for stress.  Also soft classical music as mentioned above and a place to hide.  Just sitting and talking quietly.  Also a few toys that he/she could explore while alone.

For litter, I have had really good luck with Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract.  The kittten is used to going outside.  You can also just get some soft dirt/soil and mix it with regular cat litter. 

Remember patience is the key.
 

 

[eve shtern]

I was just about to ask about the pooping on the floor thing. I'm going out to get some of that "Cat Attract" right now.

 

[eve shtern]

We got some cat attract. And, for good news, one of my daughter's friends was able to pet and actually pick up our little rescue! And then she let my daughter pick her up as well. Maybe she likes the girls because they are like all the little girls who were feeding her at the school.



Oh happy day!!

 

[katluver4life]

We got some cat attract. And, for good news, one of my daughter's friends was able to pet and actually pick up our little rescue! And then she let my daughter pick her up as well. Maybe she likes the girls because they are like all the little girls who were feeding her at the school.



Oh happy day!!

It could very well be that she trusts the girls due to that very thing, and to her your a big scary looking man!

That is great news. Maybe you could enlist your daughters help in getting her into the carrier and off to the vet. Continued good luck!

 

[eve shtern]

Kitten spent the last day hiding under the dresser. She used the litter box to pee, but not to poop! And, my daughter was able to coax her out to eat some tuna, but so far she has not been willing to eat the actual cat food.

I'm glad the pee is in the box because its harder to clean up, but I hope she poops in the box soon. Its nasty.

 

[vball91]

I think you need another litter box. Some cats don't like to poop where they pee.

What kind of cat food are you trying to get her to eat?

 

[eve shtern]

We were using the same hard food I give my other cats. Maybe I need to start with wet food? I'll try a second box.

 

[vball91]

I would definitely start with wet food since wet food is much better for cats anyway. Depending on how young she is, she may need kitten food with smaller kibble.