Poor kitten out in the cold

[sammie5]

I have been hearing a cat meow from time to time over the past couple of days - first I thought I was imagining it, then saw the cat just as a shadow about two days ago. Tonight as I was unpacking the car from Christmas celebrations, I heard it again, really loud and persistent. I waded through the snow on the front yards, and a young man waiting for a bus came across the street to ask if it was my cat that had gotten away. I told him that I thought it was a stray, and I had some food in my car, I would go and get it.

So I put out some kibble, and this tiny kitten, shaking from either fear, hunger or cold, probably all three came up to eat. It looked about 6 months old - but I am no expert on this, it could have been younger. It was so hungry I could get within inches, but then it would get spooked and run away. However, if I backed away it still came back to eat, and eat, and eat, and eat.

I went back to the house and got a tin of wet food, took that down to put out for the poor little thing, and he ate the whole tin (that's one of the small size, the size that Sam considers a between meal snack). However, the kitten would still not let me near. So I left - when it was scared it ran under the porch, and there is a lot of loose dirt, and leaves and stuff there, so I imagine it can have a nest. I was afraid that if I stayed longer, it be too scared to come back and finish eating. I don't think that kitten quite knew what to do with the canned food - it spent a long time sniffing and looking at it, then started eathing and wouldn't stop. However, the weather is cold and snowy - I hope that a full belly will let the kit sleep through the coldest part of the night, and I will put food out for it again tomorrow.

There is no way I can rescue this thing, but there is a cat rescue society in town, so I will also call them to let them know. I hope that if I feed it, that will keep it around until someone can capture it.

Poor little kitty looks like a miniature Sam - long grey hair, and a fluffy tail, although soaked wet from snow.

I stood in the cold crying as the kitten ate, and came inside to tell Sam that he is a lucky lucky boy.

For Christmas he got a new filtered water dispenser.

 

[hissy]

Thank you for feeding this unfortunate one. If you can take an old blanket and put it under the porch all crumpled up, it will serve as a warmer nest and wind break for the kitten. There are so many out there now as the weather turns so cold. Thank you for making this perhaps one less.

 

[ldg]

Your Sam sure is lucky to have you as his Mom! I hope the rescue society is able to help "your" little outdoor kitten. Food will certainly help give him/her the calories she needs. From our experience, it seems that the outside kids need almost twice as much food in Winter as in summer. I believe they burn most of those calories staying warm as they are far less active in Winter as in summer. If you can help feed this little kitten until the rescue society helps her, you've certainly helped save a life!!!!

 

[sammie5]

I don't have any old blankets to spare, but I will take out a towel, that should help. I am not sure where the little one sleeps. There are footprints in the snow up to my front door, I'll try putting food there.

I was just feeling bad that I didn't have any high fat kitten food. However, it really gobbled down the kibble and canned food, so that was probably better than anything it could have been finding.

 

[ldg]

It is!!!!

 

[jeanie g.]

It's wonderful that this kitten has a Christmas Angel! Would you consider putting a sturdy cardboard box in a sheltered spot, covering it completely with plastic and putting towels or straw inside? That would keep the wind out; perhaps you could put it a sheltered spot on the porch and weigh it down. This kitten is probably approaching the age when it can procreate. It would be wonderful if you could keep him, but if not, you could borrow a rescue trap. (if there's room in the no-kill shelter) Thank the Lord for kind hearted people like you. It's sad to think of the thousands of strays and ferals who don't have angels.

 

[sammie5]

I just went to check, and the food that I left last night is still there. I imagine that the kitty has a spot to sleep during the day - I have only heard it at night.

I don't really have a spot to put a box for shelter, as we are in a high traffic commercial area. I will wait to see if the kitten shows up again tonight, and will call the cat rescue people. We have no-kill shelters, but the rescue organization, from what I have read, does a good job placing kittens in foster homes.

For quite a few reasons, I would not be able to take in a feral kitten, but I will be able to leave food out for any I see. I just filled my parka pockets with reserve packages of kibble and a tin of food.

The thing is, I have lived here for 9 years, and this is the first year I have ever seen stray cats - and this is the third. I may be noticing more, or they have noticed the "a cat lives here" sign on the door.

Oh, and as for a trap, we have one that we got to trap squirrels in the attic - is that what you would use? Metal with a door that is tripped when the animal goes in for food?

 

[jeanie g.]

I have never trapped a cat. Hissy, in the Feral forum, could answer that definitively, but it sounds right to me. A humane trap is what you ask for.

 

[sammie5]

I sent an email to the local animal welfare association, asking for their advice, and letting them know that I will keep an eye out for the kitten. I said that I would try to keep it fed, they should be able to look after capturing it, and finding it a home.

 

[jeanie g.]

Please let us know the outcome!

 

[hissy]

If you have the rescue organization involved, they will probably bring out the trap.It is usually called Have a Heart Trap- and it is very humane. They should come out and set it regardless of if you see the kitten or not. If that happens, you might want to go and check on the trap in the early morning hours, and if the poor thing is inside (probably freaking out) cover the trap with a dark cloth and bring it up out of the elements- whether it be under the porch or??? The sad fact about ferals is they are always there regardless if you see them or not. Probably the lack of food has brought this kitten out of hiding as well as the severe weather.

Again thank you for caring for this little one.

 

[sammie5]

I could never do cat rescue. This one poor little one makes me cry. I will show them where I have seen the cat, so they know where to set a trap. Thing is, it is not on my property, and the people who live there are not home. They will know what to do, though, so I will leave it up to them.

I wonder if one thing that made the kitty come out was seeing Sam walking around - he certainly responded when we heard the loud meow. I'm picturing the little one sitting on the fire escape looking in my windows at night.

Oh, and I don't know if the local spca is no-kill, so I am not prepared to conact them - the cat rescue people should be able to deal with this.

 

[jeanie g.]

There is a list of no-kill shelters at the top of this page, if you'd like to check. It is a "sticky." That is, it stays there, and doesn't move down the page.

 

[sammie5]

Thanks, I'm in Ontario, and that part of the list doesn't appear to be very comprehensive.

The other issue that makes the news from time to time is the Toronto SPCA. It has been "taken over" by no-kill advocates, and they are usually desperately short of room, as they will keep all of the animals forever. So, although technically they may not be no-kill, they are in effect. For now at least.

I don't know what our local spca does.

 

[sammie5]

Still no sign of the kitten today. I have stored some extra food in my car so I can get it quickly if I do find it. The animal welfare people got back to me, and said that they will help find a place for it if I can capture it. So that gives me a bit of security. Also gave me the same advice as all of you about making a warm shelter.

The weather is not nearly as harsh right now, so I am still concerned, but it should be all right for the next little while. There is no wind which helps a lot.

The animal welfare people actually find spots to "board" these poor little rescues at the local vets' places. And there is one private shelter that takes some as well. So they are really desperate for space too.

 

[russian blue]

I'm just coming across this thread now.

Hope you will be able to rescue the little one. If I came across this thread earlier, I would have pointed you to the Annex Cat Rescue in Toronto (depending where your located). I know that they do good work and could help you or find someone who could.

Keep us updated and good luck!

 

[sammie5]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Kassandra, I am in Hamilton, and there is an active Animal Welfare Association that have offered to take the kitten if I capture it. And a friend of my upstairs neighbour has also offered to take it. So if I do see the little guy again, I have a better idea of what to do.

I went and checked the food that I had left out yesterday morning and evening, and nothing had been eaten. However, this morning, half of it was gone. Now I have put a big bowl in a more secluded spot, because I had left the food on the front porch of a high end consulting firm, and a big mound of cat kibble may not be the best first impression for their clients. I followed the footsteps that the kitty had made in the snow, on the theory that it may go back the same place, and left the food under a bench right beside my house.

I'll let you know if I see it again.