I found a feral kitten on the 15th and took her home. The vet thinks she is about 7 weeks old.
I have a few general questions about ferals. I found the kitten (Lola) under a building on my university campus. The campus is downtown in a busy metropolitan area. I have seen the mother cat around too. I tried to lure her over but she wont come anywhere near me and hisses and runs away if I try to get close to her. Since I catnapped her kitten I haven't seen her at all.
Now that I have Lola she is VERY active. She runs all over the place and climbs everything she can get her paws on. How do feral kittens know to stay where their mom cat leaves them? I suspect that her mom was off hunting when I found her but she knew to stay under the building in the 'nest'. In my house Lola wanders all over the place so why did she stay put when she lived outside? Also if I had left her outside with her mom would she have stayed with her mom for life? Or do they eventually separate when the kittens are able to hunt on their own? If so at what age do they usually separate?
I have also heard that it can be difficult to 'tame' feral kittens. Lola has been with me for a week and she is no different to me than my domesticated from birth kittens. She was a little scared the first night but since than has adapted really well. She purrs when you pick her up and seems to enjoy human company. Does it sound like maybe she was born inside and abandoned? Her mama cat like I said appears to be feral. She would not come near me when she came back to find me near her nest she watched from a distance hissing and growling.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I have a few general questions about ferals. I found the kitten (Lola) under a building on my university campus. The campus is downtown in a busy metropolitan area. I have seen the mother cat around too. I tried to lure her over but she wont come anywhere near me and hisses and runs away if I try to get close to her. Since I catnapped her kitten I haven't seen her at all.
Now that I have Lola she is VERY active. She runs all over the place and climbs everything she can get her paws on. How do feral kittens know to stay where their mom cat leaves them? I suspect that her mom was off hunting when I found her but she knew to stay under the building in the 'nest'. In my house Lola wanders all over the place so why did she stay put when she lived outside? Also if I had left her outside with her mom would she have stayed with her mom for life? Or do they eventually separate when the kittens are able to hunt on their own? If so at what age do they usually separate?
I have also heard that it can be difficult to 'tame' feral kittens. Lola has been with me for a week and she is no different to me than my domesticated from birth kittens. She was a little scared the first night but since than has adapted really well. She purrs when you pick her up and seems to enjoy human company. Does it sound like maybe she was born inside and abandoned? Her mama cat like I said appears to be feral. She would not come near me when she came back to find me near her nest she watched from a distance hissing and growling.
Thanks for your thoughts!