Stray/Feral Kitten

[tina hutto]

I have a stray kitten. I believe it is litter mate to the orange tabby I found about 2 weeks ago. She has since been tamed and now has a good furever home. 

The reason I'm thinking this other stray is a litter mate is because of the size and the fact that both show up in the same location within a couple of days of each other is just too much of a coincidence...especially in our area. 

I would like to be able to get ahold of this kitten and try to tame him down or at leas take to the shelter (our local shelter is a no-kill shelter) so that it can be spay/neutered, and get the nutriton and handling that it needs and hopefully also find a furever home. 

But, the kitten won't let you near it. It's not aggressive acting, it just runs and hides and will stare at you and meow at you from a short distance. I know it's hungry because it is eating our outdoor cats food, and of course my cats obviously don't have a problem with it. 

Can anyone provide any insight or give any advice on the best way to catch or get ahold of a skittish stray kitten? Any advice is extremely helpful. Thanks. 

 

[shadowsrescue]

You may need to get a humane trap.  Or you could try to lure the kitten into a carrier.  You can start by feeding the kitten in the trap or in the carrier.

 

[tina hutto]

I've tried putting food into a carrier, but it hasn't gone in to eat it yet, and when it does, I'm not sure how to shut the door without it bolting again. I'm starting to lean toward a humane trap. What works best to lure? Canned food or whatever you have on hand?

 

[ondine]

Stinky canned  food is best.  Just don't leave the trap alone - when the kitten goes in, you want to be able to cover the trap to calm him down.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I like to use tuna, mackerel or salmon.  I line the trap with either newspaper or puppy pee pads and then dribble some of the juice from the cat from the front of the trap to the back.  In the back is a small amount of stinky fish.  You can watch a video here on trapping.

http://www.alleycat.org/resources/trapping-cats-how-to-trap-an-entire-colony/

 

[tina hutto]

Thanks, I will try that. 

 

[joyv]

I would suggest purchasing the calm drops from pet smart once you can get your kitten to eat. 

Until then, I would go to where you think the kitten is hiding and leave the food there. I am sure

your kitten will eat. I know I would not eat if I was scared  I did that at first, then I decided that was not cool

anymore. They were never going to come out of my bedroom. After a week and a half, I moved the food

into my kitchen near where I work. At night, they found the food. Now, when they are hungry believe me

the food will be found. You will notice it gone in the morning. Trust me. It worked for me.

 

[joyv]

This is true also, maybe you can get the kitten to come around faster than I am doing it.

 

[tina hutto]

There is no issue with the kitten eating. He actually is eating with my older cats (they are 6 months old and litter mates) and my cats are playing with it (it's tail). (I call it a him out of habit cause I have 2 boys). And then I just now caught them all snuggled up together in a chair on the porch, but when I went out he ran down the steps, but then he came back up and was helping one of the other cats catch a bug, then he realized I was still there, so he ran back down the steps, then turned around and came back up, ran past me and got into one of the chairs, then decided to hide under it, and he watched me as I talked to him and interacted with the other cats. But that is an improvement over what it was like. Still haven't been able to actually get hold of him or get him to go into the carrier. But I know he's eating cause I actually see him doing so. And if I ever get my hands on him, I'm going to take him to the clinic and have him spay/neutered and all that good kitty stuff, and since my cats seem to like him and vice versa, I'll give him a furever home. He's a real dollbaby. Weird colored eyes though.  

 

[ondine]

You are actually one step ahead of things, in that your cats already get along with him.  Often, introductions to resident cats are the hardest step.

You can try luring him into the carrier with food and closing it behind him.  Just a warning that that often turns messy as he'll jump about and spill the food.

Keep us posted!

 

[tina hutto]

Well, luring the cat into a carrier didn't work, even with stinky canned food, it will not go in. So I got a humane trap, brought our outdoor cats in, and put the food in the trap, and the kitten didn't go in...so we put our outdoor cats back out, left the trap out there and the kitten came back onto our porch....but he didn't go into the trap. Even when the stinky canned food is the only food out there,the kitten will not go into the trap...but I have been able to actually touch the cat two times. And I almost was able to pick up the kitten, but when I bent over to do so, one of my cats decided to jump onto my back and groom himself, so I think he and the kitten are in cahoots..LOL. Any suggestions to getting the kitten to take the bait and go into the trap?

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
Well, luring the cat into a carrier didn't work, even with stinky canned food, it will not go in. So I got a humane trap, brought our outdoor cats in, and put the food in the trap, and the kitten didn't go in...so we put our outdoor cats back out, left the trap out there and the kitten came back onto our porch....but he didn't go into the trap. Even when the stinky canned food is the only food out there,the kitten will not go into the trap...but I have been able to actually touch the cat two times. And I almost was able to pick up the kitten, but when I bent over to do so, one of my cats decided to jump onto my back and groom himself, so I think he and the kitten are in cahoots..LOL. Any suggestions to getting the kitten to take the bait and go into the trap?

I would open the door on the trap and tie it open so it's won't go off. Then start feeding the kitten just outside the trap. After a day or two, place it just inside the trap.  Be sure to have puppy pee pads or something on the bottom of the trap.  This helps make it easier to walk on and also disguises the trip plate.  Every day or two move the food back just a bit.  Allow the kitten to eat in the back of the trap for a day or two and then go ahead and set it.  Just act casual about it.  I used to even let my other cats go inside the unset trap. 

 

[tina hutto]

I'll give it a shot. Thanks. 

 

[tina hutto]

Just an update on the feral kitten....I was finally able to catch it....and by hand. It ain't happy. No matter what I did, it wouldn't go anywhere near the trap. The only thing I caught was an Possum....YUK! I noticed the kitten was using my cats to his advantage, such as, laying on them instead of laying on the ground, snuggling between them at night to stay warm and hidden, and wedging in between them while eating...that was its downfall...that and the fact that it liked having a full belly. I went out to fill up their water bowl and when I turned around the kitten was running off the porch...so I went inside to get more water and when I got back I opened the door and it saw me, but didn't run because it didn't think I was coming out. So it went back to eating. I was able to walk over to it, and while it was eating I was able to grab it. It wasn't happy at all...but I brought it in and put it in our carrier.....a few minutes later my husband was talking to it, opened the door and the kitten came to him. My husband started petting it, then all of a sudden the kitty tried to run and my husband was able hold on to it. After a few seconds of calming it, the kitty tried to run again and bit my husband and scratched him, so we were able to get him back into the carrier. Since this kitty is obviously really scared and as wild as he is, we are taking him to our county shelter in the morning. We don't have the time or resources to tame this one. Our county shelter is a no-kill shelter. They work hand in hand with the SPCA. They will make sure the kitty gets all the shots needed, plenty of food and water, and will be spay/neutered. And lots of loving people to help him and work on getting him adoptable and adopted. Just wanted to share the update. Hope you all have a great day!

 

[msaimee]

I hope you will re-consider taking the kitten to a shelter. You could very easily tame this kitten within weeks. The kitten has bonded with your other cats--that is really a hugh milestone. The kitten allowed himself to be petted and clearly is on his way to trusting you. What happened yesterday is that he got scared and panicked with suddenly being handled and put in a carrier. It will take a little while for him not to be startled. If you take the kitten to a shelter it will be a very big setback for him. He will lose the only bonds he has formed with you and your cats, and will have to begin the process of learning to trust all over again. Please give the kiten at least a few more days before making that decision. I took in a feral kitten 7 months ago and it took six months before she was comfortable enough with me to allow me to pet her. Like your kitten, mine bonded immediately with my other four cats. Like your kitten, she initially panicked and scratched me and bit my neighbor when I had to give her medicine. I am so happy that I had patience with her because I absolutely love her and she is a wonderful and affectionate kitten I will post her picture. I can't help but feel so passionately about helping feral cats. Kittens can almost always be socialized to become loving pets.

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• msaimee
• Nov 6, 2016

 

[tina hutto]

If I had the time that is needed to tame the kitten I would not have taken it to the shelter, but, I do not have the time. Had it been earlier in the year, I wouldn't have hesitated to keep it, but I am working all day as is my husband and he is also currently doing PT 2x's  a week and that is a 2.5 hour round trip drive. I have too much on my plate right now I wouldn't be able to give the kitten the time and attention that is needed. The shelter may be a setback for the cat but it is certainly better than the alternative.... I can't leave it running wild, it needed to be spayed/neutered and rabies vaccination...I did what I felt was best at the time and that was get the kitten to a facility that can help it, socialize it, tame it...they have the time, people, resources that is needed to take care of the kitten, things I cannot provide.  If the shelter was not a no-kill shelter, I would have sought a rescue. I just do not have the time to properly care for and tame this kitten. My 2 cats were also ferals....it took about 4-7 weeks for them to be fully tame. Looking at them now, you would never know they were feral. The feral that showed up a few weeks before this one, it took 3 days for me to be able to get her to even sniff me, and about 2 weeks to tame her. She now has a forever home with a local lady who lives on a small farm. I do apologize if you disagree with my choice, but I did what was best for the kitten at this time.