|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 2, 2017 6:10:32 GMT
someone dumped a very small kitten at our house. I think she is not feral (not sure if it's a she at all but it looks tortoise shell which I think is usually female?) but she's very afraid of us and won't let us near her. I gave her a can of cat food and she scarfed it down within minutes. I know kittens need food more often throughout the day but should we wait until tomorrow or give her a little bit after a few hours? She had the can about 7 hours ago and I worried that she ate too much, too fast, but I didn't think of that at the time. I think she looks around 8 weeks old or so. Maybe a bit less. I haven't had a kitten this small in well over 20 yrs. this isn't a very good picture but maybe it will show how old she might be. http://instagr.am/p/BXRwm0JFrfz |
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Aug 2, 2017 6:12:45 GMT
I'm not a vet, but ibwould feed her again. Maybe not the full cam this time and that way she can eat more often
|
|
QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955 
|
Post by QueenoftheSloths on Aug 2, 2017 12:40:57 GMT
Yes, I agree with smaller more frequent feedings. Let her see you as a consistent source of delicious things! She is still young enough to change her opinion of people to a positive one.
|
|
|
|
Post by MichyM on Aug 2, 2017 13:34:41 GMT
She's right at the cusp of age where they won't truly attach to humans. In this situation I would trap her and either get her to the vet myself and then spend about 10 days teaching her to like humans (doesn't take long if you do it right) or get her to a shelter where she can be fostered until she accepts humans. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 2, 2017 17:07:33 GMT
She'll come within a couple feet of us but that's it. She'll lie on her back and play. Just won't let anyone touch her (ds was able to pet her while she was playing last night but she was pretty distracted). Today she went through the yard into our machine shed. We have 10 acres and a few outbuildings so hopefully she won't get lost out there. We don't have a trap.
|
|
blue tulip
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,987
|
Post by blue tulip on Aug 2, 2017 17:23:17 GMT
if she's playing with you and has been touched, you're on the right track! I don't think there's a need to trap her in your case. just try feeding smaller, frequent meals. if you can, have someone be in the proximity of the food and able to just hang out there til she comes and eats it. even if they are just pretending to ignore her, or talking pleasantly to her, not trying to pet her- this doesn't put a lot of pressure on her, but allows her to associate you guys with food and good things, as a previous poster said. she's very cute!
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 2, 2017 18:17:02 GMT
Here's a better picture. She'll come this close but any movement and she bolts. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by wallyagain on Aug 2, 2017 19:48:28 GMT
Try kittenlady.org for information. It's what she does.
Thank you for helping this baby. Poor thing.
|
|
momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,152
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
|
Post by momto4kiddos on Aug 2, 2017 20:03:29 GMT
Can you lure her inside with some food? She's a cutie.
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 2, 2017 20:44:14 GMT
We managed to get her into an unused bathroom in our old house. We can't have any cats in our house. My husband is allergic to them. She's safe and secure with a litter box, food and water.
We do have 3 outside cats. We live on a farm out in the sticks. I'm not sure if dh will be willing to keep another though. Our cats are all fixed, well vetted, and fed premium food. Another will add to the expenses. But no one around here is taking in cats and I won't take her to the kill shelter.
|
|
|
|
Post by brynn on Aug 2, 2017 20:57:29 GMT
The kitten is beautiful. You are doing good things for her by feeding her and keeping her safe. Thank you for helping her.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:28:21 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2017 21:46:02 GMT
Your new baby is cute.
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 2, 2017 22:45:01 GMT
So she is very scared in the bathroom. Should we leave her alone or should we go in there to get her more used to us? I feel like she would like to be left alone but if we do that, she'll never get used to having people around.
|
|
|
|
Post by smokeynspike on Aug 3, 2017 0:24:31 GMT
Last year I had a young feral cat show up on my porch. So I fed her even though I already had 4 inside only cats. Then she had her kittens in my wood pile. One died. I managed to get her remaining baby inside and she came in on her own right after her. They stayed in my bathroom for a couple of months in a Rubbermaid box made up with towels with a litter box in there too. It took months and months and months to get Momma acclimated to me. She would swipe at me, hiss, couldn't stand to be touched, etc. Now she is my little cuddlebug and I'm her person. She is awesome. I do feel bad that when I took her to get fixed (OMG that was an ordeal and traumatic for the both of us!!!) at the time we weren't planning on keeping her and didn't know if she would stick around so I had her ear docked like they suggest for ferals. Wouldn't you know it, she stuck around. I have also recently revoked her outside privileges because she would run across the street in front of cars. She hasn't put up too much of a fuss about that. So that's how I ended up with 6 indoor only cats.  I'm a sucker with a bleeding heart for kitties.  It can be done to acclimate cats to people. It just take time and a bunch of love and trust. Melissa |
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 3, 2017 0:26:42 GMT
Well we had huge progress. She will now let us pet her but any sudden moves and she's hiding again. She was purring, making biscuits, etc. She's shaking her head a lot so she either has ear mites or yeast (we have one cat that has recurring yeast in his ears and the vet said it's pretty common). Unfortunately she's sleeping in the litter box. I put a better bed in there so hopefully she'll sleep there instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by penguin on Aug 3, 2017 2:51:19 GMT
I think she won't be feral for much longer! Congratulations on the new addition to your family.
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 3, 2017 18:26:13 GMT
Day 3 and it's like a whole different kitten. She doesn't hiss or run and hide when we go into the room. She comes up and wants: #1) food. #2) loving. She has also pooped and peed in the litter box, which makes this mom very very happy.
Right now she's getting 1/3 can (3 oz cans) of cat food every 4-5 hours. So it comes out to about 2 cans per day. We'll cut that back when she puts on a little weight-she's still very bony (but it's so cute to see her pudgy belly right after she's eaten). This is adult food but I'll get some kitten formula when I get to a store. I'm not sure if she's big enough to eat dry food. Her teeth look pretty small from a distance. Is it okay to put a few kibbles in there for her to nibble on?
|
|
|
|
Post by Outspoken on Aug 3, 2017 18:45:27 GMT
 Oh, she is adorable and you are an angel!
|
|
|
|
Post by brynn on Aug 3, 2017 19:23:48 GMT
So she is very scared in the bathroom. Should we leave her alone or should we go in there to get her more used to us? I feel like she would like to be left alone but if we do that, she'll never get used to having people around. Visit her. You may want to sit on the floor and read to her. She can get used to the sound of your voice and presence. |
|
|
|
Post by brynn on Aug 3, 2017 19:26:33 GMT
Well we had huge progress. She will now let us pet her but any sudden moves and she's hiding again. She was purring, making biscuits, etc. She's shaking her head a lot so she either has ear mites or yeast (we have one cat that has recurring yeast in his ears and the vet said it's pretty common). Unfortunately she's sleeping in the litter box. I put a better bed in there so hopefully she'll sleep there instead. Congratulations--it is always memorable the first time that a kitten purrs for you. If she was purring and making biscuits, she is very happy. |
|
|
|
Post by brynn on Aug 3, 2017 19:28:45 GMT
Day 3 and it's like a whole different kitten. She doesn't hiss or run and hide when we go into the room. She comes up and wants: #1) food. #2) loving. She has also pooped and peed in the litter box, which makes this mom very very happy. Right now she's getting 1/3 can (3 oz cans) of cat food every 4-5 hours. So it comes out to about 2 cans per day. We'll cut that back when she puts on a little weight-she's still very bony (but it's so cute to see her pudgy belly right after she's eaten). This is adult food but I'll get some kitten formula when I get to a store. I'm not sure if she's big enough to eat dry food. Her teeth look pretty small from a distance. Is it okay to put a few kibbles in there for her to nibble on? Congratulations on all these milestones. |
|
QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
|
Post by QueenoftheSloths on Aug 3, 2017 21:46:49 GMT
I am so happy to hear things are going so well. Last year we had a kitten in our yard, he was too skittish to touch, so I went out to my mom's and borrowed a live trap. We didn't see him in the yard for a couple days, so we waited to put up the trap (didn't want to catch the neighbor's trespassing cat). About a week later my DH found the kitten in the yard, dead. He was pretty decomposed, so we don't know what happened, but I still think about him every time I look out in the yard. I feel like I let him down. I should have been more aggressive about trying to lure him to me, but the mosquitoes were so bad, I couldn't stand to be out there. He was playing around the backyard and we were talking to him through the windows. Then he scampered away and we never saw him alive again.
|
|
|
|
Post by femalebusiness on Aug 4, 2017 0:59:15 GMT
We had a wild kitten when I was a kid, couldn't get near it. My dad took it on as a personal challenge. Every night when he got home from work he'd catch that kitten and then lie down on the floor to watch tv. He'd put the kitten on his chest and hold the two front paws so it couldn't escape. That cat would struggle and struggle to get it's paws free and get away from my dad. After a week or so my dad couldn't get rid of the cat. It followed him everywhere and as soon as he would sit down it would jump into his lap. He had that old cat for well over ten years.
|
|
|
|
Post by annie on Aug 4, 2017 1:05:56 GMT
Thank you for helping her!!
|
|
eleezybeth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,784
Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
|
Post by eleezybeth on Aug 4, 2017 3:13:03 GMT
I love Torties!Good job making her yours!!
Our baby was 14 when we had to put her down in January. We still miss her so much but I think we are close to being ready for another. It will be another Tortie as she was simply the best kitty. She was a rescue and was pretty young when we got her but I quickly became her human.
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 5, 2017 16:23:35 GMT
This morning, for the first time, she hadn't finished all the food from the previous feeding. That's good, I guess? She's not so starving anymore? So anyway should we cut back on frequency, amount, or both? She is currently getting 1/3 can 6 times a day. I'll call the vet on Monday to make an appointment. We had a pretty hectic week and I kept forgetting to call.
|
|
QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
|
Post by QueenoftheSloths on Aug 5, 2017 17:16:41 GMT
If the feeding is combined with socializing, I would cut back on the amount, not the number of feedings. If you are socializing with her outside of mealtimes, then less frequent feedings should be fine, as long as you are still interacting with her as often. maybe some visits you could just play instead of feed her?
|
|
|
|
Post by gale w on Aug 5, 2017 18:43:32 GMT
I weighed her and she's about 1 lb 14 oz. The can says 1 can per 3-3.5 lbs of body weight so we're probably feeding too much, now that she's caught up. We'll cut back the food a little. She's getting plenty of visits and I reminded the kids to keep it up. She's very social now.
|
|
Oh, she is adorable and you are an angel! 
