What do I do? Kittens..... Update2: They're both alive!

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Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: iwearnosox
alright, it sounds better than I thought. Kittens 5-6 weeks of age typically transition to kitten food ok, I missed that in your post.

Beyond the food route they are in danger from other predetorial animals and even other feral cats. It's important to get them proper care, some shots and a home so they don't grow up truly feral.
I know.. :(

When I first saw them in the field, I was hoping they wouldn't be so afraid of me, since I had held them before.. but they scurried under the old barn.

When we found them in our shed, we were kinda hoping we would get to keep them, but the owner must have heard them crying(theres an apartment complex right next to us), and came for them. But she must've brought them back outside again..

Maybe they didn't set up a good enough place inside their house, or it was out in the open or something...

Since they've grown up being wild for the last several weeks, I am not sure if I could ever get them to come to me or anything like that.. they just don't know..

I guess the first goal is for it to eat, we'll proceed from there.
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
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My mom was bent on rescuing a kitten who'd been abandoned outside of a grocery store. It had hidden in the store's woodpile (it was winter). She got torn up rescuing it, but rescue it she did. She named it PC (_issy cat), tamed it, and found it a good home.
 

FlashG

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 1999
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Oh man, this sounds so much like our first cat, Calli (obvious reason). She was a small feral neighborhood kitten.

She was so small and the other cats would steal her food and beat her up. We left food and a saucer of milk by the back door for her. After a couple of days, when she got hungry enough, she allowed us to feed her and after a week she came in to the house by herself.

That was 19 years ago and she now owns everything in the house including me. My wife even tells her that we have her tiara in the vault.

I?ll ask my wife if she knows how old they are when they open their eyes when she gets home from bowling tonight.
 

CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
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How young is it? I would suspect that if it is really young it hasn't learned basic things like grooming itself and so on, and will have lots of problems.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Good info for you Eli, it's a quick read. :)

Taming feral kittens.

Cool. :)

I hope we can get it inside eventually. If it eats the food, we will draw it closer and closer to the house.. maybe even bring the food into the utility room, wait until its eating, and then shut the door behind it, something like that..
 

iwearnosox

Lifer
Oct 26, 2000
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Originally posted by: CTho9305
How young is it? I would suspect that if it is really young it hasn't learned basic things like grooming itself and so on, and will have lots of problems.
It's in his original post:

I estimate the kittens to be 6-8 weeks old.
 

FlashG

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 1999
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Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Good info for you Eli, it's a quick read. :)

Taming feral kittens.

bookmarked

We have some feral kats in the neighborhood but no kittens. A car usually gets them.

I didnt know about the cows milk bad for young kittens.

sad

 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: FlashG
Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Good info for you Eli, it's a quick read. :)

Taming feral kittens.

bookmarked

We have some feral kats in the neighborhood but no kittens. A car usually gets them.

I didnt know about the cows milk bad for young kittens.

sad
AFAIK, it's not even really that great for adults....

 

FlashG

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 1999
2,709
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Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: FlashG
Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Good info for you Eli, it's a quick read. :)

Taming feral kittens.

bookmarked

We have some feral kats in the neighborhood but no kittens. A car usually gets them.

I didnt know about the cows milk bad for young kittens.

sad
AFAIK, it's not even really that great for adults....

We use to feed a feral male cows milk. I don't think its good for the females maybe males also.

 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
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Update:

I went out there, and it had eaten the whole big can of food!! :Q:) Should I put another can out there? I'd have to put it in the ramshakle barn again, because it is POURING.. I doubt the kitten would come out, and the food would be ruined.

Mannn.. While I was going out there, I was RIGHT next to the barn, and it stuck its head around the corner to see what the noise was, I should've grabbed it, but I froze on instinct so I didn't scare it, but it still ran away......

Oh well, at least it is eating. It is starting getting very cold, do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm? It's about 36F right now.

It was still crying... I am thinking maybe I should spend a few hours trying to capture it with a towel or something....
 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
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Originally posted by: Eli
Update:

I went out there, and it had eaten the whole big can of food!! :Q:) Should I put another can out there? I'd have to put it in the ramshakle barn again, because it is POURING.. I doubt the kitten would come out, and the food would be ruined.

Mannn.. While I was going out there, I was RIGHT next to the barn, and it stuck its head around the corner to see what the noise was, I should've grabbed it, but I froze on instinct so I didn't scare it, but it still ran away......

Oh well, at least it is eating. It is starting getting very cold, do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm? It's about 36F right now.

It was still crying... I am thinking maybe I should spend a few hours trying to capture it with a towel or something....

Are you sure it was the kitten that ate the food? Countless of wild animals or strays could have.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
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Originally posted by: Nitemare
Originally posted by: Eli
Update:

I went out there, and it had eaten the whole big can of food!! :Q:) Should I put another can out there? I'd have to put it in the ramshakle barn again, because it is POURING.. I doubt the kitten would come out, and the food would be ruined.

Mannn.. While I was going out there, I was RIGHT next to the barn, and it stuck its head around the corner to see what the noise was, I should've grabbed it, but I froze on instinct so I didn't scare it, but it still ran away......

Oh well, at least it is eating. It is starting getting very cold, do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm? It's about 36F right now.

It was still crying... I am thinking maybe I should spend a few hours trying to capture it with a towel or something....

Are you sure it was the kitten that ate the food? Countless of wild animals or strays could have.
No....... I guess I am not sure, but... the kitten was right there with the empty can of food, so I think it is safe to assume.....
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
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do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm
It's not big enough to keep itself warm. You could try putting out a box or something with some blankies inside.

 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
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Originally posted by: Azraele
do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm
It's not big enough to keep itself warm. You could try putting out a box or something with some blankies inside.

nod I will.
 

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Try to hand feed it. Buy a bag of kitty treats and put a few on the ground and walk away and sit down, wait till they sniff and eat the treats then repeat with them closer to you. Repeat till you get them eating the treats from your hand. This may take you some time and a lot of paitience.

Either that or call your local animal control or buy a small animal trap.
 

gistech1978

Diamond Member
Aug 30, 2002
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kittens and cats can usually find somewhere and roll themselves into a ball and keep warm

i hate seeing kittens and animals in those situations. if you just spend enough time going out there, they will eventually warm up to you.

kudos to you, eli, for thinking of the kitties.

 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
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Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Nitemare
Originally posted by: Eli
Update:

I went out there, and it had eaten the whole big can of food!! :Q:) Should I put another can out there? I'd have to put it in the ramshakle barn again, because it is POURING.. I doubt the kitten would come out, and the food would be ruined.

Mannn.. While I was going out there, I was RIGHT next to the barn, and it stuck its head around the corner to see what the noise was, I should've grabbed it, but I froze on instinct so I didn't scare it, but it still ran away......

Oh well, at least it is eating. It is starting getting very cold, do you think the kitten is big enough to keep itself warm? It's about 36F right now.

It was still crying... I am thinking maybe I should spend a few hours trying to capture it with a towel or something....

Are you sure it was the kitten that ate the food? Countless of wild animals or strays could have.
No....... I guess I am not sure, but... the kitten was right there with the empty can of food, so I think it is safe to assume.....

Might want to try kitten chow mixed in warm milk, smells like crap, but kittens seem to love it especially in the winter time
 

FlashG

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 1999
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If the barn has electric and a dry spot, put a 20w bulb under the blankets.
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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November 18, 2003: The day an ATer saved a kitten instead of killing one.

Nice going, Eli. :)
 

Azraele

Elite Member
Nov 5, 2000
16,524
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91
Might want to try kitten chow mixed in warm milk, smells like crap, but kittens seem to love it especially in the winter time
Milk might upset it's tummy. Water works too. :)
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Originally posted by: Azraele
Might want to try kitten chow mixed in warm milk, smells like crap, but kittens seem to love it especially in the winter time
Milk might upset it's tummy. Water works too. :)
Formula would be an even better bet. Hydration + extra calories.