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    Veteran Member dishis's Avatar
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    Default ? for cat people

    When I moved into my house in Feb I had a stray cat that was using my yard as its home. She was scared of people and would never let me get too close. I felt bad for it and would sometimes buy food for it. I had not ssen it for awhile until today I saw it with a kitten by my shed. I brought food out to them, of course they ran under the shed at first, but they came back and ate like they had not eaten in a long time.

    I have always been a dog person and never had a cat, but would the most humane thing be to try to take the kitten away from its mom and either raise myself or give it away to a good home or should I just let them be and keep feeding them. How do I know if it is old enough to be taken from its mom ?

    If I take I will make sure it gets good care including all of its shots.

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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I would let teh cat be and keep feeding it. I think that would be the nice thing to do. Theres things a kitten cant learn from humans or being in a shelter.

    Most kittens are good to go for homes at 6 weeks. If you do take the kitten get the mother to a shelter or find a home for it. It might be hard because it sounds like a 'wild' cat. I say if you keep the kitten try to keep its mother or let them be and keep feeding them. The mother might live longer in the wild than in a shelter. If no one adopts the mother - shell be put down.
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    Veteran Member jessica_rabbit's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    See if you can take both the cat and the kitten to the vet. But if you can't get the cat, at least get the kitten. As long as the kitten is 6-8 weeks old then it is ready to be adopted. The vet will be able to tell you how old it is. I also would suggest continuing to feed the cat until she is comfortable enough for you to get ahold of her and taken to a spay/neuter clinic. The you can re-release her back into the wild and she won't continue to have kittens. This is probably more humane then taking her to a shelter. If she is a feral (wild) cat, then she will not be adoptable.

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    Featured Member Lola Lee's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I've been a 'cat person' my whole life and border on the edge of craziness about it. If not married, I would turn my house into a cat refuge sanctuary.

    Anyway, as TM stated, the kitten is old enough to be weaned at 6 weeks. It should be the size of a small rat or guinea pig by this point. If it's the size of a mouse it's too little. Also, if you have noticed the kitten eating the food your putting out then it probably is old enough.

    If you can afford it I would seriously think about trying to capture both of them and taking them to the vet for shots and spaying/neutering. I know it's expensive, but if you start feeding them then essentially you are responsible for them. If you can't do this, then call a shelter and either take them their or have them picked up. There are no-kill shelters or "Animal Welfare Leagues" in most large cities. I got a cat their that had lived there for 6 months.




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    Featured Member Paintbaby's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    See if there is a no-kill shelter in your area, and then contact them. These people know how to deal with feral cats, and will take in mom and her baby, and make sure they receive the love, medical attention, and nourishment they need. Don't try to take baby from her mom, this will only be extremely distressing to both of them, plus you could be seriously hurt. (Also, momma cat needs just as much care, love, and shelter as her baby.) Feral cats can be quite viscious if they think they need to defend themselves, and you don't know what diseases momma cat could have. Call your local animal shelter and ask them if they know of a no-kill shelter in your area. If not, they may know of individuals or organizations that help animals in distress which would be willing to take in mom and her baby. If you wanted to adopt momma cat and her baby yourself, you could probably get some good advice from these folks as to how to go about capturing the kitties and giving them the care they need.

    Something needs to be done, I agree. The lives of feral cats are very hard; these animals suffer from malnourishment, disease, exposure to harsh weather--they get hit and killed by cars, are often the victims of wanton cruelty, and add to the unwanted pet population. No domesticated animal should be left to fend for itself--cat or dog.

    In the meantime, keep doing what you are doing--keeping your distance, but providing food and a place for them to shelter. And bless your kind heart, dishis--if there were more people like you in the world who showed compassion and kindness to these unwanted and abandoned animals, we wouldn't have to have shelters where animals go to die.

    Don't mean to come off as preachy, but as you can tell from my post, I really love animals! (especially cats--have 2 purr-faces of my own)

    Good luck!
    Last edited by Paintbaby; 10-02-2005 at 05:56 PM. Reason: extra words

  6. #6
    bostondancer
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    shelter can come out and trap the animals for you too which would most likely be easier . I would recommend that you call a shelter or an SPCA in your area instead of local animal control or pound because in my experiance they will just put them to sleep . If you live down south I wouldn't worry about them too much but if you live north then try to help them asap because it is getting already .

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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I say leave them be. Feed and water her, where there is one kitten there are more. Now that she knows you know where they are she will move them. She wont go far with them but she will move them.
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  8. #8
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Some no-kill shelters offer services for ferals (spay, neuter, shots) and they tag the cats by docking an ear so people can ID them.
    If you live in a rural area with no hassles from the county about cat licensing (as I do) you can feed & care for these two cats without altering their lives. Can this cat provide a service for you such as rodent control or killing nuisance birds like magpies and crows?
    I miss having cats but I've grown into being a dog person now. The main thing is to prevent these two cats from reproducing, and to ensure they can exist without suffering.

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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Kittens still have a lot to learn from their mothers well after 8 weeks. If the kitten is adopted into a housecat lifestyle, probably doesn't matter after weaning. If kitten the continues to live outside (short lifetimes for most cats), then probably it is best to leave the family alone. Food and water etc. will be helpful, esp in wintertime. But I agree that spaying the mom, and adopting both, would be better but maybe not realistic.
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    Featured Member venusofwillendorf's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    if you attempt to take the baby from the mother, you will probably not only get seriously injured, but scare them away from you permanently. cat bites and scratches may not cut deep, but carry awful bacteria and tend to abscess. if you are bitten or scratched and the skin is broken, see your doctor for antibiotics. a humane trap can be used to catch the cat(s), so that you can bring them to a local no kill shelter, atleast to have them fixed. unaltered queens are at serious risk of pyometra, anemia, and if they live long enough in an outdoor environment, several types of cancer. frequent heats can also deplete a queen of her strength, leading to a compromised immune system, less healthy littlers, and an early demise. the kindest thing is to have her spayed. make sure she is finished nursing first, though- the stress might cause her to lose her milk.
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    Veteran Member Angel1112's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    keep the cat and her kittens

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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    From experience, usually once a kitten has been raised "wild", it stays "wild". We found a mommy and two babies and brought them into the house. They lived with us for almost 5 months when we found the mommy and 1 baby a home and we kept one. The one we kept ripped out through our screen and we never saw her again. We used to let her come and go, but she would not let anyone (but our little daughter) touch her much...and she just kept peeing in our clothes (so I was going to get rid of her anyways). It's hard to make a housecat out of a wild cat. They just do not make that transition very well...

    Your best bet is to feed them and give them plenty of water...same spot, same time every day. After a few weeks of this, just start moving the food/water closer to your house in small increments. NEVER try to pet them (especially when they are eating) as the more you scare them, the less they'll come by. After you put the food and water out, sit several feet away and just read or whatever. They'll begin to get used to your presence and learn that you are "safe". Don't look at them and don't make any sudden movements. After a while, they may start to come over by you. Let them do it when they are ready. If you can get them to come and eat on your porch, you can always put a little house with old blankets/etc on your porch for them in the winter months (if it gets cold).

    If you are going to have them spayed/neutered, make sure YOU are not the one to trap them. Have someone else do it (a lot of places come and trap for you). Also, a lot of rescue leagues give discounts for getting stray/feral cats neutered. It is important that they get fixed and it is also important that they have a check-up and shots. Especially if you are planning to keep them around your house.

    Good luck and let us know what happens!!

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    God/dess MrChristopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I agree with trying to get the mother fixed. There's a group here called Forgotten Cats, and that's what they do. They find established colonies of feral cats (which are far more common then you'd think) and spay/neuter as many of them as possible. They take any small kittens and attempt to transition them to homes, and they put the adults back where they were after surgery. It seemed somewhat inhumane to me at first, but really I think they're doing a good thing. Like several folks said, feral cats do not tend to mellow out and simply adjust to home life very often.So basically they could do it the way they do, or take them all to shelters where they would sit forever and fight with all the other cats, ya know? Keep feeding them, and see if there's a group in your area that will come out with some Hav-A-Heart traps and collect them for you. If not, a box in the shed with some old blankies as mentioned is a great idea too. Also, like a couple people said, feral cats can carry all sorts of diseases, even the cute little kittens, so be careful.
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    Veteran Member dishis's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Thanks for all the advice. I did an internet search for no kill shelters in SC and Charlotte, NC but came up empty. I will try to make some calls soon to see if I can get some more local info. I hope they stay where they are for now. They seem to be living under my shed. It is up on 12 inch blocks and can give them some shelter. The weather here is still really nice.

    I will not try to catch them myself, but if I were to pay for the shots and to have them fixed and keep them fed, would anyone come out and catch them and then release them back. I would hate to send them to a shelter where I know at least the mom would probably be killed.

    On a side not a fer weeks ago I was cleaning up near the shed and found what I thought was a dead mouse, I did not look too close, not I am afraid it was a dead kitten. l

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    Veteran Member dishis's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Thanks Mr. C you answered some of my questions while I was replying. As far as the kitten goes, I would not call it little it is as least half the size of its mom.

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    God/dess colleen's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I had one cat I raised form a kitten, and when she was abut 6 years old, she got away and was never seen nor heard from again! And now I have a former "stray" who was jsut terrifeid of me for a while, but one day my son ran outside, threw his arms around the cat, and became his friend. This one now lives in the house and is nothing but a big cuddle-cat. Even the squirells tease him, he is that docile.

    The point is, you never know what a cat will turn out like. Your stray baby and mama may be former housecats (as I sispect mine was) who jsut don't know you yet. Good luck!


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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Worst case: Catch them both and (when kitten is old enough) get em both fixed...if they can't be housetrained, at least they won't make more homelss kitties

    best case: adopt or find homes for them both

    good luck..I've done that 8 times now (adopted strays that chose me) and it's worth it.

  18. #18
    Pamela
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Whew stray cats soon lead to 100's of stray cats.

    People mean well when they put out food and water. But the most important part of this is being missed. Disease, killed on the streets, and of course as mentioned many more kittens to come!!!

    I would get a have-a hart trap and trap them, usually mom will go a kitten has been known to get trapped with her. But if you have too baby wont leave, so you will probably trap the kitten the next evening!

    This is humane. Wild cats cause many problems. They simply get killed, their live span can be pretty short living this way.

    Also, take mom and have her fixed! baby too. You have many options.

    Most humane is to get the cats off the streets and into homes while they are young! Everyone wants a cute kitten! Not a full grown cat that is going to rip you to shreds!!

    Good luck,

    Pamela

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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    I love all animals--but have 4 strays (cats). 1 from a bad home situation, 1 from a shelter and 2 from the 'wild' (aka: unwanted and left by some jerk with no heart) So I'd say try to get them slowly adjusted to you as Venus G has stated by slowly pulling the food and water closer to your home (this way you can monitor thier behavior and rituals)see if they'll warm up to you, because as Colleen has said, more likely than not they were abandoned by some a-hole...unless you are located in a very rural area...Get them nuetered/spayed and remember dogs and cats can co-exist, perhaps they will remain outside, but they will at least have you to keep an eye out for them! AND if you're worried about scratching (if you adopt) mine will roll around w/ my baby son without leaving a mark, there's always declawing for this too. I echo what I believe angel's sentiments were--keep them indoor/ or outdoors.
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    Featured Member venusofwillendorf's Avatar
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    please don't declaw your cats! declawing is an unneccessary and inhumane procedure performed by amputation of the first joint of each toe, leading to a multitude of possible complications including ongoing pain, difficulty balancing, aggravation of underlying musculoskeletal conditions, and arthritis. get you cats vaccinated and treated for any diseases they have. if they have fatal or communicable diseases, consider having them put down if they are suffering, or contact a no kill shelter about placing them with households without other cats or with other cats positive for the same virus.
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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    ^ Agreed with venusofwillendorf. Declawing is absolutely unnecessary. You need to make sure that your cats have plenty of "attractive" things to scratch on. Scratching posts covered (backwards) with carpet is great...or even a big chunk of an old tree trunk (make sure you spray it for bugs if you bring it indoors). But, the best deterent I've ever come across was a spray bottle full of water. You may have to use it a few times...but it'll get to the point where they'll see the bottle and walk away.

    Another thing for cats is claw covers. They're kinda pricey, but the cover the claws with little rubber tips so they cannot scratch through things. If your cat is going to be an indoor/outdoor cat, don't declaw or put the tip things on...but, if it's strictly an indoor cat...those tips are great!

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    God/dess MrChristopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Those tips are called "Soft Paws", and your vet would have them. Personally though, I tried them once on one of my cats, and he chewed them off within a few days. But I agree, please don't declaw. If your couch is that important to you, dont get a cat. The water bottle thing works really well, too. MAN do they hate that.
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    i think another brand of the claw tip things are called "sticky paws". like mr chris said sometimes your cat wont' like them, they will shake their feet around and try to get them off lol. i am thinking of trying them b/c our cats are tearing the corner of our bed to shreds!
    i have pics of all 3 of our kitties in pet pics thread....we got fleabert from a neighbor who found her outside, he was a stray and you can see from the pics what a little lover he is! i think it depends on the individual cat's personality and how you treat them. i personally baby my cats like crazy when they are little and they grow up to be very affectionate. i read somewhere that you want to keep being really affectionate to them as they grow b/c it makes them maintain a "kitten mentality" after they grow up....there is tons of info to be found out there. i got a great book from petsmart a while back called "277" or "257 things your cat wants you to know" (sorry cant remember the exact number of the title...) and it had so much useful info....good luck i hope you can keep the mommie and her baby but if not at least keep feeding them, they will just be outdoor kitties! and i agree if it's possible you could get them fixed.
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    Default Re: ? for cat people

    Heh.. Have to agree with the water bottle thing, Chris. My last two cats, Damien & Mena FEARED that thing. They'd know when I reached for it, they were going to get soaked. They never moved fast, except when they saw that coming. Whew.

    Totally agree with the declawing thing too. I was telling someone in chat the other day that years ago, a friend of mine had 2 beautiful kitties. She took them in to get declawed (after my arguing with her not to do it). Well... One of the two died the day after declawing.. The other, about 4 days, after some major suffering and pain. The first one bled to death, on the inside. Lovely, eh? Since I was such a good friend, I refrained from the good old "Told ya so", and opted to comfort her even though she made me sick.

    I agree. If you care so much about furniture or anything else in your house, don't get a cat. Don't get any kind of animal. And if you do get a pet, they are more important than your stuff.

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