Hi ~ I'm guessing by your screen name that you might know something about feral kittens. I just rescued one and I need some advice.

Hi back! How feral is your little kitten? Are you able to handle it at all? Is it just hissing at you and/or is it terrified to death? True feral kittens can be really fierce! How old do you think he/she is? Have you named it yet? The younger it is, the easier it will be to tame it down (although older ferals can also be tamed to varying degrees depending on the kitty). Any feral cat, once tamed to whatever degree it can manage, makes a wonderful pet.

How did you find this kitten? Or did it find you? Do you think there are others out there? What about its mother? Helping adult ferals is a totally different ball game. Thank you for taking this one in and giving it a good life. Let me know how I can help. Best wishes!

Well we heard a kitten crying in some bushes at the end of our driveway but every time we looked we couldn't find anything because she would hide from us when we got close. I started to put food out and she would eat it but still ran whenever we got near so I rented a have-a-heart trap and finally got her after three days. We put her in our laundry room and she stayed behind the washer/dryer for about a week until I finally tricked her into coming out by playing with a string.

She looks to be about 5 or 6 wks and she comes out of the laundry room a lot now but I can't get her to use any kind of a litter box. I tried a small box and unscented litter and even a cookie tray with some litter but she goes on the living room floor.

I'm so glad you got a trap and were able to catch her!

Do you have a small room/bathroom or a crate? Or the laundry room would be fine. Make sure there aren't any rafters she could get into! Within that small area, you could even put two small litter boxes, hoping she might use one of them. If not, maybe you could get some pee-pee pads from the pet store to use in conjunction with the boxes. If she uses the pad, then start moving it closer and closer to one of the boxes. If she uses the pad or a box, leave it that way for 2-3 days to reinforce her behavior before changing her set-up. Then you can experiment and, for example, take away one of the boxes and see how she does. But leave her in that room unless you can be with her as I indicate below.

VERY IMPORTANT: With kittens, you can't use clump litter. It must be the clay kind. If they ingest any of the clump litter, their little system can't handle it.

*Being in a small, confined area is very important.* Don't give her the run of the house for some time -- until she uses the box in say, a bathroom or the laundry room, and then step up to a bedroom or den. That will also help you in becoming her friend. If you have time, go into the laundry room and just sit on the floor. Make yourself little and non-threatening! Talk with her and play with her while you're sitting down. If there are a number of people in the home or friends who can do this, that will help with her socialization. I've heard of some people who will lie down and the kitten will start to walk all over them and play with moving toes and fingers! You could also do this as you introduce her to other rooms in the house.

Then, if you have another room that's suitable (bedroom/den), you could move her to that one (once she's started using the litter box consistently in the laundry room). You can bring her out into the rest of the house if you can keep your eye on her. Walk around holding her as you introduce her to different parts of the house, and then put her back into her room. Having access to a big house for a little feral kitten is too overwhelming for them. Smaller is better until she starts to adjust. Doing everything gradually is also helpful.

It probably won't take as long as it seems. I had to bring adult feral cats inside in a very unusual set of circumstances. Of course, they were used to going to the bathroom wherever they pleased, and they didn't know they were really messing up the basement! So I put "training boxes" around and gradually moved them closer and closer to the main bank of litter boxes. They learned quickly.

This is a little premature, but if you're ever thinking about eventually letting her outside, I'd be very cautious about that. She may get to the point that she seems well-adjusted inside, but if you let her out, you may never see her again. It has to do with the confined space I was talking about earlier, getting overwhelmed in a larger space like the great outdoors, and their feral background.

Through the years, I've brought many of my ferals into the house when they needed some medical attention and medication. I would keep them in a small crate that had their bed, litter box, and a place for food and water. During their stay, some of them would become very friendly. I could even reach my hand into the crate and pet them. Gemini was one who had become a real lovebug while he was inside getting medicated. Once his treatment was over, I really hated to put him back outside. When I did, I almost lived to regret it. He took off out of his trap and I didn't see him again for TEN days. I was just sick, but relieved when he started coming around again!!

I hope this all makes sense. Let me know if you have any other questions. Keep me posted on her progress. Have you named her yet?

Wow ~ Thank you for all of your information and help. We put her in the laundry room but I removed the laundry room door and put up a screen door so she could get used to our noises and smells.

How soon can I take her to the vet? I don't want to freak her out any more than she already is but there is a little blood in her stool and she has ear mites and probably worms.

It's really wonderful of you to take care of ferals the way that you do. We need more people like you in this world.

Hi! The screen door is a great idea! Is she not trying to climb it? Kittens have the sharpest little claws! If she does, maybe you can lean something like some plywood up against the bottom 2/3 of the screen to block her.

Sounds like you should take her to the vet as soon as possible. They'll clean out her ears and treat ear mites and fleas. Making sure her fleas are treated is another good reason to wait before you introduce her to other parts of the house. If you can, take a stool sample with you. The vet will be able to tell you more about what shots she needs when, etc.

IMPORTANT: When you take her, put her in a carrier that's secure. Do not ride or drive with her in your lap, even if she is so inclined. Again, if she were to escape from a carrier or the car, she would disappear in an instant. Just take every precaution you can to protect her.

Also meant to ask: What color is she? Short- or long-haired? If you need any suggestions for names, I have names for the original 123 kitties in my colony when they were still outside. You can also do a Google search for Cat Names, Female Cat Names, etc. There are websites with unending lists of names by category: cute, creative, unique, Spanish, Italian, cartoon characters, etc.!!

Let me know how she's doing. Good luck!!

I should also add that there are probably others out there reading this who might have suggestions as well. I've taken care of this feral cat colony for fifteen years now, but that doesn't make me an expert. I've just done what I could through the years to help these endearing creatures.

I found this litter called "attract cat" which amazingly attracted every cat in my house to use it so far. I'm crossing my fingers that the new little one will get the hint and follow along. I am trying not to name her because a friend of mine wants to surprise her daughter as a birthday present since they just bought a house and are finally able to own one (and their daughter has been *dying* to have a cat for years now). It's a true love story.

Did you get to take her to the vet yet? Her parasite problems (ear mites, fleas, and worms) need to be addressed as soon as possible -- for her own good and comfort.

Is this "attract cat" clay litter? It sounds very effective. Just make sure that it's not the scoopable kind.

I was going to make one other suggestion, but now that the kitten will be going to another home, this doesn't apply to you but to your friend. So I'll say it in case you'd like to pass this on to her.

Prior to learning that you have other cats, and thinking that you were going to keep the kitten, my concern was that the kitten would be the only animal in the house. I was going to suggest that you consider getting a second kitten. Most rescue groups, with good reason, require that there be at least two animals in the home -- another cat or a dog. It's highly recommended. From my own experience (and maybe you can attest to this), I can say that having a second cat doesn't require that much more work. The benefits of having two kittens growing up together far outweigh any perceived negatives associated with having a second cat. They wash each other, sleep together, play together, entertain each other -- and, best of all, they entertain you! There's nothing like watching the adorable antics of kittens as they intereact with each other! And they keep each other company when their owners might be away during the day.

It sounds like the kitten might be the only cat in your friend's home. Maybe she will give this idea some consideration. She could go to the shelter and save a little kitten who might lose its life. She could give it a great life along with the kitten you have rescued! (Or maybe you have some rescue groups in your area that have Adoption Fairs. They can help you find a kitten of similar age.)

Another thought just occurred to me. Is the kitten still quite feral? Is she hissing at you? Are you able to handle her? Is she somewhat tame by now? Any feral cat or kitten who tames down by bonding with one person will not necessarily be calm in the hands of a stranger. Your friend and her daughter need to keep this in mind. They may not be able to hold and cuddle this kitten right off the bat. I just don't know what her behavior is like now. Years ago, I took in two feral kittens from my colony (to foster them and find them a home). They got to be tame with me and I was able to hold them, but in the hands of a prospective owner, they started hissing and growling!! They were not happy campers and they HATED going to the Adoption Fairs. They just crouched in the back of their cages. So, in the end, it was easier on them and me to keep them! Sunshine and Shadow -- an adorable pair!

Please feel free to pass on to your friend all of the ideas I mentioned in my second response to you. They are very important when it comes to introducing the kitten to a new home and helping her get acclimated. If your friend will think about taking in a second kitten, it would be easier on everyone to do that fairly soon so the kittens can adjust to their new home and everything new in their little lives -- together.

She has an appt for the vet on monday. She is allowing everyone in the house to hold her and she looks for us to cuddle up with all the time - she is so sweet. We haven't found any fleas and she is now using the box with the cat attract.

I will pass along all of your information to my friend - I'll just print out your posts - so she can read them. And we will also be aware of the fact that she might not instantly want them to hold her. Thank you so much for your help.

This is great! It sounds like she is quite tame already! You probably got her just soon enough that she's well on her way to being a regular domestic cat. Maybe she won't have any problems adjusting to her new parents.

What color is she? Long- or short-haired? Let me know her name once they choose one.

Being an Animal lover I can follow and understand what You two are writing .The Feral Cat
problem has thanks to thoughtless humans become a disaster for Australia and also worldwide . Maybe , just a thought , why not get rid of the ones who constantly creates problems like that . My favourite picture is one of me and my dog seen from behind , the caption above my head says , the more humans I meet , the more I love my dog .
Keep on going but do it sensible.
Good luck I.

I agree! People who are irresponsible and lack compassion have greatly contributed to the plight of feral cats. Other animals also go feral but I'm most familiar with the kitties. Thankfully, volunteers across America and around the world try to help as many cats as they can by trapping them and getting them spayed/neutered.

When I saw a kitten dying in the sun, I knew I had to take action to get the cats neutered in this area where I worked. At the time, I had no idea that there were 123 cats living in this 12-acre industrial park. The cat population there was greater than that and fluctuated through the years, but 123 actually went through the Trap-Neuter-Return Program. The goal, in addition to helping each individual cat, was to stop the reproduction. Once I started, I couldn't stop part-way through or many of my efforts would have been in vain. Seeing how this work impacted the lives of these kitties in such a positive way was incentive enough to keep going!

Update on the kitten: We named her Rainbow and she did great at the vet. Ear mites and round worm were her only challenges, she was negative for feline leukemia and aids and they estimated her to be about 8 weeks old. She's going to our best friend's little girl who is already in love with her - she is the one who named her Rainbow - and they are looking for more kittens to save to keep Rainbow company.

Rainbow is a great name! I love it! I'm so glad that she did well at the vet and that her challenges are treatable. It's also great news that your friend and her little girl are going to find other kittens to save, too. That will save and enrich their lives as well as giving Rainbow some extra company. They will have a ball together! Thank you so much for the update! It makes my day! Keep me posted on any new developments.