I rescued a kitten a few weeks back

[Lone_Star_Dem]

She was thrown out of a pickup that I was driving behind. She's all healed up and doing great, except for one thing. She escaped.

She's not the most tame kitty and the only person she lets anywhere near her is me, and that's on her good days. She has some serious trust issues (who can blame her?) and people freak her out.

Yesterday she ran outside, she's currently living under the steps leading up to the deck. I've provided food and water for her and she comes out and eats and drinks, but the most she's let me do is touch the tip of her nose before she darts back under the deck.

My question for you is should I give her a few more days to calm down before I try and trap her? I don't want to traumatize her more than she already is, but at the same time I'm afraid she may get spooked and run off, never to be seen again.

[liontamer]

1. i'm not an expert, but you could try trapping her with catnip

the more time she spends being independent, the harder it will be to tame her

[aquart]

5. Good grief, NO!

Way too young for catnip. If you're setting a trap, use white meat tuna, not cat tuna.

And get a humane trap. But there is no need to trap now unless you have coyotes or other prowling predators.

[liontamer]

8. btw how old is old enough to catnip?

p.s. :hi:

[aquart]

17. Not before at least six months.

It might even be nine. My sister does cat rescue and she's strict.

[flvegan]

22. Kittens don't even react to catnip (nepetalactone) until 6-8 months.

So safety doesn't seem to be an issue.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. I have possums

Don't laugh, I know they are friendly for the most part, but do they fight with other animals smaller than them?

The trap I have is a live trap, it's the kind that you put the food (bait) inside and when they enter it it trips a lever that closes the door. Is that the right kind?

[flvegan]

12. Yes, that's the right kind of trap.

Sometimes called a Havahart, etc.

If you have opossums, you probably have raccoons. They can be particularly nasty.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. Havahart, yes, that's the one!

I have seen one raccoon and now that I stop and think about it I've also have a fox that lives someplace on the front of my property. I only see her late at night when she's hunting baby rabbits. I don't think she'd come too close to the house, however.

[aquart]

16. Possums are the homeliest animals on the planet.

And they will walk into any trap for food.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

19. So, I might end up with a possum rather than my kitten?

I hadn't thought of that possibility.

[flvegan]

21. Just rerelease, and reset the trap.

No biggie.

[aquart]

23. We've got possums, raccoons, the occasional fox.

I've never heard of a possum getting near anyone. It's always a shock to see them. Anyone have any better information on them? What do they eat?

The raccoons and cats have been known to startle each other, but we've had no fights. I've got pictures of cats hanging out on deck chairs waiting for the raccoons to finish and go.

The thing about cats, they're not tasty. People and animals prefer to eat rats before they'll try cats. And they have claws and attitude.

But I'm calling my sister to ask.

[aquart]

25. My sister the expert disagrees with me.

Do trap. But first, make a box with soft stuff that she can hide in and put it under the steps where she's cowering. Feed her delectable treats BY HAND.

That she lets you touch her nose is AN EXCELLENT SIGN.

When you get her inside, put her hidey box in the bathroom and keep her in there, where she can still hide, until she's comfortable and has gotten around to sitting in your lap.....which will happen if she's still quite young. If she was feral until the attempt to kill her, which I personally don't believe, then she may never be a lap cat, but my mom has ferals sleeping on her bed. They need to be near her, just don't touch.

Sara, my sister the rescue veteran, recommends Bach Rescue Remedy in her water, on her food. To help calm her down. She says there are a couple of others she can't remember right now. PM me, and I'll put you in touch with each other. For thirty years, people have brought Sara cats in every horrible condition, all her cats are terminally ill except they live for decades with her, and she has worked with vets to pioneer treatments.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

32. I don't think she was really feral before

What the police told me of the story was that a boyfriend and girlfriend where in the truck. The girlfriend had gotten the kitten somewhere and he was angry at her and had tossed it out.

[mike_c]

2. my advice would be to trap her ONLY if you can be assured...

...of keeping her indoors for the next six months or so, or even longer. Until she trusts you. She will eventually respond to love and care, especially since she is still very young, but you'll need to keep her from running away until she learns to love you. Spaying her will help with that a bit, when she's old enough.

I hope you got the license number of that truck, but I guess it's not likely. Anyone who would do such a thing deserves 10 minutes or so with me, and my baseball bat. There is NOTHING I despise worse than callous treatment of animals.

on edit-- I got side-tracked being angry. If you can't keep her inside, I'd recommend letting her be an outdoor kitty if she's relatively safe there, but catch her and get her spayed as soon as you think she's old enough.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. I wasn't ever planning on her going outside

I have a garden door in my bedroom that leads out onto my deck, I didn't latch it properly and she got out. It was my fault for being careless. Before that I was keeping her in my bedroom (it's huge and she had plenty of room to play) so she didn't have to deal with too many humans.

She was doing so well before she escaped, she even slept on the bed with me one night. I bought a live trap a little while back and I could use that to trap her. Do you think that would work?

The good news is did get the plate number of the jerks who threw her out, I even called 911 and reported them. The next day the police told me they had caught them and that the person would have to pay me back for the vet bills after they went to court! :D

[mike_c]

24. then I'd recommend catching her and following through with...

...your plan. She's damned lucky you were there when it happened. Best wishes, and good on 'ya, my friend.

[friesianrider]

31. Good for you!!

Wow, you get the award of the year for animal welfare! :yourock: ! You're awesome for turning this scumbag in, I hope he pays for it.

I would definitely try a humane trap with some yummy goodies like tunafish. I have no doubt you'll catch her - just make sure you check the trap at least twice a day. It also helps to throw a blanket or sheet over the humae trap as cats tend to fuss in the trap and fling themselves around - sometimes even getting a bloody paw from ripping out a toenail. But just don't let her out until she's secured indoors.

Wow...I'm so impressed you not only saw this and rescued that kitten, but also had the mind enough to also get the plate numbers and call 911. Seriously...you rock!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. It was really odd

We weren't going very fast and I wasn't too far behind either. It wasn't as if they were trying to hide what they did. I thought sure the kitten would be dead from the way I saw it bounce and so I took the plate number before I pulled over.

I wasn't in my hometown so I had to call 911 to find an animal hospital and report the incident. I was really surprised they caught the people, though.

[aquart]

3. Do NOT trap her.

She trusts you not to poison her. She feels safe near you. This is going to take lots and lots of time. I'm talking YEARS.

Sometimes they make a sudden breakthrough. And she may want to come in for the winter. Keep talking to her, smiling at her, let her go at her own pace. Get down low to the ground and stay still while you feed her lovely treats. Try out different treats to find out what she can't resist. White meat tuna? Chopped meat? There will be something she likes sooooooooooooo much. No catnip till she's at least six months.

The world is full of monsters, and she is very worried.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. see my post above.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3782286&mesg_id=3782384

Thanks :hi:

[flvegan]

4. First of all, you kick ass.

Rescuing an animal in that situation rocks in a huge way.

Secondly, is she fixed? If not, you NEED to trap her to get her spayed. That might even calm her down a bit.

She sounds a little feral. Keep putting food out, and she probably won't go anywhere. Earn her trust gradually.

Did I mention that you kick ass? Just checking...

[aquart]

6. She's a KITTEN.

I'm assuming that means under six months.

[flvegan]

7. And? You had a point, I trust...

[aquart]

15. You don't spay babies.

[flvegan]

20. You lack definition.

Actually, you can spay/neuter at 8 weeks. Any vet worth his/her salt will tell you that. A stray/feral or shelter animal should be altered as soon as possible, to promote the adoption or end the cycle.

Your "you don't spay babies" is antiquated, illogical and dangerous.

[friesianrider]

26. You should spay or neuter at 8-10 weeks - no later than 12 weeks.

When done at this younger age, they handle the surgery *extremely* well and bounce back much quicker when it is performed younger.

It is a myth that you must wait until 6 months old. A male cat can impregnate a female at 3 months (12 weeks) old, according to my rescue's vets. My persona vet has been spaying and neutering dogs and cats at 8 weeks for 10 years and has never had a single problem with them being too young or anything.

We recommend spaying and neutering all dogs and cats at 8-10 weeks old, and no mater than 12 weeks old.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Thanks

She's not spayed yet, she's only about 8 weeks old the vet said. I really want her to move back into the house where it's safe and secure, to be honest. I do plan on having her spayed when she's old enough, though, never fear. :)


edit: She's older than that now, she's closer to 11 weeks. I wasn't thinking.

[friesianrider]

29. She's old enough! :)

You can see my posts above - our kitty rescue spays at 8 weeks and we've never had a single problem. More and more vets are finding that the earlier the surgery is done (usually at 8-10 weeks) the faster they recover from the surgery. It also reduces the chances of spraying and other unwanted behavior by doing the surgery earlier.

It is a myth that you must wait until 4 or 6 months - some older vets insist you must wait but this is simply not true. My vet has been spaying and neutering at 8 weeks for almost a decade and has never had a single complication or problem - in fact she notes the ones spayed at 8 weeks bounce back much faster than even a 10 or 12 week old, let alone one 4 of 5 or 6 months old (which is good, considering procreation is possible at around 3 months). So, when you humanely trap her (and I'm sure you will!) you can have the spaying done right away - and definitely should :)

[friesianrider]

30. Addendum..

I forgot to mention that I think you are wonderful for taking this girl in :) Did you happen to catch the guy's license plate number or anything to report it to the police? People are such cruel jackasses... :mad:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

34. It's good to know she's of age already

I'd rather get that done when I have to take her in for shots anyway. The fewer trips the better.

I did get his plates and the police caught him. I gave a statement to the police and they took copies of the vet bills. They said he'll have to reimburse me for the expense. :)

[NaturalHigh]

14. My cat didn't trust me at first.

She was a stray, and it took her a long time to feel comfortable enough to let me pet her. Now, she's my constant companion. Give her some time and speak softly to her. Keep feeding her and watering her. It won't be long until she's ready to be friends.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

35. She was just beginning to act like she liked me a bit

Before she got out. Now it's like we've lost some of our progress.

[DS1]

27. Don't try to touch her, when she's ready she'll come to you

Now if I'd only heed my own advice :-)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

36. Patience isn't one of my virtues.

I'm trying not to rush her, but I want her to love me NOW. :)

[Floogeldy]

28. You're funny

:o

[Lone_Star_Dem]

37. Story of my life

I'm funny when I'm being serious and obscure when I'm trying to be funny. :shrug: