Well I was able to put the kitten in the dog crate without too much trouble. Once I got her/him in there - she/he seemed to relax a little. I put a litter pan, wet food, water and a towel to lay on and left it alone for a while. A few hours later I went up to check on it and it was at the front of the kennel. I had a long handled scratcher and used it to pet it - and it started purring!!! I did that for about 15 minutes and then reached in with my hand to pet it and it just relaxed, head bumped my hand and started purring again. My thinking is that rather than being feral, it was just a stray that was cold, scared and hungry.

It is filthy - it looks like it was laying in it's own waste. I can't really do anything about that right now, as it is still too scared, but hopefully eventually I can get it cleaned up.

My biggest fear now is the health issue. I know there are a great many diseases that can be picked up by strays, so as soon as she is a little more comfortable - I will be taking her to the vet.

Again - thanks for all your help. I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

Clara