Stray Cat Captured!

[ramanth]

Well, after about a week of feeding it crunchies, my ellusive stray is now in my apartment and he/she is NOT happy.

A gray and white kitten... looks to be a little under a year old. I was feeding it wet food and tuna at a close proximity and then used a feather wand to coax it into my apartment. When I shut the door, all hell broke loose.

I finally got Kia and Zam into the living room and the kitten into the bathroom/bedroom and shut the door.

Kitten spent the entire night behind the toilet and cried from 3 a.m. until I left for work at 8:30. It never touched it's food, water, or the litter box. I cannot get near kitten. He/she will growl and hiss if I get too close. Zam spent part of the night scratching at the door meowing back.

I pray kitten will calm down. I hope to socialize it and find it a home.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh Kimmy, you must feel so bad for the kitten (not to mention not getting any sleep yourself all night), but you have to know that it's for the best. I'm sure the kitten will calm down a bit after it realizes there's no way out. Hopefully it will have eaten by the time you get home from work. That would be a good start. And hopefully you have another bathroom because it would be kinda hard to use the toilet if there's a kitten sitting behind it hissing at you the whole time.

Thanks for getting kitty inside and trying to socialize it. Sounds like it might be kinda tough, but I know you can do it with the help of Zam and Kia of course.

[ramanth]

Thanks... I hope I'm helping. I feel useless at the moment.

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
And hopefully you have another bathroom because it would be kinda hard to use the toilet if there's a kitten sitting behind it hissing at you the whole time.

Unfortunately I don't. Flushing the toilet didn't even phase the kitty. He/she won't budge.

Socializing Eli was easy (until Donna adopted the cutie) because even though he hid under the bed, I was still able to fish him out and hold him. And Zam and Kia could still have run of the entire apartment. Zam already attacked this kitty once and Kia scared the crap out of it so they are confined to the living room/kitchen.

My apartment feels even smaller now. I feel so bad for them.

I can't even touch this one. I want to take it to the vet but it gives me the dirtiest look anytime I go near it.

Anyone got a tranquilizer gun?

[moosmom]

Kim,

You are my hero!! I'm sorry he/she kept you up. I'm sure she's scared. Eventually she'll realize that your apartment is a good place to be. It's not gonna happen overnight, but just be patient.

Find it a home???? I thought you were going to keep it?? I know what it's like to feel like you have even less space than before. But it's all for a good cause.

You rock, girlfriend!

[ramanth]

I think I'll pick up some heavy duty gloves on the way home and I'll just try to get it in the cat carrier and too the vet to be tested for FIP and get some flea stuff (in case it does have fleas)

Not sure if I'm keeping her or not.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by ramanth
I think I'll pick up some heavy duty gloves on the way home

I was going to suggest that, and wear a heavy coat too so your arms don't get it. The vet would be the best place to start so Zam doesn't catch anything. After you know it's healthy, you can start working on socializing it. There have been many, many good posts here about doing that, so you might want to do a search. One of the best things I think, is to just go about your business and don't pay any attention to the kitten. It will eventually get used to having you move around and will become comfortable with your presence. I think that would be a great first step so the poor thing can at least feel comfortable with humans around. Interacting with humans is another thing, but the first step has to be just being comfortable with them around.

Which reminds me, we haven't had an update on Minnie lately. Have to start a thread to see how she's doing.

Good luck with the new kitten. The process might seem insurmountable at first, but if you read Jen's and Catholic's threads about their ferals, the rewards are even greater than the sacrifices.

[moosmom]

Kim,

You are doing everything right. Keep handling the kitten. It sounds like you two are well on your way. I hope he gets used to Kia. Zam will come around too.

Have you named the little purr machine yet??

[ramanth]

IT'S A BOY!!!

(I call him Little Boy for now... a friend of mine might take him so I'm trying not to get attached)

Had a vet appointment for him yesterday at 5:45. Left work early, got home, and totally padded myself, two layers of gloves, sweatshirt, leather jacket, jeans, boots..... I was ready!

Little guy was still behind the toilet. So slowly reached for him. He hissed and growled by made no move to run and I extracted him by the scruff.

He went into the carrier easily and THEN peed. He probably felt better because he hadn't gone to the bathroom at all while I was at work. Nor did he eat or drink.

Joann, my vet, had to turn the cat carrier on it's side and shake a little to get him out. Then he spazzed. Took a tech and big blanket after 5 minutes to catch him. They took him to the back room and said they would try to get blood from him but couldn't make any promises.

A few minutes later she brought him back and he was still bundled up in the blanket.... and purring!!!

I took about 20 minutes before the results came back of the bloodwork. I spent the entire time scratching his head and shoulders and oh how he PUURRRRRREEEDDD!!! He's got a loud motor.

Joann estimates that he's about 6 months old. No ear mites, fleas, and no feline lukemia. A little scrawny but overall healthy. The vet was doubtful at first if he could be socialized after his spaz episode but thinks there is hope since he was purring away.

I got him home and set the cat carrier on the bathroom counter. He let me pet him inside it, purring and occasionally rubbing against my hand. He even let me rub his belly!!

He ate some wet food in the carrier but didn't drink any water. After a time I let Zam investigate him while he was shut in the carrier. Kia nosed a little too. Little Boy hissed at Kia and Zam hissed at Little Boy once. I took Kia for a walk, keeping Little Boy shut in the carrier and Zam with him. Got back and Zam was sitting on top of the carrier and both were purring!

He let me pet him a few more times.... 2 of them, I may of moved too suddenly because he would hiss and growl at me, but as soon as I scratched his head, he'd start purring again.

Last night was MUCH quieter. Around 2, he was meowing and I turned on the light to see him sitting at the window. As soon as I turned the light off, he stopped. At 4 he spilled a bowl of water off the bathroom counter and the clatter caused him to run under my bed. At 5:30, Zam started howling wanting in the bedroom. I went out to the living room and spent a few minutes with her and Kia. After I went back to bed, Zam was quiet.

Little Boy used the litter box and ate some food.

This morning he was still under my bed. I let Zam in since she was driving me nuts crying at the door. She immediately went to the bathroom to drink out of the tub. THEN she sniffed around at the empty cat carrier.

She slowly made her way to the bed and went under. I heard a little scuffle and told them to stop. Zam had backed off but was still sitting close to him. The next scuffle was started by him and Zam came out from under the bed. After nudging me a little, she went back under and proceeded to sniff Little Boy. Little Boy growled a bit but there was no scuffles. Zam repeated this coming out from under the bed and going back under a few times. Little Boy would growl and Zam would just sniff.

I left Little Boy some catnip and cat treats on a carpet square.

I'll play with him a little this evening and on Saturday I'm picking up a Feliway difuser.

Progress you think?

[HayleyRosie]

Why are you not keeping him?

[ScantyNebula]

Sounds like great progress =D Thats good news! Do you think if he becomes more sociable with time you may consider keeping him yourself?

[ramanth]

I may or may not keep him. I haven't decided. One huge deciding factor is Kia. If the cat is scared to death of my dog and lives under my bed, then that is not fair to the cat. We'll see after a couple of days of socializing.

[Denyce]

HUGE progress I think

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

That is HUGE progress!! I liked when you said you came back and Zam was on top of the carrier and they were both purring...awww....

I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I think if you have a friend who is willing to take him, that would leave you free to rescue other kitties. I mean, you've already rescued Zam and Eli, and now Little Boy, so it sounds like there will no doubt be more strays in the area that will need your help.

He sounds like a little cutie, and I'm so happy he's starting to feel more comfortable. It's amazing that it took a big blanket to get him, but then he was purring by the time they brought him back. What kind of miracle stuff did they give him when they took him "in the back?

[lute]

we kinda have the same thing goin on. except i have three kitties. and just caught them yesterday so i don't know if i am going to be able to tame them or not. i will try.


you are doing a great thing!!! keep working on it!!

[kimlovescats]

Oh yes, definitely progress is he was purring!!! That how it was with Spencer ... and now he has a new home!!!!

Hang in there, and keep up the good work!!!

Kim E.