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| Feral Kitten several months ago. She doesn’t grow up. |
I have a few feral cats that live in the yard. For the most part they come to eat and relax and go on their way again. That is all the feral cats but Feral Kitten. She sort of thinks I am her mommy and runs into the house cuddles up against the dogs jumps in my car. Pretty much thinks she owns the place. When I am gone she will hunt for small animals and one of the male cats brings her special treats. I can be gone for two weeks at a time and feral kitten will be there to say hello within an hour of me getting home.
So I was really worried that she had died when she hadn’t been around for 4 days. Then I say he yesterday she jumped into my arms so I brought her inside to get her a cup of food and poured it in her usual feeding spot. I had to go back out and when I came back noticed the food looked barely touched and she was gone. She was hungry and her little body was even smaller then normal so I knew there had to be something wrong when she didn’t come back all day for food.
She ventured back out today and thought she was walking funny but only saw her take a few steps. She came over to say hello so I picked her up again. I held her for a bit and then put her down in the grass so I could do something for Davinia when I noticed what seemed like a hole in her leg. Apparently she was injured (most likely attacked by something or someone). The area seems to be healing there is some leakage but no swelling and the area for the most part seems clean. She is purring and her eyes look clear so either she isn’t showing her pain or she is not longer in much pain.
I brought her inside to try and allow her to heal. She is in the girls biggest crate (a Veri Kennel 300) with food and water but I don’t know what to do about a potty for her. She has always been an outdoor cat so what if anything can I give her in the crate to go potty in? I figure whether I bring her to the vet and they have to keep her in a crate there so they can keep the wound clean or if I allow her to care for herself in a crate here where she will be less stressed out she would need some sort of potty system.
As an aside she has some food and water two dog toys which I just left in the crate since i brought her inside and put her right in there since the dogs followed me into the room with her as well as a stuffed animal. She might curl up with the stuffed animal but I am pretty doubtful she will play with the toys. I pulled the blanket out because it was really fluffy and seemed like she was nervous to walk on it. Plus she spilled her water all over it. Should I leave the bottom just the plastic or put something in there for her to sleep on?
If you have cat experience or feral cat experience please help!
By no means am I an expert, but I have cats so I know a little by experience. This little kitten will use the litter box instinctively unless she's
really sick. Always buy non clumping litter for small kittens because tiny kittens will sometimes eat the litter. Any kind of pan will do for a litter box. You can buy a cheap plastic one at most any discount store like Dollar General, Wal Mart, Target, etc. I would put a blanket down so she will have something soft to lay on although she may kick it to the side. Please consider adopting or finding kitty a home. She most likely won't make it outside. It's so sad but true. I live in the foothills of NC and coyotes kill lots of outdoor cats here.
Purrrr Dat pretteh kitteh may use da newspapers but if she doesn't get some clay litter. I tink dey sells a disposable box wif litter at da nom store.
I agree that you got fabulous advice already but yes she will use a litter box instinctively and YES by all means if you are able, please take her to the vet.
All of the kitties in the world thank you for having such a kind heart and taking care of this little one.
You've gotten lots of great advice, so I won't add to that. Thank you for caring enough to bring her inside and making sure that she is properly care for. We'll make a cat lady out of you yet! 😉
Hi!
I recommend you to take her to the vet. She probably needs Antibiotics and the vet could examine her and do some tests to see if she has other wounds.
I call her feral kitten but she is probably two years old already. So she isn't little but I have known her since she is a tiny baby.
Hello, I have lots of feral kitties and I have successful in placing a dish pan with litter or shredded newspaper (so her leg don't get infected), you will be amazed how well she takes to the litter box in the crate. They just seem to know what to do.
Good Luck and hope she gets better soon.
Sniffs,
The HoundDogs
She'll take to a litter pan without any help.
Get her to a vet. There could be complications from the wound that don't show. She could have worms, or who knows what. Limit exposure to your dogs until you know she doesn't have anything they can pick up. While she's at the vet, you might find out if the vet participates in a trap-neuter-release program and will neuter the cat without you having to pay for it (if she's not neutered already).
By the way, good for you for looking out for this kitty even though it isn't yours. I hope she's gonna be ok.
Looks like tinagirl has already given you advice on the litter box, at this kitty's age clumping litter would work.
Kitty needs a trip to the vet for a check up and shots if she hasn't had them already. Has kitty been spayed yet? If not please consider having it done.
I have a group of six feral kittens, about six months old now, who call my yard home. All have been fixed and have had their shots though a local program that uses Trap/Neuter/Return to help control local feral cat populations. I volunteer with this program, over ninety cats were treated the past weekend.
She was trapped by a neighbor and spayed as a very young kitten. So that is already taken care of.
I will shred some paper as suggested so it doesn't hurt her leg any more then it is already and put it in with her and hope it works.
I will limit her exposure to the dogs but she comes up to the dogs on a regular basis when they go for walks and nuzzles up to them. She knows she is a cat but thinks she is one of the dogs.
Many great suggestions already. If she is small enough and your are worried about the size of a litter box than just use an aluminum 9X9 cake pan. But definately take her to the vet. Feral cats are prone to many illnesses. And it doesn't sound like she is really feral at all. A cat that will come into your house and allow you to pick her up isn't feral any more. So you might consider just keeping her indoors with you. She would be safer and healthier.
A litter box with cat litter should do the trick.
She currently has lots of shredded newspaper in a big plastic container. I will be calling the vet in the morning. There is no way I would have made it to his office before he closed today anyway.
She is not all that feral around me at all she prefers to be outside and I am allergic so I prefer her outside. But for now she is safer inside resting where she clearly feels safe and secure. The fact that I haven't heard a peep out of her even though I have her closed in a crate means she is happy to be in there. If she feels better tomorrow I will bring in the Kitter Kondo and see if I can convince her to stay in there. Since it is bigger and she can get stronger by climbing up the walls.
You could try a litter box! Most cats take to litter boxes naturally. When they are outside they will look for sandy areas or places where they can bury their excretement.
Good luck!!!!! We hope this little kitty will be okay!
Aw, thank you so much for taking care of this precious, sweet kitty. I second everyone's advice to please, please take her to the vet. Even though she is injured, she should still have a healthy appetite, so that worries me that she did not devour the food you gave her. I am worried that she may have a systemic infection. Perhaps some antibiotics are what she needs.
They also sell a litter called yesterdays news. It is basically pellets made of recycled newspaper, It is very absorbant and non clumping. My vet (and probably a lot of vets) actually recommends it after any type of surgery since clay litters can be dusty and get into the wound. My cat was an outdoor cat that we adopted as a kitten and the first time he saw a litter box he used it. It must have been instinct.
Hi, Felissa.
I was going to suggest using Yesterday's News for her also. But I see someone else has already suggested that. I think it is a good idea nevertheless.
I'm glad you're planning on taking her to the vet tomorrow. It sounds like, at a minimum, she'll need antibiotics.
I would probably go ahead and give her a towel or blanket to snuggle on.
Good luck. Hopefully, all will heal well for her. And thank you for taking care of her in her time of need 🙂
It seems that she is sleeping in her litter box instead of using it :/
She is happy to be sleeping undisturbed. The last time I went in there I tried to give her a litter box full of leaves since I have see her going potty in leaves all the time. But she didn't want to step on it so I just left the shredded newspaper and figure if she needs to potty she will potty on that and then sleep on the stuffed animal she has her head resting on.
She came out of the crate before and cuddled up on my lap and the sound of her purring was so loud. I hope the worst is over for her I just wish she had come to me when it first happened.
Sorry…I'm a new kitty owner so I can't help you out as I haven't been doing this long. Hopefully things will get better for her.
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Everyone gave you great advice-sounds like you have a new addition to your family :). Even if she seems well, still take her to the vet ASAP-like the others said, the infection could have healed over and is festering inside.
Best of luck!
A lot of great advice has already been given. Don't be too discouraged. Some cats are a little more stubborn than others about using litter boxes. Shredded paper towels will work as well. After my girls were spayed (I took in a stray and her 6 brand new kittens, and ended up keeping her and the only baby I couldn't find a good home for. My two dogs weren't too happy about that lol) they were refusing to use their litter boxes with the shredded paper towels. It wasn't satisfactory to them. One of them ended up having an accident outside. Luckily on a plastic grocery bag. So what I did was sopped some of the pee up with the paper towels and added it to to their litter box. Finally one of them decided to try it, after they couldn't hold it anymore, and I praised her for it. After that, they had no problems using their temp. litter til they healed- I'm not sure though that praising them for doing their business in the right spot actually makes any difference to a cat. But I've always been a dog owner, and not much of a cat person lol. I do love my girls though. Anyways, you might try finding the spot in there that she is doing her business on, and try adding a little bit of the mess to the litter box. And then clean up the other spot of course. But definitely stick with that or another nonclumping alternative while her leg is healing. And, of course keep her litter box clean once/if she decides to start using it.
You could try and encourage her into another sleep spot in the crate as well, to move her away from the litter box. Use a small soft blanket or towel, maybe pop it in the dryer for a min or two for added warmth. You could even slip a hot water bottle underneath it, to help encourage her there. And put the toys on top of it. So happy to hear that you're going to call the vet. She will definitely need to be checked for the reasons others have mentioned already. And thank you for having such a good heart.
And as Kathy has already said, the fact that she allows you to interact with her (even approach her) and is so willing to snuggle and cuddle with you, doesn't sound like she's a feral any longer. She may need a new nickname. 😉