Caring for Stray
Cats & Kittens
Kitten Found on Doorstep
Dear Simba,
I found an abandoned kitten yesterday and decided to take him home with me. I took him to the vet first for a check up. The vet said that my kitten, Ginger has a fever, which has contributed to his eye infection and flu. Ginger is still rather active. He plays with his strings and toys but he does not seem to be eating much and he refuses to drink water.
He also follows me around everywhere I go. He keeps on crying and wants me to carry him and hold him! He evens wants to sleep on me.
The vet said he should be fine after he finishes his course of antibiotics. I'm worried about him. I'm so afraid he will starve and dehydrate to death. How long does it take for a kitty to recover from the flu, fever and eye infections? Jackie
Dear Jackie,
First, thanks for rescuing the little guy! His following you around and his wanting to sleep on you are natural signs of affection. You appear to have bonded with him and he is simply returning your love. Do not worry about your catching his cold, eye problems or fever. The cat flu is not contagious to humans but it does require treatment.
As for his not eating or drinking, that is a matter of concern. You may want to consider giving him water and/or feeding him with a beaker. Maybe spike the water with tuna juice! Cats that skip meals can suffer dangerous liver problems. Take Ginger to a follow-on visit in the next few days and have him checked for worms and FIV, Leukemia, FIP. Be sure to schedule his shots. Simba
I found an abandoned kitten yesterday and decided to take him home with me. I took him to the vet first for a check up. The vet said that my kitten, Ginger has a fever, which has contributed to his eye infection and flu. Ginger is still rather active. He plays with his strings and toys but he does not seem to be eating much and he refuses to drink water.
He also follows me around everywhere I go. He keeps on crying and wants me to carry him and hold him! He evens wants to sleep on me.
The vet said he should be fine after he finishes his course of antibiotics. I'm worried about him. I'm so afraid he will starve and dehydrate to death. How long does it take for a kitty to recover from the flu, fever and eye infections? Jackie
Dear Jackie,
First, thanks for rescuing the little guy! His following you around and his wanting to sleep on you are natural signs of affection. You appear to have bonded with him and he is simply returning your love. Do not worry about your catching his cold, eye problems or fever. The cat flu is not contagious to humans but it does require treatment.
As for his not eating or drinking, that is a matter of concern. You may want to consider giving him water and/or feeding him with a beaker. Maybe spike the water with tuna juice! Cats that skip meals can suffer dangerous liver problems. Take Ginger to a follow-on visit in the next few days and have him checked for worms and FIV, Leukemia, FIP. Be sure to schedule his shots. Simba
Dear Simba,
A little kitten just turned up on our doorstep, it is very friendly yet seems ill. It is unable to meow and, attempts to cough (unsuccessfully), has shallow breathing and slightly watery eyes. We are poor folk and would like some home health advice before going to the vet. We eagerly await your reply, Anxious New Kitten Lovers
Dear Anxious New Kitten Lovers,
You are kind in looking after the little guy. Check out the Care for Young Kittens section for tips on basic care for young kittens. As you may know from browsing through the cat flu section, your little guy may be suffering from either a viral or bacterial infection which does require medical treatment. Your best bet is to keep the little guy warm and cozy, well fed (with kitten food or formula depending on age), and well hydrated (plenty of water) until you are able to go to a vet or your local humane center for him to get some medical care. You may have some luck relieving his upper respiratory distress by holding him outside a warm shower and letting the steam clear out his nasal passages. Simba
Dear Simba,
My husband found a kitten at the golf course, she is ~8 weeks old. She has a bad flea problem and most of her hair on a large portion of her body is gone. I am concerned about mange. We also have a two-year old that loves the cat.
Hi,
You are certainly right to be concerned about mange. mange results from Demodex mites. The mites are naturally occurring and normal in people & animals. However, creatures with weak immune systems like abandoned kittens and/or hereditary problem are often unable to control the mites. This may be affecting your kitty. Mites (in large quantities) may release compounds that will further weaken your kitty's immune system. They can also cause local infections. Best thing to do is to go feed and take good care of kitty (so as to strengthen her immune system).
take her to the vet to have kitty tested and treated for FIV, parasites and all the other basics. Your vet will probably use a shampoo to help flush the hair follicles and may provide some antibiotics and/or immune stimulants in addition to flea treatment. -Simba
My husband found a kitten at the golf course, she is ~8 weeks old. She has a bad flea problem and most of her hair on a large portion of her body is gone. I am concerned about mange. We also have a two-year old that loves the cat.
Hi,
You are certainly right to be concerned about mange. mange results from Demodex mites. The mites are naturally occurring and normal in people & animals. However, creatures with weak immune systems like abandoned kittens and/or hereditary problem are often unable to control the mites. This may be affecting your kitty. Mites (in large quantities) may release compounds that will further weaken your kitty's immune system. They can also cause local infections. Best thing to do is to go feed and take good care of kitty (so as to strengthen her immune system).
take her to the vet to have kitty tested and treated for FIV, parasites and all the other basics. Your vet will probably use a shampoo to help flush the hair follicles and may provide some antibiotics and/or immune stimulants in addition to flea treatment. -Simba
I was feeding a stray that had two solid black kittens. The mother was brownish black and the father black (he hangs around regularly). I thought the kittens would be just the right size to give away for Christmas. However, one kitten (who is absolutely beautiful) has a continual runny nose and sneezes all the time. The other one's fur has become brittle and silver-colored. I have read your posts about kitty flu but am confused about the fur changing color. Could they have a nutritional problem? I wasn't aware that the kittens were even alive till a neighbor told me and I brought them to my house.(They were ~3-weeks old at the time) Not that it has any effect on the question, but two large dogs killed the mother day before yesterday-I'm sure she was trying to defend them. Thank you - Cat Addict
Dear Cat Addict,
What a tragedy. I think that your best bet is to take both kittens to the vet. While one appears to be displaying signs of the cat flu which as you know can be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection. The other kitten shows symptoms that can occur with a variety of ailments, including inflammatory bowel disease, which can lead to problems in the absorption of proteins/vitamins. Low serum protein can cause a reddish discoloration of the fur. Another possible cause is ringworm
For now, make sure they are eating a good and nutritious kitten food or formula and that they are warm and comfy. Also take them to the vet and have them checked out so they can start treatment as soon as possible. Simba
Stray Cats Sleeping On Car
Dear Simba,
How do I stop stray cats from sleeping on my cars at night? Mark
Dear Mark,
One of the better ways to handle this is to install a light activating motion detector near your car. The light will startle the strays which will make them less likely to park on your vehicle. The added benefit is that in being bright, it reduces the sense of stealth that the cats would otherwise have, thus decreasing the allure of your car.
You can also try Cat Deterrent, which folks often use to keep cats off certain places in their homes. Keep me posted. Simba
How do I stop stray cats from sleeping on my cars at night? Mark
Dear Mark,
One of the better ways to handle this is to install a light activating motion detector near your car. The light will startle the strays which will make them less likely to park on your vehicle. The added benefit is that in being bright, it reduces the sense of stealth that the cats would otherwise have, thus decreasing the allure of your car.
You can also try Cat Deterrent, which folks often use to keep cats off certain places in their homes. Keep me posted. Simba
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Humane Rescue & Trapping Tips
Dear Simba,
I am the lucky owner of 7 cats that came to me when I moved in three years ago. I am concerned about one that's been with me for 2 years. He will not let me pet him. Most of them at the beginning were afraid of me but it did not take them long to become lovable…now I can even carry them. All of them except for the really wild one have been spayed or neutered. My concern is that he has become sexually active now, he is getting into fights and I cannot catch him to get him operated! Do you have any answers for people like me that feed and love strays?
Hi, You are a good person for taking care of the cats and considerate for wanting to have the little guy neutered. See the note below for tips on how to humanely trap stray cats. Good luck! Simba
I am the lucky owner of 7 cats that came to me when I moved in three years ago. I am concerned about one that's been with me for 2 years. He will not let me pet him. Most of them at the beginning were afraid of me but it did not take them long to become lovable…now I can even carry them. All of them except for the really wild one have been spayed or neutered. My concern is that he has become sexually active now, he is getting into fights and I cannot catch him to get him operated! Do you have any answers for people like me that feed and love strays?
Hi, You are a good person for taking care of the cats and considerate for wanting to have the little guy neutered. See the note below for tips on how to humanely trap stray cats. Good luck! Simba
Hi Simba,
My name is Kathryn and I am volunteering at a pumpkin patch in Portland. There are many kittens running around the barn, all of whom are very shy. We found one kitten that died (we believe due to lack of nourishment). We caught one of the smallest ones and found a home for it....However there are still many others that we have been unable to catch....we believe that if we do not rescue them they will die. Do you have any tips on catching them and getting them healthy? Thanks a bunch, anything would be greatly appreciated. - Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
You are a good person for doing what you are doing for these little guys. Here are some notes for helping you catch them.
First, ideally your local animal care center will be able to lend you a humane trap that you can bait with tuna, sardines or any other smelly food. Humane traps have a door on one end, which is lifted and set with a small catch. The door is connected to a flat trip-plate at the base of the trap. These trip-plates are set at the back of the trap so that the kittens do not get their tails caught when the door shuts. You want to cover the trap with a large towel or blanket to camouflage it lest the metal give you away!
Set a small plate of the smelly food inside and line the trap with newspaper. The door will shut as soon as a paw hits the trip plate.
What you will need:
Now about grabbing them all at once. My suggestion is for you to take those that you can. Simba
update: Thanks for the advice. We were unable to find a humane trap so we baited a standard cat carrier with tuna instead. It worked like a charm in getting our kittens attention. The day before taking them we set the carrier out near their food dishes so they would get used to it. It seemed to work!
Well done! Simba
My name is Kathryn and I am volunteering at a pumpkin patch in Portland. There are many kittens running around the barn, all of whom are very shy. We found one kitten that died (we believe due to lack of nourishment). We caught one of the smallest ones and found a home for it....However there are still many others that we have been unable to catch....we believe that if we do not rescue them they will die. Do you have any tips on catching them and getting them healthy? Thanks a bunch, anything would be greatly appreciated. - Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
You are a good person for doing what you are doing for these little guys. Here are some notes for helping you catch them.
First, ideally your local animal care center will be able to lend you a humane trap that you can bait with tuna, sardines or any other smelly food. Humane traps have a door on one end, which is lifted and set with a small catch. The door is connected to a flat trip-plate at the base of the trap. These trip-plates are set at the back of the trap so that the kittens do not get their tails caught when the door shuts. You want to cover the trap with a large towel or blanket to camouflage it lest the metal give you away!
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Set a small plate of the smelly food inside and line the trap with newspaper. The door will shut as soon as a paw hits the trip plate.
What you will need:
- A large towel or blanket to cover the trap after you catch the kittens. Placing the towel over the trap or box will calm the kittens down - expect them to be nervous.
- Gloves, a long sleeve shirt and jeans or sweat pants. Remember, cute as they are they can and will bite / scratch
- Tuna or other smelly yummy food for the trap and for keeping them happy while in confinement
Now about grabbing them all at once. My suggestion is for you to take those that you can. Simba
update: Thanks for the advice. We were unable to find a humane trap so we baited a standard cat carrier with tuna instead. It worked like a charm in getting our kittens attention. The day before taking them we set the carrier out near their food dishes so they would get used to it. It seemed to work!
Well done! Simba
Dear Simba
My husband and I live in Abu Dhabi. We have a small family of stray kittens (3 males 1 female) living with their mother under our house. we are not sure how old the kittens are, though we noticed they appeared about 4 weeks ago so we think they might be 7-8 weeks old. The kittens seem to be growing quite well except for the girl, "Pippen" who is not fast enough at the food dish we put out for them. That said, Pippen is very active stalking and playing with her brothers.
The problem is that there are a lot of cats around so we want to get our guys and gal fixed. The mother still nurses the kittens occasionally, but they are also eating out of the food dishes we put out for them.
Is it too early to have them neutered and spayed? Even if they are old enough we are worried about Pippen since she weighs barely over 1 pound. Would it be best to catch the whole family at once? We cannot see momma cat letting us take her kittens away without complaining. Steve and Jaimie
Dear Steve and Jaime,
How wonderful you are caring for the family! At 7 it is a little early but if your vet says it is ok go and do it. Now for catching them, see the tips above. Good luck and keep me posted! - Simba
update: Thanks for the advice. We were unable to find a humane trap so we baited a standard cat carrier with tuna instead. It worked like a charm in getting our kittens attention. The day before taking them we set the carrier out near their food dishes so they would get used to it. It seemed to work, although we got just Momma and one male. The cats in the carrier were fine. It was the kittens left behind that are distrustful now even though their Momma and brother are back safe and sound.
My husband and I live in Abu Dhabi. We have a small family of stray kittens (3 males 1 female) living with their mother under our house. we are not sure how old the kittens are, though we noticed they appeared about 4 weeks ago so we think they might be 7-8 weeks old. The kittens seem to be growing quite well except for the girl, "Pippen" who is not fast enough at the food dish we put out for them. That said, Pippen is very active stalking and playing with her brothers.
The problem is that there are a lot of cats around so we want to get our guys and gal fixed. The mother still nurses the kittens occasionally, but they are also eating out of the food dishes we put out for them.
Is it too early to have them neutered and spayed? Even if they are old enough we are worried about Pippen since she weighs barely over 1 pound. Would it be best to catch the whole family at once? We cannot see momma cat letting us take her kittens away without complaining. Steve and Jaimie
Dear Steve and Jaime,
How wonderful you are caring for the family! At 7 it is a little early but if your vet says it is ok go and do it. Now for catching them, see the tips above. Good luck and keep me posted! - Simba
update: Thanks for the advice. We were unable to find a humane trap so we baited a standard cat carrier with tuna instead. It worked like a charm in getting our kittens attention. The day before taking them we set the carrier out near their food dishes so they would get used to it. It seemed to work, although we got just Momma and one male. The cats in the carrier were fine. It was the kittens left behind that are distrustful now even though their Momma and brother are back safe and sound.
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