Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/KITTEN abandoned

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/3/2008


Question
QUESTION: 2 nights ago i found a kitten in the barn when i was feeding the other cats. one of our cats was pregnant and was gone for a few days and just came back. we thought it was her kitten and we left her overnight. that morning the kitten was in the same place and looked scared. NO MOMA CAT. we left her again. later we came back to check on her and she was still alone so we brought her inside to take care of her ourselves. We went back out at night, and put the kitten on the ground near moma and walked away and moma just ran right past it. The kitten looks VERY healthy.

ANSWER: Britt,

A comment on your statement. That may still be the mama cat's kitten and you don't see her taking care of it. If it looks healthy and is not crying, then she probably is nursing it. I would put it back where you found it....but keep an eye on it. If it looks like it is not getting any nurishment then I would take it in. She may not go around it when you are there.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: well when we came back to see if she was o.k. she was crying like crazy

Answer
Britt,

He may still be nursing but the mother may run when you come to the barn and the kitten is just crying because he is scared and alone at that time, hungry.

If it were me, I would bottle feed the kitten, then make a soft bed in the barn with a blanket where you found the kitten, and put him back there after you feed him in case it IS the mama's baby. That way you know he is getting nourishment.

Can you catch the mother cat? If you can, can you tell if she has recently nursed or still has milk? That would help tell you if she is taking care of the kitten.

I am including some excellent links for information on feeding abandoned kittens. Copy and paste or type the links into your address bar:

http://www.safehavenforcats.com/newborn.htm

http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

http://www.2ndchance.info/orphankitten.htm

Here is a website that shows the development of a kitten by age (weeks) that is very helpful: http://www.hdw-inc.com/homepage.htm

Bottle feeding is not easy and is time consuming but it is very rewarding. Let me know how the kitten progresses.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

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Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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