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Question
my landlord caught 2 stray kittens and had they spayed. She asked me to watch over them for a few days until they got better. I placed them in one of my spare bedrooms, put down food and water. It is now day 3 and I have not seen or heard them and I am getting nervous! They have not touched the food/water and I've searched every inch of space in that room. How am I going to find them.
Joann,
It sounds to me like this kittens are very fearful, they may be lacking in the socialization department. My recommendation would be to use tuna, time and patience if you'd like to see them. Canned tuna packed in water makes a great bribe food. If you go into the room where these babies are, bring a dish of tuna and crosswords, a novel or whatever you prefer to occupy your time then sit down quietly, put the plateful of tuna onto the floor several feet away from you and studiously ignore the kittens in most cases they will eventually come out. It's best if you initially ignore the kittens allowing them to eat their special treat and cautiously check you out. Over the course of several days (in some cases much longer) if your consistent with this routine and you bring the tuna closer to you each day (only an inch or so at most) the kittens will eventually become comfortable enough to check you out. You can also put a couple of homeopathic remedies into their fresh bowl of water each morning. The first remedy is called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure, 7-10 drops daily should do the trick. The last remedy would be Mimulus which is specifically geared towards treating fears that have been identified (in this case a fear of people) and the same dose works well. Use these remedies until the kittens start calming down some and being a little more social. You can generally find these remedies online, in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies or in some mainstream pharmacies in the aisle where the nutritional supplements and vitamins are found. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer, please feel free to contact me again and I will do my best to help you out.
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Answers by Expert:
Ali
Expertise
I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.
Experience
I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.
Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.
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