feral kitten in nyc

[mallees]

I found a tiny gorgeous kitten but the only problem is I can't catch it! It has been living in the framework of a parked car for the past two and a half days. I was able to entice the cat to come out at one point and take a tiny bit of tuna but when I tried to grab it, it ran back into the car. It has been intermittently crying and no momma cat has been seen anywhere. It will try to leave occassionally but it only makes it half way across the street and runs back to the safetly of the car. It has jumped into the engine area of the car as well. I would try to gain it's trust but I live in NYC and this car can be moved at any time and the owner may not necessarily be cat friendly. I left a note for the owner but who knows.

Any tips on how I can catch this tiny kitten ASAP? We have tried going under the car but it slips in all the way up into the body that you can't see him/her.

 

[alisa]

maybe getting a box and cutting out a little opening, putting some food in the box and then trapping him/her in the box is one way. or using a carrier and putting food in the carrier is a good way of luring the kitten out from under the car. are you planning on keeping the kitten??

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by mallees

I found a tiny gorgeous kitten but the only problem is I can't catch it! It has been living in the framework of a parked car for the past two and a half days. I was able to entice the cat to come out at one point and take a tiny bit of tuna but when I tried to grab it, it ran back into the car. It has been intermittently crying and no momma cat has been seen anywhere. It will try to leave occassionally but it only makes it half way across the street and runs back to the safetly of the car. It has jumped into the engine area of the car as well. I would try to gain it's trust but I live in NYC and this car can be moved at any time and the owner may not necessarily be cat friendly. I left a note for the owner but who knows.

Any tips on how I can catch this tiny kitten ASAP? We have tried going under the car but it slips in all the way up into the body that you can't see him/her.

What I would recommend is getting a humane trap and setting it up to trap this kitten. Contact your local Animal Care and Control or the ASPCA. Good Luck.

Katie

 

[mallees]

Originally Posted by Alisa

maybe getting a box and cutting out a little opening, putting some food in the box and then trapping him/her in the box is one way. or using a carrier and putting food in the carrier is a good way of luring the kitten out from under the car. are you planning on keeping the kitten??

I would like to ... I just lost one of my precious cats and his buddy is so depressed without him.

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by mallees

I would like to ... I just lost one of my precious cats and his buddy is so depressed without him.

Definately take him to the vet BEFORE you bring him into your home. You want to ensure this little one is not sick.

Katie

 

[ldg]

You're an angel for wanting to rescue this kitty! Katie (TNR1) is right - when you do trap this kitty (and you WILL!), S/he MUST see a vet before s/he has any contact with your other cat. At the very least this kitty likely has parasites that must be addressed with medicine (not over the counter stuff that you can buy at a pet store or supermarket, it doesn't work).

If you can't find a have-a-hart type trap quickly, buy a carrier or use one you have at home from your other kitties? Just make sure it's clean and doesn't smell like another cat. Put the food in the back of the carrier. Unfortunately, you'll have to feed kitty once or twice this way, because if you try to shut the door and she escapes, she'll be real careful about trying again, no matter how hungry she is.

Grabbing kittens is nearly impossible, and will likely only result in you having scratches everywhere and her getting away again.

If you are able to locate a have-a-hart type trap, because she's little, make sure the trip set is sensitive, because she doesn't weigh much. And put a layer or two of newspaper over the bottom of the trap before you put the food in. Cats don't like the feel of wire on their feet, and the newspaper will not interfere with the trip mechanism.

The trap is really the best way to do this, if you can.

Call a vet now to see if there's any way you can bring kitty in as soon as you trap him/her. Because it's NYC, they might not be flexible - so be prepared to have kitty isolated in your bathroom. MAKE SURE IT IS CAT-PROOF.

I'd read a couple of the threads in this forum - there's an active one about socializing kittens - for hints on how to help her come to trust you once she's in your home.

And because you have another cat, this article will be helpful: "I'd Like You to Meet..." Introducing Cats

I so hope you're able to trap this little kitty! Poor thing must be scared to death.