Quick, short term advice for feral kitten

rrrager

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Its just about 2:30am where I'm at so I'm gonna post this and promptly pass out, BUT I just came back from trying to feed a tiny feral kitten at my mom's apartment building.

Teeny tiny, gray/white or probably just really dirty, pretty sure it still has baby blue eyes. My mom says the poor thing started showing up on Friday, crying out consistently and fleeing from several neighbors who were trying to approach it. The kitten shows up in the mornings and evenings so far, and there's been no sign of siblings or a mother anywhere recently so we're pretty sure it's been abandoned. Its cries are also.... so pitifully loud and sad, like a call for attention. Closest thing I've heard similar are the cries really scared cats make when in the car or at the vet, tbh.

I emailed the Animal Defense League of Arizona, asking for assistance in trapping it so someone can give it some nourishment. It's been very hot and humid here lately with monsoon season starting up, and this kitten is hiding in sparse bushes and rocks which retain heat. I'm also not sure how urgent TNR is at the moment, esp since Arizona's a hotspot for covid right now, so idk how quickly I'll get a response.

Is there anything I can do in the immediate day or two while waiting for a response? We left wet kitten food and water out where we saw the kitten laying down, though I forgot to bring a bit of diatomaceous earth with me tonight to ward off bugs, which i'll remedy tomorrow :/
 

di and bob

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Just keep offering water and wet food for now. I don't know, but that earth might hurt the kitten's feet? Loud crying like that means it is urgent, the kitten is in trouble. I had one just like that show up last summer. I found a home for it on Facebook. Usually, when they are that young and tiny you can chase it down and grab it. I did and picked it up by the scruff, but it never tried to bite me. Make sure to have a towel it can be covered with and hide in. they are usually too young to be scared, and too desperate to resist much. It quite happily settled down rather quickly after being offered food and kindness.
 

fionasmom

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I have done exactly what di and bob di and bob suggests with tiny ferals who are in trouble....run they down if you can, put on gloves first if you think that best, and cover their faces, even with an article of whatever you are wearing. An abandoned kitten this small will become completely docile very quickly. The cries do mean that it is in distress and given everything that is going on right now, I am not sure that ALD is in any position to help you....not through any fault of their own. Can you get a trap anywhere? It might be best if you take this in hand yourself if possible. I have had small kittens be able to trip the foot plate on the trap and be caught that way.
 

Willowy

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Know anybody with a live rat/squirrel trap? Much better size for little kittens, IME. A fishing net might work, too, if you can get close enough. I agree that once you grab them, the little guys stop fighting pretty quickly.
 
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rrrager

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I don't know many people around here and unfortunately, given the whole pandemic thing, any friends of mine aren't able to come out with me for this. Unless we somehow coordinate with the neighbors who are also looking out for and feeding the kitten, we have 3 people at most who can attempt to corral this kitten to safety.

di and bob di and bob the general area where its hiding has a lot of trees on one side and small, clipped bushes but lots of bare dirt and larger rocks along the sidewalk. The most immediate danger is the road. Thankfully it's not a major road but it's still a two-way with a turning lane in the middle, far too wide for the kitten to cross (tho it's pretty fast, dang)

fionasmom fionasmom W Willowy i'm currently on the hunt for one, and i was hoping the ADLA would be able to rent out a trap to me, but i definitely agree that this is urgent and I should just find a way to catch the kitten myself. My budget is tight right now, as is my mom's, so I'm hoping that a smaller animal trap might work. I seriously cant understate how small this kitten is, even tho my only glimpses were in the dark and as it crossed the empty road. Gotta be around or less than 2lbs.

Anyways, we likely wont hear it until later tonight, because it has the common sense and experience to stay hidden during the hot day. Top temp today is 109°F with 20% humidity... I hope it shows up :(
 

Willowy

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Probably someone you know or somebody in the neighborhood has a squirrel trap lying around in a shed or garage, ask around. And if not---this is kind of crazy and would require an outgoing personality---ask local small businesses if they have one you can borrow, even offer to leave them some money as a deposit. I would guess a lot of privately-owned stores have had a rat or squirrel they needed to remove at some point in their careers.

New ones cost about $20 at most hardware stores, but that's kinda pricey for a one-time use.
 
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rrrager

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W Willowy I'm currently eyeing up one of the small $20 ones, its just a matter of whether or not it's in stock at the stores nearby, but I'll head over to my local family owned pet shop to see if they have any faster resources.

I'm not confident that many ppl around here have human rodent traps. The area is fairly new to development and many communities are hostile to literally any kind of pest, cats included, from what I've seen through my NextDoor app. Our most common pests are scorpions and pigeons tbh, though roof rats are a problem in older communities.
 
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rrrager

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1am update: was waiting for my mom to let me know if the kitten appeared today, and there was nothing in the morning or earlier this evening. i've been a little sick today (and yesterday tbh) so i only wanted to go over if she needed me to help corral the kitten, but no sighting, no need to capture yet. she hopes maybe this means someone managed to scoop it up, since other neighbors in the building were also on the lookout and worried about its wellbeing.

also got a response from the ADLA and it was just an automated email giving me the same info that was on their website. while i would love to play back and forth, i'd rather try to capture the kitten myself with whatever tools i have available immediately rather than wait for a cage rental, especially since theres a waiting list for them.

my mom's gonna keep an ear out for the kitten, just in case it's still around, and will ask the neighbors if she sees any between her busy schedule. i'll stop by tomorrow after work to leave more food and water with some diatomaceous earth. thanks for the advice everyone, i'll update again if we hear anything. 💜
 
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