Stray Cat, Kitten, Vacation

[tom87]

I’m hoping someone can give me some advice.

One cold evening last March I found a long haired, wild looking cat in one of my sheds in Tenn. I was hoping it would disappear as I’m not a cat fan. It kept coming back and I started leaving food. The cat wasn’t a fan of me either as every day it made threatening noises. Now we’re good friends.

About 10-12 weeks ago two kittens were born – now there’s one. Don’t know what happened to the other one. Watching mama and the kitten play softened me up to cats (at least these two) big time.

I’m going away for about ten days in August. What to do about the cats. I could board them – too expensive. I hoped to find someone to stop by daily and leave food by the shed but nobody seems to provide that business service around this rural town.

I talked to the local Humane Society and a veterinarian and they both said don’t worry about. They’ll adapt, find food and water. Leave some food and water if you want. Seems like good advice for a few days but I’ll be gone about ten.

Hoping someone can advise me:

(1) Is there some type of automatic s feeding system I could set up? I’m picturing a bucket on a wall with a hole in the side towards the bottom that gravity just lets food be accessible.

(2) Something similar for water?

(3) Any pills I can put in the water so it doesn’t “go bad”, become unhealthy

(4) The kitten (actually I’m guessing a ten week old is more of a cat now than a kitten) doesn’t like the dry cat food I leave for it. Just likes the wet canned stuff. Maybe the dry pellets are too big for it to chew? Is there like a “starter dry food for kittens”?


I had them both spayed.


Appreciate any suggestions!


Thanks,

Tom

 

[Kieka]

1) I would see if a neighbor is willing to put out food each day. The problem with a set up you are describing is that it will attract all sorts of critters. Some of which could be harmful to the cats (depending on where you are coyotes, foxes, raccoons, other cats, dogs, etc). So if you have someone coming by to check on your house while gone they would be ideal to put out a scoop of food. There are timed feeders but none of them are really suitable for the situation or time. If you don't have a neighbor nearby you could ask the Humane Society if there is anyone there or a local feral colony feeder who would be willing to help.

2 & 3) Water. You have the same problem of it attracting bugs and critters if left out along with the stale issue you mention. I know where I am the raccoons love standing water and we have to refresh our fountains from the mess they make. If you have a sprinkler system you can set up a drip line to a bowl or a sprinkler near enough to the bowl that it will add fresh water. For example, we have a set up for the aviary at my house with a smaller bowl set in a larger bowl. The smaller bowl has a drip from the sprinkler line into it. When the sprinkler line goes off the smaller bowl overfills and water spills into the larger bowl. The larger bowl has a drain with a pipe that leads to our orange tree. Every few months we empty and clean the bowl but the set up makes it so our aviary is completely self sufficient for a month without a human stepping foot in it (along with the food dispensers). You can probably get a cheap timer sprinkler/hose at a hardware store and set up a similar system. Once set up you could just leave it up permanently so you don't have to worry about water again.

4) The regular cat food is probably a little too big for the kitten. A lot of pet food companies have kitten foods that a slightly smaller. It could also be that the wet food has a higher fat content which makes it taste better (something the kittens body is craving) and kitten foods have that higher fat content as well.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree, you really need a friend or neighbor to put food and water out on a daily basis.

They are accustomed to being fed and will not survive on their own.

The kitten needs kitten chow along with wet food. Kittens need lots of food to grow on, and a ten-week-old kitten is still very young. Most kittens this age need feeding 4 times a day.

Thank you for spaying them and caring for them!

 

[kittychick]

I have to say - I'm a little more than stunned - actually kind of horrified - that a vet AND a humane society worker would tell you to "not worry - they'll fend for their own food and water" - - - for 10 days?!?! Is anyone else on this forum as upset and disappointed in people who are supposed to be giving good, caring advice about animals telling people to basically "let the cat and kitten figure it out"? Beyond rotten advice. I'm glad YOU care more than that and recognized that advice doesn't cut it.

As ticked as I am about their advice to you - - - - I'm equally, if not MORE, thrilled that YOU (a self-proclaimed not-really-a-cat-person person till now) showed such kindness and went to such great lengths for these guys. (Kind of amazing how the little buggers worm their way into your heart, isn't it?). The spaying was critical - - - you just extended both their lives by many years - and made the time they have SO much more pleasant. Plus you kept a vast number of unwanted kittens from being born (many of whom wouldn't have survived past their first week or so). I don't know if you've heard the figure, but an average cat has 1-8 kittens per litter and 2-3 litters per year (more in warmer climates). During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. So a single pair of cats and their kittens (and their kittens' kittens and so on and so on) can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years! So way to go!!!!!

Kieka gave some great advice on options. Do you have any good friends, neighbors, people in your church, anyone you work with, etc. - - that you could even pay a small amount to? Can you post on a bulletin board at work, church, etc. that you're looking for someone to do this? You may find alot more "cat people" out there willing to help than you know

As far as each question - I have some options if you can't find a sitter for daily feeding - the biggest issue is that if the feeder or the water - - is at any point tipped over, is eaten/drunk by other animals (which is a pretty good chance that'll happen) - - your poor two will be left without. Even if someone can't come twice a day every day (which is ideal - or even every day) -- maybe they could at least check once every other day. That way even if the worst happens, they wouldn't be without for very long.

Options on each question:

1 & 2) There are "gravity feeders" and waterers out there, which is the cheapest way to go if you can't find someone to help. One example is the "Petmate Pet Cafe Pet Waterer" on Amazon. I've read that cats need a minimum of 4 oz. of water a day - so you'd need something that would hold at least 3/4 gallon of water to give the 2 enough for 10 days. We use the "Petmate" waterer for our guys as one of their water sources - and it's fairly sturdy. The 1.5 gallon one on Amazon is $9.69 plus shipping. If you poke around on Amazon, they have similar ones for food. You can also spend quite a bit more money and buy ones that are actually timed and only open up to allow feeding and drinking at certain times that you set up.

3) I personally don't think I'd worry about putting anything into the water. 10 days isn't that long - and most things that can be added to water change the taste - - -and the last thing you want to do is change the taste of their water and make them fearful of it.

4) When we foster small kittens, we definitely feed them kitten food vs adult food that the mamas (if we have mama too) get. The dry is generally smaller pieces of kibble, is denser in calories (which is VERY important for kittens), and breaks up more easily in their little mouths. It's not a bad thing if mama cat eats the kitten food - but the kitten DEFINITELY needs kitten food, not adult food! We feed Royal Canin Baby Cat (it's expensive - but really great food - - and can be fed till the kittens are 4 months, which yours are right at the cusp of). But any kitten food (even those often called "lesser brands" or "grocery store brands" like Purina - - or the "middle brands" like Iams) is better than cat food for your little guy.

Keep us posted on what happens! Hopefully you can get this all taken care of - and relax on your trip!!!!

 

[Willowy]

Are you in the US? If so, I'd recommend Purina ONE kitten food. It has very small and easy-to-chew kibbles and I've never met a cat or kitten who didn't like it. Plus it's reasonably priced and easy to find.

You could leave a couple of large pans of water (plastic dishpans are good for this, and are cheap) and a full 16-pound bag of food, cut open, and that would probably get them through. I wouldn't really be comfortable with that but they would most likely be OK. Is there anyone---a co-worker, church member, neighbor, etc.---who could come even just once or twice to make sure their food and water are still OK? That would be better than nothing.

Try calling the local vet offices---vet techs and kennel kids will frequently be willing to petsit for a small fee.

 

[surya]

Even though it may feel awkward asking a stranger to help you out, I would, ten day's is too long to go without someone watching out for them. Ask around in the area, and I bet you will find someone who will do it for you. Kids love to help out with animals, plus you can give them a little money for helping you.

 

[Sarthur2]

T tom87

What have you decided to do about your cats in August while you are gone? Or are you still working it out?

 

[tom87]

Thanks to all for your replies!

I think what I’ll do is temporarily close off my 6x12 foot back porch that has a rain-proof roof and keep the cats in there while I’m away (now 8-9 days not 10). I’ll enclose the porch with chicken wire and heavy duty staples. I’m guessing this will be enough to keep raccoons etc away from the food and water.

I’m going to leave plenty of food in a couple of places and use 3 different water stations. One of the waterers will be a 2.5 gal gravity fed waterer (Petmate Replendish Waterer, not the Petmate feeder as I read that with the Petmate feeders the food sometimes gets stuck, doesn’t dispense). Three waterers may be overkill but I’m concerned one or more may get tipped over during the cats’ play. Planning to nail or otherwise affix the waterers to something solid so they stay upright. Also going to leave some cat toys, a cardboard “house”, and maybe a wooden perch or two they can hop on.

Suggestions very welcome!

 

[Sarthur2]

What about litter pans?

Will you have someone check on them at all?

 

[Kieka]

That sounds like a good idea. Chicken wire attached to wood has always worked well for us on rabbit hutches and our aviary. Assuming you aren't keeping it up long term it doesn't have to be too pretty. You do need to make sure it is attached well enough for climbing because my cats climb all over our aviary (but that might be to get at the birds, most of the time). We have staples the wire to the post then nailed a strip of wood over the wire along joints to keep it tight and prevent staples from popping out.

I would recommend either digging down and putting some bricks along the bottom (so that they are buried about 6-8 inches) or burying the chicken wire so that it makes an L shape going out about a foot from the bottom and just barley below the surface. That way you don't have someone deciding to dig a tunnel in to get at the food.

Also hawks or birds or prey are in your area maybe double it up with an inch gap between inside and outside so talons can't get to kitties inside. But that would be highly unlikely in a short term situation and the cats probably won't be terribly interesting. We do it on the aviary because parakeets/budgies are fun for hawks to go for and we have had birds killed when talons got through wire.... but never had the problem with single layer on the rabbit hutch.

 

[MJO12]

Thanks to all for your replies!

I think what I’ll do is temporarily close off my 6x12 foot back porch that has a rain-proof roof and keep the cats in there while I’m away (now 8-9 days not 10). I’ll enclose the porch with chicken wire and heavy duty staples. I’m guessing this will be enough to keep raccoons etc away from the food and water.

I’m going to leave plenty of food in a couple of places and use 3 different water stations. One of the waterers will be a 2.5 gal gravity fed waterer (Petmate Replendish Waterer, not the Petmate feeder as I read that with the Petmate feeders the food sometimes gets stuck, doesn’t dispense). Three waterers may be overkill but I’m concerned one or more may get tipped over during the cats’ play. Planning to nail or otherwise affix the waterers to something solid so they stay upright. Also going to leave some cat toys, a cardboard “house”, and maybe a wooden perch or two they can hop on.

Suggestions very welcome!

No suggestion, but you are hooked. LOL. Welcome to the club.

 

[tom87]

I decided not to enclose the porch with chicken wire. A neighbor will be feeding the cats daily instead. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Sarthur2]

This is good!

Hopefully, all will be well while you are away!