Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Missing kitten spotted - how do we catch it??

21 replies

dinnermoneyready · 03/09/2013 19:36

We got 2 lovely kittens about 10 days ago and one very determined one escaped through a blocked up cat flap and lifted a window catch and got out. Despite looking constantly and leaving food etc there's been no sign for the past week - but our neighbour 2 doors away has just seen her in her garden and the kitten has bolted off again. I'll ring cats protection in the morning, which is where we got her but does anyone have any suggestions of what we can do tonight? We've left food and water but the poor little thing must be starving. She's very timid and nervous too. Any advice much appreciated.

OP posts:

Report

cozietoesie · 03/09/2013 19:48

Myself, I'd try to raise CPL tonight to borrow a trap.

If they can't help tonight - how hardy are you feeling? I'd go out there with a waterproof and sit quietly, next to the food and water, calling occasionally. All night.

dinnermoneyready · 03/09/2013 20:09

I've tried CPL and there's just answer phone. My other half is currently sitting near where she was seen with a pocketful of treats...fingers crossed

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 03/09/2013 20:22

Fingers crossed for you. I doubt, if she's around, that you would really have to wait all night - until dusk/dark is most likely.

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 10:11

Any luck dinner ?

dinnermoneyready · 04/09/2013 12:52

No luck last night, no sign of her at all. We've just picked up a trap from the cats protection, so we will try that for a while. Thanks for asking.

OP posts:

dinnermoneyready · 04/09/2013 12:53

The food we left was gone though, but that could have been anything as we're quite a rural area.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 13:18

Oh boy - I'll be hoping.

Let us know if any luck.

dinnermoneyready · 04/09/2013 15:49

Success!!!! My husband just phoned me at work and the kitten went in the trap about an hour after he put in down. I can't believe it! Now I need advice on how we reintegrate a scared kitten back into our house...

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 04/09/2013 15:59

Yay! Well done! I don't think you'll need to do anything special apart from make sure she can't get out again. I'm sure she'll be quite relieved to be home.

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 16:00

Yay!!! I am so relieved.

Might be worth getting her up to the vet for a quick check over in case she's been injured or anything. (I'm sure they'll fit her in in the circumstances.) She can't be any more scared now than she has been so I don't think the vet will be too traumatic. Then, if she's well, you can reintegrate her knowing that you can keep her cozy in the house for a bit.

Oh I'm so pleased.

thecatneuterer · 04/09/2013 16:01

How old are they now btw? I wouldn't think about actually letting them out until they've been neutered (at five months) and chipped

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 16:07

Remember to phone up CPL to tell them and make arrangements for return of the trap. They'll be really pleased with your good result.

TakeItAsRed · 04/09/2013 16:08

Borrow a cat trap from the CPL, load it with food and place in the neighbours garden ..then watch like a hawk.

If she is very timid, you really are unlikely to catch her any other way.

TakeItAsRed · 04/09/2013 16:09

Realises I am an idiot!
Only read the OP.
Sorry!

Really pleased the trap worked, though.

dinnermoneyready · 04/09/2013 16:17

They've been spayed and chipped and we will be cat proofing the escape routes even more so than we thought we had done. Hopefully food drink and warmth will make her realise she doesn't want to escape again. So happy to have her back :-)

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 04/09/2013 17:17

That's great. In theory then you should be able to let them out in a couple of weeks. But, considering what just happened, I'd be inclined to leave it a bit longer.

It's such a relief isn't it? The same thing has happened to me, more than once, and when you get them back you feel like a big black cloud has lifted.

MexicanHat · 04/09/2013 19:14

Oh that's great news OP. So pleased for you

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 19:25

Is she settling back in, dinner?

dinnermoneyready · 04/09/2013 20:18

I think she's settling ok - she's eaten a fair amount so I'm hoping she will remember how to use a litter tray. She let me stroke her and she purred and now she's asleep in a box. We'll take it slowly before even considering letting them out. Thanks for all your concern; lost kittens are not a good thing!

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 04/09/2013 21:09

Food, purr and sleep - sounds good.

pigsDOfly · 05/09/2013 00:06

Similar thing happened to us with my lovely male cat, but he came back in the middle of the night and meowed outside the front door (clever puss) and boy was he relieved to be home.

When it came time for them to be allowed out he refused to leave the house. My daughter spent hours trying to coax him into the garden and eventually he was happy to venture forth.

He lived to be 19 years old and would occasionally leave the garden but was never as adventurous as his sister.

So pleased to hear you got your kitty back OP.

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.