I've found a newborn kitten in Lara Beach Turkey. What should I do?

[whatisdrowsybutawake]

Hi, posting here as I've tried every other avenue with no luck. This morning I found a newborn kitten outside our hotel in Lara Beach. It still has the cord attached to its belly so can't be more than a day old? Mother was nowhere to be seen, hotel staff looked everywhere and couldn't find her. We left kitten where we found it for ages but nothing. There were four other mother cats in the nearby area and we tried to merge kitten with those families but no joy, mothers rejected and hissed.

I took kitten to my hotel room and have fed it baby milk (I know not ideal but tried supermarket and there is no kitten milk). Couldn't find any condensed milk etc either as I've heard you can mix that up in an emergency. It's drinking and peeing as normal.

We leave tomorrow night, the local vet will not help as they can't commit to looking after a kitten so small. Reception unhelpful too. I've reached out to local groups on fb and nothing.

I don't suppose there are any mumsnetters in the area who would like to take the kitten when I leave? I'm honestly considering putting in my cardigan pocket and bringing back to UK but I know there's a hefty fine attached to that option if caught.. On hol with husband and 2 toddlers but managing to keep regularly feeding kitten, feels like having a newborn!

Picture below of course!

As sad as it is, if there can't be anywhere found to hand rear it then yes having it humanely euthanised is the best option.
What other choice would there be?

I do hope somewhere can be found.

Oh poor baby.

OP I’m glad I’m not in your shoes as I’m guessing kitty is now your 3rd baby.

There are some horrible comments on this thread absolutely abysmal and lacking humanity. Massive well done to the OP for rescuing the beautiful kitten. Just because it's only one cat and there's millions of animals in need doesn't mean it's not s beautiful thing to do to rescue the cat.

That is so starkly pragmatic it made me rapid blink in mild shock.

You’re probably right though.

There is jigging you can do apart from arrange to euthanase. They are literally everywhere.

Lacking "humanity"? It's an animal not a newborn child. People are just being pragmatic. I love cats but no way would I be spending the last night of my holiday hand feeding a mangy kitten.

@BonnieGlasses you've literally just proven my point completely

So a development! Night security in the resort said they know which area the mother was last in and have taken kitten to try and find her. Fingers crossed the little one gets found, it's quiet and cooler so she's more likely to hear the little squeaks.

Thanks for all the help and the sense check for not attempting to bring it home!

Agree. There are millions of cats and nowhere near enough places to save them.

I'd have it PTS rather than leave it to slowly die from dehydration/heat exhaustion/being eaten by wildlife etc as will be the case for many more.

If there is a nursing mother cat nearby most likely she will feed this one too. Cats are amazing like that!

You could advertise in a local FB group for one or alert the hotel staff that they can do this.

I tried 4 other nursing mothers in the resort (suppose it goes to show how many kittens are around here.) and not one would accept her. All the kittens were much older though

You are a good person OP 💐

Sometimes euthanasia is the kindest option. It often takes years of helping vulnerable animals to get to the point of understanding this.

So, you are volunteering to stay in Turkey for the next 3 months until this kitten is old enough to fly back to the UK? There aren't people lining up to hand feed stray kittens over there.

I think the kindest thing to do is what the staff have done which is to take it back to where the mum was last seen and hope the mum or another cat mum will take it.

Absolutely, she's on holiday - limited access to resources or even googling for the area. No proper kit or food.

I hope a solution can be found but a kind death for an abandoned feral cat (out of what sounds like a huge local problem) wont be easy to sort. It needs round the clock care - many rescues will be full with cats/older kittens.

I think the OP is amazing and I really hope she can get the kitten some help but it's not abusive to believe the best way to know that kitten will never feel pain or hunger etc is to put it down.

@MeinKraft I do get your point that in some cases euthanasia is kinder and that's not what my post was against it was against some of the more generally heartless posts. My own opinion comes from having worked with stray and feral cats for a number of years.

Nobody was making “nasty ass” comments. Some people are being realistic rather than overly emotional and sensitive - that doesn’t make them the baddies and you the good one.

@NeedleFeltedFox have you actually read the thread? there were some vile comments on here and obviously from that it's possible to infer the type of person who would write that

I think you should take it. Sometimes we are made guardians and this creature is yours.

You are absolutely lovely OP. I really hope security find the mother or someone else steps forward to help. Keeping everything crossed for you!

That is strictly illegal, for very good reasons.

Awwwwww. Heartbreaking. Maybe you can pass the kitten to someone just arriving who can take over nursing duties

I suspect the staff are more pragmatic and have just made the problem go away by putting the kitten "where the mother was last seen" under a bush or something. I feel super sorry for the tiny kitten and for OP who has bonded with it but I can't see any way this turns out to work for the kitten. :(