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!

💯

OP, you're clearly a lovely kind-hearted person.

But I think this is mad - the taking it in, trying to find nursing cats, considering bringing it home. It's sad, but there are many many cats & this is just an unfortunate situation for this little kitten. You aren't going to be able to save it.

I used to feel sick with sadness about all the stray cats when we’d go on holiday. I had a bit of an epiphany in the last year or so though.
They’re cats. Living free in the sun. It’s much closer to their natural way to live. They are probably quite happy.
We don’t assume other animals are happier out of the wild where they are safer. We don’t go out trying to catch and domesticate badgers or foxes.
I hope this kitten’s mother finds him/her.
Good luck OP!

I actually would take the kitten home with me if I were the OP. It will clearly die if left in Turkey and could make a lovely pet.

If it's been abandoned, and no other cats will take it, could it be that the other cats sense it wouldn't survive in the wild?

We took in the runt of the litter. He's a big strong animal now, in his prime, but my god he's thick; scared of his own shadow and can't catch anything. I don't think he'd have survived in the wild, which is probably why he ended up the runt.

🤦🏻‍♀️

How would you propose doing that? Insane.

Such a memorable end to a holiday for the OP’s 2 young children, watching their Mum be arrested by obviously armed airport officials and then police, taken away for questioning etc.

And if it got through the Turkish airport, it would need feeding and caring for on the journey home, any detection on the flight would lead to a similar reception at their home airport.

Making Memories: can’t beat it!

Think about the number of birds the average cat kills in its lifetime. By saving this cat, hundreds of birds are likely to die. Cats are cute to us humans but devastating to local wildlife.

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/animal-deterrents/cats-and-garden-birds/are-cats-causing-bird-declines/

I doubt the staff even know who the mother is tbf, they probably just want you to feel better about the situation. I read when we were going to Santorini that a lot of the strays there are poisoned at the end of tourist season when there aren't tourists to feed them and they become a nuisance. In Cyprus we couldn't eat outside at the place we were staying as there were so many hungry cats hanging around wanting food. It's a really sad situation for them but I wish that cats weren't kept as pets at all, as a pp says they are devastating to wildlife and if people don't neuter them then huge problems occur. Consider donating to a charity that offers free neutering perhaps. Obviously you can't smuggle the poor thing home, honestly people are completely ridiculous.

Think about how many animals humans kill every year.

OP, ignore the negative comments, thousands of cats suffer in these countries every year, it’s awful, we rescued one cat and he now lives a life of luxury. I hope you managed to find some help and if you’re considering it, adopting him to the UK will be so worth it :-)

I remember the feral cats in Cyprus too, a total menace. We are currently in Mallorca and have seen a few feral cats around, not in the hotel but around the streets and parks. They are not a nuisance though as they as very nervous of people. A massive cull of cats would not be a bad thing.

I would say though that bringing him to the UK without the relevant vaccines (including rabies) and vet checks wouldn’t be a good idea. The process is fairly straightforward, a little costly but worth every penny.

They don’t need culling, they need the government to step up and start TNR campaigns, it’s not their fault. Hundreds of rescuers work tirelessly to make their life’s easier and spend their own money and fundraise to TNR colonies and care for them. It would be much kinder of you to maybe buy them some food and provide water and lend a helping hand than criticise them just for existing.

I hope it can be reunited with its mum.

Yeah I’m not spending my holiday tending feral cats any more than I would be feeding the fish in the sea or the seabirds.

and I have no idea what a TNR is. (And don’t particularly care)

We are all able to offer empathy beyond humans. Your point about not caring is why the millions of the ferals ended up in the position they are now because people didn’t care.

TNR = Trap, neuter (sterilise), return. It’s the best and most effective way to reduce cat populations and has made a difference in many countries.

Imagine being proud of your ignorance like this.

This attitude🙄

You don't have to do anything, and yes, it may be better to leave the kitten, but empathy costs nothing.

I suspect the security guard has taken it and either left it somewhere or disposed of it. There will be so many stray cats and kittens around there that it would be impossible to know which was this cat’s mother.

The hotel staff very likely don’t want animals in there so will have acted accordingly.

I agree that there should be TNR policies for these feral cats, but in the meantime it would have been kinder to have this cat put down, as it has no hope of any chance over there.

Some people have no heart. Humans have a close relationship with cats - these aren't birds or a fish in the sea.

All creatures are worthy of care. They are all little lives just trying to survive. If we were all as kind as op, the world would be a better place.

This attitude to a stray found abroad is mawkish and awful. I feel this when I see threads about foreign dog ‘rescue’. This is even worse because some PPs have advocated OP smuggling an animal.

You’re obviously a very caring person, OP. But this sort of fixation is misguided.

We stayed in the Paloma Oceana near Side and they had a cat sanctuary of sorts, maybe another one to try?

I'm in the euthanasia is the kindest option camp for this case and I'm vegan. Stop acting like the swift, humane death of one kitten is the saddest thing in the world if you support the suffering and terrifying slaughter of millions of sentient beings every day!

I agree with that sentiment.

Also practical advice, and options, from @CatLadyEnthusiast

Is there? When I see cats in the Canary Islands they all seem so well fed. I suppose it's different in other countries.