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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who is being unreasonable? Found a kitten in garden.

212 replies

Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 10:43

I know this should go in the litter tray but posting for traffic before our guest disappears as we don’t know what to do!

Kitten is a female, looks around the age where you would buy one but I didn’t think they are supposed to be running around outside yet. She’s currently playing with my bemused old rescue cats tail in the garden.

Dh thinks we should just leave them to find their way home. He thinks it’s the feckless estates couple who keep buying animals then chucking them outside.

I think we should bring them in and call the local vets to check whose they are. We live on a very busy main road, lots of dogs around (and a neighbours cat has been killed previously).

It’s such a young cat I’m worried it could easily get killed running around loose and I think there is a frantic owner somewhere.

What should we do?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
OneTC · 10/08/2021 11:50

Size isn't a great indicator of age. The cat doesn't have a kitteny face. It's clearly not fully grown adult but nor is it a sale age kitten

Original poster
Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 11:51

Ok, here is an uncropped photo (of my filthy outdoor mat) of her next to a normal sized tin of spaghetti hoops.

I will cede to more experience on this if she is actually four months old! We have only ever had rescues and our last cat was twice the size when we got him at five months.

I’ve never seen a cat this size out and about (and there are a LOT of local cats).

Who is being unreasonable? Found a kitten in garden.
OP posts:
FatCatThinCat · 10/08/2021 11:53

For comparison, and general cuteness, here's a pic my local cat rescue have just uploaded of their kitten family who are now old enough to be rehomed. You can see that 'your' kitten is much older than these.

Who is being unreasonable? Found a kitten in garden.
StarlingsDarlings · 10/08/2021 11:53

Yes, she is far too little to be outside. Well done for bringing her in. Hopefully she has escaped a loving home but friendly kittens often turn up roaming the streets and are never claimed.

Original poster
Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 11:53

Maybe she’s just short? She just comes up to the bottom of our cat flap when she sits.

OP posts:
secsee · 10/08/2021 11:53

Kitten is gorgeous

I think she looks okay to be out. Young , but at the age where she's learning about everything. If it's not too busy where you are (traffic) I'd say she's alright to be out.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 10/08/2021 11:53

@Polmuggle

She looks much bigger than 'the age you would buy one'? I reckon you've just kidnapped a young outdoor cat!
This! She looks old enough to be out. And not distressed.
Soubriquet · 10/08/2021 11:53

Yes I estimate she’s about 4 months old and probably already speyed if she has caring owners

She looks very well cared for so I hope someone contacts soon about her

AlfonsoTheMango · 10/08/2021 11:55

You've done the right thing, OP. I hope a good home for her is found if she is a stray and if she does have a home I hope her owners claim her..

Original poster
Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 11:55

Oh...I feel very silly now! I’ll let her out then.

OP posts:
goldierocks · 10/08/2021 11:55

I've fostered from three different organisations and all of them said kittens should not be allowed out before 20 weeks. She doesn't look that size to me.

I'd guess 12-16 weeks max, but obviously a vet would be able to tell. Hopefully one of the vets the OP has contacted has the kitten on their books already from when she had her vaccinations and was spayed. She absolutely should not be outside before then.

My current two rescues were vaccinated and spayed at 14 weeks even though they are 100% indoor cats. They were a similar size then to the OP's visitor, going on the size of the floor tile for reference.

pluckedcactus · 10/08/2021 11:57

Has she got slightly shorter hair on one side? She looks old enough to have been spayed.

Panickingpavlova · 10/08/2021 11:57

Looks like part bengal?

Original poster
Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 11:58

I’ve opened the door and she’s just sat with my rescue cat again. I’ll keep an eye on her.

OP posts:
Original poster
Deathsquito · 10/08/2021 11:59

Her belly doesn’t look shaved/shorter than other hair.

OP posts:
Frlrlrubert · 10/08/2021 12:01

She doesn't look too young to be out to me. I let my boys out after neutering and recover and they weren't much bigger than that.

I mean, I was super cautious and did the 'let them out before mealtime so they come back' think for ages, I think probably she's just starting to explore, her owners are probably wondering where she is, but not too worried just yet.

I'll attach a pic of mine at 'going out age' for comparison, I followed all the guidelines like a pfb cat mum.

Who is being unreasonable? Found a kitten in garden.
Chaotica · 10/08/2021 12:01

I wouldn't let her out yet until you've checked with the neighbours if anyone has lost her. I think she does look on the young side for being out (and young cats often get lost even when they are old enough to be out).

We once found a kitten similar size to her under my friend's shower (it was in a tenement block). We went around all the neighbours to check and eventually found where she'd come from. She was 4 months old. (In the end we kept her because it turned out the owners were going to have to rehome her anyway.)

ViceLikeBlip · 10/08/2021 12:01

That cat is definitely old enough to be outside! Put it back out.

Kittekats · 10/08/2021 12:02

@Soubriquet

Yes I estimate she’s about 4 months old and probably already speyed if she has caring owners

She looks very well cared for so I hope someone contacts soon about her

My vet wouldn't spay until 6 months so she may well not be spayed yet. (This was last year, I phoned several and most wouldn't do it younger despite it being common in rescues etc). To be fair, mine was also not allowed out until after spaying.
Frlrlrubert · 10/08/2021 12:02

Sorry, took me so long to find that photo I've cross posted with loads of stuff.

3WildOnes · 10/08/2021 12:03

Mine were out exploring when they were that size. I don’t think they actually left the garden for a good few months though.

WTF0ver · 10/08/2021 12:03

Awww so cute 😍

BruceAndNosh · 10/08/2021 12:07

I would say it's a tween aged cat.
Old enough to be out, young enough to be lost

Welshmaenad · 10/08/2021 12:07

She looks more like 4-5 months to me - I personally wouldn't have let mine out at that age, especially if not spayed, but I think you were lovely to be concerned about her.

mam0918 · 10/08/2021 12:07

How is that a 'kitten'?

My friends fully grown 8 year old cat looks identical to that, its just a small breed (1/6th the size of our cats).

Dont lock cats in your house, thats kidnapping (well petnapping) by law cats are semi-wild and have complete right to be outdoors without an owner present. Unless they are clearly injured, distressed or trapped you are not suppose to interviene.