Who is being unreasonable? Found a kitten in garden.

[Deathsquito]

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?

Ah glad she has been reunited, they must have been so worried. She does look big for 11 weeks but mine were really tiny at 10/11 weeks and are now absolute giants.

That’s not a tiny kitten. Very cute though. I’d keep it.

@Livinghereinallentown

That’s not a tiny kitten. Very cute though. I’d keep it.

Did you miss that the kitten is only 11 weeks old? That’s still very young, most reputable breeders wouldn’t even remove from the Mum until 12 weeks. Also the owner has been found so OP would have been very wrong to keep it (not that she suggested it at any point).

Beautiful ending❤️

I have a diddly cat too. The calico Heidi is 12 years old and must not be underestimated she's practically feral and will happily take down any of my other larger cats.

Glad you found the owner. We got a kitten and he has gone as far as next doors garden before being caught by Ds, but I'm sure he'd have ran further given the chance. They are fast runners. You were brave to have him near your cat - took us a couple of weeks to settle our kitten in with our older cat

Glad that Keira has been reunited with her family.

@Name99

Another pic

My God, both yours and PP are uncanny to mine!

Right down to the tortoise shell tail and the ear markings! How bizarre!

Mine's also very small!

@Frlrlrubert

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.

Your cats are the same as my cat. Looks just like my SnoreCat!

Did you miss that the kitten is only 11 weeks old? That’s still very young, most reputable breeders wouldn’t even remove from the Mum until 12 weeks.

@BillyIsMyBunny All mine (a fair few over the years) I got about 8-9 weeks and I think that's normal for a lot of people selling cats to do. They toilet train them and they're weaned by then. Then the new owner gets their snip and injections done when they need it. It's a matter of opinion bt RSPCA (not my fave organization to be fair) say it's ok after 8-9 weeks. www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/kittens

I'm glad Keira's family have been found. What a co-incidence the friend living next door!

You were brave to have him near your cat - took us a couple of weeks to settle our kitten in with our older cat

He’s a soppy old thing, he even rolls around next doors garden with their dog! He just sat there mostly ignoring her while she was playing with him and occasionally joining in. Really it was him babysitting until we found her owner 😂

No idea why the poor bugger spent so long at the RSPCA, he’s a sweetheart!

Just wanted to update that Keira’s owner messaged us on Facebook to thank us again and to say that they have now kitten proofed their downstairs windows. She was very relieved to have her home before her youngest dc got back from holiday club to find her missing!

What a co-incidence the friend living next door!

Next doors lad is involved in quite a few local clubs (sport) thankfully!

My kittens were definitely out at that size/age.
I think you definitely should’ve left them be.
Cats can easily navigate their way home & don’t often go far.
You’ve taken someone else’s kitten & it’s probably very confused by now.
I know some people think cats should stay indoors, but I don’t agree. Mine come & go as they please.
I’d be furious if a neighbour took them in or fed them.
Mine were chipped from an early age.

Sorry. Now read the updates. Good news!

DobbyTheHouseElk

We sadly lost one a couple of years ago, the remaining one doesn't look like that any more, he's packed on some timber 😂

@me4real - Kittens are weaned by 8-9 weeks and so that is the minimum age they tend to be removed from their mothers but it’s generally recognised that kittens of that age are still learning skills from their mum and littermates and that 12-13 weeks is a better age to separate them. I understand many sellers and rescues don’t do this because their main priority is to get the kittens rehomed and not to be left with a kitten they can’t find a home for but that doesn’t mean the kitten has finished learning from the mum by that age.

If you look at pedigree/ purebred kittens it is very very rare for any registered breeder to be releasing kittens before they are 12 weeks old for this reason and many will wait until 13 or 14 weeks. Just because there are commonly sellers and rescues rehoming kittens from 8 weeks doesn’t mean it is in the best interest of the kitten with regards to development. An 11-week old kitten is still very young and definitely too young to be roaming around outside on its own as it’s naturally at an age it would still be with the mum.

www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/how-old-should-kittens-be-before-they-leave-their-mother.html
pet-happy.com/at-what-age-can-a-kitten-leave-its-mother-and-littermates/

@MrsFin

What's with the "them" and "they"?

But I agree - take it in. I'd wait and see if someone comes looking for it - maybe check the local FB page

Agree I was confused thinking there was more than one. Maybe OP doesn’t know if the kitten actually identifies as a kitten!

Cat's protection league if that's what their still called.

Call them.

The kitten got reunited several posts ago….

@nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

Is yours a very vocal cat, mine never shuts up.

@YetAnotherSpartacus

I always imagine the cat shit posters being the siblings of the poo trolls.

Do you?

I imagine them to not be "trolls" at all

[quote Name99]@bentforthehorde.
Your cat is identical to mine, I honestly thought it was her[/quote]
I had to do a double take there! Tried to get a photo but the girls aren't in the mood so will attach some older ones.

[quote Name99]@nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

Is yours a very vocal cat, mine never shuts up.[/quote]
Our 2 are sisters but so different.
Sapphire is an amazing climber, jumper and all round acrobat. As a kitten she was always on my shoulder, I used to say she was a carrot (cat/parrot). She can jump really high, balance on anything, sleeps on the sofa and is a silent ninja.
Dora is a muppet. She even misjudges a jump onto the bed and if she does manage to get onto a curtain rail or similar she will scramble around and fall off. She sleeps on me at night. She can open doors and is very loud. There was a surreal night recently that she woke DH and I up yelling at me until I cradled her like a baby and rocked her. I think she thinks she's a person.

I think you sound lovely OP, and your heart was clearly in the right place!