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Original poster

Shit - strange kitten in my house - now hiding!!

70 replies

CatKisser · 10/10/2014 16:41

Unbelieveable.
Got home from school and went into the kitchen. There, on the floor, is the most beautiful little tortoiseshell kitten!!!! It clearly belongs to one of the farm cats and has wriggled through the cat flap and couldn't get out, as it's set to in only.

It's now gone behind and under a kitchen cupboard and if I look with a mirror and a light i can see it's bundled up terrified! Sad

What do I do? Its mum was around earlier but has buggered off now. How do I get it to come out?

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 14/10/2014 19:13

Ignore that I've just seen - Darlington. I've got no contacts there ...

Hurr1cane · 14/10/2014 19:15

Definitely ask for money though even if you won't accept any. It'll weed out the unwanteds.

Original poster
CatKisser · 14/10/2014 19:15

Not quite Darlington - the Durham/Northumberland border. That's a shame, thank you though. Sad

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 15/10/2014 15:26

Any update?

Original poster
CatKisser · 15/10/2014 18:30

Well, thanks for the extremely kind PMs people have sent - they're much appreciated.
Well, this morning I had a response to the Gumtree ad reading:
"interested in kittens wud you consider free"
Deleted!! However, a kind person replied, giving me the names of two cat charities in Sunderland, which was useful

I have not been able to do to anything today as I left for work at 6:15 and have been home twenty minutes!! Bastard PE training. Got home though and put food out - no kittens. They're usually clamouring for food! Immediate thought was "the farmers taken them and drowned them." Panic, guilt, devastated.
Sat down five minutes ago, looked out the window and the little buggers were leaping over silage bales on the other side of the road. They're courageous little things!! I do hope they keep the shed their base though as it'll be so much easier to trap them.

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 15/10/2014 19:05

Glad you deleted the free one! Anyone who actually has enough money to treat the kittens will have enough to buy them as well. I know you wouldn't take any money but the only way to give them the best chance is to pretend you're selling them, right up to the last second.

I had to advertise two orphan/abandoned feral kittens (we seem to get a lot here too) recently because I only found good homes for 2 Sad some people rang and I vetted them myself on the phone and if they didn't sound 'right' (had dogs/ lots of animals/ stuttered and paused when I asked about the vet they would use) I just said "oh well someone's coming looking in a bit so if they don't want them you can come look" then just text them after an hour and said "sorry they're gone"

I 'charged' £30 for them and when the people I liked came and I spoke to them and tried to put them off with how much care hand reared Ferals need, I mentioned the money right up until I decided they could take them and then I said "that's ok, put it towards their neutering"

I don't agree with selling animals without strict home checks per se, but with rescues at bursting point and orphaned/abandoned Ferals taking over my house because I couldn't leave them to die... Sometimes it's the only option but it has to be done in a responsible way.

Original poster
CatKisser · 15/10/2014 19:10

That's really helpful advice, thanks! I would be very strict on where they went, like you. It would be awful to think of some dick taking them to the vet and having them put down if they didn't fancy paying for treatment.
Realistically, with work and my tutoring, I won't be home during daylight hours until the weekend, so cannot achieve much until then. Hopefully they'll be back tomorrow morning for their brekkers.

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 15/10/2014 19:31

You're doing what you can. I wanted to keep the only just weaned ones longer this time but they decided they wanted to live up my chimney and having a special needs child I didn't have a 'safe room' for them as he opens all the doors so they had to find new homes. Luckily the one who was the most feral and scared got an amazing home with someone who was even better than me and she's becoming tame now Smile

Original poster
CatKisser · 15/10/2014 20:50

Thanks.
Ha, yes, I read about the chimney debacle!! So glad to hear about the great new home for the timid one.
Whilst on the phone earlier I saw three little shapes playing round my bloody car...put some food down and they came over immediately. Gave them all a stroke. Smile

OP posts:
Scarletohello · 15/10/2014 21:20

Oh I really hope you find homes for the kittens. You are such a lovely person to care for them. Thanks for you.

Original poster
CatKisser · 15/10/2014 21:41

That's kind Scarletto, but it's partially my fault this situation has arisen as I should have done more to ensure the mum cat got neutered.
I'm going to buy a ton of cat food in bulk though for the time being so all will be ok.

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 15/10/2014 22:05

It's not your fault. It's not your cat. You can't save the world

Original poster
CatKisser · 16/10/2014 16:42

Well, we've hit a wall and there's nothing I can do about it. A lovely woman on Gumtree gave the name of her friend who rescues cats in Sunderland. Before I could text her this evening, I got a knock on my door from the famer/landlord's sister who helps on the farm. She was quite unimpressed I had "got" her kittens.

I explained the situation and she said they're bred as farm cats. They have FIVE females over on the farm and now eight with these three!

I explaianed that I hadn't taken them, the mum had moved them there, and she asked if I could stop feeding them. She also pointed out Olive (who I found in the F-ing road in a rain storm) was hers but I could keep her (!)

She calmed down eventually and was quite reasonable, so I pointed out the fact they have bad eye infections. She said "it happens sometimes, their mum's always had bad eyes."

So there's nothing I can do, my landlords think I'm some kind of cat thief and I've wasted the time of a nice person on Gumtree.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 16/10/2014 16:59

Achhh.

Don't worry about the nice person on Gumtree - maybe just drop them an email explaining the situation. If her friend rescues kittens they'll be pretty well used to human vagaries.

You did your best, CatKisser.

Does this make it difficult for you to continue living there?

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/10/2014 17:01

Well mum cat has infections because no ones treating them.

People who care for their pets do not leave young kittens out in the rain.

Farm cats need vet care as much as livestock. Basically these are free pest control for them.

Original poster
CatKisser · 16/10/2014 17:02

Have emailed the person on Gumtree. Incidentally I received 11 replies to the ad, and almost every one asked if I'd give the cats for free.

I feel embarrassed and uncomfortable but I'm hoping I'll be ok living here for the time being. She was ok in the end - I guess people just have different ways of viewing animals, don't they? Sad

OP posts:
Hurr1cane · 16/10/2014 17:08

That's terrible! I have a cat who gets a lot of eye infections, every time I go and get eye drops for them if a day of cleaning with cooled boiled water doesn't clear it up.

I suppose now they know it's you that knows they have eye infections you can't ring the RSPCA and get them to have a stern word? Sad

cozietoesie · 16/10/2014 17:08

I reckon you'll be OK there for the time being - they've probably got you down as being just a bit 'dippy'.

Some people view animals differently, Yes, and with farmcats there can be an 'easy come easy go' attitude in my experience.

Original poster
CatKisser · 16/10/2014 17:10

Exactly, Hurr1cane!
Cozie, hopefully so. I will leave in the next 2 years perhaps when I've saved some money and hopefully could be moving to a dream job... I really fancy the Scottish borders! Grin

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 16/10/2014 17:21

That feeling will fade. You aren't in the wrong.

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