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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Feeling guilty about taking in a farm cat...

30 replies

AuldAlliance · 24/01/2015 17:42

DS's teacher asked the class if anyone wanted a kitten, and I said OK. However, said kitten is quite old, probably around 4 months. It has been used to roaming free on a farm, coming to the door to be fed only, and is naturally totally terrified at its new surroundings.

It has been in our utility room since Monday, where I set things up and we have left it alone as much as possible, only going in to feed it/change litter or just sit quietly in the room. It is hiding behind the washing machine, coming out to eat and use the litter tray at night.

On Tuesday it was in a basket on a shelf, all cosy looking, but DS spooked it and it fled into its hiding place. Since then it has been curled up behind the washing machine whenever I've peeked.

I know it is v early days, but I am feeling guilty at taking a cat that is too old to adapt to life with us. I've been thinking about suggesting we return it to its original environment.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:
chockbic · 24/01/2015 17:45

4 months is young though really.

How come its been taken off the farm?

tomandizzymum · 24/01/2015 17:53

We have farm kittens. It's a bit older than our kittens, but not by much. We've had them for about 3 weeks and actually I don't really know their ages. Like you, we kept them in the utility room for a few days. The male was a little more friendly than the female. To make matters worse we have a three month old lab puppy and a two year old. Anyway we perservered and regularly played with them (pen lids, bottle tops, kinder toy ball). Eventually they got used to us, let us touch their heads, now I can't get the sods of my lap, or the sofa Hmm
One thing that really helped was picking them up and just walking round, gently petting their heads. It took about a week until they finally purred.

Good luck.

TranquilityofSolitude · 24/01/2015 17:57

I took in a stray cat. He was an adult but it took us 8 months to gain his trust sufficiently to get him into our house. We just fed him in the garden for all that time, waiting for him to understand that we weren't going to hurt him. When we first got him inside he went straight under a bed and stayed there for several days. We put a litter tray and food in the room for him while he got used to us. We've had him 2 years now (and he's been neutered, vaccinated etc) and he is lovely. Incredibly loyal and follows me everywhere. He's still suspicious of strangers but I'm so glad we persevered.

chockbic · 24/01/2015 18:00

We got a rescue cat, an adult, and it was time coupled with a lot of patience which brought her around.

Plus maybe a few treats or bribes.

tomandizzymum · 24/01/2015 18:07

That's "off" the sofa and "around" Angry.

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/01/2015 18:15

Can it roam the house at night?.

My cat was 17wks when I got him & still very much a kitten.

Original poster
AuldAlliance · 24/01/2015 21:04

It's been taken off the farm because the inhabitants (the teachers's parents) are moving out and selling up and were worried that it was dependent on being fed and that during the interim before potential new people moved in - and maybe after that if they're not cat friendly - it might struggle.

It can't roam at night; the house is pretty much open plan and I don't really want it on the sofas, in the kitchen, etc., till I've had a chance to de-flea it. TBH, the door to the utility room was a little bit open this morning, as I think I'd not shut it properly last night, and it hadn't tried to get out. I'm starting to think it's just totally traumatised by being tricked into a basket and taken to a strange place.

We can't stroke it at all; even looking at it spooks it. We don't know if it's a male or a female. I've put things in the room for it to play with, but I don't think I can let the kitten into the garden, because I am worried it'll run away and get run over. We're in town and it was in the countryside not very far off. I think it might try to get back home, and come a cropper on the roads.

I know it may well adapt after weeks/months, but the idea of the poor thing cowering behind the washing machine (and being freaked out when I have to do laundry) for ages makes me feel awful. It's not like a stray cat that came begging to be let in...

OP posts:
Original poster
AuldAlliance · 24/01/2015 21:14

Sorry, I meant to say thanks for all your posts...!

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 24/01/2015 22:15

I wouldn't let it outside either.

I think you're going to have to spend time in there with him/her just sitting on the floor with an ipad/book (which I'm sure is just what you need after looking after kids all night) & chatting to it to build trust.

I think the previous owners were spot on though, dh shoots clay pigeon & he heard a sales assistant say one of the more common requests he got was guns for shooting cats.

RubbishMantra · 24/01/2015 22:23

4 months is young, so your cat will adjust.

Issey, who is experienced with feral/semi wild cats advises keeping them in a large dog cage with all their stuff and giving them daily attention until they acclimatise. Hopefully she'll be along soon to advise.

You're right to not let your little creature out yet. It has a safe place to shelter and be fed, the most basic of needs.

You're doing a very kind thing for the little cat.

RubbishMantra · 24/01/2015 22:28

If I remember, the dog cage should be kept in a kitchen, or other busy-ish place in the house, to get them used to the daily hustle and bustle.

Good luck Smile

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/01/2015 22:32

Their really sensitive creatures so it can take weeks.

I think you can get tablet flea control from the vet, you could put it the food.

sebsmummy1 · 24/01/2015 22:36

My patents took on a feral kitten that was around the same age. He is a great cat now but it did take a while and he will always be a little more timid/highly string because he wasn't socialised from very early on. Don't write the cat off yet!

RubbishMantra · 24/01/2015 22:42

And Shock and at bastards people shooting cats.

Original poster
AuldAlliance · 24/01/2015 22:49

Am sitting on the utility room floor watching a DVD with headphones on in the dark, in an attempt to provide some calm human presence. It's not exactly the restful evening I long for after a long day, and I have a v numb bum, but thanks for reassuring me that I'm not doing totally the wrong thing.

Dog cage plan sounds interesting - I do worry that, as the utility room is far away from our main living rooms, it is adjusting to life in this room but not to life with us, IYSWIM.

Will check out flea treatments to put in food.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 24/01/2015 22:52

They don't sell them one, you'd need a licence, a gun cabinet, a police home check, it's illegal to fire one 50m or less from a road, bridle path or public pathway..& air rifles aren't powerful enough unless there altered which is also illegal & they are much harder to aim unless you've got a sight fitted to it.

Original poster
AuldAlliance · 24/01/2015 22:59

It's OK, fluffy, I'm not envisaging taking a potshot at it just yet!! Wink

OP posts:
PulpsNotFiction · 24/01/2015 23:13

I've got two farm cats. Took them in at around 3 months and honestly, you'd never know. They're very loving and one of them insists on being sat on someone's knee/shoulder at all times. Every morning they're sat outside my bedroom door to try and leg me up as I get downstairs even if they've still got food out. It just takes a bit of time, but not too long.

HansieLove · 26/01/2015 19:54

If you do put him in a big dog crate, you could put a cardboard box in there for it to hide in, and maybe cover the cage partially with a blanket, so he has some privacy, somewhere to hide.

isseywithcats · 26/01/2015 20:47

hi four months old is well within range for getting the kitten friendly, the dog cage really is a good thing, it gives the cat some security, you feed him/her in there and when you feed him you stay near the cage while he is eating so he knows that his food is from you and isnt going to disapear, and as long as you get a cage with quite a small door which opens you can spend some time just sitting by the door gently stroking him, yes he may hiss at first but this reduces as the kitten realises that you are not going to hurt him, also in the dog cage will be easier to deflea with a dropper deflear one swift drip and done

this will take a while but one of the feral kittens i had at this age would not tame up at mine as there were three of them and they fed off each other so the rescue split them and individually they are all turning into nice friendly cats with seperate fosters

when the kitten starts to relax a bit you then bring the cage into the lounge so the kitten starts to get used to the normal noises like the telly the hoover kids etc

believe me patience is a virtue and so rewarding when eventually he or she turns that corner

isseywithcats · 26/01/2015 20:49

oh and dont look at the kitten directly as a cat sees this as a threat because cats stare each other down and the submissive one looks away to show the other cat has won, looking over their head but dropping your eyes is the way to see how the cat is reacting to your touch, and looking at the cat for short periods and blinking very slowly is saying hello

Floralnomad · 26/01/2015 20:53

My mum has a huge cat cage that she used when her cat was ill as a kitten ,big enough for a litter tray and bed and room to mooch ,I'd get that sort of thing and set it up in a living room for a while at least that way it will get used to noise ,people, etc.

Stillyummy · 26/01/2015 21:51

Cat cages are really cheep on eBay (search for dog creat) just make shore the holes aren't too big or he/she may escape.

Original poster
AuldAlliance · 28/01/2015 12:28

Thanks for the new posts, hadn't had a chance to come on here.
I'm in France, and haven't found a dog cage yet, but will keep looking...
Cat has migrated to behind the loo; at least I can do laundry without torturing him so much.

OP posts:
fenneltea · 30/01/2015 16:12

I've managed to tame two feral cats, there is an American website called 'the cat site' that has loads of information on taming ferals which I found really useful. One that I tamed was an older cat that was terrified of humans, but he has turned into the most affectionate cat I've ever owned. There were some good videos on youtube about taming a feral cat too. I'm sure with time and patience your cat will be just fine! :)

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