I've found a stray kitten

[Nicehooves]

Looking for some advice. For the past week I've notice a black kitten running up and down the street. It struck me as slightly odd because he seemed too little to be out alone. On my way to work this morning he was in my front garden and up close he looked a little worse for wear. I fed him some kitten food (gobbled it up) left some water and went to work. He was waiting on my doorstep when I got home.
He's very timid and scratches if I try to touch him so I'm pretty sure he's a stray. Not sure what to do! I have a kitty of my own and I'm 38weeks pregnant so taking him in isn't an option.

Can you get it into a box and take it to your local Blue Cross or RSPCA? Or take it to the vet or PDSA and explain the circumstances and see if they can find a chip with a contact number.

He has chosen you. . The fact you have dcat and bump don't mean a fig to him. .
Vets for a micro chip scan?

Cats choose their owners.

You may not have a choice...

RSPCA will advise to put a paper collar on him with a phone number to determine if he has an owner.

Beautiful kitty. Proper witches cat.

I'm not sure I can get it into a box, very scratchy and skittish... will they put him / her down?

Just to clarify, I don't want to take it somewhere where they might put him / her down

Oh he's absolutely gorgeous! Sorry no helpful advice.

No reason to put it down unless it has underlying nasty medical condition.

Kittens are by law scratchy!!
Wrap in towel and box up to the vets!!

A cat charity should be able to come out with a trap.

Check out your local ones

If he hasn't had too much contact, scratching might be how he says hello. If he didn't like you he'd just run away.

I like him and think he would grow up well with your new baby. The name Dr. QuadraPuss would suit him.

Poor Sparklingbrook! No strays turned up yet for you?

Aw he's gorgeous. I keep hoping a stray kitty will wander into our garden so I have the excuse to add to our menagerie but no such luck!

Failing a cat charity tell Dr. QuadraPuss Sparklingbrook's address.

Try putting some food in a box, stepping well back, no sudden movements.

They aren't going to put him down without your consent, don't worry about that.

I found one, subsequently said to be about 4 months old, last October. Pretty worse for wear - had just been hit by a car, but was dirty and scruffy looking, weepy eyes, that sort of thing. Clearly not belonging to anyone. I rang the vet, was advised to ring the RSPCA to get a reference number, which I did, then took him to the vet where they checked him over and kept him for a week and sorted him out. I pretty quickly told them I wanted to adopt him if no owner came forward. None did (they have 28 days to come forward but the kitten came home to me after a week), and he is now mine but the key point here was that the RSPCA reference number meant that all his vet care and medicines were paid for during that 28 day period. Even when it was pretty obvious no-one was coming for him and I was willing to pay.

So I would say, first port of call is the RSPCA - just say you have found a stray and are taking it to your vets and they will give you a number to quote. The vet will then keep it and, if you don't want it and no-one comes forward, they will surely find a home for it. I know any number of staff at my vets wanted my kitten if I hadn't taken him!

He's just hanging around on the front porch. I've been feeding him kitten food that my dcat has rejected, trying to give him little portions because he gobbles it down really quickly. I'll look into cat charities now.. can anyone recommend one in SE London?

Why can't I find a kitten?!

DH has said that if I do he won't believe I actually found it!

For Sparklingbrook, because I know it is your life long ambition to have a kitty turn up on your doorstep. First picture is our kitty on the day he turned up, second picture is him a few months later 'helping' to make the bed.

Me & sparkling are both geared up for stray kittens & we never get one.

I'd keep him on the condition cpl neuter him. The feral part of them wears off. Our feral was always skittish but not bad natured, just a typical Tortie.

Dumble he's gorgeous.

Sparklingcat will not even allow another cat to set foot on the patio so the chances are nil of a waif and stray ending up here.

I wonder if you could just look after it as a semi feral? Most cats will cope very well if you provide them with outside shelter and regular food. You would have to catch him up to get him neutered but that's not too difficult with a trap.

Just to clarify. When people say 'box' they mean 'cat carrier'. On no account use any other sort of box!

Contact www.celiahammond.org/lewisham

Thanks thecatneuterer. I have a cat carrier but I think I'd need a proper cat trap because this little guy is semi-feral and my cat carrier has a fiddly door, I'd need to be super quick and I don't want to stress him too much. He's just hissed and taken a chunk out of my finger when I was too slow to put his food down!
I'll call Celia Hammond tomorrow morning, perhaps they can come out and catch him? I'd happily feed him as a semi-stray but he's at the front of the terraces with no access to the back gardens, I'm not sure it's a safe life for him, too many cars etc.

He's still hanging out on the doorstep.

Yes CHAT will come to trap. However there is a huge waiting list of trapping jobs so it might not be that quick. And if he is feral the best we can do is neuter/return. There are no spaces/homes for semi ferals.

What makes you think he's male incidentally?

And yes, on the street isn't that great safety wise, but he must be pretty road wise to still be alive now, and there really isn't a choice.