We appear to have acquired a stray kitten...advice needed!

[NotElizabethBennet]

(Not in UK)
Vet has checked him over, treated him for ear mites and worms, says he otherwise looks healthy but needs feeding up. Reckons about 8-9 weeks old. Will do bloods and vaccs in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, he's being kept separate to the other pets. He's eating well, and has got the hang of the litter tray, and seems to be settling in!

I need ideas for keeping him occupied until he's allowed out of the room we're keeping him in - one of us is popping in often, and the kids are taking it in turns to sit and play with him too, but I'm looking for some ideas for when we can't be with him. Have a few little balls with bells in them, and a basket for jumping in and out of.

Also - would really appreciate tips on how to get the other cats used to him - they were NOT impressed when we brought him in, and are hanging around looking suspiciously over the baby gates we've put on the door.

Think of providing thing he can go up, on, over, under and through. Random bits of furniture, dining chairs/bar stools, boxes, boxes with holes, as much exploring space as you can fit in.

Boxes with holes in are cheap and effective.

We can't possibly say until we have seen a photo!

You don't need fancy toys but you do need variety.
Boxes, tunnels, chairs, bits of cloth. Change daily to make interesting places to hide and explore. Scrunched up paper is an excellent toy..
I used to reset the play den area daily - especially if I was going out or needed to occupy the kittens for a while.
Wand toys for playing with them are great.

Jackson Galaxy does integration videos on YouTube.

We're gonna need a photo!

Most important somewhere safe and dark he can hide/relax/sleep. At that age they need as much quiet time, as active time. Just being with you and the children, and getting lots of love and attention and cuddles will be the best tonic for the first couple of weeks.

Oh yes.... and photo please 😁

Photo is absolutely crucial

Great idea about changing it up every day! He's got all the office furniture to scamp about on, plus I've put in a basket and a box, and some balls and scrunched up paper. Good idea to put holes in the box though, will do that.

Ooooo, that’s a beautiful looking kitten.

Why do stray kittens never find me?

Aww, what a pretty kitten! Lucky little cat.

He's gorgeous!

Definitely lots of cardboard boxes. Mine loved table tennis balls as kittens.

Aw a little mackerel cat we had one called Minnie. Our stray was five months old feral and pregnant 🙈 she's nine now and still half wild

He gorgeous

Beautiful kitten - you are so lucky. I want another one 😥

Mine love the marble run type games if you can get hold of one?

So the ear mites are getting really yucky now - I assume that the stuff the vet put in there (and some sort of spot-on treatment on the back of his neck) is now working and they are dying. But kitten is not happy at all, he's shaking his head a lot (yucky stuff flying out) and isn't playing or eating much today.
I've wiped his ears gently with damp cotton wool and was quite BLEURGH at all the brown gunk.
Any advice? Should I head back to vet or is this just part of the process of getting rid of them?

I had a rehomed cat who was very standoffish and a mass murderer
he got rabbit lice- mostly on ears
I spent days picking them off 1 by 1 and killing them

he became the most loving cat I have ever had

I used tweezers- crushed them into loo roll- maybe 40 at a time and then repeated later and next day
Wiped loo roll into his ears and scope out a brown mess- I cant recall but assume he had had some kind if unsuccessful treatment from the vet as well.