Missing kitten found… but covered in poo :(

[DaysofHoney]

What do I do???

We have been letting kittens out for a good few weeks now and they are venturing a little further every time. Today the girl disappeared for 6 hours. We live on a gated community so I was pacing it like a crazy lady with my dreamies.

after many hours calling her name she very gingerly steps out of next doors driveway absolutely filthy and covered in poo.

any idea what might have happened to her?? And how to proceed? I’ve tried to shower her but not getting very far. I think I got the worst of it off but now She’s cleaning herself. Urgh!

fallen down a drain or something? or do you suspect something sinister?

Oh gosh yes possibly. I suspected it was her own poo, but either way it’s awful and she’s pretty distressed. Will call the vet first thing.

I am not sure how you are unable to wash it off? Do you have baby shampoo and lukewarm water? Just do it. She won't like it but if you let her lick herself clean she could be very ill, especially if (likely) it's not her poo.

I believe Fairy Liquid (the original only) is safe for shampooing cats, although you might want to so some research to check that guidance hasn't changed at all.

My kitten shat herself in a fight, she was absolutely terrified.

my god, the mess, the smell!

rubber gloves and a bath. In my state I tried rinsing her off in the kitchen sink, bleurgh!

Oh the poor little thing. If you think she can cope, rubber gloves and in the bath. Get the worst of it off.

How old is she? Was she ready to go out?

Oh god. I bet it’s not hers. The other cat is hissing away at her. Was snuggled into her grooming her this morning. We’ve showered her down, I’ve towels her down, and sponge wiped the worst of it. Sponge wipes she seemed ok with, ish. But brother is treating her like a stranger. What to do???

she is 6 months, neutered, chipped etc, and has been going out, with us supervising, for a few weeks now…

If she's clean now, leave everything to settle. She doesn't smell like herself now, so no wonder her brother is unhappy.
It will all return to normal once she has her usual smell.
In the meantime, it might be worth buying a Feliway diffuser to relax them both.

Great idea thanks @vipersnest1 - mobile groomer coming first thing and I’ll get some feliway in.

When my cat was a kitten he was a little too adventurous and kept wandering too far. He followed me one day and then got scared by another much bigger cat trying to attack him. He ran off and I was so worried but it actually helped because when I finally found him he stayed much closer to home from then on. Once she is over the shock I am sure she will keep away from whatever it was that his upset her so much.

Honestly? I think she's far too young and small to be going outside. She's a baby.

I would keep both kittens inside until next spring if possible. Give them a chance to grow up a bit.

6 months is very young to be out alone. Perhaps keep her in for a bit longer and try again when she's 8-9 months. How is she this morning ?

Politely I'm going to disagree with those saying 6 months is too young to be out and about. It's absolutely standard for cats to start going out by themselves at that age, and I suspect it's useful for the cat to learn about the outside world while still a youngster and receptive to new ideas. We've been doing that with our cats for nearly 40 years and never had any issues.
OP - hope your cat is happier this morning and getting on better with her brother again.

Of course everyone can have their own opinion, but I have a six month old kitten at home and he's tiny and an idiot there is no way I would trust him to roam around unsupervised without getting himself into some kind of trouble.

Thanks everyone. She is fine as is brother cat!

we’ve only raised one cat before and he went out from 6 months without issue. She’s not tiny and she’s very smart, but also very adventurous/curious, so perhaps we will give a whole longer, or at least take it more slowly.