Should I try to catch a kitten?

[Renew Deal]

There is a cute little black and white kitten running around outside my house. Someone noticed it a few days ago. I have seen it and fed it the last 2 nights. I want to set a large trap to catch it and then possibly domesticate it. It comes near me, but not too close and is very scared. It's also very smart. My girlfriend estimates that it's 5 weeks old. I think it might be a little older. It's 19° tonight. Is it going to freeze? BTW, it does the paws milking thing when I'm around. It has also meowed at me. It has not hissed or acted really threatened. What do you all think?

[democracyindanger]

1. Only if you use a complicated and unintentionally hilarious method.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. Using equipment from ACME inc. (nt)

[shesemsmom]

2. I'd try to get it to come to you. Be patient.

It will be to cold for the little thing. Put a box out with a blanket and something to eat. It will come around. Good luck!!!!

[chookie]

3. At least provide shelter

It may well die if it does not find shelter.

Try using a food treat to get it to come to you. Nice smelly meat really breaks the ice with hungry kitties.

If you can't catch it, at least put a box with blankets and food in it outside, to at least give it a chance.

Kitty sounds like she wants to come to you. Go out and get her.

Seriously -- do you have a trap -- like a Hav-a-Hart? By all means try. The kitty's life depends on your efforts.

Do you have any tuna around? Good and stinky cat trap bait. Use it, soldier.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. Are you serious?

19 degrees and 5 weeks old?! Get out there NOW and bring that little kitten indoors! Please!

[Renew Deal]

5. I have tried.

Believe me. I even got one hand on it. It's very quick and scared. It does not want to be caught, but it is interested.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

6. Have you at least provided food and some sort of shelter...

as suggested in one of the posts above? Please try again. I don't want to wake up tomorrow a.m. to a frozen kitty post. Seriously.

[Renew Deal]

9. Food, yes.

Though I think the food may be frozen. I have not provided any real shelter. It's hard to tell where it's staying so I don't know where to start. I think it might be doing OK on it's own.

[chookie]

7. Good sign

You're half-way there if you can touch it.

Entice it with food. Entice it into a box or other type of improvised trap with food, and snatch it's little kitty butt out of that cold. The food will make it less fearful of you, and far more tolerant.

You MUST have seen Gladiator, right? Remember the guy with the net? Works well with cats. If you can kinda halfway snag it with a blanket covering, it will buy you a few precious seconds to entrap it into the cloth, bind it, and get it into your home.

[sparky_in_ma]

8. I've done this

If you have a cat carrier, put some food inside. Tie a rope to the cat door and run the rope through the house window. When kitty goes in, pull the door closed. If no carrier, tip a box on it's side and put another one on top and push it over the opening when kitty goes in.

Hope you get it inside.

[Renew Deal]

11. I have a carrier.

I can't figure out how to rig it with enough pressure to trap it. I did try to feed it out of a carrier yesterday. It went in. The carrier doors do not auto-lock.

[sparky_in_ma]

12. Good

The rope pulling the door closed, and somebody staying on the other end works. Just face the carrier away from the house so you're pulling the door towards you.

I saw good advice here, a wild kitty doesn't like being held, so take care. I've saved many, I learned the hard way. But can't help but love them.

[beam me up scottie]

10. You are right to be patient.

If you try to grab her she will probably freak out, claw the hell out of you and never come back again.
I brought in a stray kitten 2 years ago because of bad weather. She was scared to death. She eventually made friends with my other cats but never trusted me. If I had waited, she probably would have come inside on her own.
It sounds like she wants to trust you, I think you should just keep up what you're doing.
She's lucky you are there.

[crispini]

13. Try this

When she's around and near the door to your house, leave it open and hide or at least get somewhere out of sight of the door, maybe behind the door. Wait.

Curiosity will probably lead her inside. Then, close the door!

She will immediately go hide under the couch or something, but you can work on that once she's inside.

Worked for me once. :)

[Skittles]

14. CHEESE

STRAYS LOVE CHEESE

[sparky_in_ma]

15. Please let me know how you made out.

Can't help it, I'm a sucker for kitties. Drop me a PM.

We have people drop off kittens at work all the time, and I usually catch them and find good homes for them. Everyone who adopted one said they turned into great friends. Wish you and the kitty good luck.

[Renew Deal]

16. Thanks

I really feel bad for this thing. It can have a warm place to sleep and free food if it would let me catch it. I'm hopeful.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

17. It's morning...any luck?

Do you think there may be brothers or sisters nearby? A sick (or worse) mother?

[Renew Deal]

23. I left for work a little before 10am.

I walked around my house and saw nothing. Just as I was leaving I saw the kitten. It appears that it's sleeping on my neighbors driveway under a tarp. There's some wood contruction material there. It must be secure. I'm going to keep trying.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

29. OK, between you and your neighbors...

someone s/be able to catch its furry little butt and get it indoors. How "feral" can a 5-week old half-frozen kitten be?!

[B Calm]

18. I have a lot of wild cats around my place. If you can tame it

share how you did it, ok? I been trying for years with no luck..

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Only works for me when I get them very young

Once I have them, I hold them as often as possible, purr to them and give them a "bath".

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[Renew Deal]

21. You purr to them?

What do you mean by that?

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. I purr.... put my tongue against the roof of my mouth and blow.. no

vocal sounds usually, unless I am calling them, in which case I purr and meow at the same time.

Only downside is that as a human mama cat I have to stop and breath now and then. *l*

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[Renew Deal]

22. From what I have read...

You can work with strays. Strays are the ones that lived with people and have escaped, been abondoned, etc.

Feral cats are much harder to domesticate. I think it's possible with this one because it's young and friendly so far.

[flvegan]

24. At night, put an old towel or blanket in a box

So he has a place to stay a little warmer than under that tarp. He/she will also probably feel a little more secure.

Some hardware stores will rent you a Havahart or other humane trap. Also, consider calling some of the animal rescue/shelter orgs in your area. If you ask, they may reach out to help you. If you're going to keep him/her, they might be able to hook you up with a discount spay/neuter.

[Patiod]

26. Keep us updated

Let us know if you caught it.

We have ferals in the back of the property, and I worry about them in the cold. There's an open barn/garage area that they use for shelter, though. One older one (probably a former housepet) started hanging out with two sets of neighbors, finally choose one, and became their housecat in his old age.

Ours was left outside while her humans went on a two-week vacation. She was too young to fend for herself, so she camped out on the doorstep across the street and started yelling. The resident took her in, took her to the vet, and gave her to us.

Funny how often they get their needs met.

[steely]

27. Catch that kitty! Bait him/her with food.

It was the same situation with our cat - only back in November, about 14 years ago. She's one of the gentlest cats we know.

[kick-ass-bob]

28. My son tamed a feral with spoonfuls of tuna.

He, of course, had to sit outside holding said spoon, which may be a little chilly for your tastes to do...

[TryingToWarnYou]

30. Any luck yet with the kitty?

Good luck catching it!

You got a good heart.

[Renew Deal]

31. I'm going to try some more tonight.

It's really cold out. I wish it would just let me catch it.

[5thGenDemocrat]

32. Go for it

My sister Betsie pulled four kittens out from under my neighbor's porch eleven years ago. Two of them, Fred and Ginger, are still very important members of this household.
John
The most important members, if you believe them.

[ralps]

33. How is the kitten doing tonight?

:hi:

[Renew Deal]

34. I left food in the trap last night.

It's not interested in that trap. It's still out there and scared of me. I finally saw it during the day this morning. It's a small black and white cat with yellow eyes. It seems to be OK with the cold.