How can I catch this kitten?

Question

There is an adorable stray kitten in my neighborhood that I really want to catch so I can keep it as a pet. I put a dish of food out for it every day, but it is so scared of me. It doesn't let me get less than 3 feet away from it before it runs away. I feel so bad for it because it has no home and I really want it. Is there any way I can catch it or get it to trust me? Any tips or advice would be helpful. thanks.

Answer 1

Keep feeding the kitten maby put a little bit of milk and ham or something out and some toys by it maby a box and in like a week it will keep coming back for more food and mifght  even meow at your dooor then

possibly you can catch it

Answer 2

If it doesn't want to be caught , it would never be happy in your home. think of the kitty rather than yourself. you can fee it from the goodness of your heart but if you have to "capture" or "catch" it , then that wouldn't be a good house cat.

Often , if a cat runs away from you and was born and raised wild and independent , they are most likely farrel.  even if they are cute and sweet at first , they are wild and you have to respect that.

i had a kitten that was stray and even though she would climb in my lap and rub me and clean me , she was indeed farrel. she was put in a cage so we could take her to the ASPCA and she went crazy. they had to put her down.

  if you want a low priced kitten than is neutered , has shots and really WANTS a good home , go to your local humane society. they have tons of kittens that would be wonderful house cats but have no home.

  

Answer 3

The cat might not be a stray. When or if you catch it take a pic of it and put fliers out saying cat found

Answer 4

When you put food out, put something smelly in the bowl that cats like such as tuna, etc.  Sit quietly by the bowl, perhaps a few feet away, but don't make any move to catch the kitten, just sit quietly and don't look at it tho you may speak softly to it.   Do this for several days, moving the bowl a little closer to you each day.  Finally have the bowl right next to you.  The kitten may trust you enough by that time to allow you to touch it, but don't make any sudden moves as that will scare it and ruin any trust the kitten has developed. When kitty trusts you enough, you should be able to just gently pick it up.  Remember that it may try and scratch as it's frightened, so be prepared to take it by the scruff of the neck if you need to.  

Answer 5

Hi, it is so nice of you, that you want to take care of this kitten, but don't forget, this kitten might be actually happier outdoors, since that is all the kitten knows. I had my cat for 7 years, he was indoor cat only but one day he got lost and he was outside for abut 3 months before I finally found him. Now, how I got him to come back, since he was totally freaked out from the outdoors. I was leaving food for him twice a day and happened to see him few times..but same as you...he would run away because he was affraid. So I started talking to him...with soft voice and tried to play with his toys and would stay out until car would pass by to scare him away... then just one day he let me to come closer so I grabbed him.  

It seemed he was really happy to be back home but ever since he wanted to go outside. So my indoor cat became partially outdoor cat. I let him out in the morning when I went to work and let him back in when I came home as he waited by the door right on time! :o)  

I hope this helps a little.. good luck!! :)

Answer 6

Wellll depending on how old this kitten is... I would say that its probably feral and going to be difficult to tame, not impossible, difficult.

First of all I would probably get cat carrier or something and start putting the food in there and a little blanket. It will discover that it is nice and dry and warm in this little place and theres FOOD.. Shibby! so leave this out for like a week, and just see if it might figure out all this and get comfortable.. you can just close the door on it and bring it in.

BUT before i suggest you actually doing this, I would like to recommend that you 'quarantine' this kitty if you have any others prior to adopting it. Keep it away from the animals you have now (if you have any) until you can take it to the vet. Tell the humane society first they might be able to do something to help you. tell them you found this stray kitten and that it is feral and you would like to adopt it and take care of it and if they might be able to help cut you a deal with spaying/neutering when it comes time for that. They probably will. good luck! and let me know how it turns out! I want to know if you try my idea and if it works!

Answer 7

Well..

I caught some kittens as a kid by

Putting food on the ground below the side of my porch

when the cats ate the food, dropped a laundry basket on them from above.

Answer 8

The local humane society will loan you a humane trap.  Good luck!

Answer 9

You didn't say where you live, but I work with a feral cat group in Charlotte, NC and have trapped hundreds of wild cats and kittens using a humane trap.  If you can, check to see if there is a feral cat rescue group in your area where you can borrow a humane trap.  

When you get the trap, I take a couple of sheets of folded newspaper to line the bottom of it so the cat or kitten doesn't have to walk on the wire.  I then get some stinky tuna (my favorite is 9 Lives flaked) and put a couple of tablespoons in the back of the trap.  I then put a teaspoon or so on the paper at the entrance of the trap and then in the middle to lure my prey to the back.  When they step on the treadle the door closes and its contained.  Cover the trap immediately with a towel to quiet the kitten.

Now, if you can't get a trap I have had good luck using a cat carrier with a sting tied to the door and threaded through the back holes so I can hold onto it.  For a couple of days just leave the carrier by the food so the kitten gets used to it.  Then start putting the food (preferably wet) at the front of the carrier so the kitten must eat from there.  Keep moving the food back at successive feedings so the kitten will go all the way in.  When it's finally doing that, pull the door shut, holding firmly to the string so the kitten can't push the door open and escape.

When you get the kitten have a small enclosed area such as a bathroom or even a large dog crate set up with litter box and food to put the kitten in.  Give her a couple of days to acclimate and then start trying to pet her.  

I hope this helps.  Don't buy into the notion that feral kittens cannot be tamed; this behavior is learned, not genetic, but the younger you get them the better.  My own house cats were once feral kittens I had to trap but are as sweet as can be.  I feed numerous feral cat colonies and have rescued dozens of kittens which I have caught, tamed and placed into responsible homes.  Then I trap the moms and get them fixed and return them to their colonies.  Taking a feral cat to the "shelter" to be killed is total bull c**p.

    

If you would like more information, feel free to contact me or check out www.alleycat.org.  This is the web site for Alley Cat Allies, a national feral cat advocate group and there are good articles there for taming kittens.

I know this is long, but I hope you find it helpful.  Most of all, I hope you succeed in getting this baby!  When you do get her, get her to the vet for AIDS/leukemia testing, shots and get her spayed so she doesn't have kittens who might not be as lucky as she is!

Answer 10

Just give the kitten time. Keep feeding it daily and perhaps sit away from it while it eats but so that it can see you. Over time it will associate you with food and will become less scared of you. Perhaps slowly sit closer until you can touch the cat. Allow it to sniff you and don't make sudden movements to catch it. Eventually it will trust you and willingly come into your home.

But be sure its a stray kitten and that no-one is looking for it. Ask around your local area.