# I'm new here and i need help



## Veronika436 (Sep 6, 2021)

Hello, I'm new here and i don't really know what to do, but here we go. (English isn't my first language so I'm sorry if anything's unclear)

So, i never had cats and wasn't really planning on it, but when we went into the woods yesterday we found a kitten all tangled in some bushes. She was in a box, so it was apparent to us that someone left her there on purpose.

We took her home and she was really scared so I put her in a big plastic bin with a a mesh on top so she wouldn't escape. I put her in a dark, quiet room and also gave her blankets, some boiled chicken and water.

Today i went to buy cat food and some toys for her. She is terrified of me but doesn't look hurt or sick and seems to be doing okay so far, but my guess is that I should take her to the vet as soon as I can. So they could have a look at her, because I don't even have any idea how old she is (according to my research she could be about two months old, but I'm really not sure about it), therefore I don't properly know how much of what i should be feeding her.

The problem is.. my mom wants the cat to live outside, but there's no way I'm letting her do that, especially when I can afford to pay for everything myself and take care of her and I think that my mom will let me eventually. But even if I do end up keeping her, she is terrified of me and I think it will be quite difficult to get her to trust me, considering the fact that i never owned cats.

Thank you in advance for any advice on what should I do.

(I added a photo in case anyone could tell me how old she is)


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

This is just a guess, but I think she's 9 to 10 weeks old.

I agree that you should take her to the vet to be checked out as soon as you can, just to be safe.

I highly recommend you stand your ground and do not make this cat live outdoors, as that is dangerous for cats. Also, her being feral at this point, if you put her outside she will leave.

To tame her, I suggest you just go into the room where you are keeping her and simply sit there every day for as long as you can. Read a book, talk on the phone, do whatever you you can to pass the time, just do it quietly. No loud noises, no sudden moves. Don't try to pet her or handle her unless it is necessary. I don't recommend putting her in a box because she will be much more fearful if confined like that. Just sit in the same room with her. Eventually she will realize you are not going to harm her or eat her, and she will relax a bit, but still don't rush her or try to pet her. If she comes to you, stay still and let her smell you. Think of this like taming a wild animal....which it is. You will need a lot of patience, but at this young of an age, almost all feral kittens will become tame if you let them do it on their own terms. 

Make sure she has a litter box and lots of fresh water at all times, and feed her the best food you can find or afford.

Good for you for rescuing her! I hope it goes well, and if you have any questions, we will do our best to help.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Hi K. Adorable little cat and glad you took her in! I hope you and your Mom can come to an agreement about keeping her inside. She may give it a try if you prove to her you will take full responsibility for her. The Vet should be able to give you tips about her care and feeding, so that's a very good idea to take her as soon as you can. 

Even though you're not familiar with cats and your kitty is very scared right now, with time and effort you could become the best of friends. Even experienced people sometimes have to learn what to do with a new cat, so you're not alone. There are many online sites, like Jackson Galaxy on Youtube, that can help you through it, and there are those of us here who may be able to give you some advice. 

Meanwhile, cats like things they can chase with you like wand toys and catnip mice, high places to perch like a cat tree in front of a window, and a cat bed or two to curl up in. She may ignore them at first but give her time to get used to you and her new home. Good luck and let us know how things are going!


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## Bug861 (Apr 17, 2021)

Hopefully you can gain something from my situation: I had a feral adult female cat visit my yard every day. I would place food and leave. A few weeks later I would place the food and tend quietly to my garden while she ate. I spent 6 months gaining her trust Turns out she was pregnant. She stopped coming to my yard for a few weeks. Flash forward 4 months later and there are three little kittens. I spent three weeks working with one. He know comes running for pets. The other two won’t come down from the fence or let me near them. I have a special calling for them and they all three come within seconds. I feed them twice a day at the same time. They now wait for me in the morning and evenings at my back door. I am going to take the one that trusts me to the vet for a check up as my husband has formed a bond and would love to have little kitty be apart of the family. Will have to TNR the other two. So, it takes time. The best thing you can do is be present and calm. I always move slowly around them, now I can sit there and talk to my new little friend while he gets pets or plays with his new toy. The other two are curious now but still unsure. One of them definitely likes to talk to us now. So that’s improvement. It’s a beautiful process that takes time.


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## Veronika436 (Sep 6, 2021)

Hi, thank you for all the advice, I'll definitely try my best with her. Unfortunately i still haven't taken her to the vet because there is only one where I live and they're currently ill.
The good news is, that she isn't scared of me anymore. I kept giving her food and sitting in the room quietly, then about a few days ago she came to me, smelled me and let me give her a pat. And now whenever I'm near her she purrs and comes to me for pats. She also learned to use the litter box pretty quickly which i didn't expect and also started playing with her toys. I think that she's starting to trust me, i really didn't think it would be that quick, but I'm really grateful.

I think that my mom won't mind having her in the house anymore, since she's been here for almost two weeks and all that time she didn't say anything.


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

So happy to hear of the positive progress! What a lucky little kitty.


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## Veronika436 (Sep 6, 2021)

Hi, I do have a question.
We have four of these mandarin trees + olive trees outside. Not sure about the olive trees (see photo below), but I'm guessing that the Mandarin trees probably aren't very good for cats, since they are citruses.
The thing is, they're right outside of my room, where I'm currently keeping Scout (the kitty's official name now) and they can't really be placed anywhere else. As of now, I'm always watching her when she's there, in case she decided to eat them.
But I was wondering, will she try to eat the Mandarins or should I rather only keep her in my room, when I'm not home?


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

I would research it online to see if either of these trees is toxic to cats. In fact, I just looked it up and it turns out that citrus fruit is somewhat toxic for cats, but not the tree itself. However, if he is inclined to eat the leaves I would find a new home for the citrus tree. The olive tree, according to what I just read, is not toxic at all to cats.


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## Cat Daddy Life (Sep 24, 2021)

Mosi said:


> I would research it online to see if either of these trees is toxic to cats. In fact, I just looked it up and it turns out that citrus fruit is somewhat toxic for cats, but not the tree itself. However, if he is inclined to eat the leaves I would find a new home for the citrus tree. The olive tree, according to what I just read, is not toxic at all to cats.


Absolutely, it definitely comes down to whether they're inclined to eat. We once had a cat who ate leaves of everything and would make himself sick. We had to put flowers out fo reach and plants behind barricades. We have lots of indoor plants, and our current cat is completely disinterested in everything except the cacti. There are lots of poisonous plants to cats but she just doesn't eat them and isn't the slightest bit interested (though we do try to keep them mostly out of reach).


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