# stray kittens/younger ones - survival skills?



## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

Just wondering,

i always feel absolutely terrible when i see cats left outside, and i saw one today and got wondering - do they have somewhere to be warm? do they know of somewhere to eat? anywhere to hide?

cats that want out for an hour or so is different than stray... i really hate when cats completely live outside.

this one was SOOOOOOO cute. black and white, id give it about 3 months old. seemed curious by my noises (you know, the smootchy noise), but too nervous to come closer. its just so small i felt even worse for it. it doesnt look scrawney, just young. I looked out the window later, and saw it by the curb... I thought to myself "i would just crap if it came to our house"... and it actually did the kitty hop-jog thing up the sidewalk towards my house!! lol. then went under the (parked) car and off somewhere else.... but it was too cute!!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Regarding any cats/kits w/out a home or people to regularly care for them:
They have only what their mother taught them and what they retained from those lessons. Around weaning time the mother brings them small game and as they get a little older, she takes them on "field trips" to learn about her 'territory', learn where to find food and get some hunting practice of their own. If resources (_food and shelter_) are plentiful, many kittens are allowed to remain in her territory, though males may be run off by a larger and more dominant male. If resources are NOT plentiful, she will chase them out of her territory to preserve those resources for herself and the next litter about to be birthed that she must care for and raise. 
Many kittens do not survive to adulthood. Generally you can tell how well the animal is doing by its' body condition, activity level and alertness.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

Boo was definately not well when we got her. sooooooooooooooooooooo skinny. but, luckily she got lots to eat and realized she was safe, and became happy again.

We saved simba in a different way. he was a barn cat with ticks ALL over him. We used special shampoo, tweezers, and about 1.5 hours. it was amazing though, both simba and his brother were covered, and both just sat in the water, somehow knowing they owuld feel better (there was no kidding, about 50-75 on each kitten!)


I just wish i could save them all.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Claiken said:


> I just wish i could save them all.


 atback You and me, both. 
_I can't imagine how much life that many ticks were sucking out of those kittehs._


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I haven't ever seen a stray cat in my neighborhood--or indeed, ever since I started getting into cats. I don't know what I'd do if I saw one now. I've heard there are ferals in other areas where I live, but I live in a subdivision surrounded by corn/soybean fields and so far have seen none. 

If I saw a stray kitten, I'd definitely try to catch it and find its owner or bring it to the shelter. But it's not like I see them ever! I think it must be very hard for those of you who see stray kittens all the time, because what are you supposed to do- your day can't screech to a halt every time you see one. 

I feel for ya. I can't wait until I get the chance to save a stray kitten/cat, though....just waiting for one to show up....


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

yeah, they generally wont do well, apparently. I suspect a tame cat would be easy pickings for a real wild cat. Ive seen a young black guy aroun here a few times that Ive tried to speak to but he vanishes like lightning into the bushes.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I'm like you, Paperback, I just almost never see them. The one time a cat was outdoors and hanging out on doorsteps, I put flyers around the neighborhood and asked if the cat belonged to someone or whether we should consider taking him to the shelter. Within a couple hours a woman called all frantic and said, "Oh no, that's our cat and _we love him_."


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

Theres also the most amazing cat around here, one of the two biggest cats Ive ever seen. He surely weighs in at around 20 jet black, muscular pounds, I saw him walking along a highly trafficked road almost whistling to himself, cool as a cucumber, so I had to stop and chat with him to see what was going on with him. he wasnt scared of anything, king of the castle, and calmly walked up to me and rolled around and cuddled a bit with me. I decided he must live somewhere around there and was used to the area since he was completely calm, cool and relaxed on this busy street. He was a tough one though, Im sure he could give a lot of the dogs around there something to think about, in fact he might even put up a fight with a car.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

faithless said:


> Theres also the most amazing cat around here, one of the two biggest cats Ive ever seen. He surely weighs in at around 20 jet black, muscular pounds, I saw him walking along a highly trafficked road almost whistling to himself, cool as a cucumber, so I had to stop and chat with him to see what was going on with him. he wasnt scared of anything, king of the castle, and calmly walked up to me and rolled around and cuddled a bit with me. I decided he must live somewhere around there and was used to the area since he was completely calm, cool and relaxed on this busy street. He was a tough one though, Im sure he could give a lot of the dogs around there something to think about, in fact he might even put up a fight with a car.


and flatten its tires?! :cool


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

around here anyway, theyre almost better off outside... the shelter is full and has been putting down like crazy.... at least theres a chance outside.


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