Stray kitten--meowing outside my window at work!

[monarch64]

Oh dear, it seems I have been chosen today to be the recipient of the saddest, loudest little meows from the cutest gray kitten. I''m at work, by myself, and right outside my window is this terribly cute little gray kitten just crying its little head off. I gave it some string cheese I found in the breakroom fridge. Yeah, that was probably stupid. I can''t take in this kitty, and I don''t know anyone around here who would take it. Hopefully it will wander off and go live in one of the many barns around here and live a happy life catching mice all day long...

Sheesh. (It''s SO cute!)

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Is it cold where you are? Could you prehaps capture the baby, and put him in your car where he/she will be protected from the elements for the day? Maybe there is a spare box in your office you could create a little bed for the kitten? Then, maybe, give him to a shelter later on in the day? Or, place an add on Craigslist to find him a home for Thanksgiving (being sure to ask for a small/medium adoption fee to ensure he''s adopted by a loving forever home and not some person will ill intentions)?

I have a huge soft spot for homeless animals...and I''d hate to see this little baby get a bum shot due to the time of year and all the "junk" that comes with it

 

[monarch64]

Date: 11/20/2008 9:43:38 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor
Is it cold where you are? Could you prehaps capture the baby, and put him in your car where he/she will be protected from the elements for the day? Maybe there is a spare box in your office you could create a little bed for the kitten? Then, maybe, give him to a shelter later on in the day? Or, place an add on Craigslist to find him a home for Thanksgiving (being sure to ask for a small/medium adoption fee to ensure he''s adopted by a loving forever home and not some person will ill intentions)?

I have a huge soft spot for homeless animals...and I''d hate to see this little baby get a bum shot due to the time of year and all the ''junk'' that comes with it

Yes, it is cold. I''m about 5 hours south of you, Italia, in Indiana. He runs away every time I come towards him, I think a capture might be out of the question. But I think I could create a makeshift house for him with an empty copy paper box and a towel or something from my car. I hesitate to put him in my car, he might have fleas or that cheese might give him indigestion...I''ll see if I can come up with something.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Yeah, ferrell cats can be tricky to catch....I think the cheese will be okay, I''m sure he/she has eatten wayyyy worse things that have done big numbers on his/her tiny tummy.

Maybe you could bait the kitten? Or, a coworker could help?

 

[Loves Vintage]

If you are unable to take the kitten in, you could call a local cat rescue group that you should be able to find by zip code here: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters.html I would try a rescue group, over a town/city shelter. Hopefully, the rescue group has volunteers that could come out, find the kitty (and her littermates, if any) and then adopt them out.

If you could get the kitty yourself, that would be probably be all the better.

Good Luck!

 

[monarch64]

Thanks for the advice, Italia. I''m the only one here so help from a co-worker is out of the question... I think I will see how it goes today (it''s warming up outside) and maybe I can find him a home using Craigslist. I tried to offer him to a repairman that was just here, but he wasn''t interested.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Craigslist would be a great idea.

But make sure you get a small adoption fee from the person who takes the kitten. Christmas is a time where people get pet-crazy and these poor animals suffer in the long term...not to mention the age-old weirdo who takes free animals and sells to research facilities

 

[moremoremore]

If you can, please don''t leave him out there...Can you put him in a box and call Animal Control? It''s better than him freezing to death or getting run over by a car....

 

[Skippy123]

Monnie, ah, that is tough. We tried to do something similar and it was so difficult to catch; we finally did but it didn't end well, he was quite sick. If you try catching him put on gloves if there are some in the kitchen. Lovevintages suggestion might work. Ah, you are so sweet!

 

[monarch64]

Don''t worry, gals! I will make sure he is taken care of and I won''t let anything bad happen to him. There are no kitty rescue groups around, I''m in a rural and somewhat isolated area. The local humane society charges $50 if you drop off an animal, which is just not in my budget right now. I wish it was. I will put an ad on CL and see if that works, and Italia, I will make sure to charge a small fee so he gets a good home.

Thanks for your advice everyone. I will keep you posted. I think he has found somewhere else to hang out for the time being, I don''t see him or hear him crying right now, but I''m sure he''ll be back since I gave him cheese.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hmmm . . . well then, I''d suggest a nice stinky can of cat food or some super stinky tuna (which you might even have in the office) will get him to come around real soon. Thank you for looking out for him. I hope he''s an easy catch!!

 

[monarch64]

There just happens to be one of those tuna-to-go kits in my desk drawer. Hee hee.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 11/20/2008 11:28:23 AM
Author: monarch64
There just happens to be one of those tuna-to-go kits in my desk drawer. Hee hee.

Ha Ha!

How did I know? Keep us posted on new developments!!

 

[FireGoddess]

I hope a good hearted person answers your Craigslist ad. In the meantime, please keep feeding the kitty, it will come to trust you.

Homeless animals just break my heart. There are so many of them out there, I know, but when there''s one right in front of you...I swear I just fall to pieces.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 11/20/2008 3:42:54 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I hope a good hearted person answers your Craigslist ad. In the meantime, please keep feeding the kitty, it will come to trust you.

Homeless animals just break my heart. There are so many of them out there, I know, but when there''s one right in front of you...I swear I just fall to pieces.

Hey FG! (Long time, no "see.")

I didn''t end up placing a CL ad yet. It started snowing here a couple of hours ago. The kitten ate about half the tuna I put out for him and then disappeared. I''m crossing my fingers that he found a warmer place or got back to his mama. He would not have run into the road or anything, he stuck close to the building all morning. Before I went to lunch I even popped my hood to make sure he hadn''t crawled up inside the engine. So at this point as far as I know he is safe somewhere else.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Oh Monnie - I really hope this sweet baby has found shelter and is OK. We always hear such horror stories at the shelter about all the dreadful things that happen to these little stray kitties. Fingers crossed that this little one avoided any unfortunate fate.

 

[monarch64]

He''s not here this morning! Not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully he''s found shelter/food/warmth someplace around here, or maybe his mama or littermates.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 11/21/2008 9:28:47 AM
Author: monarch64
He''s not here this morning! Not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully he''s found shelter/food/warmth someplace around here, or maybe his mama or littermates.

I am truly hoping for the best...

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 11/21/2008 10:03:20 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor

Date: 11/21/2008 9:28:47 AM
Author: monarch64
He''s not here this morning! Not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully he''s found shelter/food/warmth someplace around here, or maybe his mama or littermates.

I am truly hoping for the best...

Same here. I have a feeling that you''ll see him again soon! He knows where to find the good stuff. Maybe someone in your office was feeding him before and that''s why he was in the window yesterday? BTW, how big is he? Maybe a few months old? Not super-tiny, right? He probably found a good place to hunker down for the night. I''d be really surprised if he doesn''t return today.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 11/21/2008 10:10:30 AM
Author: Loves Vintage

Date: 11/21/2008 10:03:20 AM
Author: Italiahaircolor

Date: 11/21/2008 9:28:47 AM
Author: monarch64
He''s not here this morning! Not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully he''s found shelter/food/warmth someplace around here, or maybe his mama or littermates.

I am truly hoping for the best...

Same here. I have a feeling that you''ll see him again soon! He knows where to find the good stuff. Maybe someone in your office was feeding him before and that''s why he was in the window yesterday? BTW, how big is he? Maybe a few months old? Not super-tiny, right? He probably found a good place to hunker down for the night. I''d be really surprised if he doesn''t return today.

No one else has been feeding him, believe me...everyone else in this office happens to dislike cats. You have to remember that these are "country" people I work with/for, and the majority of people around here regard cats as nothing more than useful tools against vermin, not pets.

He is not very big. He looks big enough to have been weaned already, but I''d say he doesn''t even weigh more than a pound. I could be totally off base with those assumptions, though.

Last time I rescued a kitten it was WAY smaller. I drove past it, it was sitting in the middle of a sidewalk with people walking past it and no one stopped to take care of it. I went and picked it up, it had gunk in its eyes and was sooo teeny tiny. I took it to Petsmart to get it some formula and the cashier ended up keeping it. I got lucky that time. This time I don''t think I will have the same luck. I still haven''t seen it yet this morning...I hope it''s ok.

 

[goobear78]

Oh, how sad. I hope the kitten is ok and warm somewhere safe.