We found a cat. Advice?

I’d probably break open a can of tuna fish, or head to the grocery store and buy a few cans of cat food to hold over. I’d keep her in a bathroom, somewhere she can’t do a lot of damage. And post flyers. :)

You could also cut up some small bits of cooked meat, such as chicken or steak leftover in the fridge for food. For a make shift litter box, you can just cut an opening in a cardboard box and add a little sand (if you have any on hand). This is what we’ve done in the past. Good luck!

I have a feeling you’re going to have a new addition to your family. Do let us know what you name it. ;)

Like asmonet said, I don’t recommend feeding it the turtle food, just in case. Tuna is also an excellent idea, but if you don’t have any on hand and can’t get to the grocery store, I suggest giving it a small amount of milk, to at least get something in the tummy.

As for finding the owners, you’re probably going to have to go door to door. But chances are, if a small kitten was mewing at your door, it probably means that the owners of whatever cat had the kitten don’t want it and were too lazy to find it a home and so willingly left it outside, or that they’re completely oblivious to the fact that their cat had a kitten to begin with.

If the kitten has not eaten anything for days and then you feed it, be prepared for the little thing to get diarrhea.

That’s what happend to me when I found our current cats. I found them at a camp site when they were small kittens. I fed them and then later that night they had diarrhea all over the floor. I did not have a litter box at the time.

I love cats!

they taste like chicken

i second asmonet’s and dlm’s suggestions, especially the bathroom thing. if it’s a kitten it’s less likely to get lost/into anything in such a small space.

Cow’s milk can also cause tummy problems in cats so be cautious in giving it milk. You could try softening some of your previous cat’s food with a bit of warm water or broth so the kitten can eat it. I also second the bathroom idea – easier to clean up, easier to find the kitten if it should wander off, and easier to kitten-proof on short notice.

In addition to posting flyers you might check with nearby vet offices to see if the kitten rings a bell with anyone. Our local paper will run a free ad for three days for missing/found pets. You might check if yours does as well.

However, I suspect you have a new family member. Anyone who allows a young kitten to wander off outside is probably not a conscientious pet owner.

Yeah a part of me wants to think that the owners must have been negligent or that it’s better off with me… But it was just Christmas and a lot of little kids live in my neighborhood. I don’t think I could keep the cat unless I made a good effort to find the owners…

My cats love tuna. I don’t normally give them much at a time, but when I open a can for myself I share it with them. A little milk won’t hurt them, but again I would be careful of giving too much. Just a word of warning from my past experience: if you don’t feed that baby, it will keep you awake all night. Best of luck!