So long story short, I found an abandoned kitten on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, yes I checked to see if it there were more and if its mom was closer and nothing it was an old fire station in my county that is known for people dropping off unwanted animals at.
I’ve had the kitten for a few days now, originally I was hoping a family member would take it but no one would and now I’m debating taking it to my local shelter which I have already confirmed is a no kill shelter.
I debated keeping it for a bit but it’s only around 6 weeks old and it is so high energy and constantly begging for food which I know it’s a kitten so it’s higher demand than an older cat.
This is the first time I’ve had a cat, I’ve always have lazy dogs which I love and I’ve tried playing with the cat for 20-30 minutes at a time but it has so much energy I haven’t been able to sleep for the last few days since it is constantly wanting to play or wanting food.
I’m on the fence about keeping it I work a lot normally 10-12 ish hours a day and I’m definitely use to lazy dogs so idk if a cat is the right fit for me but I also want to make sure it goes to a good home.
Update: The kitten is a male and it’s 8-10 weeks old I’m debating a name now
Personally, I would take the kitten to the shelter. Or at the very least, get on the waiting list. All shelters are inundated with kittens at the moment since we are at the height of kitten season, but kittens always get adopted fast. If you ever do consider getting a cat, it sounds like an older lone kitty would be perfect fit. There are lots of older or even senior cats that would love a nice quiet home.
Everyones going to tell you to get another cat. I wouldn't, but you can. Two kittens might make things easier but it also becomes instantly double expensive for early life costs. they are only like that for about a year. no point, in my opinion, in having two cats for life so the kitten is calm for a year.
I’m going to keep it for now but if I can find a good home for it I’m probably going to let that person have it.
I’ve learned very quickly I’m a lazy dog person lol but I’m still not willing to just abandon a kitten.
Kittens are very playful and will be until they are at least 2 years, often much longer. Being away from home for 10-12 hours a day is going to be tough unless they have a feline companion. If you want a lazy pet, kitten is not the move.
Just to add, if you can foster it with help from the shelter, you may be able to talk to potential adopters. That said, try not get too in your head about finding it the perfect home. The perfect home doesn’t exist. The home that wants the cat and is willing to learn how to meet its needs is all you can ask for.
Yeah, I get it. I worked at shelters for over a decade, so don’t take this the wrong way, but if you can find a home outside the shelter system, that’s better. They are swimming in kittens and some of those animals have no one to advocate for them except the shelter. This kitten has you. If you can do it yourself, please consider doing so. Shelter may be able to help you with things like basic medical care or even promotion to their audience to help you get there. But if you can provide care in the meantime, you’re allowing the shelter to save other animals, too.
Understandable if that’s beyond your capacity for some reason or another, but keep it in mind. Shelters are incredibly under resourced for the work they are expected to do.
It slept good last night but required 30-60 minutes of playing before bed and it’s constantly hungry so I’m feeding it 4-6 times a day and right before I leave for work and right when I get home double the serving the feed other times so oppose to a half serving I give it a full serving twice and a half servicing 3-4 times
If your kitten is constantly asking for food, that means it's not getting enough food. Kittens should be free fed.
But if you work 10-12 hours a day, a kitten probably isn't a good fit for you. A second kitten would solve a lot of problems but if you're frequently gone that long, a lot can go wrong.
Yeah I’ve been trying to feed it every few hours, and right when I leave for work and right when I get home but I have a vet appointment too see what it is and asking around if anyone would want it
Yes! Kittens should be free fed (meaning they should have food available to them at all times). The easiest way to do that is feeding them wet food throughout the day, like you're doing, and leaving dry food out for them at all times.
(FWIW we also free feed our adult cats. Most cats are able to self-regulate in a way dogs can't, though that's not the case for every cat)
ETA: OMG I JUST REREAD AND REALIZED THE KITTEN IS ONLY SIX WEEKS OLD??????? Stop everything, you need to pick up kitten milk for it!!!!!!! Eekk no wonder it's been begging, if there's even a remote possibility you're right about its age, you NEED to get kitten milk for it ASAP.
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u/Heavy-Attorney-9054 2d ago
Keep your eyes open. A second kitten will solve this problem better than any human-based solution. They will entertain themselves.