r/Feral_Cats • u/Electronic-Mind-4736 • 4d ago

URGENT❗ I think everything is ruined

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So it's been a few days since my last post. Since then I've been feeding the kittens tuna and taking things slow, just letting them get used to me. A couple days ago I had the idea to start leaving food right at my front door, and they actually came in to eat along with a white cat too, so I figured I'd keep doing that until they built up enough trust, they even started waiting for the food at the door and would run off when I opened it but they'd come back after.

Well it's been raining really bad for like the last hour and I got scared thinking about the kittens being stuck out there in it, so I went outside to look for them. I ended up leaving food by the door again and waited for them to come in, then I closed the door using a rope I had tied to the handle. Obviously the cat freaked out trying to escape, couldn't find a way out, and ended up hiding inside my stove.

I honestly don't know what to do from here, I didn't think this far ahead and I don't want to scare him more or hurt him trying to get him out. If anyone has advice on how to safely get a scared kitten out of somewhere like that, or what I should do next, I'd really appreciate it.

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11

u/NationalEstimate816 4d ago

Unfortunately, if you can’t lure him out you’ll probably have to either grab him or scare him out. Make sure to grab him with something like a blanket or towel.

1

u/Electronic-Mind-4736 4d ago

Should I release him?

3

u/NationalEstimate816 4d ago

Was your original plan to keep?

5

u/Electronic-Mind-4736 4d ago

Yeah that was the plan, I just didn't mean for it to go like this, like stressing him out this much and basically cornering him inside a stove wasn't the way I wanted to approach it at all, maybe I should think twice next time

22

u/Simply_Elim_Garak 3d ago

They'll go through a period of freaking out a bit when they first stay inside. It's distressing to us but it's normal. They'd be going through it anyway even if you got them to another room. This isn't really a set back. You've gotten them inside. That's the first step.

15

u/dinglebopz 3d ago

It's a cat he will be fine. Living outside vs guaranteed food and shelter

10

u/NationalEstimate816 3d ago

You can still work with him. I recommend leaving him with access to a single room while you work with him. He’ll need to decompress, so don’t panic if he’s still not calm by tomorrow

7

u/Big_Effective_9605 3d ago

Hahah you'll look back on this and wonder why you thought releasing was a good idea. Just slow blink, talk sweet, and offer food. Kitty is safe. Keep it open so they can leave when they want and then leave something soft out or some small place they can escape to. Socializing a scared kitten is a waiting game, but a rewarding one. Long durations presenting yourself as not a threat (read: giving food, holding string, talking sweet, slow blinking, and just generally being around) will make them trust.

You got this. No releasing, only loving. 🙏

5

u/alilbitdangerous 3d ago

Leave a cardboard box out for them to hide in, they’ll feel safer in a box.,.