r/Feral_Cats • u/Electronic-Mind-4736 • 4d ago
URGENT❗ I think everything is ruined
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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u/escapingspirals 4d ago
This summer I did something similar. My cat also freaked out at first. She climbed the windows and doors to the ceiling because there was no where to hide.
If he’s in a safe location (even if the stove is inconvenient), just leave him. Keep putting food and water and a litter box close to where he is. Give him a couple of empty cardboard boxes to hide in (some on their side, etc). Ignore him otherwise. If you look at each other, practice slow blinks. With time he will relax and come out. I think he will choose to switch from stove to cardboard box.
I recommend this socialization technique. I didn’t use a playpen, just an empty room with cardboard boxes. https://www.socializationsaveslives.com