Found this little girl outside. (Cat lovers I need your help)

[AdrianCC100]

http://imgur.com/OVeUc

So I opened my door and found this little female cat underneath one of my plants. It was raining outside and being a huge sucker for cats, I couldn't leave her out there in the rain. I brought her in and made her a little home in a box that happened to by around my house. I'm a little worried though. I'm not sure how old the girl is. I offered her some hard dry food, as I have two cats of my own already. She ate it happily. I then offered her some water, but she didn't seem to understand that she could drink it. I'm not sure how to take care of a cat this young. My other two cats were a couple months old when I got them. Also, after I fed her some dry food. I was told that her stomach can explode if she was too young for it? Not sure how true that is.. Maybe someone can shed some light on that. Also, when I go to pet her, she seems to be looking for something to suck on.. She will suck on different parts of my hand and if I remove my hand she will meow like crazy.

I showed her to my other cats. My male cat sniffed her and then started to hiss. It wasn't anything aggressive, but he was just sharing his displeasure of another cat in the home. My female adult cat sniffed her, but quickly ran away when the male hissed. I will take any tips I can to help this little girl.

Edit: The picture makes her look bigger then what she really is.

[Deleted]

Tiny lil' bugger, maybe 6-8 weeks old? Not that much of a catperson but as educated of a guess as I can do.

[Catta]

http://imgur.com/OVeUc

So I opened my door and found this little female cat underneath one of my plants. It was raining outside and being a huge sucker for cats, I couldn't leave her out there in the rain. I brought her in and made her a little home in a box that happened to by around my house. I'm a little worried though. I'm not sure how old the girl is. I offered her some hard dry food, as I have two cats of my own already. She ate it happily. I then offered her some water, but she didn't seem to understand that she could drink it. I'm not sure how to take care of a cat this young. My other two cats were a couple months old when I got them. Also, after I fed her some dry food. I was told that her stomach can explode if she was too young for it? Not sure how true that is.. Maybe someone can shed some light on that. Also, when I go to pet her, she seems to be looking for something to suck on.. She will suck on different parts of my hand and if I remove my hand she will meow like crazy.

I showed her to my other cats. My male cat sniffed her and then started to hiss. It wasn't anything aggressive, but he was just sharing his displeasure of another cat in the home. My female adult cat sniffed her, but quickly ran away when the male hissed. I will take any tips I can to help this little girl.

If she doesnt drink any water my advice would be getting some special milk for cats - something in regular milk they cant take iirc - and put it in a bottle and feed it to her.

[Deleted]

If she doesnt drink any water my advice would be getting some special milk for cats - something in regular milk they cant take iirc - and put it in a bottle and feed it to her.

I think that's some pretty solid advice. Maybe a trip to the pet store, perhaps keeping her separated from your own cats, and a conversation with someone there about it could be fruitful.

Probably not the most brilliant idea ever, but when my very spoiled runt of a dog was ill, she wasn't drinking from her bowl (and not really moving much from her basket) and I was worried she'd get dehydrated, so I cupped some water in my hands and she actually drank it from there. Maybe they feel more comfortable being offered liquid from someone rather than just taking it from "the ground" when they are feeling vulnerable. Might be worth a shot while you are figuring out about maybe getting kitten milk for her.

Good luck with her. Let us know how you get on. She's adorable. ='3

[Kerath]

Aw bless her. I've never cared for a cat that young personally, I did find this online though -
"Feeding can be done with an eyedropper or a nursing bottle (available at the vet). If using the eyedropper be careful not to force feed the kitten. Let the baby suck the fluid at its own pace, otherwise you can fill the baby's lungs with milk and cause pneumonia.

If the baby is old enough to suckle, the bottle method is best. One company even makes a special kitten nurser which is designed to keep air bubbles out of the baby's tummy. The company is Catac ($15 to Kitte Res-Q, Dept. C, PO Box 723, Santa Paula, CA 93061).

All utensils should be sterilized before each feeding.

To feed your kitten, place it stomach down on a towel or other textured surface to which it can cling. Open its mouth gently with the tip of your finger, then slip the nipple between its jaws. To prevent air from entering the kitten's stomach, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle, keeping a light pull on the bottle to encourage vigorous sucking.

If a suckling kitten aspirates formula into its lungs, immediately hold it upside down until the choking subsides. If the kitten is not strong enough to suckle, seek veterinary assistance ASAP.

Formula should be warmed to body temperature and fed to small kittens every 3-4 hours. As they get older every 6-8 hours will be enough. Check the package for recommended feeding amounts and feedings per day. A kitten needs approximately 8 cc's of formula per ounce of body weight per day. The kitten's age determines the number of daily feedings it should receive.

When a kitten has had enough formula, bubbles will form around its mouth, and its tummy will be rounded. After each meal, burp the kitten by holding it upright against your shoulder and patting it lightly on the back.

Do not overfeed kittens, as this can bring on diarrhea as well as other problems."

Source: http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html
(they have a table with amounts to feed kittens based on age/body weight)

[Deleted]

Going on having adopted cats around when I was a kid I'll second the above poster and say she's about the six week mark. She should kinda still be with her Mum, but you can probably do ok. You might have to pick up some pouches of kitten food, I know here in the UK Whiskas does a lovely line of baby kitty products. Her little tummy isn't really built to handle anything else, but then cats lived for ages before this stuff came out! See if you can pick up some kitten/cat milk to feed her, a lot of cats are lactose intolerant especially when they are small.

[mothandras]

Cats are Feral until they are Domesticated, since you indicated that it was raining outside the kitten more than likely already got its fill outside. When it gets thirsty enough and sees your other cats drinking from the bowl, she will catch on. My cat refuses to drink from bowls, and either drinks when he is outside or from the toilet or tub. Mostly he drinks outside on his own he is a pretty independent cat. He also prefers to use the bathroom outside, and only uses the litter box when he is trapped inside.

[Lamoot]

Go to your local pet store, and buy a bottle made for feeding cats, and get some formula too.

[Faolain]

I second the kitten food, soft food if you can. Pet stores market some special kitten milk that you can get as well, feed it to her in a little bottle if she won't eat it on her own, make sure to sterilize everything before and after every feeding and she should be fine.

Your female adult cat seems amicable toward her, since she ran away when the male hissed. Try introducing them without the male involved, the female might decide to be a foster mother to the kitten.

[AdrianCC100]

I managed to get her to drink some water. It took a few tires of me picking her up and putting her at the bowl, but she finally started to drink the water. And then the little bugger started to run around my room.

[Lamoot]

but then cats lived for ages before this stuff came out!

They lived on their mothers milk for 2 months. Then ate hard food (Or what ever the mother cat was eating) It's not like they ate hard food from the second they were born.

[mothandras]

Kittens are weaned by 4 weeks old, and more than likely the reason it was out on its own and not with its mommy. It should be fine to eat solid kitten food for here on out. As soon as kittens take to eating hard food like you previously indicated, they are already weaned off milk.

[Lamoot]

I managed to get her to drink some water. It took a few tires of me picking her up and putting her at the bowl, but she finally started to drink the water.

If she's still "too" young, the water might do more harm than good. If she's trying to suck your finger, go to your pet store and buy some kitten milk for her.

[AdrianCC100]

If she's still "too" young, the water might do more harm than good. If she's trying to suck your finger, go to your pet store and buy some kitten milk for her.

I'll be getting some today for sure. By the way. My adult female cat seems very interested in the kitten. Whenever the kitten meows, my adult meows back at her.

[GKLeatherCraft]

Yeh i would suggest wet food, and cat milk, you can get special wet food for little kittens, she is tiny, keep a look out outside, see if you can hear any others, because one that size shouldn't be away from it's mum, SO either her mum had her outside, or someone let her out/escaped, Either way it's good you're trying to help, keep an eye out too for people missing one

[mothandras]

If you are going to adopt this kitten, the next step should be shots, vacs, feline leukemia testing, and spaying.

[Faolain]

I'll be getting some today for sure. By the way. My adult female cat seems very interested in the kitten. Whenever the kitten meows, my adult meows back at her.

Sometimes adult female cats will 'adopt' kittens as their own, see where that goes.

[Fuzzzie]

I recommend bringing it to the SPCA or Humane Society to see if it belongs to anyone first.

[AdrianCC100]

Sometimes adult female cats will 'adopt' kittens as their own, see where that goes.

So far when I allowed the little kitten to walk up to the female cat, she would hiss and slightly back away like she was scared. But she never leaves the room and whenever the kitten meows, she meows back.

[mothandras]

I recommend bringing it to the SPCA or Humane Society to see if it belongs to anyone first.

You can feel around its neck for a little microchip, if shes already been tagged.