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Adopting aFeral Kitten
By: Alfred and Patches Marie
You want to be careful who you select to care for a feral
kitten. At this point the socialization has occurred with you
and maybe a few others. Kittens should be at least eight
weeks old and have had a veterinary checkup and their first
immunizations before being adopted.
You can have people fill out an adoption application so that
you can have a good understanding of the environment that the
feral cat will be exposed to. You can even have as a
requirement that you be able to inspect the home yourself
before releasing the kitten into someone else's care, if you
wish.
You should also ask for payment or a donation for the
kitten. People who get an animal for free may not value it
as much as one they have to pay for. Be careful, some people
want free kittens so that they can turn around and resell
them. Kittens can be adopted out at eight weeks of age if
they have been well socialized. Its around this time that
they are given their first immunization shots.
When you are selecting a new adoptive parent for your feral
kitten there are several things you should look for. Feral
kittens do better in a secure, calm environment where there
are no small children or dogs. The best thing is to place
two kittens that are already comfortable with each other as
indoor cats together into the same home.
Print up a page with whatever you know about this particular
kitten, such as where and when it was rescued, what color
the mother was, exactly what food it has been eating, and at
what time and how much. Include the veterinarian's findings
about this kitten as well. If it has any habits, likes or
dislikes that you have already discovered, include them.
Also include instructions for the new owners as to how they
can facilitate a smooth transition to their household for
the kitten. You might suggest that they confine the kitten
in a small room or bathroom at first, both to give the
kitten a peaceful refuge, and to get it used to using its
litter box in the new place. This will also make it easier
for the new owner to spend quiet time with the kitten and
get it to bond with them.
Feral kittens often do not live as long as a kitten that was
raised from a domesticated cat. Life on the street is hard
and it takes it's toll even if the kitten was only there for
a little while, since the mother was probably parasite
infested and malnourished. The new owner should be aware
that this is a feral kitten that has been re-domesticated
and socialized and that it may never react like a regular
domesticated cat.
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