Someone just walked into the restaurant i work at, dumped this soaking wet kitten in the lobby, and left without saying a word. I just got a kitten this month, so i took her home with me since i have kitten supplies and everyone else at work has too many pets.

She cried the whole ride home, and my kitten (13 weeks old), Niniane was not happy about the new cat. I took the stray into the bathroom and fed her. Afterwards i weighed her and she wasn’t even 2lbs. She was absolutely filthy, so i gave her a quick bath without much struggle.

I dried her off and groomed her with the slicker brush and then let Niniane into the bathroom so they could socialize a bit. Nini was curious, but very standoffish and mostly just hissed while the stray just wanted to climb into my lap. I put a cat hammock, scratching post, and some toys in the bathroom (none of which Nini uses) and have locked the stray in there until i know she is litter trained. Currently she is jist sleeping in the hammock, so i think I’ll leave her there for the night and try to socialize the kittens some more tomorrow.

Edit: i think i am gonna call her Boudica. It’s much better than “the stray”. She just peed in the litter box and even buried it, so that’s a massive step. Unfortunately I’m still gonna keep her in in the bathroom for the next few days, but I’m so glad she used the litter box.

  • jabathekek@sopuli.xyz
    72·
    4 months ago

    I usually give a week or so of separation to make sure they’re used to each others smell.

    Thanks for taking her in, I can’t believe some people.

    • ALQ@lemmy.world
      45·
      4 months ago

      Also so new kitty can be vetted* for diseases. I hope OP takes new kitty to the vet before really introducing, if they can.

      *Pun absolutely intended.

      • BakerBagel@midwest.socialOP
        24·
        4 months ago

        The vets are booked up for months around here. I haven’t even gotten Niniane in for her first vet appointment (scheduled for the emd of the month), even though i got her a month ago. On Monday I’m gonna call the vet and see if i can make the visit i have scheduled a double appointment. Other than that, I’m gonna give the stray a dewormer tomorrow after she eats breakfast.

        • ALQ@lemmy.world
          14·
          4 months ago

          That’s unfortunate, but I’m so glad she (and Niniane) have someone like you to care for them!

          • BakerBagel@midwest.socialOP
            11·
            4 months ago

            Yeah, that’s one of the drawbacks of living in a semi-rural city in Ohio. Niniane’s mom was a barn cat though, so i i figure she was exposed to worse when i got her. Her mom’s owner only put the bare minimum into preventative care for the cats since coyotes are such a big problem around here. Meanwhile the stray was a “city” cat, so I don’t think she was exposed to anything Nini wasn’t already exposed to. I’ll keep an eye oit for worms in the litter box, but the stray was probably only slightly more at risk for something nasty than Nini was when i got her. Either way, I’ll know in a couple weeks.

            • Ephera@lemmy.ml
              4·
              4 months ago

              I don’t know a thing about cats, but I would’ve expected there to be more diseases in the city, with all the humans, car exhaust, trash etc…

              • BakerBagel@midwest.socialOP
                8·
                4 months ago

                The “city” is a 17,000 person college town surrounded by corn fields. It’s a very picturesque town. Probably the best place for a stray cat to be since there’s no stray dogs or coyotes. Basically 200 year old suburb with a walkable downtown.

            • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              4 months ago

              just gonna say… barn cats are the best cats.

              grandma had a barn cat that lived in her pipe organ’s pipes. Pinky would pop out and watch people, and usually come down to say ‘hi’, at least to me, but she was quite old and frequently grumpy with “others”,

              (… yes. you read that right. My grandma teaches organ and piano, and until a while ago, she had a ‘rescued’ pipe organ in her garage. It’s since been donated and restored to a proper home.)(Don’t judge Grandpa kept a still in the back of his barn. I remember after he passed we were helping clear out his barn, ‘what’s this?!’ ‘Oh. that’s grandpa’s still.’… was a rather awkward conversation.)

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    4 months ago

    So, many vets will provide a free check up for rescues. Possibly including vaccines and things.

    Whoever this was is a right asshole. Thanks for redeeming humanity for the rest of us.

  • frigidaphelion@lemmy.world
    13·
    4 months ago

    I took home an OrangeGuy™️ that someone left under the dumpster at work and I have never regretted it. Good work!

    • BakerBagel@midwest.socialOP
      8·
      4 months ago

      I’m thinking about Boudica, since she’s a wild little fighter. Plus it goes well with the Arthurian name of my other kitten.

  • limelight79@lemm.ee
    5·
    4 months ago

    Thanks for rescuing her. We already have 3 cats and a dog, but if I was on a situation like you were, I might have to adopt a fourth. We absolutely don’t need a fourth cat, but I can’t see one abandoned like that.

    We have a law in this county that we’d have to turn them into the shelter, but then we’d get first dibs at adopting. I might do a “we’ll give her a good home if no one else steps up in a week” sort of thing.