Hi All,
yesterday morning while getting the mail at my office building, I turned and saw this little kitten sitting underneath my car. I tried to get close to him but he would just scurry further under the car. I had my boyfriend bring me treats, and we got the cat to a point where he would come out from under to retrieve the treats. My boyfriend has cats, and was confident he could grab the kitten when he emerged for a treat, but he couldn't. (I realize now that wasn't the best idea, neither of us have experience with this). That obviously spooked the kitten, but he still stayed under the cars and kept coming out for food. I eventually even got him to go into the carrier to eat, I just couldn't get the door closed behind him before he darted out, and I didn't want to try and fail and risk scaring him again. I basically spent the entire day feeding him, hoping I would somehow get the opportunity.
Even after the attempted catching, he was starting to get a little more comfortable with me. I could sit about 7 feet away, he would look at me, then still take steps forward to get the treat. I really didn't want to push it and risk frighting him again.
I am a bit panicked because early in the day, we realized he was going up INSIDE my coworkers car and hiding there. He would come out for treats then retract back up there. I was panicking because I didn't want him to be up there when my coworker left, obviously. I finished work at 5pm (pretty much dark outside) and stayed an extra 2 hours trying to somehow get close enough to close the door, but I just couldn't. It was IMPOSSIBLE to see him in the dark, and he wouldn't come out if I had a flashlight on. In the dark he was darting from the car to the bushes and all around, so that gives me hope he wasn't in my coworkers car. My coworker was still there when I left past 7 pm, but he knew to honk his horn several times before starting his car, check under to make sure he wasn't hiding by a tire, start the car and move EXTREMELY slowly.
I thought if I just kept feeding him and getting him used to me, then I would be able to come back today with a humane trap and catch him, especially because he was going in the carrier every single time for the food. However, today landscapers came to do the area around my office, and for several hours were mowing, leaf blowing, etc. This obviously would scare any kitten away, so I wasn't surprised when I didn't see him this morning, but by the time I left past 7pm again, still no trace of him.
I am panicked and devestated, if I'm being honest. I feel SO incredibly guilty for leaving yesterday when I was so close to him, I just had no faith I would be able to catch him without a trap and realized I wouldn't be able to see him anyways when my coworker left, in the dark he was seriously getting around without me even realizing he had left his spot. I also got in trouble at work for the first time ever for spending so much time trying to help the cat so it was a truly terrible day (continued to go out to feed the cat like 20 times after getting reprimanded lol). I can't stop worrying that he stayed in the car. I am worried that I trained him to stay in the car by feeding him.
I will take any and all advice on how to get him to come back. I am desperately hoping that the reason I didn't see him today was because of the gardeners causing a commotion, is that realistic that he still wouldn't be back by 7 pm? If my coworker honked his horn, was he likely to have left the vehicle?
I plan to go back tomorrow morning with the humane trap again, and just hope that he comes back. Please advise, I am so distraught over this little kitten and just want to know that he's safe and has a chance of coming back. :(
Also for more context, my office is literally surrounded by other offices only, no houses around at ALL. He definitely doesn't belong to anyone. He was just a baby. I also am located in San Diego, it's basically a given that an outdoor cat is going to be come a coyote meal. There are canyons around the office, definitely very dangerous.
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Give him time. He has a full belly and will associate it with the area. He will make his presence known in a day or two.
If he doesn't - who knows? He may have been trapped by another kind soul. You have shown an innocent creature kindness and that is a good thing.
Thank you for this, it’s day 4 and still no sight of him :(
You didn't. At most, you taught him that if he stays in the general location of the offices, he might get food. You weren't feeding him while he remained inside the car – he had to come out to get the food, so he knows that if he wants to eat, he can't stay in there. Any creature's habits are built over days or weeks, with consistency being key; a single day won't make him associate cars with food (especially considering how noisy and unpredictable cars would be to a cat).
Thank you for your comment. Today was day 5, I haven’t seen him again since day 1 and I’m feeling like he might have stayed in the car. I regret leaving him when I was so close to him, I really thought I’d see him again. At what point do I stop trying to leave out food? He hasn’t been taking any and it instantly attracts a ton of bugs, and it’s hard because it’s at my office not my house. If I haven’t seen him again by now should I just accept he’s not around anymore? It’s honestly breaking my heart every day when I see the untouched food. :(
Borrow a trap from the local shelter. Don't feed it for a day, then bait the trap with some delicious stinky food. Make sure you have a plan once you do catch it...
if it goes in a crate to eat should be easy to trap it, I get the worry of them going up into cars I had one do this I heard a slight meow, and had I not did a super inspection I would of drove off with a cat in by my engine, that kitty now lives with me, figured it was kinda fate so I took her in, got her fixed and took some time to get the feral out but now she's the sweetest cat and I wasn't a cat person, had just lost my dog to cancer and figured being a animal lover we crossed paths for a reason, best of luck, and after that, I had another feral cat have kittens in my boat in my garage, long story short help mother raise kittens to a 8 week with help from the Humane shelter I gave them to find a good home, thing is the mother I kept, Vet said she had to be less Than 6 months old when she gave birth and was so trusting with her babies with me we became very close,so now I have 2 feral cats and both are very smart and listen one as well as my dog did by name, never thought I'd have feral cats sleeping on my chest while I watch TV,