What I found in my pond and house today!

That sounds exciting Tiggypiro
Perhaps your next visitor will be a lost racing pigeon.
We have had two of them in the last couple of years. The first one came from Durham and its owner came for it.
The second one had strayed from Cannock (we live in Northumberland) and its owner couldn't afford the charge that the Racing Pigeons Society or whatever it is make, to take them home.
We were going to Staffordshire a couple of days later so took it down with us in a large cardboard box. The lady was going to be out visiting her husband in hospital, and told us just to release him in a park in the middle of Cannock.
We were a bit reluctant to do this, but followed instructions and at first the pigeon walked round for a while, looking very bemused. Then he flew to a roof-top, surveyed the landscaped and was away.
Half an hour later we got a text to say he had got home safely

Some things are just meant to be tiggy and I so hope the kitten has found it's home with you. Please,let us know what happens.

By Heck tiggypiro ! You must have a large house if you can lose a kitten upstairs.Or filled with a lot of stuff?A mouse I can understand but a kitten?

Nothing yet Agus. I have just searched the house again - even pulling stuff from under the beds and there is no sign of it whatsoever. I am beginning to think I was dreaming ! All the doors are shut so there is no way it could have escaped.

Oh TiggyP let's hope that the kitten has adopted you permanently as its new slave! We had to say goodbye to our cat very recently and have been chosen by a little waif from CPL.

Please keep us posted - and about the newts!

No its not a large house rosesarered. I have 4 bedrooms but none are large and not exactly over filled - especially as I have just had a good sort out after the family went home.

Have you got any open fireplaces TiggyP? I only ask because years ago I persuaded my Mum to adopt the cat from the corner shop which was going to be put to sleep. Mum agreed I could have her and I brought her home in a cardboard box which she jumped out of and disappeared in a flash.

Search as we might there was no sign until I had the bright idea of looking up the chimney in the open fireplace (not lit) and there was a pair of eyes watching me. She was sat on the small shelf type structure where the chimney turned up straight and it was several days before she ventured down except to use the litter tray and eat and drink when we weren't around.

She never did take to domesticity and eventually had a litter of kittens, from which we chose the prettiest and then re-homed her to a farm and the kittens to other homes locally. That kitten lived to 24 and became a real character and was much loved.

No Gaga - no open fireplaces. Still no sign ! My last cat once got into the drawers under my bed so I have opened those up just in case.

Was I hallucinating ?!

Both GDs have just become the very proud owners of a kitten each, Scout and Felix. I had forgotten how very tiny kittens can be and DD has had to search all over the house as they both curl up and hide in the most unusual places. Yesterday she eventually found them right at the back of a large kitchen cupboard where she keeps her vacuum, ironing board and various other things. Most of the contents had to be emptied out before she found them.

Hopefully your little lodger will appear when it is too hungry to hide anymore.

Have you looked in any shopping bags or bags of any kind which the kitten might have found? We searched all over the village for ours many years ago and, having despaired of finding him, discovered him sleeping peacefully in DS2's school bag.

The search goes on. After a rather sleepless night mainly wondering if I had been hallucinating I was pleased to see that the food I left out has been eaten and the bowl licked clean. The litter tray unfortunately has not been used. I still cannot find the little chap. Perhaps I need a sniffer dog. I shall have to see if the Guide Dog puppy next door would like to add something to its CV. At least I might then hear my visitor !
I am thinking that if he does not appear today I shall resort to putting food in a 'cat-catcher' tonight.

Found him !!
He was hiding amongst all the DGC toys and is quite small so could get into very small spaces. I managed to catch him but he is as wild as hell and gave me a good bite at which point I let him go. He is now shut in the bedroom and I am setting up a cat catcher. I shall keep him in the conservatory for a few days (if I can) and then re-assess. I have also just rung the docs to check my tetanus is up to date and thankfully it is !

At least you found him. Not such good news about the bite though!

I hope your patience will be rewarded, tiggy. Have you made local enquiries in case he/she is someone's beloved pet?
I am sure you have looked up or already know tips for gradually taming him, it seems you are right to isolate him at first, with plenty of hiding places and separate litter and feeding areas. I once had an unsocialized kitten and she unfortunately never truly relaxed in my company.
Good luck!

Glad you found him, tiggy. What is a 'cat catcher'?

A cat catcher Lily is a cage in which a plate of food is placed. As the animal enters to get the food and steps on the right part the door shuts trapping the animal inside. I am just hoping he is heavy enough to operate it. So far he has resisted the food but maybe he is still stuffed from the plateful he licked clean last night. If this plan works I think it is going to be a 2 man (woman) job armed with gauntlets and thick towels!

I am very pleased that the newts which started my wild animal day yesterday take no looking after what so ever and certainly don't bite !

It must be the season for them, a friend found a beautiful little tabby in his lane a couple of days ago. Sadly his two cats aren't impressed, but he is trying to get them used to each other for a week before he gives in.

I love newts and any other wildlife in the garden, I always feel privileged.

I found a dead newt once, under my 'frig.
I don't have a garden, I have a 'flagged town garden' (back yard to you and me!), so where the little beast came from I have no idea!

Estate agents........ dontcha love 'em

We have one of those cat traps, bought it when we were inundated with stray kittens and tried to get some of them neutered.
Tiggy - if you're feeding this kitten I somehow don't think you'll have much trouble getting him/her to stay.
Unless it belongs to someone else.

Couldn't you avoid handling the kitten once trapped, just open it in the room where you want him to be? It would be less stressful for him. You can then spend some time each day in that room, talking gently but not approaching him. Take in some knitting or a book, then he will get used to you in his own time.
Sorry if I am teaching a grandmother to suck eggs!

Thanks, tiggy. Good luck with cat catching stage 2!

SUCH GOOD NEWS !!

My friend came round this evening and she does seem to be a bit of a 'cat whisperer'. Once we had found him (underneath the cot) she stroked him with a feather and was able very quickly to use her hand. This was while she was laid flat out on the floor. He started purring and we then got him out from under and he has now spent the last 2 hours cuddling, eating and purring on my knee. He has at least 2 large tics and probably fleas and worms. In addition he is dirty and his fur feels yukky. A visit to the vet asap in the morning.
I really don't think he belongs to anyone who wants him as he could not have got into the state he is very quickly and there have been no 'lost' notices in the village so I guess he is mine !
Very strange that I was going to go to Blue Cross this week to find another cat but I am a firm believer that cats find staff not visa versa so I guess that is what he has done.
We have called him 'Purdy' as that is what he does.

That's great news tiggy you little cat seems to have sought you out