I found this gorgeous wild kitten 3 weeks ago; I reported it missing on several websites, put posters up around the area and Metalli but no one has come forward to claim it.

Kitty is very affectionate and social, a gem. We keep changing our minds whether to keep it or not (I'd absolutely love to and I'm already attached to it) but we're v concerned it could be run over as we live right by Industriestrasse. Some neighbour's cats in the area made it to 15 whilst others didn't.

We're looking for a loving home with a GARDEN were this kitten we'll be v well cared for and looked after. Please understand we'll only give it to a home with a garden. If we can't find the perfect home we'll keep it.

I took it to the vet this morning, he gave it a cat flue jab and some tabs. It'll need to be taken back to the vet in 12 days for further injections.
It breaks my heart to give it away but then again if we find the perfect home it'll be much better for the cat.

The kitten is 4 months old and male.

It seems to me that he has already found the perfect loving home.

Stephen, good on you for taking this little one in, and trying to find him a home. Your heart is is the right place.

However, you need to be careful with the law on Findeltier here.

http://www.tierimrecht.org/de/faq/2005/fundrecht.php

FYI, the Wartungsfrist before a finder can become the legal owner of an animal is 60 days after duly publishing the notice on the cantonal Meldestelle. Only the legal owner, or a duly appointed Tierheim, can then transfer ownership of a found animal. If you found the kitten three weeks ago the Wartungsfrist has not yet expired.

Please speak with the cantonal Veterinäramt for details.

All the best to you and the little one.

Yes, I so want to keep it but am I not being selfish exposing it to the risk of being run over? Only thing I know is I'd be devastated if it did.
We've a winter garden with its doors constantly open onto the terrace and garden + I don't believe in keeping cats indoors (I already go nuts if I have to be inside for a whole day so I cannot imagine what it'd be for a wild animal!).
We have kept it indoors for 3 weeks and let it out 2 days ago to wander around the garden, we put security so it wouldn't escape but this won't last long as it'll easily jump out when it is a big bigger.
What to do?

oh, thanks for letting me know melloncolie.
I'll check this out. I spoke to the vet this morning about finding a good home for the kitty and putting up ads but he didn't mention the law.

If a good home comes forward that person can take 'guardianship' of the kitten for the remainder of the Wartungsfrist - but the Kantonalmeldestelle must be informed of the contact details of the new 'guardian'. After the Frist has expired, the new person can apply to become the legal owner.

Just a heads-up, as the new owner needs to be aware that legal ownership can't be transferred before the 60 day Frist expires - and there is always the (unlikely in this case) possibility of the original owner reclaiming the animal within that time.

Again, all the best.

Thanks again Meloncollie for all the details, l never expected to learn about Swiss law whilst posting that thread!
I'll follow your advice. Cheers

Hi! Just sent you a pm!

What a cutie!! I love orange cats. I wish I could take it but my dog hates hates hates cats. She's silly!

If you are worried about the cat going out, you can keep it as an indoor cat. Cats are fine with that.

That kiteen is so beautiful. I would love to have it but not too sure how our 8 month old cat would take to it.

We have a house with a garden and our cat comes and goes freely. We'll be on holiday for a couple of weeks but if he hasn't found a home when we come back I could be seriously tempted.

Most cats, especially if introduced as kittens are perfectly happy to stay indoors all day.

In fact in the US most rescues and shelters will not adopt to you if you don't agree to keep in doors.

It is much healthier (ie live longer, which is one of your concerns), meaning less chance of rabies, fleas, ticks, getting hit by cars and all sorts of issues.

Give the cats scratching posts, toys to play with, and a cat climbing "tree" and cat will be perfectly happy.

My husband and I have three indoor cats currently. Growing up I had three cats with my family and they all lived to age 18 and 19.

I hope you find a nice home for it,beautiful kitten

I am soo tempted but having 3 cats and one of them pregnant...probably not a good idea.
Hopefully you will find him a good home, and really think about keeping him indoors when trained so since little they won't miss going outside and indoor cats live longer!

I feel yay Angela, we have three kitties too.

Indeed. Haven't you ever heard of birth control

Eh? Not sure where you got that gem from, but I doubt there's any evidence to support it. Certainly my experience doesn't match, with <counts> four of ours over the years making it past 15, and two as old as 18/19. The others mainly went through illness (2*cancer). Only one could I say was definitely killed by being outdoors, having been poisoned, presumably someone leaving poisoned meat against foxes or similar (very illegal and nasty).

OTOH, indoor cats are not infrequently overweight, often over-fed by doting owners, and unable to moderate their own diet and exercise like they would in nature.

<googles for more info>

OTOOH, some google results suggest that many people agree with you, but it's clear to me that some, if not all, of them are patently spouting rubbish. Like this one from a site claiming to be "The web's #1 source of pet information " It's simply not true, and I've really know idea why anyone would want to make such statements.

I do wonder if this is a predominantly US viewpoint, and whether there may be different circumstances there that give rise to it. I do know that 'indoor' cats are more common there, and sometimes subject to the barbaric practice of declawing, so maybe it's just an attempt to justify the lifestyle choices pet owners make on behalf of their animals...

I will say yes that US does have a large view point that cats should be indoor animals for their saftey and health, of course there are still stray cats, indoor/outdoor cats etc.

However, just like you state that you think the comments about indoor cats living longer etc is rubbish. That is based on your experience, you have been very lucky.

I would also state that your statement regarding obessity for indoor cats, lack of excersize etc is also a generalization. Sure are there plenty of fat cats, yep, and plenty of fat dogs too (who go outside). It is about human care, as well as, the animal. Our cats eat organic food which is in a timmed feeder, so they get regulated food amounts. We have stairs in our current house that they love to run up and down, as well as a cat "tree". All our cats weigh between 9 and 12 lbs which for their size was deamed healthy by our vet.

You are lucky in Switzerland that you feel the cats are safe outdoors. If I had let my cats out back in Washington DC, or here in Addis Ababa, I would probably never see them again with cars, other stray animals (including Hyenas at night), and poisions layed on the street here by the goverment to kill the stray dogs.

Anyway, again very cute kitty, I hope it finds a wonderful home soon, if you are unable to keep it.

ADORABLE!!! Hope he finds a home. Wish I could have him.

Yes, you're right, and TBH I was going to reword that part of my post, but got distracted. Yes, and I truly wasn't trying to imply that all owners, or indeed most, of indoor cats don't look after them properly and ensure a healthy long life for them.

Actually our cats are in France, but yes, I understand about the risks in some parts of the world. Addis Ababa, at least, but Washington DC? What's so dangerous there? (Unless you live on a main road, I suppose).

Traffic, fights with other animals, and rabies, just for a start.

Rabies? Oh, I didn't realise that was endemic there. And yes, I suppose wild animals are, err, wild over there. We do get foxes and badgers around, as well as the odd deer or wild boar, but nothing that would normally attack cats.

So I'm starting to see some reasons why Americans might feel that it's better to keep their cats indoors. I don't think most of them apply so much here though.

Oh yes there is always the potential of rabbies with wild animals (including unvaccinated cats and dogs, even in America). I had to get rabbies shots just to live in Ethiopia as well.

In american, even in the country where barn cats, or letting pet wander outdoors is more acceptable, then you might have to contend with racoons, Bears, wolves, coyote (big problem in some areas, been known to take peoples little dogs from their backyards in california), in Florida you have alligators, some very rural places you still get the florida panther.

Growing up in florida our neighbors cat was an outdoors cat, he was very sweet to people but fought all the stray cats. One day he came up to us kinda swaying weird and layed down in our drive. When he did that a snake, which had constricted itself around his belly, uncoiled itself and slid away. The poor thing was being suffocated by a snake (granted the cat was bigger than the snake).

As for DC, anything inside the Beltway is very congested area, most roads are main roads and a lot of apartment buildings are high rises even. I don't think I saw one stray cat in all my time in DC area, but there has to be some because they have shelters and rescues in the area.