HOW TO TRAP A KITTEN – CTK EDITION:

Step 1:  Gloves and a Trash-Picker

Mr. Charles had seen the kitten sneak into Ms. Deady’s car earlier that morning, and tried to get it out.  As he reached in to grab the tiny thing, it started hissing and spitting.  Mr. Charles armed up with gloves and a trash-picker tool, as he knew this kitten was likely going to go full-claw on any grab attempt.  Despite his best efforts, the kitten managed to wiggle free, snake out of Deady’s car, and straight up into Mr. Kim’s – between the wheel and skid-plate.

Step 2:  Cat Food

Mr. Charles decided then to try luring it out with some food.  The kitten, obviously starving, started meowing loudly, but wasn’t taking the bait.  Mr. Kim removed the tow-hitch, and they both could see the kitten crouching in the dark, but it retreated even deeper into the car as the men tried to reach for it.

Step 3:  Drive Around with it Under Your Car

They figured to leave the car alone, and the cat would crawl it’s way out during the day.  As Mr. Kim wrapped for the day and headed off to play a round of golf, the kitten made itself heard – loudly – all the way to the course!  Kim played his round – again, thinking that the kitten would want to get out of the car.  And again, thought he was in the clear as he headed for home.  Until he got on 290.  It was then the cat went crazy!  “It sounded like it was IN the car with me!”  Kim said he even checked the backseat because it sounded so close.

Once home, in the parking garage, he and his daughter, Ella, tried looking for the kitten in the car, and peered into the open tow-hitch – no kitten.  No noise.  Maybe the kitten had slipped out after he parked and walked the dogs?

Step 4:  Leave it Alone in a Garage

Next day, Mr. Kim drove to CTK and back home again – and still no sign of the kitten.  It wasn’t until the second day that Mr. Kim heard the kitten again…this time, coming from a neighbor’s car in the garage!  By the time he got his daughter, the neighbor, and all the gear to finally trap this kitten…the kitten managed to escape back INTO MR. KIM’s CAR!

Step 5:  Microwave Tuna

Microwaved tuna, a sturdy pair of gloves, and some cat-like reflexes of his own – and the kitten was finally caught and placed in a dog crate in the garage.  But was that enough to contain this kitten?  NOPE!  While the family went in to have dinner and take care of the dogs, the kitten had escaped the crate and nestled back into the neighbor’s car!

Step 6: YouTube Videos of Kittens Crying

Ella had a genius idea:  she played kitten videos on her phone, and that was enough to lure the scared kitten out and into an enclosed hallway.  Mr. Kim placed her in a box and brought her up to his home.  By this time, Ella convinced Mr. Kim to let them hold on to her until Sunday and then they would bring the kitten to the shelter.

SUCCESS!  Now…what about the fleas?

That first night, the kitten cried all night, like a baby.  The second night, Ella slept next to the kitten (still in the box) all night and the kitten didn’t cry at all.  The one thing they didn’t anticipate, though, was the kitten was absolutely covered in fleas.

Ella turned to TikTok for information, and learned that Dawn dish soap would do the trick to get the fleas off, so they gave the kitten a bath.  “A lot of fleas were falling off her body into the soapy water, but most were migrating up her neck and onto her face” Kim explained.  “Her neck was just covered in blood from all the flea-bites.”  After two rounds of baths, all the fleas removed, and the blood washed away – they wrapped the kitten in a warm towel and that was when the kitten finally fell fast asleep in their arms.

Off to the Shelter!  Think again…

So…did the kitten make it to the animal shelter?  No.  Turns out, Mrs. Kim has been falling hard for this little fighter.  So, Tabitha Kim – the kitten’s new name – is getting used to her new home, and accepting all the love and attention from her new family.

Ms. Deady, who is also a new cat-mom, donated a scratching post/toy combo to Mr. Kim’s family, and Tabitha took to it immediately.  For the first time, this little kitten only has to concentrate on playing, eating, cuddling, and napping.

From 1 pet to 3 within a month!

For those wondering:  what about the stray dog that Mr. Kim also recently took home?  Well, he’s still there too!  They’ve named him Maxx.  So Maki – their first dog – suddenly has to share his humans with Maxx and Tabitha.