Kitten progress is slow but seems to be moving in the right direction. I remembered one of my facebook friends in the UK specialises in domesticating feral rescues so, while I suspect the sort of 'feral' she comes across in London might be a bit more socialised than this wee beast, her advice has been very helpful.

So, Billy is going to the vet tomorrow to have his jabs updated and while there I will call into Shiploads (I will leave Billy at the vet for an extra hour or two), get a puppy pen to house the kitten till I can touch it confidently, and also some wormer I can add to its food.

Have been sitting in with it for quiet conversation from time to time, and used the handle of a wooden spoon through the mesh of the trap to touch it. Oddly it accepted this without hissing or attack, so I will continue to do this. It has been using the litter tray (a shoe box lid with garden soil), but also slept in it last night. But today it did a poo and I have emptied it and added more dry soil. The lid is plasticised so should survive till tomorrow when the puppy pen provides for a larger more fit-for-purpose container. Food and drink are being utilised but food is rationed to develop an association between me and food. A lot of the noise and drama seem to be bluff rather than fear, so I remain confident.

As you say EMW - definitely good to have it off the streets and once I have emptied the trap it will be going out there again to catch mum and dad. There is a burly b&w tom that frequents my garden, and a brown tabby feral that occasionally puts in an appearance. Since I have no idea if they are 'owned' by anyone local I will ensure they are hurried off to the Cats Home as soon as possible to avoid future irresponsible breeding activities.

Still no clue what gender the kitten is - as it never turns its back to me. No doubt time will tell.