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With kitten season in full swing, my wife and I are waiting for either a solo or a brother/sister pair to pass through the TNR program since we don't have the space to put a whole litter in a room to themselves. Our rescue has a few litters in need of socializing, which is the cutest part of the job: holding cranky kittens and forcibly petting them so they realize humans cause good things to happen. When they seem too stressed, they go right back to mom to get calmed down. The worst part of dealing with post-op cats is that some colonies/families have a genetic quirk that causes them to metabolize anesthesia weird. They get special attention: warm water bags against their stomach in simple cases and aggressive petting/stimulation in worse ones. Basically, you really roughly pet their shoulderblade area in an attempt to make them mad and get their blood pressure to rise. It works, but it can take a couple hours for one cat. Please, if you feed or see stray/outdoor cats, find a local TNR group. They will help you trap the animals, neuter and give them a basic exam including rabies vaccine, trim their ear tip to show they're sterile, and get released back where they call home. It gradually reduces colony numbers and virtually eliminates toms fighting each other for territory or ladies. And ladies will live healthier lives without the drain of constant pregnancies.
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May 12, 2016 23:16
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The rescue I volunteer with doesn't just do TNR. People will give us strays that are friendly so we can spay/neuter them and pass them off to no-kill shelters. Today, they got a kitten named Harry and were assured he was well-socialized. His previous humans lied. He's terrified of pretty much everything especially being alone, so my wife and I took him to get him more socialized and less afraid and nervous. He may be away from siblings. He's definitely away from his mother because his prior humans thought he was old enough and calm enough. When we got him to our apartment, he ate and peed normally, but then began screaming with all the annoyance an 8-10 week old kitten can. He will not shut up unless he's being held. He'll doze off in our arms and get put in the carrier we're using for the night, only to wake up within moments and start screaming again. I just sprayed the blanket in his carrier with Feliway, but haven't put him in with it to see if it helps. We always keep our tiny fosters in carriers and rabbit hutches to prevent them from getting places they shouldn't, such as underneath the dishwasher. None of our previous 4 have had problems with this. How can we get a scared, lonely kitten to calm down and go to bed? Placing a heating pad underneath the carrier is an option in case he's missing family body heat, but we're not sure if it'll help him or annoy him since our apartment retains heat like an oven.
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May 19, 2016 06:08
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Harry's only idea of play that I can tell is exploring the couch when he's out. I put a jingle ball into the hutch to see what he thinks of it, though. Right now he's eating and will probably fall asleep in the hutch afterwards. My wife has a couple of photos of him on her phone so she might come and post them. ETA: We are returning him to the rescue tomorrow in hopes they have or can find another kitten around his age he can become friends with because he simply cannot tolerate being alone. No amount of playing, toys in hutch, cuddles when outside, or Feliway can get him to stop screaming himself hoarse once he's put back. It's beyond our ability to manage and I think part of being a foster parent is realizing that. Our past solo kittens whined a little bit, but not like this. There will be plenty more chances this kitten season. Lord Zedd-Repulsa fucked around with this message at 06:05 on May 22, 2016 |
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May 20, 2016 02:30
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We successfully fostered three balls of fluff and have now been trusted with five of the smallest, lowest energy kittens I've ever seen. None of them weigh more than a pound but they're old enough that their eyes are starting to change colors. They were abandoned in a box on someone's porch. Our job is to get them to gain weight. They're all eating their syringe feeding mix, some better than others, but being dewormed made one lose nearly two ounces since Friday  Hopefully she recovers fast.
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Jun 7, 2016 06:55
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The state of my house is currently "full of cats". Last night we were asked to pick up this gremlin. He has an eye infection and a URI requring meds. He also has virtually no fat so he has to be fed every three hours and kept on a heating pad. This is the closest to having a kid I ever want to get. His name is Birdie but I want to rename him Dobby because he looks like a house elf. Since I mentioned having five earlier, here's the best picture I could get of all of them being mostly still in their hutch.  From left they are Jupiter, Mars (I don't know why he has an eye closed), Mercury is on top of Venus, and Moon. Yes, I am a gigantic nerd. That was the first group of 5 I could think of to name them. They're doing pretty good and eating us out of every batch of formula I make. So I filled a jar that formerly held spaghetti sauce and it looks like enough for a while.
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Jun 13, 2016 00:07
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Is Albuquerque too far for you now? Edit: Look at what 24 hours of constant food and cuddles can do! He has the energy to clean himself, playfully bite my pajamas, and purr. 
Lord Zedd-Repulsa fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jun 13, 2016 |
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Jun 13, 2016 02:54
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I just woke up to feed the Sailor Kittens and found Mars dead in the bottom of their cage. He was fine a few hours ago before I went to bed, so I have no idea what could have happened unless it was related to him generally not growing as well as his siblings.
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Jun 17, 2016 10:35
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Our adult cats have been vaccinated, the kittens are kept in carriers, but all kittens are going for vet checks and possibly snap tests for FLV and FIV tomorrow to be sure they're as healthy as can be. In better news, the reason our previous foster Elizabeth wasn't gaining weight well has been discovered! She has a cleft palate. No lip involvement, only palate. Once she has surgery to repair it, she'll be just fine.
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Jun 17, 2016 21:41
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Thanks for that reminder. I don't know if I mentioned it here at all, but last week or the week before I spent the night holding and trying to stimulate a kitten who had severe heat stroke. She died the next day because the damage done was just too much. And of course there was Mars last week. As cat_herder says, the remaining senshi babies all passed a vet check (including SNAP tests for FIV and FeLV!) aside from another round of deworming but we're still worried about Venus. At least, unlike her brother, she's gaining weight and energy. We're keeping them until they weigh two pounds and then we take a break. This kitten season has been exhausting.
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Jun 23, 2016 02:50
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How about some good news? Birdie is doing great now that he's back with his family and more importantly, Venus has gained five ounces in as many days. That puts her within half an ounce of Mercury! They're off supplemental formula and now eating only dry food. Watching them play is great and I'll try to get video before they vanish under the clutter in my living room.
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Jun 27, 2016 02:54
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The Sailor Kittens are about to go for adoption. They're all friendly and healthy, if a little shy, but this is the happy ending part  In exchange, we get...more sick and underfed babies. Our foster coordinator trusts us a lot so we get the pitiful ones who need the most love and lots of food and medicine. I'll leave you all with the recipe we use to help with healthy weight gain. This makes a batch fit for an empty pasta sauce jar. 1/2 cup KMR 1 cup water 1 can A&D wet food 2 egg yolks You can also add a spoonful of baby food, but not all kittens like it. Place all ingredients in jar, using funnel not to spill the KMR, and mix with fork to get the worst lumps out. Put lid on jar and shake like hell. There will be lumps still, but with time they dissolve. Syringe feed every 3-6 hours, depending on size and health. Scale to fit containers you have as long as the water : KMR ratio remains 2 : 1.
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Jul 2, 2016 20:34
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She's not the most eager eater we've had, but she's far from the most reluctant. Right now she's sleeping on the panda plush we put in with her since she's used to siblings.
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Jul 3, 2016 20:17
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You kept him comfortable at the end and that's as important as anything else. He died loved.
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Aug 1, 2016 02:25
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As a present to our permanent cats for dealing with this year's crop of kittens, we bought them a new, taller cat tree. Let's see if future babies are willing to climb up six feet to harass them.
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Aug 25, 2016 08:17
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So much for kitten season being over. cat_herder and I got asked to take in 4 month-old kittens and of course we agreed. I'm hoping they'll help with my mental health being poo poo, since kittens, or cats at all, let me focus on something outside myself for a while. Hopefully they're relatively healthy.
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Sep 22, 2016 04:39
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For everyone's reference, you can bathe the tiniest of tinies with warm water and Dawn for flea removal. Just the original blue Dawn, though. As long as they're kept warm afterwards, they'll handle the humiliation. We apologize for not having pictures of our current litter, but we've been kinda sick and exhausted lately. They've been named after types of oranges: Mosambi, Jaffa, Mandarin, and Valencia.
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Sep 28, 2016 02:18
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Just signed up to make recurring $5 donations to the ASPCA for 2017. It's not much, but every bit helps. Take this as your winter holiday reminder to give what you can, where you can.
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Dec 2, 2016 11:22
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We have 4 cats and 3 boxes in a 625 sq foot apartment. There's just no room for more, but none of ours are super prissy so it works out fine.
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Dec 18, 2016 04:16
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They're adorable. The group cat_herder and I volunteer with is getting some legal forms drafted up so we can't help out until they're written and we sign them. Ours are health waivers because we have varying degrees of compromised immune systems. And apparently everyone who drops off cats is going to need to sign a form stating they won't sue if anything happens to a cat during/after surgery. This happens maybe once a year with older cats who just can't tolerate the anesthesia like the younger ones.
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Dec 30, 2016 03:26
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You're not waiting until the rest are at weight so they can hopefully get adopted in groups?
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Feb 14, 2017 11:26
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cat_herder and I had a chance to get our first foster of the year, but I have a garbage immune system and we couldn't risk a mom and babies with ringworm getting me sick. So now we wait for the next bunch to come in.
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Apr 1, 2017 22:35
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Apparently cat_herder and I are the go-to people for critical situations. We have our first of the year, a 4 day old named Tank. He came to us from across the state after he failed to bond with a surrogate litter. Let the sleep deprivation begin. No pics at the moment because our apartment is really dim after sunset. I'll try to remember to get one tomorrow. ETA: He didn't last the night
Lord Zedd-Repulsa fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Apr 5, 2017 |
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Apr 5, 2017 05:03
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 Kitten season just got riskier here. A stray on the outskirts of the city died from plague. Now our rescue has to magically summon funds to put flea control on all the cats we come in contact with and double check that they aren't showing symptoms. Isn't the southwest wonderful?
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Apr 13, 2017 01:41
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Good old Y. pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic plague.
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Apr 13, 2017 02:27
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Lareine posted:You in ABQ? I heard about that. I guess I better make sure to put Frontline or something on the girls. Yep.
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Apr 13, 2017 02:51
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Between plague and hantavirus, New Mexico is a little scary sometimes.
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Apr 13, 2017 03:55
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There's a stomach bug going around our rescue and a few of the adults have lingering diarrhea. cat_herder and I are going to be keeping them one at a time in our place until they feel better since a place with four permanent residents is better than a place with a dozen plus all the surgery animals. We'll try to be better about pictures since they won't be as annoyed with humans for the most part.
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May 2, 2017 05:25
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Today, we asked our rescue if they had a small bag of cat food we could have, since we're broke and running out, and not only did they give us two bags, they asked us to take in six kittens. Apparently there's a seventh in the hospital. Two of them might need supplemental feeding and one has an eye infection, but the big issue will be telling them apart. One is black, two are grey and white, and three are solid grey. Can anyone give us some tips on this one?  ETA: Did a hasty sexing and initial weighing of them tonight. Tried cloud names but they didn't sound right except for one. The rest are hurricanes. Here are names and how we're telling who is who. Betsy: Very small, but curious. Medium grey with white belly and paws. Hazel: Smallest. Longest grey fur, very quiet and well-behaved. Only two under a pound. Need feeding. Nimbus: Lots of black fluff. Cannot tell sex yet because of fluff. Hugo: Short, dark grey fur. Shy. Katrina: Medium grey and white. Lots of attitude. Sandy: Medium grey. Giant attitude. Biggest kitten. Lord Zedd-Repulsa fucked around with this message at 08:00 on May 21, 2017 |
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May 21, 2017 02:37
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http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/cat-tested-food-puzzles Came across that today and it was a good basic review of puzzle feeders. I'm trying to decide what one to get for my old, overweight lady but really can't decide. She's a pretty unactive cat, to the point of ignoring toys 95% of the time, so less food for her will be the only healthy way. I also have to be careful not to get one so hard that she stops eating altogether. Rena's survived one bout of fatty liver and one is enough.
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Aug 8, 2017 04:11
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Try stimulating the baby's butt and belly with a warm, damp washcloth instead of a cotton swab, but it looks large enough that it may need a small litter box to use on its own instead. As for feeding, get some KMR for older kittens and a bottle or small oral syringe (which you should be able to get free by asking any pharmacy). If it feels really thin and underfed, start with offering warmed food every ~3 hours. There should be a recipe for fattening formula in the OP from me and my wife. Offer kitten chow all the time so the baby can eat whenever it finds the food interesting. If you have regular wet food, a portion of that once a day should work too. Try and connect with a local rescue or TNR group -- they might be able to get you free or low cost vet visits whether you plan on keeping the furball or adopting it out. Kittens over 2 pounds/1kg can be spayed/neutered at which point they're adoptable. Feel free to PM me with any other questions or if you need help finding local resources. I get email notifs for PMs and try to reply fast.
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Sep 16, 2018 05:54
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Dr. Gitmo Moneyson posted:So I guess I’m looking for advice on adoption, finding good shelters, and how to make these little guys happy, healthy, and comfortable while they’re here. Also whether or not to catch the rest of the litter plus the mother before we take them all to a shelter, or if it’s okay to take them in separately. It's actually better to keep them separated from their mom so they can be properly socialized in preparation for getting a new home. Google your nearest major city and either TNR, feral cats, or outdoor cats, and you should be able to find a group that'll help you find foster homes for them if you don't feel comfortable doing so yourself. PM me if you have trouble and I'll help look. Alternately, looking for no-kill rescues or cat-only rescues could help you find support. Any sort of rabbit hutch, dog crate, or small animal home can work to house them but even a large cardboard box will work if you don't have access or funds for the others. While you have them, get yourself some kitten chow and leave it and water available for them at all times. A quarter to half a can of wet food daily will help especially if they're not fully weaned yet. Clumping litter can be dangerous for small kittens, so give them a small box of the non-clumping kind -- they look old enough to know how to use it. Ideally, you would weigh them every day or two to make sure they're growing and if you're in touch with a rescue, they can be spayed/neutered when they weigh 2 pounds/1kg depending on your country. Debating making an effortpost for "help! I found kittens" to get linked around as needed. FirstAidKite posted:I apologize if this isn't really the right thread for this, but this is the only thread I could think of to ask this kind of question. No-kill and cat-only rescues will be your best bet since they're going to have experience with bonded groups. While it would be ideal for all three to go together, if they have to be split into 2+1 or by themselves, they will adjust with time and love in their new homes. Thank you for knowing your limits on how many you can afford to take care of at once.
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Sep 23, 2018 07:13
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I'll go ask there
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Kitten food is best because it has high protein to support their growth, but higher-quality adult food should work well enough. I believe the litter danger is that clumping litter can cause intestinal blockages if kittens accidentally eat some. I've only heard the warning from the people who ran the local TNR group that I helped out so I'm not 100% sure on the reasoning there. My wife is going to be out of town this weekend so I'll write up as much as I can then.
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Sep 25, 2018 01:52
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I hope your other cat, whose name is escaping me, gets a great new home too. Cat Herder and I are both too far away and have a full house right now or we would have offered to take either of them. Good luck to Butters in his next home. We'll still be in this thread to help other foster parents, don't worry.
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Jan 17, 2019 06:16
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Poor fluffy child! I'm glad that story has a happy ending and that he's back where he clearly belongs.
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Nov 10, 2019 03:39
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My county animal shelter has a 30+ pound cat up for adoption. I am in no position to give him what he needs -- I'm saving up to move while also trying to get my 13 year old orange's thyroid and kidneys tested -- so I hope he finds a home as great as Butterscotch's.
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Feb 23, 2020 06:38
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_w-vOR0TuE If their eyes are still closed, they're less than two weeks old. There's no reason to worry about these babys' eyes for at least another week. Every feral colony is going to have its own inbreeding issues and some of those cause sudden death even when you're familiar with them. Keep up the good work with the other two.
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Apr 29, 2020 05:02
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Very good point. I assume the vet visits should have brought that up, but it's still worth mentioning here.
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May 24, 2020 21:22
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As long as you can keep an eye on them, let them explore. They should be getting close to 2 pounds as well, which is when they can be spayed and neutered.
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Jun 7, 2020 23:09
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Maybe find something damp to stimulate the kitten with instead of whatever you're using right now? I haven't had this issue so I'd ask the vet or whoever is helping you through this about the soreness. Also use less pressure too. Good luck with it!
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Aug 29, 2020 06:16
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That could be contributing to the issue. Switch to a damp washcloth and see if it helps.
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Aug 29, 2020 08:09
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