How we doubled our household cat count in a single day.

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
It was a seemingly innocent voicemail from a coordinator at the shelter I volunteer for. When I returned her call, she asked in a tiny little voice, "Could you possibly foster some bottle babies for us?" I asked how many, and in an even teenier voice, she asked... "Fooouuuuur?"

Well, gosh. With Dylan not feeling well, Mom and I will have to stick close to home for awhile anyway... so we talked it over, hopped in the car, and went to pick up the babies. On the way, I called to confirm that we would take them, and the coordinator said, "Oh, by the way, I was confused -- there are five."

Okay. Five.

So we arrive at the shelter, and she leads us over to a tiny carrier sitting on a heating pad. When we look inside... one, two, three... four... five...

Six?

The coordinator called across the room to one of the vet techs, "Did you know there are SIX in here?"

"SIX? Are you sure?"

Yup. Six.
I raised an eyebrow, turned to my mom, and said, "I think we've been had!"

We all laughed and gathered up the kittens and some bottles and some KMR to get started, and Mom and I headed home to somehow tell my father we now had TWELVE cats in the house. Not to mention Dorothy in the back yard!


But Dorothy is part of the deal: we took these little fosters, so they're taking Dorothy into the shelter tomorrow!
Now she'll be safe, and she'll have a chance at a really good home... I'm so glad! We'll miss her, though... she's a lovely, gentle little soul.


These kittens are unbelievably tiny -- about two weeks old, but very small for their age. Their eyes are barely open, and three of them have some kind of gunk going on with their eyes, so we have eyedrops for them, too.

And that brings up my first question for those of you with more experience than I have: if the eye is completely closed, how should the eyedrops be applied? They just roll right off as it is... should I maybe dab very gently with a cotton ball?

Pictures will be forthcoming after their next feeding, which is due -- uhoh --right now!
 

MoochNNoodles

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
36,646
Purraise
23,463
Location
Where my cats are
OOOO! I hope Dorothy gets a good home real quick! DH is headed to Texas next week but no luck convincing him! And good luck with all the babies! Can't wait to see pics!!!
 

lunasmom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
8,801
Purraise
12
Location
Jersey Shore
Congrats on getting duped...I mean err...had...no wait...6 more babies to foster!

That's really good of you
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
If the eyes are matted shut, then use a warm wet cloth to wipe the gunk away until you can open the eye. Now, if they're eyes haven't opened yet, I have no clue. Seems they wouldn't need the eye drops until their eye have opened?
 

sarahp

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
15,841
Purraise
28
Location
Australia
You are such a sucker - just like the rest of us! You'll have so much fun with the little guys, can't wait to see pics!
 

katachtig

Moderator
Staff Member
Admin
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Messages
25,289
Purraise
2,892
Location
Colorado
I'm glad you found a place for Dorothy. Hopefully she will be saying "there's no place like home" soon.

Good luck on the multiplying kittens. Sending you lots of get big and healthy vibes.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
Six, eh? The most I ever did was 4 at a time and they were quite the handful!! I hope your mom is helping you feed them!! DH and I had a system where we would give the most aggressive one a little bit of KMR to calm him down then rotate thru the rest of them. I hope you don't have one like our Jake!

2 weeks old, eh? So that means feeding every 2 hours or so? You are making me sleepy just thinking about it!


Sending you tons of bottle fed orphan vibes your way!!


You might want to PM Kumbula (or is is Kumbulu?) about the eyes - she is the queen of orphaned kitties on the site.
 

cinder

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
988
Purraise
5
Location
Oregon
Oh man...six. You've taken on quite a job.

What happened to mama?


I'm awake every couple hours anyway...I'll be sending you vibes...


I was able to get my little ones eyes open enough to put the medication in by washing them gently with a warm, wet cloth. It just takes time.
 

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Originally Posted by CarolYup. Six. :lol3: I raised an eyebrow, turned to my mom, and said, "I think we've been had!"

Hehe, yep! Sounds like you were...but in a good way! :heart3:

[quote


But Dorothy is part of the deal: we took these little fosters, so they're taking Dorothy into the shelter tomorrow!
Now she'll be safe, and she'll have a chance at a really good home... I'm so glad! We'll miss her, though... she's a lovely, gentle little soul.
I'm so glad that they are taking Dorothy! It's the least they can do considering they gave you 6 kittens to care for. I hope Dorothy finds a wonderful forever home. I had been asking around to see if anyone I knew in the area would help, but the only "yes" answers I got were from those who said that they would if the still lived in Texas.

She's a beautiful kitty and shouldn't have any problems getting a home now that she is there.

Good luck with the new babies. That's going to be some task....6 of them...Wow!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
Okay... did the warm wet washcloth thing to the little black one with the very bad eye, and it did help, thank you! The eye is still partly stuck shut, but the drops did find their way in. I think maybe another effort in the morning will do the trick.

They have all opened their eyes at least a little, but I think probably no more than a day or so ago -- they mostly keep their eyes closed, and they seem completely unaware of visuals.

You're so right about six at a time! I truly don't know how I'll keep up, but I have to. With six of them, it takes a good 90 minutes just to help them poop, clean and dry them, give them their eyedrops, feed them, snuggle-and-burp them, and clean up the table. Thirty minutes later, the first one is hungry again!


I can't get over how tiny they are... just impossibly fragile, weightless, miraculous. It's humbling to be entrusted with such tiny little lives.


It's so hard to get good photos of such squirmy little creatures! Here's the best I've managed so far:
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
I had 6 kittens that were 4 weeks old & that was tough! I cannot imagine 6 that young!
I am NOT the least bit jealous.


You will get it down to a science, do not worry. Not to mention, they're always getting older & easier to feed. Just wait until they are old enough to start pottying on their own, but not quite old enough to use the litterpan!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
In that last photo, notice the little white-and-blue one at center right, curled on his side facing left. In a family of amazingly tiny babies, he's clearly the tiniest -- I'm really worried about him. Do you think I should make him some of the "homemade pedialyte" formula they describe in one of the TCS kitten care stickies? He's just so awful little!
 

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Oh my gosh!!! They're so little!


They need a warm stuffed animal in there to cuddle with.

I forgot to ask....but can you keep us updated on Dorothy's progress and let us know when she gets a forever home?
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
Definately spring for the home-made pedialyte. Do you know how to check for de-hydration? I see you've got a heating pad in there. When I had just one, Jade.....she would still get kinda cold. So, I put rice in a sock & kept it warm. Same with the 6 I had short term. The runt, Ephram, always slept on that rice bag in addition to the heating pad to stay warm.

I'd feed the runt first & last. Give him/her extra feedings. You can also PM starryeyedtiger....Nikki was great at answering all my questions!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
Thank you so much! That's all good advice -- I'll make the pedialyte right now, before they start their squeaky little chorus again!
Yes, to check for dehydration, you gently pinch up a bit of skin and see how long it takes to go back -- right? Or is it different for kittens, as opposed to humans? And yes, a rice sock is a great idea... maybe they'd snuggle up to that instead of sacking out on top of each other! I worry somebody might not be able to breathe.

And yes ma'am, you bet I'll keep up with Dorothy. She's not at the shelter yet, because it was so late today when we got the call about the babies -- had to get over there before they closed, and we didn't want to rush Dorothy off. Tomorrow morning, we'll give her a nice breakfast and lots of snuggles -- and then we'll wash and change clothes, so nothing she might have will reach the kittens -- and we'll take her to the shelter.
Oh, it hurts to say that! I know Operation Kindness is the best possible place for her, but... y'know, it's not every cat in the world who just walks up and gives you unconditional love like Dorothy did for my mom and me. In my whole life, I've never met a gentler, more loving kitty.


Dylan's doing great, by the way -- he's set up in my mom's room so he won't walk around too much, and with the calmative he's taking, he's mostly been lounging on the bed and sleeping. So far, the bandage remains intact!


So okay, it's a Kittycat Hospital around here now -- Adult Trauma Ward in my mom's room, Pediatric Ward in mine.
Thank you all so much for your moral support!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
P.S. -- Don't be alarmed by the fan in that first picture -- even as my mom shot that one, I was saying, "Oh my gosh, we have to turn that fan off!"
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
That is how you check for dehydration.
It'll be sad to see Dorothy go, but you wouldn't let her go to anyplace but the best. Will you be able to go visit her?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

carolpetunia

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
9,669
Purraise
17
Location
Plano, Texas
If anyone is awake out there... oh, please send up a healing thought for that smallest one. When I made the pedialyte and went to give her some, she could hardly lift her head... she just seemed suddenly even smaller and weaker than before. And I guess her fur was flattened from being in the pile with the others, and suddenly I could see that there was no flesh on her at all, just nothing to her. So I woke my mom and asked her to feed the others, and I held this little one up against my heart with a towel all the way to the emergency vet clinic. I was so afraid she wouldn't even make it there, but now and then I could feel her move a little or she'd make the faintest little meow, and every time she did, it was the greatest joy in the world.

The people at the clinic took one look at her and sort of stood back, as if to say it was useless... but then they said okay, we'll do what we can. They put her in an incubator and tested her blood, and they thought she'd need glucose, but she didn't, because the pedialyte had helped some. But then... dear god this is horrible, i'm sorry to have to say it... but they found a tiny sore under her tail, just a tiny scrape, and there were maggots in it, burrowing. So the doctor flushed that all out and gave her some antibiotic. They had to keep her there, so they let me say goodbye to her... she was just this tiny face wrapped in a big blue towel on a warming pad... I kissed her goodbye and I don't know how in eight or ten hours you fall so in love with a little life like that, but I have, and oh I want her to live! She deserves to live. Please please use any power you can to give her strength tonight.
 

ryanjay

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
May 19, 2006
Messages
606
Purraise
2
Location
NJ
Had to reply-been there. I raised 6 kittens from day one(they were thrown in a bush behind a high school before 6 am and not retrieved tilkl 3(first meal was finished at 5 pm) sadly i lost 3 of them but the remaining 3 had thier 4th bday not to long ago
! hang in there and no matter what you are heloping them SO GREATLY by at least giving them a chance to THRIVE!!!!
 

brittany_nicole

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 6, 2007
Messages
211
Purraise
1
Location
Sarasota, Florida
Wow, I am so sorry about the little one. I really hope she survives. She has obviously been through so much. I'm hoping the best for her.

They are all so beautiful. That was so great of you to take them in like that.

Be sure to let us know what happens with the little one.
 
Top