Mommy wants to carry kitten out window

dam0cles019

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hi


Thanks for reading. I registered here because I am having some trouble with my kitty and her new kitten.

Here is a brief backstory. I adopted a stray that started coming around. her name is Smokey. She was pregnant when she started coming around, but it must have been her first litter because she was really small. so small that we didn't realize how soon she was due, and she ended up giving birth in my bed while I was outside smoking a cigarette. She is an outside cat, been outside all her life until I started letting her come inside.

She had two kittens, one was really small and weak, and it did not make it. the one that survived is healthy and just starting to open his eyes. Since she was a wild cat and I didn't know how she'd react, I just let her stay on my bed (with my favorite blanket that she ruined heh) for a couple days and crashed on the couch. she finally moved her kitten (named Bender) down by the side of my bed, and I made her a bed with a box and the blanket.

She seemed alright with this setup at first, but the past couple of days she has been picking up little bender and trying to carry him out the window I let her come and go from. It got really bad today. There's several alley cats that hang around outside the house all the time, one is probably bender's father, and a couple are probably from the same litter as Smokey. Could their presence nearby be making Smokey want to carry Bender outside and take him somewhere out of their territory? I just don't think he'd survive long out there with them around, not to mention its going to get cold soon, plus I'd like to keep him...

I just don't know what to do. I want to do whats best for them both. How can I train her not to try and carry him off and to leave him in his box? Can anyone help me out with this problem? I'd really appreciate it, and so would Smokey and Bender.

Thank you,
Dam0cles
 

jennyr

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The likeliest explanation is that she is already going back into heat, which is why she wants out and the male cats are hanging around. As you say, the kitten would not survive in this situation. Keep both mother and baby inside from now until she is spayed, as soon as the kitten is weaned around 7-8 weeks old. She will not like it, but it is the safest thing for them both right now. Good luck with them - you have done a good thing!
 
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dam0cles019

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hi Jenny!


Thanks for replying! She calmed down a bit now, I kept putting her back in the box with Bender when she'd try and carry him off. I'm just worried she'll hurt him trying to carry him so much. She seems to have stopped trying to carry him out the window for now and is cuddled up with him taking a nap. I just hope she doesn't resume this behavior once she wakes up. Any ideas on anything I can do to convince her to stop trying to carry him out the window? Would being in heat make her want to carry her baby out with her?

Thanks so much! Bender and Smokey say hi!
Dam0
 

larke

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She wants out, but also wants her baby with her wherever she goes (she knows he's too young to be on his own), so she tries to take him with her.
 

goldenkitty45

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Please keep her in and schedule her to be spayed now. She's probably in heat again and the older cats may or may not kill her remaining kitten if both are allowed outside.
 
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dam0cles019

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hi


thanks for the info and advice. I have money troubles and sick family members at the moment, but will get her spayed as soon as its monetarily possible. I will keep her in though, but i'm still worried about her habit of trying to carry him out the window or door when she hears me go out. should I be worried about her accidently hurting him when carrying him, and is there a way to get her to stop trying to carry him out?

She's calmed down and is napping now, but I'm worried this behavior will resume in the morning.

Dam0
 

denice

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Have you looked into the possibility of a low cost spay/neuter program in your area? I think that is the only way that you might be able to stop this behavior. I didn't even know they had one in this area until I stumbled across it when looking at pictures of cats available for adoption in this area. It's even a mobile van that will come to where the cat is and I didn't even know that it existed. It might be worth looking into, you could start by calling a shelter in your area and asking if they know of any.
 
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dam0cles019

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thanks for the advice denise. I think you're right, because she woke up from her nap and redoubled her efforts. I tried just letting her out on her own for a bit to appease her (I know I should keep her in, but she's been an outside cat and her actions were getting dangerous for her kitten, she won't stop trying to pick him up and carry him off, and jumping around with him to try and get to the window). If I leave her alone she just paces the room insanely "mooooorrrrwwooooww"ing. she won't even lay in the basket with her kitten, I have to pick her up and put her in, and the last time shewas very fussy and would not stay in for longer than a minute, he didn't even get to nurse!

Later I'm going to see about going to get some kitten formula and a bottle to nurse him since it looks like she's not going to do it.

As far as getting her spayde, I have no income right now, fighting for disability, my folks would be the ones paying for it, I'll try but I seriously doubt they'll do it. My grandma just had a stroke and got a pacemaker, that took a lot of our resources and I don't think they'll shell out for that, but I will try. Until then, I'm either going to get a bottle of kitten formula or going to grow teets and nurse him myself.


wish me luck, I'll call a shelter in a few hours and check if they have something like you described, and I'll care for Lil' Bender as best I can til mommy either calms down or is spayde.


dealing with a CAT-ass-trophe,
Dam0
 
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dam0cles019

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hi folks


To update on the situation, Smokey came back in after a few hours, was still all worked up, but I put her in the box with lil' Bender and held her down and comforted her while Bender nursed, after awhile she calmed down and finally cleaned him up and let him nurse and is continuing to let him nurse now without having to be held down. She still throws a glance up at the window now and again, and I'm sure at some point she'll go back to trying to escape.

Aww, she crawled up on my lap and let me put Bender up there with her to nurse! whew! now if she'l just behave long enough for me to get some sleep!

dam0
 

autumnblueangel

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I know that you want to make her happy, but it won't make her happy if she gets pregnant again. She will get pregnant if you keep letting her out.

She needs to be in with her baby. She will try and get away from him for a rest, because babies can be demanding.

If she keeps trying to take him with her, her maternal instincts are fine, and if you notice her feeding him at all, her milk is probably fine too.

If you don't see her feeding him, there are ways to test if her milk is ok, and if it is, she is probably feeding him.

When the baby is hungry, the baby will cry. What happens when baby cries for mom? Mom will come running. If you don't see her feeding him and he seems fine, he probably just isn't hungry.

Baby cats need to be fed multiple times a day, at all hours. Unless you absolutely know that she's not feeding him, I wouldn't recommend getting him used to artificial feeding.

Not only that, unless you are absolutely sure mom isn't doing her job, be careful with taking baby to feed it, because mom might abandon the baby tottally, and then, not only will you need to feed baby, you will need to clean baby, make baby go to toilet and all that other neat stuff in keeping a newborn kitten alive.

Of course an outdoors cat will try to get outside. My cat Lily was never a stray, but she was an outdoors cat. She had four babies, and she desperately tried to get outside at times.

http://www.webstervets.com/ssurgery.htm

This is a ST Lois Vetinary Hospital, I'm not sure how close they are to you, but ring them, because they will be able to provide good advice, and may know somewhere close to you that will do a discounted check-up on mom, and baby, as well as de-sexing at reasonable prices. webster groves vetinary hospital does de-sexing for $77.
 

autumnblueangel

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Look, ring this number (the webster animal hospital in st lois) (314) 968-4310 if they're in the same city as you (it says st lois in your profile) and talk to them. If you explain the situation to the receptionist and say you're really worried, chances are they'll pass it onto a nurse. It is their business, and they need to make money, but Vets & Vetinary Nurses generally get into their work for the love of animals, and if they have reason to believe an animal is in need of help, they're usually lovely to you and will give you advice on what to do next, even if they've never seen you before.

I'm not so worried about momma cat being outside as I am about you thinking momma isn't feeding baby. Now I think she probably is, since she has maternal instincts obviously, but it's of concern to get it checked out, because baby cats don't last long if they're not tended to by their momma's constantly or by a human constantly. I'm not sure if I'm right or not, but I think they're similar to puppies, and need hourly feeds. So I'm concerned for baby cats wellbeing. Thus, I think you need to call a vet for some free advice asap.

I'm sure you'll do the best you can and good luck!
 
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dam0cles019

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hi


I'll give webster groves vet a call, see what they have to offer. definately don't have 77$ for the spayding right now, but i'll let em know we need help, couldn't hurt, and i'll try and keep Smokey inside. letting her stay out for a bit last time did seem to calm her down a bit and she stayed and let Bender nurse for a good 10 to 15 minutes and washed the dirty lil' rascal, so i think it'll be ok. i'll try just ignoring her pleas to get out, and let her move him I guess, as long as she don't try to make the jump up to the window with him (i keep it closed normally so she can't get out but she still tries) its a good 5 ft leap so I don't want her trying that and dropping Bender, that would be disastrous. well, she's back in, we'll see how the ban on outsidey goes...

thanks for all the great advice. Smokey and Bender say thanks too!

Dam0
 
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dam0cles019

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hi guys


Thanks again for all the advice. Smokey finally calmed down, she hasn't tried to carry Bender out since we woke up, has been in the bed I made for them most of the day, and he's nursin fine and she is obsessed with keeping him clean. Dunno what got into her over the past few days, guess she was just in heat, could it be its passing now? maybe after this she'll be calmer next heat and will learn not to try and carry Bender off.

His eyes are almost fully open. Smokey is solid grey with smooth shiney short fur, thus the name Smokey, and Bender is black and white, named after Bender from Futurama, because its my favorite show and he's an alcoholic robot likes to sing folk songs =>

I'd post pics, but got no camera. Can yall tell me when I should get worm meds for him and how to go about treating him? Other than that, think I got everything else taken care of.

Much abliged for everything, Smokey and Bender say "thank Meeeww!"
Dam0
 

goldenkitty45

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The vet's office will tell you when to bring him in for worming and shots. But you don't want her to go too many weeks before she's spayed. The time she was outside, she COULD have mated and could be pregnant now. Do not use the over the counter worm medicine - the vet should check the kitten out for proper dosage and what worms he might have.

See if the vet will take payments since you are low on funds. Not sure how old you are, but is there any way you can earn some cash money doing part time jobs (like baby sitting, pet sitting)?
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

The likeliest explanation is that she is already going back into heat, which is why she wants out and the male cats are hanging around. As you say, the kitten would not survive in this situation. Keep both mother and baby inside from now until she is spayed, as soon as the kitten is weaned around 7-8 weeks old. She will not like it, but it is the safest thing for them both right now. Good luck with them - you have done a good thing!
That's my guess.

If she's been comfortable in the house, now that she's had her kittens is there anyway you can get her fixed and just keep her indoors?
 

jennyr

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I hate to say it, but if she has been out for a few hours, and has now calmed down, there is a chance that she has mated, giving you much more trouble later if she has more kittens. I do understand how difficult it can be to find the money but I would everything you possibly can to get her spayed now. It is no big deal if she has has only just mated - cats don't know they are pregnant. Meanwhile it is unlikely she will hurt her kitten by carrying him - mother cats in the wild carry their kittens long distances. Obviously, you don't want her to drop him any distance though, so don't shock or surprise her when she is carrying him. good luck.
 
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dam0cles019

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hi jenny,


Well, apparently that wasn't the case, as last night she had a very bad repeat episode of this behavior. she'll calm down for awhile, then start it back up. She's been calm most of the day but she just started squawling to get out again and making attempts at the window. hopefully it won't get as bad as it did last night.

In other news, someone I know who has a bunch of cats and knows more about em inspected her, and part of why she's been not letting him nurse as much as he needs to is because her milk is almost all gone. This was her first pregnancy, she only had two and one was real sickly and didn't survive, don't know if that would explain the milk going dry so soon or if its something else. anyhow, I got some kitten formula and a lil medicine applicator and have begun feeding little Bender. He doesn't much like it, but he seems healthy. Mommy doesn't seem to mind too much although she sits with me and watches, and whenever he complains vocally she'll get a bit excited. It seems like he'll try to nurse, get frustrated at finding nothing and push away after a minute or so.

heh, just had a visit from a furry lawnmower seeking attention. And, after getting some pettins she's back to laying on the edge of my bed staring longingly at the window.

about feeding lil bender, i was advised to give him about 3 milileters every couple of hours, is that about right? I don't want to overfeed him, plus he still nurses from mommy and though she's almost dry he might still be getting a little from it.

ok, that's about the situation at the moment, hope I'm feeding him right.

Yall take care, and thanks for all the advice.
Dam0
 

jen

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I don't think you should start bottle feeding unless he is losing weight and she stops feeding him. If she is nursing him, why hand feed? I don't understand?
 

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If you are not going to get her spayed (and the little guy neutered) -- please, please, surrender her to the Humane Society.

Our local paper just had an article that said the MI HS is overflowing with cats and kittens. They are actually giving away cats older than 6 months and charging only $25.00 for kittens.

There are way, way too many homeless cats to even consider putting off spaying this cat, especially since she is trying so hard (and succeeding) at getting out.

Please consider giving up these animals if there is no chance of spaying her now.

I recently met a girl at Petsmart whose cat has already had one litter and is pregnant again. When I asked her why her parents did not have the cat spayed she said they decided no long allow it to go outside and didn't think it would be necessary. Well, of course the cat got out.
 
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