Good news! After a worrying few days, kittens are still healthy and mommy is back with them!
We got our fosters last Thursday (6/5), and from then until this Thurs (6/12), mommy had only eaten about 16 ounces of food, and no noticeable water, and hadn't hardly used the box. That worried me enough, and then she really gave me a heart attack when, after Wednesday afternoon, I didn't see her feeding the kits at all.
By Thursday afternoon, the babies weren't acting normal. They seemed hungry, frantic, and desperate. I did a lot of research and called the vet, and I knew that if they were in bad shape they would be quiet and lethargic, so I didn't think it was an emergency. What I thought was that, since mommy is eating NOTHING, she wasn't making enough milk for them, which is why she wasn't with them very often.
This is the thread I asked for advice here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=169064
Mommy would hide from the babies, and when we tried to put them with her, she'd attack us, and end up getting them (since we only put the babies by her, not us!), so we stopped doing that. So, after talking to people and your guys' helpful answers (thanks!), we decided to supplement the babies. We knew mom must have been feeding them some, since by Friday afternoon they were still acting starving, but at least they still had energy and were moving around screaming.
So, Friday we bottle fed them! It really seemed to help, they were able to sleep comfortably and quietly for the first time since Wednesday night. But, by this morning (Sat, 6/14), mommy STILL wasn't with them much. We figured that she had fed them again, but again, not enough.
I left early and spent the morning at iFly (as I mentioned in Friday's daily thread- that is a TON of fun, you guys should try!!), and while I was gone, my husband took things in to his own hands. We had tried to put the babies with her, but we couldn't. So, he decided he would "put" her with the babies. We can't get near her without her attacking, but he decided to destroy all her hidey holes by banging on the "walls" (futon and computer desk) and scaring her with a towel until she went back to the right area.
I had considered doing that, but for one, I am still trying to make her comfortable here, so she's not scared and gets to trust us, at least a little. And, more importantly, I didn't want to stress her out for fear that she would abandon the kittens. But, my husband didn't consider those things, so he went ahead and did it.
And it seems to have worked!!!
I am SO happy. After he scared her back to the kids' area, she got back in the nest with them, and since we bottle fed them Friday night, they have been back to normal, happy, content little kitties. So I'm just hoping that she stays with them and keeps them well fed. We will continue to supplement them with bottles IF, and only if, they seem to be unnaturally hungry again. Please send those famous TCS vibes to the X-Pack that mommy continues to care for them!!
Not to brag, but I feel really good knowing that I knew the instant things weren't right with the babies. I was worried that I was over reacting when I wrote that thread, since everyone I talked to said things were fine. And maybe they were fine, but they are MUCH better now. Now they're actually good! So I wasn't imagining or over reacting when they were acting abnormal.
As for a normal update, all the kids are doing great (especially now that mommy is back with them!). They are friendly, loving and social, as 17 day old kittens can be, anyway. Mommy is anti-social as ever. The kids love to wobble over to see us, and are obviously getting more control over walking and their bodies, but are still adorably wobbly.
They often, though not always, purr when we pet them and are starting to "play" with us and each other. Even little Tortuga, who would only come out for a little and go right back to mommy is starting to come out and socialize more.
Of course, I never make them do anything, they come see us when they want and go back to mommy (or the nest for those 48 hours when mommy wanted nothing to do with them) when they want.
Mommy is STILL not hardly eating. Though last night, before she got back with the kittens, she did eat some wet food. Any one know how you can lead a cat to water and MAKE her drink?? I am worried about her...
So that's the latest and greatest news from the X-Pack!
We got our fosters last Thursday (6/5), and from then until this Thurs (6/12), mommy had only eaten about 16 ounces of food, and no noticeable water, and hadn't hardly used the box. That worried me enough, and then she really gave me a heart attack when, after Wednesday afternoon, I didn't see her feeding the kits at all.
By Thursday afternoon, the babies weren't acting normal. They seemed hungry, frantic, and desperate. I did a lot of research and called the vet, and I knew that if they were in bad shape they would be quiet and lethargic, so I didn't think it was an emergency. What I thought was that, since mommy is eating NOTHING, she wasn't making enough milk for them, which is why she wasn't with them very often.
This is the thread I asked for advice here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=169064
Mommy would hide from the babies, and when we tried to put them with her, she'd attack us, and end up getting them (since we only put the babies by her, not us!), so we stopped doing that. So, after talking to people and your guys' helpful answers (thanks!), we decided to supplement the babies. We knew mom must have been feeding them some, since by Friday afternoon they were still acting starving, but at least they still had energy and were moving around screaming.
So, Friday we bottle fed them! It really seemed to help, they were able to sleep comfortably and quietly for the first time since Wednesday night. But, by this morning (Sat, 6/14), mommy STILL wasn't with them much. We figured that she had fed them again, but again, not enough.
I left early and spent the morning at iFly (as I mentioned in Friday's daily thread- that is a TON of fun, you guys should try!!), and while I was gone, my husband took things in to his own hands. We had tried to put the babies with her, but we couldn't. So, he decided he would "put" her with the babies. We can't get near her without her attacking, but he decided to destroy all her hidey holes by banging on the "walls" (futon and computer desk) and scaring her with a towel until she went back to the right area.
I had considered doing that, but for one, I am still trying to make her comfortable here, so she's not scared and gets to trust us, at least a little. And, more importantly, I didn't want to stress her out for fear that she would abandon the kittens. But, my husband didn't consider those things, so he went ahead and did it.
And it seems to have worked!!!
I am SO happy. After he scared her back to the kids' area, she got back in the nest with them, and since we bottle fed them Friday night, they have been back to normal, happy, content little kitties. So I'm just hoping that she stays with them and keeps them well fed. We will continue to supplement them with bottles IF, and only if, they seem to be unnaturally hungry again. Please send those famous TCS vibes to the X-Pack that mommy continues to care for them!!
Not to brag, but I feel really good knowing that I knew the instant things weren't right with the babies. I was worried that I was over reacting when I wrote that thread, since everyone I talked to said things were fine. And maybe they were fine, but they are MUCH better now. Now they're actually good! So I wasn't imagining or over reacting when they were acting abnormal.
As for a normal update, all the kids are doing great (especially now that mommy is back with them!). They are friendly, loving and social, as 17 day old kittens can be, anyway. Mommy is anti-social as ever. The kids love to wobble over to see us, and are obviously getting more control over walking and their bodies, but are still adorably wobbly.
Of course, I never make them do anything, they come see us when they want and go back to mommy (or the nest for those 48 hours when mommy wanted nothing to do with them) when they want.
Mommy is STILL not hardly eating. Though last night, before she got back with the kittens, she did eat some wet food. Any one know how you can lead a cat to water and MAKE her drink?? I am worried about her...
So that's the latest and greatest news from the X-Pack!
