So today we had a lovely surprise at work. One of our clinic cats kept staring out the front window down into the flowerbed screaming and mewing and carrying on. I just figured he saw a bug or a bird. After about half an hour of this I go outside to get whatever it is away and low and behold it's a kitten! A KITTEN! Somebody actually stuck a 5 day old kitten (approximately, eyes closed, umbilical cord still attached) in our flowerbed. I hadn't seen anybody wandering out front or walk up and walk away so little guy had probably been there since before we opened. He'd probably been out there for over an hour. I'm glad Simon was persistent in telling us!
Anyway, we're fostering a momma cat who just had a litter of five on July 31 so we crossed our fingers and put him in there with Papaya and her little ones. She immediately started grooming him! She lets him nurse, bathes him, no problem.
However! We usually just leave her cage door open so she can get out and stretch her legs whenever she wants and I noticed she had made a trip out for about 5 minutes. Not unusual. She usually cruises around the clinic, lays about for a bit, then comes back to her kids. But a bit later I heard a very tiny mewing in another room. She had taken the kitten and put him in a cabinet! So I brought him back to her and again she starts grooming him.
Is this mixed behavior common? Any experiences I've had the momma will either take them or she won't and it's very obvious which. He is at least a week younger than hers so I'm worried about him as is having to fight for milk. We have several clients that foster tiny ones so if it doesn't work out with Papaya their is a plan B. Just wondering if anybody had seen this on again off again type of behavior.
Anyway, we're fostering a momma cat who just had a litter of five on July 31 so we crossed our fingers and put him in there with Papaya and her little ones. She immediately started grooming him! She lets him nurse, bathes him, no problem.
However! We usually just leave her cage door open so she can get out and stretch her legs whenever she wants and I noticed she had made a trip out for about 5 minutes. Not unusual. She usually cruises around the clinic, lays about for a bit, then comes back to her kids. But a bit later I heard a very tiny mewing in another room. She had taken the kitten and put him in a cabinet! So I brought him back to her and again she starts grooming him.
Is this mixed behavior common? Any experiences I've had the momma will either take them or she won't and it's very obvious which. He is at least a week younger than hers so I'm worried about him as is having to fight for milk. We have several clients that foster tiny ones so if it doesn't work out with Papaya their is a plan B. Just wondering if anybody had seen this on again off again type of behavior.
