Deafness and raising kittens?

Goodness! WHAT a sweetie indeed, as every cat I've ever known would turn into a monster, at the vet, while dealing with THAT kind of pain.

Many vibes for you and this sweet baby girl! You should have no trouble at all finding her a forever home in the end. (And if you do, I'll take her!! )

speakhandsforme said:

Goodness! WHAT a sweetie indeed, as every cat I've ever known would turn into a monster, at the vet, while dealing with THAT kind of pain.
Many vibes for you and this sweet baby girl! You should have no trouble at all finding her a forever home in the end. (And if you do, I'll take her!!

)

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That is exactly what I said! Most cats attack or hide at the vet, but not her. I have never seen a calmer cat at the vet. She sat still and even obligingly rolled over during the exam. He said the only problem was hearing her heartbeat over her purring so loudly! She is perhaps the sweetest cat I have ever met. The vet is super gruff and known for lacking bedside manner. As we finished, he said, "That is a good cat. There are not many cats like her." It is so scary to think she could have been put down just a few days ago, but I am so happy she has this chance. I am totally in love with her. And to think that she is in extreme pain from her ears and is still so angelic. Just wow.

I can see the kittens moving inside. Hopefully we will have a safe delivery in the next week or so! I'm sticking in her xray from exactly one week ago.

I experienced the excruciating pain of bad ear infections a number of time when I was young, including a really bad one that ruptured both eardrums when I was 13.  Once they cleared up (lots of antibiotics!), and the eardrums healed, my hearing was normal enough to pass the physical for the Navy.  We can hope your little girl does as well.

mrblanche said:

I experienced the excruciating pain of bad ear infections a number of time when I was young, including a really bad one that ruptured both eardrums when I was 13.  Once they cleared up (lots of antibiotics!), and the eardrums healed, my hearing was normal enough to pass the physical for the Navy.  We can hope your little girl does as well.

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Thanks. The vet said once the inflammation is down enough for him to even see inside the canal, he'll be able to see if she even has ear drums left (his words). Considering how total her hearing loss is, it's very possible she'll never regain hearing. I've been reading how often the drums perforate and cats lost hearing with bad infections-- and considering she was a stray ("feral" ha!), only about a year old, and pregnant, I doubt she had ever been to a vet. Whether or not she gets her hearing back, she deserves to not have this constant pain. Let's hope for the best, right? Watching her charm this gruff vet just showed how special she is.

brinnan said:

Let's hope for the best, right? Watching her charm this gruff vet just showed how special she is.

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Vibes and prayers send for Luna!  *healing vibes*  *prayers*

Im wondering. The vet being gruffy and I suppose male, he has prob a deep voice?  It may be so Luna heard somewhat HIS voice, being in much low tones and big force behind them...

And become happy with hearing at least someone...

I don't think it had anything to do with the vet's gender or voice, honestly. She loves EVERYONE. If you touch her, she thinks you're awesome. Like he said, it was hard to hear her heart when he listened, because she was purring so loudly. She really loves belly rubs, but any petting at all turns on the purrs. She loved the female vet last week, too. I'm disappointed the vet last week missed the ear infections and mites, though. I mean, he says her canals are so inflamed that they are totally shut.

Unfortunately, I get the feeling she really can't hear. Her ears never even flicker. Loud noises have zero effect. I've tried various items, various frequencies, etc. She just stares at me with the most loving eyes.

I came home and she went into labor in my lap (blood and contractions). So far four little kittens. She decided to have them behind the toilet, so I can't see them too well. What appears to be a really gross mass in the litter box from earlier that is maybe a stillborn kitten. And contractions every once in a while, still. She is doing an awesome job cleaning, but I wish she would use a box instead of the tile behind the toilet.

She doesn't want me touching her or them, so I'm just sitting here watching.

Oh goodness!!!

For the stillborn kitten.

What an inspiring story! She is utterly gorgeous.. One that may just be too difficult to part with, perhaps?

Wishing you a very happy outcome.

Six little babies. They appear mainly gray, but maybe one or two black, and one calico. We'll see! She is being a very good mom so far, except for refusing to come out from behind the toilet.

Was the 'gross mass' be a placenta?  They look a bit like liver.  Cats usually eat them, but not always and not always all of them.

Oh my goodness!  They really need a nest of some sort.  They will get cold easily when she's not with them, and they will wander.

The floor is really warm, because that is right by the heating duct, so that doesn't worry me *too* much. The wandering does, though. That same heating duct could be dangerous. I tried to move the kittens into a box. She came over, checked it out, and promptly moved them back to behind the toilet. She wants to cuddle with me, and the box is ok for that, apparently, but the kittens belong behind the toilet.

I really think the mass was a deformed kitten. Who knows. She ate all six placentas. She slurped away.

At least she has stopped attacking me and now wants to cuddle. Yesterday, the day before labor, she attacked my face and lip. I'm a bit bruised. She only attacked me when I tried to leave the bathroom and opened the door to escape. She wanted me in with her and the door closed to protect her from any other cats (who were locked up, but are elsewhere in the house).

Her behind the toilet nesting spot.



I tried to put the kittens in a nice fleece lined box.



She investigated them in the box, then brought them back behind the toilet. Oh well. She's the boss.

How lucky was she to have ended up in such good hands!  It's brilliant that you can post all the photos, too.  It's wonderful that you can take the time to share

I wonder what is going on in her head, regarding where she wants them to be.  If the heating is there, that makes sense, but you think she'd go for a bit of softness.  Still, Mum knows best.

And hopefully the aggressive stuff was just her motherly needs kicking in in a big way - you were obviously very important to the process.

Have you tried putting the box - or at least a little bedding - where she wants the kittens?

They are all doing great this morning. They are squealing and kicking their feet while they nurse. Luna left them to cuddle in my lap for a few minutes, and she wants me to pet her while she nurses. She also wants me to feed her so she doesn't have to move! After her night, it's the least I can do.

You know, I really think she knows that I saved her and want to protect her. She is incredibly trusting and loving with me. The attack was definitely just hormones and fear of the other cats (if you were pregnant and deaf, you'd be scared too, right?). She is back to her wonderful normal self.

I'm worried to put a blanket where she is, because she is already rolling over on the kittens, and I've read that they can suffocate them with a blanket. There are some towels behind the toilet just inches away (I had a leak, so put them down to protect her the other day. Water to toilet is disconnected now, towels are dry). She doesn't even touch the towels.

I moved the kittens back to a box this morning while she cuddled and ate with me. She noticed and immediately moved them back.

If you have possibility to weigh them,  do so every day.

If everything proceeding smoothly this is a nice memory.  If there is something not so good knowing the exact weights every day is a powerful help.

*vibes*

brinnan said:

. The attack was definitely just hormones and fear of the other cats (if you were pregnant and deaf, you'd be scared too, right?)........
I moved the kittens back to a box this morning while she cuddled and ate with me. She noticed and immediately moved them back.

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It may be so her having them behind the toilet is a protections device too. She knows she is deaf, so having them behind this solid toilet gives her some amount of security. She doenst need to watch out everywhere, just at the opening.

If so, perhaps a cage could be a solution?  A cage being simultaneously her and the childrens protector and shield.

 I have problems with Mama wanting to be behind my toilet so I generally will block it off. I put old pillow, scrunched blanket and anything else to discourage them. The porceline is so cold..I worry about the babes and it can't be comfortable!

I've never had a mom that minded me handling the kittens thankfully.

They are all very very cute!

She doesn't mind me touching them at all now. It was just while she was still in labor. She had 6 live ones total. There are some towels behind the toilet, but she is against the wall. I'm going to try to at least sneak a puppy pad under them later. Because the water is off to the toilet and I emptied it, it isn't as cold as normal, at least.

I did buy an electronic ounce scale last week just for this, so maybe I will weigh them later today!