Little Sky and her 2 kittens

So I was asked to take over fostering a feral mamma cat whose little kittens are 2 weeks old. The first foster home could no longer care for them. I accepted and last night I brought home mom and babies. First off the kittens are very fussy off and on, momma will stay hiding in the back of the crate and will sit there while they try to nurse. They just seem so unsatisfied crying continuously until they find a nipple. I gave them a small feeding from the bottle to hold them over and give the little family time to adjust. Now momma cat is small and looks really young, I don't think she is more than a kitten herself. She is not the best mom but she has kept them alive for this long. She does not respond to their cries and judging by the messy kittens she does not groom them either. As for the feral part she is not completely feral, she will allow me to pet her if there is motivation like food in front of her. But then I have walked into the room to see what the noise is and she is trying to climb out the window and hissing at me. I scruffed her even with the hissing that was all she did. I saw when I release her how dehydrated she is and I got her to drink lots of water, but she won't come out of the crate even overnight when no one is around to eat or drink on her own. She is skin and bones too so I am going to have to work on fattening her up. I wonder if her being afraid to even eat and drink is affecting her milk and that is why the kittens are always so fussy. As for mamma I want to try to socialize her she is absolutely gorgeous, solid white with sky blue eyes. If I can get her socialized she could easily be adopted out. I have been slowly working with my cat Lily for a little over a year and she is just now starting to come around, and I started when she was still really little. I think I made the mistake of Lily having the whole house to be in, but this girl is in the bathroom and it might be easier to work with her. any advise and tips you have would be great.

You know, I am wondering if you want to post in the Pregnant Cat's and Kitten Care Forum too You will get much support on how to hand-raise these kittens if that ends up being the case. You will know rather quickly like today/tomorrow if the kittens need to bottle fed. Make sure you get some KMR right away and have it on hand. I think I would go ahead an start bottle feeding come to think of it. Since you say mom is so thin and dehydrated - then she is not doing well herself

Are you fostering for an organization??? They should absolutely be notified of this mother's condition. She may need a vet and fluids today :cross: She is very scared and this is not helping her to care for her kittens properly. Poor little sweetheart. THANK YOU for taking them in. I think the first thing here is caring for the kittens and getting momma healthy and eating. Don't worry about socializing her at all. Just make your priority the kittens and her health. I would contact the organization/shelter/rescue you are fostering from and get veterinary help for this mom cat right away. :cross: Bless you for taking them in :heart3:

As she is white and blue eyed.  How is her hearing?  Does she react on sounds?

Good you noticed she is really dehydaded etc...

What food are you giving her at this moment?

You could try with a Feliway diffuser, or Feliway spray.    If she is hearing, also calming music.

Classical Harp music is best, but almost any soft, calming, relaxing music is good. Classical or more modern.

Good luck!   *vibes*

I started bottle feeding them last night, but they are still staying with her, they are much more comfortable with me taking care of them. Bottle babies luckily are not new to me, I have hand raised 3 litters before, but each time it is always something to get used to and find what works just right for each kitten. I actually always have a thing of formula stored away here, just in case. I don't actually foster for an organization, I do it all out of pocket on my own. Me and a few others will get calls about cats, find them or pull them from the shelters when they are going to be euthanized, and if we cant take one we ask the other if they can foster a cat or kitten. This one was brought into the shelter and had kittens the same day, the shelter in town does not keep mother and kittens or even pregnant cats they usually euthanize them but they have recently started giving them to us, but the cats are financially and medically our responsibility. There are a few vets in town who know I rescue and will work with me as much as possible on the price. I talked to one today and she gave me sub-q to do at home since I know how to from her teaching me with previous rescues. Since mama is so scared we decided not to stress her out just yet by bringing her in and just make sure she gets hydrated and some nutrition going. She was tested for FIV/FeLV before she went to the first fosters home and is negative on that. I started giving her a/d wet food and she has kitten dry food to eat in between her wet food meals. She loves KMR so I have been giving her some of that with the a/d food. I also have put some pedialyte in her water to keep up the hydration. She is so much more hydrated tonight with the fluids. She came out of her carrier that she is hiding in while I was gone at work and ate, drank her entire bowl of water, and used the litter box so that is an improvement. Luckily she is not attempting to get out of the window anymore either, I felt so bad for her so scared desperately trying to escape outside. About her hearing she is not deaf, when I saw the blue eyes that was the first thing I checked. I sprayed some of the feliway spray I have on the bedding in there for her and I am waiting for the refill on the diffuser I ordered to come in. I have decided that she is just really scared and not feral, she doesn't put up any fight when I have picked her up to give her sub-q or when I have checked to make sure she is staying hydrated. I haven't even had her hiss at me again. She does run if she is out in the open and will retreat when you reach for her. But I can put wet food or KMR right in front of her and she is so hungry she will dig right in before my hand is away. I don't think a feral would allow me to handle her so easily, but then again I was told Lily was a feral and she is the same way. Is an unsocialized cat still considered a feral if they are not aggressive at all?

CatNamedPanda said:

 I don't actually foster for an organization, I do it all out of pocket on my own. Me and a few others will get calls about cats, find them or pull them from the shelters when they are going to be euthanized, and if we cant take one we ask the other if they can foster a cat or kitten. This one was brought into the shelter and had kittens the same day, the shelter in town does not keep mother and kittens or even pregnant cats they usually euthanize them but they have recently started giving them to us, but the cats are financially and medically our responsibility. There are a few vets in town who know I rescue and will work with me as much as possible on the price........................................................................................

I don't think a feral would allow me to handle her so easily, but then again I was told Lily was a feral and she is the same way. Is an unsocialized cat still considered a feral if they are not aggressive at all?

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I think you and your comrades should organize yourself in a formal group. You are already a de facto group, and seen as such. Be also a group de jure.  It will be easier for you to negotiate in the name of the Cat.   It will be easier for you to get donations and sponsoring, both from the County, commercial institutions and from private people.   Please, do accept my blessings for you and your comrades, and also these vets helping you as they can.

Is she feral or "feral"?    It is not easy. Often is it a label.   "A dumped stray we try to resocialize, a feral we dont bother about or euthanize" as most of these shelters go, right?

While as we see, a friendly ferale is entirely possible to socialize and adopt.  A wild ferale may alos be possible to socialize, but it needs quite some work and time...

Here? Difficult to say.  She MAY be ferale, but being sick, and founding help, she does accept help. Raw survival instinct.  The old saying, the easy socialisation window wide open at 2-7 weeks, opens again if you help them when they are sick or wounded.

Compare with heavy drugs addicts.  They are almost immune for any convalescence. They got therapy, but most often soon return into doing drugs. but there is a moment, When they are deeply down, practically dying, the survival instincts often goes on. NOW they can take in therapies, NOW it can work out. If they arent too heavily destroyed, liver, etc, they will survive and be "good" citizens again.

Next question here.  Why is she dehydradet and almost totally exhausted?  Is she sick somewhere? Or was she in a bad shape from the beginning, just barely managing?  and now her forces ended?

almost typically, the collapse comes when you are already safe. The weeping comes when there IS somebody who can hear you crying.

Whatever. You are apparently doing all right, your help is just what was needed.

Warm hugs!

Good luck!     *vibes*
 

, the collapse comes when you are already safe. The weeping comes when there IS somebody who can hear you crying.

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Oh Stefan that is so true and so deep.  Imma gonna write that down.  That brought tears to my eyes.

PandaCat you are wonderful. 

StefanZ said:

I think you and your comrades should organize yourself in a formal group. You are already a de facto group, and seen as such. Be also a group de jure.  It will be easier for you to negotiate in the name of the Cat.   It will be easier for you to get donations and sponsoring, both from the County, commercial institutions and from private people.   Please, do accept my blessings for you and your comrades, and also these vets helping you as they can.

Is she feral or "feral"?    It is not easy. Often is it a label.   "A dumped stray we try to resocialize, a feral we dont bother about or euthanize" as most of these shelters go, right?

While as we see, a friendly ferale is entirely possible to socialize and adopt.  A wild ferale may alos be possible to socialize, but it needs quite some work and time...

Here? Difficult to say.  She MAY be ferale, but being sick, and founding help, she does accept help. Raw survival instinct.  The old saying, the easy socialisation window wide open at 2-7 weeks, opens again if you help them when they are sick or wounded.

Compare with heavy drugs addicts.  They are almost immune for any convalescence. They got therapy, but most often soon return into doing drugs. but there is a moment, When they are deeply down, practically dying, the survival instincts often goes on. NOW they can take in therapies, NOW it can work out. If they arent too heavily destroyed, liver, etc, they will survive and be "good" citizens again.

Next question here.  Why is she dehydradet and almost totally exhausted?  Is she sick somewhere? Or was she in a bad shape from the beginning, just barely managing?  and now her forces ended?

almost typically, the collapse comes when you are already safe. The weeping comes when there IS somebody who can hear you crying.

Whatever. You are apparently doing all right, your help is just what was needed.

Warm hugs!

Good luck!     *vibes*
 

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Me and my fellow rescuers have talked about becoming a formal rescue group. We are working towards building up and getting it all figured out on how we need to go about it. There is no guarantee that it will work out.

As for becoming a social cat I guess only time will tell. She is starting to settle down some in her new environment and will come out of her safe place when no one is around. She is not eating as much as I would like her to but she is at least eating.

She is not vomiting and her stools are formed so no diarrhea to cause dehydration. I think she was too uncomfortable at her last foster to come out and drink much, and the kittens nursing I am sure did not help. I am watching her over the weekend and if she starts dehydrating again or isn't drinking she will go to the vet to have a check just to be sure nothing is wrong. I think her fending on her own until animal control caught her is why she is so skinny, and being pregnant robbed her poor body of valuable nutrition too. She may not look to skinny but as soon as you touch her you can feel all the bones in her body.

As for the kittens, they are taking to the bottle nicely now. They are sleeping peacefully instead of wandering around crying. I have been using a damp cloth to wipe them down each time I feed them and they are now fluffy clean kittens instead of the urine and feces covered kittens that they were. I don't think mom was helping them eliminate and they were to the point where they would just go on their own all over each other. They do have a touch of diarrhea, that could be from the formula, but if it doesn't clear up over the weekend we will visit the vet Monday. I am worried they are a little too small for their age, they are 2 weeks old but still are so tiny, I am going to get a scale today and see what they weigh. The male kitten is also twice the size of the female, I find it odd that there is such a great difference when there are only 2 kittens. I forgot what it is like to barely sleep, it has been a while since I had bottle babies to take care of, I cant wait till they get used to the whole routine and I get used to my new sleep schedule.

here are a few pictures of them

Mama Sky



Little Male Kitten



Little Female Kitten



And the now peacefully sleeping kittens, makes me so happy they have full enough bellies to sleep now.

Mama Sky is so beautiful and the kittens are so adorable. I am so glad they are doing better. Sending good vibes their way. I really hope you can get Mama socialized so you can find her a good home.

OMG Sky IS BEAUTIFUL :love: and so are her babies.... AW Bless you and the other's for your dedicated work I can only second wholeheartedly what Stefan say. I do believe that these poor momma cat's just give in to the human's who take them in, rescue them and their babies... They do in a way - as Stefan put so beautifully - collapse once safe :nod: Just totally give in and try to show us in the only way they know how that they are suffering and in need of help. AWWWWWW I am SO glad she is safe and the babies are doing better. Just beaming with smiles at the photos too

Sky is still too scared to venture out of her safe place longer than it takes her to use the litter box. I have been talking to her before I even open the door so I don't startle her too much if she is out, odds are she is hiding though. I started this after I scared her when she was in the litter box and she freaked running everywhere before she found her safe place. I am impressed she immediately knew what the litter box was for I don't really want to cause any issues with it. She will only eat if I put her food directly in front of her. She likes the a/d food, but she loves it if I mix it with some formula and water and make it soupy. But thats fine with me, makes it easier to get some extra calories and fluids in her all at once. I don't know if it is too much, but I offer her some every time I feed the babies and yesterday she had 2 whole cans.


I went and bought a scale last night, and today I weighed the kittens they are110g (almost 4 oz) for the girl and 140g (almost 5oz) for the boy. They were February 26 so they are 2 weeks old today. Like I already figured they are really small for their age. They still have their yellow diarrhea, but they are staying really hydrated, I added pedialyte to their formula to help them out. Today they are super fussy when I get them to feed them, potty them, and clean them off. Now they are so fussy they don't stop screaming until they are back in their box and have had a minute to settle down back down. After they do though they sleep until the next feeding. I have never had such fussy kittens before, I feel like I am doing something wrong even though I am doing the same I always have.

I guess Sky's appetite is improving. Not only is she enjoying her a/d formula mixture, but today while I was gone to class she came out and ate her entire bowl of dry food, and while I was gone at work she ate half of a bowl. She has been leaving them untouched up until now, so either she is getting more comfortable when she is alone, or she is actually starting to feel better and getting a real appetite back. For a cat who had recently had kittens she was barely eating, but she seems to be making up for lost time, or at least today she is. She still has a ways before she will be up to a good weight but I am excited she is actually eating without having to have me put it right in front of her, if she would get scared while she ate it she would end up wearing it because she would lay down in it, or run through it. Sorry if I am rambling a bit, I am still adjusting to the sleeplessness of bottle feeding the kittens. They are gaining weight too, the girl is now 125g and the boy is 155g.

What beautiful little family! Bless you for helping them.

Reading your positive update just made my whole night I was so worried about Sky..... Fantastic news!!!! You are just awesome Sky is going to thrive under your care and so are her beautiful babies. Just beaming with smiles tonight.....and on that note...I am off to get some too. Thanks for the uplifting news

Am I mistaken, or is Sky a flame pointed cat?

No she is all white, she is just beat up and dirty from living outside, her nose is all scratched up and her paws are missing fur in some areas. I would guess she hurt herself when she was caught in the trap. She is still eating well today and it makes me so happy.

As for the kittens I had a big scare with the little female, she was really lethargic and I was scared she was dying. I rushed her to the vet and they cant really do much for a kitten that tiny. The vet thinks the kittens were born premature when she was stressed from being trapped and then put in the shelter. The kittens diarrhea also is suspicious of coccidia but we are not even sure if they can have it that young, especially since the mom is not having litter box issues. I brought her back home and started giving her pedialyte not mixed with formula, and after several hours she perked up. She is still not as lively as I would like her to be, but she is hanging in there. Her brother seems to be doing good still. Kittens are so fragile and can take a turn for the worst so fast, but hopefully she will pull through and this will just be a scare, it has been over 24hrs since I rushed her to the vet and she is still hanging on so I am hopeful.

CatNamedPanda said:

Me and my fellow rescuers have talked about becoming a formal rescue group. We are working towards building up and getting it all figured out on how we need to go about it. There is no guarantee that it will work out.

As for becoming a social cat I guess only time will tell. She is starting to settle down some in her new environment and will come out of her safe place when no one is around. She is not eating as much as I would like her to but she is at least eating.

She is not vomiting and her stools are formed so no diarrhea to cause dehydration. I think she was too uncomfortable at her last foster to come out and drink much, and the kittens nursing I am sure did not help. I am watching her over the weekend and if she starts dehydrating again or isn't drinking she will go to the vet to have a check just to be sure nothing is wrong. I think her fending on her own until animal control caught her is why she is so skinny, and being pregnant robbed her poor body of valuable nutrition too. She may not look to skinny but as soon as you touch her you can feel all the bones in her body.

As for the kittens, they are taking to the bottle nicely now. They are sleeping peacefully instead of wandering around crying. I have been using a damp cloth to wipe them down each time I feed them and they are now fluffy clean kittens instead of the urine and feces covered kittens that they were. I don't think mom was helping them eliminate and they were to the point where they would just go on their own all over each other. They do have a touch of diarrhea, that could be from the formula, but if it doesn't clear up over the weekend we will visit the vet Monday. I am worried they are a little too small for their age, they are 2 weeks old but still are so tiny, I am going to get a scale today and see what they weigh. The male kitten is also twice the size of the female, I find it odd that there is such a great difference when there are only 2 kittens. I forgot what it is like to barely sleep, it has been a while since I had bottle babies to take care of, I cant wait till they get used to the whole routine and I get used to my new sleep schedule.

here are a few pictures of them

Mama Sky



Little Male Kitten



Little Female Kitten



And the now peacefully sleeping kittens, makes me so happy they have full enough bellies to sleep now.

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She is beautiful and so are the babies. I hope you can get her fattened up.

CatNamedPanda said:

As for the kittens I had a big scare with the little female, she was really lethargic and I was scared she was dying. I rushed her to the vet and they cant really do much for a kitten that tiny. The vet thinks the kittens were born premature when she was stressed from being trapped and then put in the shelter. The kittens diarrhea also is suspicious of coccidia but we are not even sure if they can have it that young, especially since the mom is not having litter box issues. I brought her back home and started giving her pedialyte not mixed with formula, and after several hours she perked up. She is still not as lively as I would like her to be, but she is hanging in there. Her brother seems to be doing good still. Kittens are so fragile and can take a turn for the worst so fast, but hopefully she will pull through and this will just be a scare, it has been over 24hrs since I rushed her to the vet and she is still hanging on so I am hopeful.

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Oh that poor baby and you must be worried for her. Yes, kittens are so very fragile, especially the babies that had such a rough start in life. Bless her little heart.... Sending tons vibes for the precious little girl... Keep us posted :cross:

I am definitely worried about that tiny little girl. She is a fighter thats for sure, she is still weaker than she had been, but more a lot more active than she was. She will not nurse from the bottle so I have to go back to the syringe, but she does really well with it. They both are fighters, they will be 3 weeks old in a few days and they are about the size of newborns, hopefully they will really start growing soon. They had that little growth spurt right after I started bottle feeding them, and now they seem to have leveled off, I'm not sure what I can do to help them grow. They are not losing at least. I think their diarrhea has a big part to do with them not really growing, but they are so tiny the vet doesn't want to risk treating them for anything right now.

AWWWW sweetie, my heart :heart3: is going out to you right now this morning....... :heart3: :heart3: for what you are doing for these babies. OH I wish I could help - somehow. I just adore those little white babies so very much. I would take them in a heartbeat ................. Just precious. I wonder....... would you want to start a thread in the Pregnant Cat/Kitten Care Forum????? Just let me know - because I could have this thread moved for you. YOu might receive better suggestions and advice on help with this situation and the sick little girl... It is your call. Will check back soon. I really hope the little girl pulls through. Calling all angels to help with the little darling :cross:

It might help to have it over there, the topic has turned more towards the kittens and keeping them alive. Sky is doing well eating, definitely making up for lost time, so for now I am just working on her health and weight before I try to socialize her. These little babies easily have won over my heart and I am doing everything I can think of to do, I feel so lost I have never had preemie-kittens not to mention sick preemie-kittens before. They seemed great and then she took this sharp turn downward. Would it be easier to move this thread or me start a new one over there and try to make sure I include all the important information.