I have been reading on the web trying to age these kittens I found and I see such disparity about when what happens! When I found these two abandoned kittens, one's eyes were open and the second's eyes were half opened. That was nine days ago. They're little toes have developed to where they can retract their claws, their ears are up and open, and they play with each other quite a bit. If they were 10 days old when I found them, they are are at least 19 days old now, just shy of 3 weeks old. I can see little incisors and bulging gums where their canines will come through.
I have heard a sneeze or two, not frequently, but each one has done it. The second one's eyes seemed to water a bit this morning but have cleared up. What I'm worried about is herpes. I have two five year old cats who came from a feral colony where herpes was rampant, and our female has recurring issues with one eye. Where these current kittens came from, the small colony of cats does not seem to be afflicted with herpes - no sign of eye problems with any of the adults, and none of the kittens I've seen before have had goopy eyes and URI's. So, though I am keeping these guys separate from our adults, I'm wondering if just being in the same house means these two will get it. Does it require direct contact with aerisolized droplets from the other cats through sneezing?
Since their mom was feral and never vaccinated, but also not herself a herpes cat (presumably), I am assuming they have no passive immunity from their mom's milk. Can I vaccinate them now with hopes that the parts of the vaccine that don't compete with passive immunity from mom will help them avoid contracting herpes from the other cats? Or do the sneezes mean it is already too late?
I have heard a sneeze or two, not frequently, but each one has done it. The second one's eyes seemed to water a bit this morning but have cleared up. What I'm worried about is herpes. I have two five year old cats who came from a feral colony where herpes was rampant, and our female has recurring issues with one eye. Where these current kittens came from, the small colony of cats does not seem to be afflicted with herpes - no sign of eye problems with any of the adults, and none of the kittens I've seen before have had goopy eyes and URI's. So, though I am keeping these guys separate from our adults, I'm wondering if just being in the same house means these two will get it. Does it require direct contact with aerisolized droplets from the other cats through sneezing?
Since their mom was feral and never vaccinated, but also not herself a herpes cat (presumably), I am assuming they have no passive immunity from their mom's milk. Can I vaccinate them now with hopes that the parts of the vaccine that don't compete with passive immunity from mom will help them avoid contracting herpes from the other cats? Or do the sneezes mean it is already too late?
