Got my foster queen! (pics, too!)

gussy14

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We went to the shelter today and chose a queen with four 4-week-old babies. It was hard to choose one - they had three nursing queens and I wanted to be able to take them all! We took her because she seemed the most stressed by being there, but she has been great about letting us handle her babies. She seems to be grateful to be able to have a little space from them! They are so freaking cute I can barely stand it! Mom is a medium-haired dilute tortie. She looks a little scraggly right now, but she'll be a knockout when I can give her a good brushing and get some weight on her. All her kittens are also medium-haired and feature a lot of gray.

I got plenty of non-towel things for them all to lie on, and the kitchen scale I bought is pretty useless - the surface is pretty small and they won't stay on it. They would have to sit (like a dog commanded to sit) to be able to fit on it. Any thoughts on a scale that has been useful to you? I live in the USA.

And of course, the pics you want to see! Sorry they are not the best quality, they may be small but they move fast! If you have any ideas on names, I would appreciate it - they have names but don't do much for me. There are three girls and a boy.


Girl - looks more freaked out in this pic than she really seems to be.


Boy who looks a lot like his sister above. He was a little scared at first and hissed at me - I gave him the space he wanted, but I had to laugh at a 4-week-old fluffy kitten trying to be vicious! 


Girl - she's our adventurous one! I love her "mohawk," and she has more tortie on her body.


Girl - all gray. (not sure why the pic flipped, sorry)


Soooo much cuteness!


Mom is glad for a break!
 

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What a quartette!  Or quintette, rather!

Congrats and much joy!   Talking about "combining the useful with the pleasant", as the proverb says!

Good luck!
 

lindz2785

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What a cute little crew you've got! Thank you for fostering her and her kittens. It always takes me forever to pick kitten names. :-)
 
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gussy14

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Names!

Mom: Sophia

Kittens: Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Stan



For non-US folks: This comes from the Golden Girls, a show about four old ladies who live together. Sophia is mom to Dorothy in the show.

Oh, and I have NEVER seen a cat sleep as hard as Sophia is currently sleeping. I think she must have been tired from everything that has gone on in her life in the past few days. 
 
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eb24

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Yay I love new foster pick up days! It's that glorious time where you are still really excited and aren't having the, "oh god what did I get myself into" thoughts! 
 
 It looks like you grabbed a good bunch- they are absolutely adorable and I love the names. You should have no problems finding homes for these little dolls! 

I bet Sophia is so, so, so happy to be out of a cage and have some room to roam from her crazy brood. Thank you so much for taking them in!

As for the scale- I wouldn't worry too much about it. The main time getting weights is critical is the period from birth to about the age they are now. At four weeks it's much easier to visually tell if something is wrong. They should be starting on solids any day now if they haven't already so you can get a good visual that way, as well as by seeing the output that they leave in the box. Also, it's very easy to tell if one is lethargic. The fact that they won't stay still on the scale is a good thing!

I think you are going to run into the same problem with almost any kitchen scale you buy. If you really want to watch their weights try using a large mixing bowl. Put it on the scale by itself so you know what it weighs, then put the kittens in and subtract the bowl weight from the total. 

Since you just got them it's probably not a bad idea to monitor them for at least a few days to make sure everything is going smoothly. But, don't fret if you can't quite get it perfect. 


Congrats and thank you again for taking them in! Is this your first foster litter or have you done this before? 
 
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gussy14

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Oh a mixing bowl! What a great idea! My scale lets me tare weight (put the bowl on, then hit "tare" and it will go to 0) so it will be even easier. But I'm glad that it's not critical. The use of kitchen items for kitten assistance keeps getting better and better. 
 We usually use our Wii Fit for weighing our adults, but these guys are just too little for that to work.

We've fostered before, but only adults, never a litter. We got our two cats when they were 10 weeks old, so we have some familiarity with kittens, just not quite this young. My local humane society gets SO many kittens that we could foster a litter every day of the year. It's so sad. I do hope these little fluffballs find homes quickly once they're eligible (8wks/2lbs so they can be spayed/neutered), I really don't need any foster failures.
 

eb24

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Oh a mixing bowl! What a great idea! My scale lets me tare weight (put the bowl on, then hit "tare" and it will go to 0) so it will be even easier. 
This is why I went to law school- so that I can come up with clever ways to weigh kittens using common household objects. $150,000 well spent! 

We've fostered before, but only adults, never a litter. We got our two cats when they were 10 weeks old, so we have some familiarity with kittens, just not quite this young. My local humane society gets SO many kittens that we could foster a litter every day of the year. It's so sad. I do hope these little fluffballs find homes quickly once they're eligible (8wks/2lbs so they can be spayed/neutered), I really don't need any foster failures.
Well good for you for stepping up into an area where many places need the most help! I'm actually the opposite- I have only ever fostered queens and kittens, never just adults. I guess my thought process is that if you can get them socialized then they are that much more likely to find a forever home that lasts. Kittens raised in cages struggle in the home environment and some never get over the terror of common household noises (phones ringing, TV blaring, and, of course, the dreaded vacuum cleaner). 

Since you are familiar with 10 week old kittens you have a good basis to go off of. The biggest thing for you is going to be the box. From the picture it seems like they are at least familiar with it but bear in mind they will have accidents and make mistakes. Place those cardboard litterboxes in every room that they will be in to minimize this and make sure you have a good enzyme cleaner on hand! Oh, and make sure you kitten proof everything- and I literally mean everything. That tiny gap between the fridge and the wall? Perfect place for kitten napping! Those cables under your desk? Instant chew toys! Case in point: I literally lost my first ever foster litter of three. Turns out, there is a small hole on the underside of the heating vent in my apartment. They found it, crawled through it and out the other side- in my neighbors apartment! Needless to say she was shocked when she came home from work and found kittens chewing on her shoes..... 

So, lay on your belly on the floor- if they can chew it, knock it off, or get under it move it now and save yourself the terror later. I had my first (and hopefully last) heart attack that day! 

Use TCS for any and all questions that arise and enjoy this experience! 
 

orientalslave

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This is why I went to law school- so that I can come up with clever ways to weigh kittens using common household objects. $150,000 well spent! 


ROFL!

<snip>

the dreaded vacuum cleaner). 

My home-reared Orientals hate it!

<snip>

a good enzyme cleaner on hand!
I use cheap biological washing liquid - enzyme landry liquid.  It works as well as most of the specialist products and is a darn sight cheaper. 
 
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gussy14

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Thanks for all the support, everyone! Of course I have questions already ... 

EB, your story made me laugh out loud! (And yes, $150k well spent!) We have the kittens in a small room and unfortunately one of the power cords is just unavoidable (internet power), but I will pin it up higher on the wall today. My niece visited us yesterday and really wanted to take the kittens out, but I knew that we'd lose someone behind the washer or something! She's 7 and loves animals - she was great with the kittens. It will be okay if they have accidents - but their waste is so small it will be the easiest thing ever to pick up. They are really uninterested in the little litter box I made for them - they like the one that mom uses. No big surprise there. They also like to play in the box, bleck!

So I do have a couple of questions. Dorothy is the smallest kitten (by about 80 to 100 grams) and grew the least between yesterday and today - she did grow ~10 grams (my scale is not perfect and they're wiggly!) but everyone else grew ~20 grams. She's also the most mellow, but they were all trying to climb up my legs today, so she definitely still has kitten energy. Should I be concerned about her? Step in with supplemental bottle feeding? Or is she just going to be a little smaller naturally?

My other question is about Sophia (mom). Nearly every time I open the foster room, she darts out immediately. Is she that desperate for a break? Often, the kittens are huddled in a big ball of fluff when we open the door, so it's not like they're climbing all over her at that moment. She has a couple perches in her room that are an easy jump for her but the kittens can't reach, but I don't know if she's figured that out yet. Or is she starting to come into heat again? We have two (neutered) male cats and I'm wondering if she's sniffing them out. They haven't met - if they do, it won't be for a while. 
 
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orientalslave

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The mother could well be starting to come into call again so if you let her out for a break, make sure there is absolutely no way she can get out of the house, or indeed somewhere it's hard to get her from to put her back.  Hopefully there is a shelf in the room that is high enough the kittens can't get onto it so she can use it for a break.
 

eb24

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Thanks for all the support, everyone! Of course I have questions already ... 

EB, your story made me laugh out loud! (And yes, $150k well spent!) We have the kittens in a small room and unfortunately one of the power cords is just unavoidable (internet power), but I will pin it up higher on the wall today. My niece visited us yesterday and really wanted to take the kittens out, but I knew that we'd lose someone behind the washer or something! She's 7 and loves animals - she was great with the kittens. It will be okay if they have accidents - but their waste is so small it will be the easiest thing ever to pick up. They are really uninterested in the little litter box I made for them - they like the one that mom uses. No big surprise there. They also like to play in the box, bleck!
You are smart to keep them confined to one room. Remember, until you show them they don't know that there is anything behind that door. Once you open it up it's very difficult to try and contain them again!

This thought just occurred to me with you saying they like to play in the litter (which is normal): Make sure you are using a non-clumping formula. Kittens this young test everything with their mouths and litter is no different. Clumping litter expands once wet and can expand in their digestive tracts causing a severe blockage. 
So I do have a couple of questions. Dorothy is the smallest kitten (by about 80 to 100 grams) and grew the least between yesterday and today - she did grow ~10 grams (my scale is not perfect and they're wiggly!) but everyone else grew ~20 grams. She's also the most mellow, but they were all trying to climb up my legs today, so she definitely still has kitten energy. Should I be concerned about her? Step in with supplemental bottle feeding? Or is she just going to be a little smaller naturally?
No I wouldn't worry about it. Don't gauge their weights based on each other but on the individual kitten. Some have days where they gain a lot while others don't. As long as she is gaining (and is otherwise acting normally) she is fine. Any weight loss or signs of not eating, lethargy, ect means it's time for an immediate vet visit. 
My other question is about Sophia (mom). Nearly every time I open the foster room, she darts out immediately. Is she that desperate for a break? Often, the kittens are huddled in a big ball of fluff when we open the door, so it's not like they're climbing all over her at that moment. She has a couple perches in her room that are an easy jump for her but the kittens can't reach, but I don't know if she's figured that out yet. Or is she starting to come into heat again? We have two (neutered) male cats and I'm wondering if she's sniffing them out. They haven't met - if they do, it won't be for a while. 
I agree with OS- it sounds like she's coming back into heat. Not much you can do about that but keep her confined despite her pleas and give her some butt scratches (If you have never scratched the butt of a girl in heat your in for a treat- it's pretty funny). I also agree you should try to give her somewhere high she can go that the kittens can't get to so she can have some peace. 

Be very cautious if you do decide to introduce your residents and your fosters. It's always good practice to keep the fosters quarantined for at least 10 days to make sure no illnesses show up that they could give to your residents. From there, traditional slow integration techniques need to be used to avoid fights. You may have done this in the past with your adult fosters but Queens (especially one in heat) can be pretty unpredictable. I have introduced every queen I have ever had to my resident cat and every single one has tried to eat her. They just don't tend to play nice with others that they don't already know, so use caution. You may be introducing the kittens before you are introducing Mom! 
 

orientalslave

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There is a video somewhere on Youtube that shows an acupressure mating technique for female cats to bring them out of call.  If she is coming into call it might be useful.
 
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gussy14

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This thought just occurred to me with you saying they like to play in the litter (which is normal): Make sure you are using a non-clumping formula. Kittens this young test everything with their mouths and litter is no different. Clumping litter expands once wet and can expand in their digestive tracts causing a severe blockage. 
THANK YOU about the kitty litter advice. I didn't even know that! I was using clumping litter and took it out at my first opportunity. Do you have a favorite kind for your kittens? I had a hard time knowing what was right, as the non-clumping stuff seemed like it was still touting the absorbency of whatever pellets it was using, and I didn't figure that was any better than the clumping in terms of expansion in the stomach. So I grabbed a small bag of Yesterday's News until I could get good advice from you guys here. :-)
I agree with OS- it sounds like she's coming back into heat. 
It is official ... she is definitely in heat! She went into perfect mating pose for me - butt in the air and tail to the side! She's not loud or otherwise bothersome, just extra-affectionate. She already had zero chance of getting outside, but we'll be extra careful. For anyone following along, here is the video I found: 



Which is just temporary relief of symptoms, not getting rid of the heat, but I don't know that we'll need it unless the symptoms get more intense.

We got our first kitten purr today. 
Ironically, it was from Dorothy! Glad that I don't have to worry about her being smaller than her brother and sisters. She's definitely more of a cuddler and independent spirit.
Be very cautious if you do decide to introduce your residents and your fosters. It's always good practice to keep the fosters quarantined for at least 10 days to make sure no illnesses show up that they could give to your residents. From there, traditional slow integration techniques need to be used to avoid fights. You may have done this in the past with your adult fosters but Queens (especially one in heat) can be pretty unpredictable. I have introduced every queen I have ever had to my resident cat and every single one has tried to eat her. They just don't tend to play nice with others that they don't already know, so use caution. You may be introducing the kittens before you are introducing Mom! 
Thanks for the advice on introducing - we have a system for the way we introduce our boys to our adult fosters, though I never thought that the mom would be harder than the kittens! We'll just see how things go... I don't know that my cats will take kindly to an attempt to eat them. :-) Though since I have boys, maybe she'll just try to get them to mate with her? Which would probably turn out like this:

 
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eb24

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THANK YOU about the kitty litter advice. I didn't even know that! I was using clumping litter and took it out at my first opportunity. Do you have a favorite kind for your kittens? I had a hard time knowing what was right, as the non-clumping stuff seemed like it was still touting the absorbency of whatever pellets it was using, and I didn't figure that was any better than the clumping in terms of expansion in the stomach. So I grabbed a small bag of Yesterday's News until I could get good advice from you guys here. :-)
I personally am a huge fan of World's Best. Technically it's a clumping litter but it's made of corn and therefore doesn't expand the same way clay does. Ingested in high doses It could ball up and be a problem but small tastings don't seem to cause an issue. You just have to use your judgement on if you want to try it or not. 32 kittens and I've never had a problem but that is just my experience. It does explicitly say on the bag that it is not meant for kittens under 8 weeks of age. However, I think most litters say that....

Yesterday's news is a very safe route to go so you may just stick with that. I know there are non-clumping clay litters but I don't have any experience with them. World's Best works for me! 
It is official ... she is definitely in heat! She went into perfect mating pose for me - butt in the air and tail to the side! She's not loud or otherwise bothersome, just extra-affectionate. She already had zero chance of getting outside, but we'll be extra careful. For anyone following along, here is the video I found:   Which is just temporary relief of symptoms, not getting rid of the heat, but I don't know that we'll need it unless the symptoms get more intense.

We got our first kitten purr today. 
Ironically, it was from Dorothy! Glad that I don't have to worry about her being smaller than her brother and sisters. She's definitely more of a cuddler and independent spirit.
I know it's so mean, but cats in heat always make me laugh- they are so desperate! I'm sure it makes it worse but I always give in and give them a good brushing with emphasis on the tail bone. It probably just makes them more crazy but the single girl in me just feels so bad for them! 


Yay Dorothy and her purring! I am uncharacteristically going to retract my previous statement: I think you are smart to weigh them. My foster MO is always with infant kittens so by the time they are four weeks I have a good sense of their growth and habits and don't necessarily need the daily weight to know if they are on track. But, since you just got these little guys you are smart to keep tabs on them.  I still standby the fact that different kittens grow at different weights and as long as she's gaining and active there shouldn't be a problem, but you are wise to have the weighing double check. I bow to your keen instinct. 
Thanks for the advice on introducing - we have a system for the way we introduce our boys to our adult fosters, though I never thought that the mom would be harder than the kittens! We'll just see how things go... I don't know that my cats will take kindly to an attempt to eat them. :-) Though since I have boys, maybe she'll just try to get them to mate with her? Which would probably turn out like this:
I do wonder if the male/female combination would produce better results. If you do introduce them be sure to let me know how it goes! 

Oh, and that video is hysterical. Looks like most ladies out on a Saturday night! (Kidding! Man I don't know what's gotten into me tonight! Seriously, Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' song is just bouncing around in my head...) 
 
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orientalslave

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That video is funny but's not actual accupressure mating, which will take a cat out of call if done frequently for a day.  I'll try to find it.
 
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gussy14

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I personally am a huge fan of World's Best. Technically it's a clumping litter but it's made of corn and therefore doesn't expand the same way clay does. Ingested in high doses It could ball up and be a problem but small tastings don't seem to cause an issue. You just have to use your judgement on if you want to try it or not. 32 kittens and I've never had a problem but that is just my experience. It does explicitly say on the bag that it is not meant for kittens under 8 weeks of age. However, I think most litters say that....

Yesterday's news is a very safe route to go so you may just stick with that. I know there are non-clumping clay litters but I don't have any experience with them. World's Best works for me! 
Thank you, I will be picking up an enormous bag of that today. Mama is a huge digger and I was feeling bad for her because I couldn't put too much YN in there since it was a small bag. Then, one of the kittens had to see what she was doing, then she played in the litterbox, then came to me and walked on my lap with her back leg covered in cat pee. I turned to my husband and said I hoped someone from this website would suggest something else very quickly, because this will just not do!
I know it's so mean, but cats in heat always make me laugh- they are so desperate! I'm sure it makes it worse but I always give in and give them a good brushing with emphasis on the tail bone. It probably just makes them more crazy but the single girl in me just feels so bad for them! 
Hahaha! I do feel bad for her! Wish there was something I could do, but you're right, they're pretty funny in heat! She's meowing at her door right now, I suppose I'd better go put my boys away and let her think she's going to find a way to escape ... 
That video is funny but's not actual accupressure mating, which will take a cat out of call if done frequently for a day.  I'll try to find it.
OS, if you find it, I am sure there will be a day that she will become insane, and I will be eternally grateful to you!
 
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gussy14

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Just had to share this pic of Rose 


They have SO figured out there is a world beyond their door. The baby gate arrives in the mail on Friday. 
 
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