Rescued disabled kitten but mom still around outside

So here is the story about 3 weeks ago I heard some commotion outside, so I went out and found a kitten who was displaced and being attacked by a male cat. Luckily the kitten found a flower pot to hide behind. So I kept an eye on the male cat until I could see if the mother showed up. Eventually I found her and moved her kitten back to a safe location behind my house and so the mother could take care of it (this wasnt the disabled kitten).

Later on I found there was a black kitten whos back legs didnt work (after research it may be swimmers syndrome)... I had a dilemma at that point on what to do as they were still quite young and needed the mother. My plan was to trap the mother and the kittens but I think the mother realized I was spying on them and moved them somewhere in the neighborhood so i didnt see them again until just 2 days ago (this was 3 weeks from the first sighting).

Anyway I found the disabled kitten with the mother in my yard a few days ago, so I went outside to scare the mother away far enough so she wouldnt see me take him. I took him to the vet that day, his leg was in bad shape and they put a bandage on it and both legs currently dont work as it seems they have no or strength in them... Also one of the legs seems to be locked out. The vet said the leg wasnt broken but the tendons were not right. So I have been giving him antibiotics (leg may be infected from dragging back legs and some kind of vitamin supplement daily).I have to take him back to the vet in a week. Ive been keeping the kitten in my bathroom as I have my cat "sticker" already and dont want to upset her too much.

Now the problem is the mother is aware the kitten is in the house and she meows and then the kitten meows back, this goes on for hours until there is a break in silence for awhile. I know my neighbors probably hate me for all the noise. Giving the kitten back to the mother outside isnt an option as the kitten is in bad shape from not having the use of her hind legs. Another option is the possibility of capturing the mother and keeping them in the bathroom together after taking them to the vet, but I am unsure of this as I think the mother will be aggressive towards me and may prevent me to handle her kitten to give it medicine and proper cleaning to prevent infection of the legs. This cat has been hanging around my house and the surrounding houses for years she usually is scared away easily but growls at me after she had kittens and was alone without them.

Otherwise I will keep the kitten in the bathroom to get better and eventually try to rehabilitate her legs so she can use them, but it will be noisy with all the meowing... I am not sure how many days the mother will keep meowing for her kitten.

Also the first kitten I seen at the first sighting I havent seen again, it may have gone on its own or hopefully wasnt attacked and died... I am guessing the kittens are about 8-10 weeks by now but the one im taking care of seems small for her age.

Anyone have any input or ideas/opinions? Thanks

First off, thank you so much for caring for these kitties!

I would trap mom and take her to the vet, too.  She needs to be spayed - she may already be pregnant again.  You and the vet can assess just how feral she is and determine the next course of action from there - whether to keep her inside or let her go after her recuperation.

If she's too feral, I would let her go into the yard again after she's recouped.  If she shows signs of having been socialized, I would figure out a plan - perhaps to keep her inside or find her another home.  I wouldn't reunite her with the kitten until you know she's friendly enough to allow you to touch the kitten.  She will otherwise interfere with any efforts you make to socialize the kitten.  Of course, that means you will need another safe room for her - or perhaps a friend who can help?

The calling for the kitten is understandable.  It will decline as a) the kitten gets used to you and becomes more socialized and b) mom gets on with her life.  Being spayed will calm her down considerably, too.

I am a little surprised the kitten made it, to be truthful.  Usually wild animals (and that includes feral cats) will abandon or even kill disabled/weak young.  It is survival.

Again, thank you for helping them.  Kudos to you!

That is a tough dilemma.  What would I do?  I guess I would first try to make sure the other kitten isn't hanging around with the mother.  If that is the case I would try to trap the mother.  How?  My first thought would be to have the kitten in a cage or carrier inside my back hall, leave the door open so mama can get in, and close it behind her from the outside. ( I caught Grey Boy this way baiting him with food)  But your house may not be set up that way...You can also use food (like tuna) to lure her, in addition to the baby.    I would rather have her in with the baby than outside crying, it would be better for all of you.  After you get her in, THEN you can figure out what room you want her in and how to get her there.  Definitely keep your other cat away from her.  Chances are she will not be aggressive towards you if you are helping her baby, but she will be aggressive towards your cat and you could get caught in the middle, so pu your other cat in a closed room somewhere before attempting this.  Good luck!

Thanks for both of your replies,

I will talk it over with the wife, as much as she loves cats like me I think she is reluctant to take in the mother in the home. Although I do agree getting her spayed is important as we will just end up with more kittens in the area around my house. I know of at least 3 feral male cats but this is the only female in my area.

On the topic of the mother, would the cat be worried enough about the kitten to walk in my house if it hears the cries coming from there if i kept the door open? I had made a makeshift trap just by using a box and a string attached to a door... although this would involve me watching the trap in order to catch it as i need to pull the string to close the door... It almost worked a few weeks ago but I didnt set the food back far enough to close the door.

As far as I know the other kitten isnt with the mother, I havent seen that one again for about 3 weeks now.

I am also surprised as well it has survived this long, I first seen it about 3 weeks ago and was dragging itself around. Me and my girlfriend assumed it may have died by now... until we seen it the other day. And surprisingly the mother was still looking after the kitten despite its disability.

Right now I am just hoping we can get this kitten to walk, first we need to make sure the leg isnt infected after a week of cleaning/care then we can try to do some exercise so it can get some strength in its hind legs.

Mother cats have gone into burning buildings to rescue their kittens so yes, she might come in your house to her kitten, especially if it is her LAST kitten.  Think of that, how sad to lose the last one....

but she knows its alive.  Even if you didn't catch her, if she at leasst visited her kitten and saw it was OK and well fed and not suffering, that would help.  As for the wife, appeal to her motherly instincts to have sympathy for the mama cat.  You wouldn't have to keep her forever, andshe could actually help with baby care.  The kitten was probably still nursing and if you catch mama soon, she will still havemilk.  It's the best thing a kitten can have, even when eating wet food too.

I gave my advice based on the statement that the kittens were 8-10 weeks old. They should have stopped nursing by now. If that is not true, then I agree with RedTop. The kitten needs to be with mom until she's finished nursing. Hopefully you can get them both socialized, one way or the other. And yes, if you spot the other kittens, please have a go at trapping them, too. It is a lot of work and takes a lot of planning, but they will be so much better off.

Hey guys,

Just an update on the kitten. Initially my primary concern was her banged up leg which had skin missing on the top of her hind foot, and could of led to a nasty infection. So I have been cleaning that, but I took her again today for a checkup and the vet told me the leg wasnt a big problem but the problem they found was constipation due to her nervous system... I am guessing because the fact the cat does not get much exercise or a related problem why her hind legs dont work also is causing constipation and unable to pass a stool movement on her own.

So I was given some type of syrup to give before meals to help with this and I am supposed to go back tomorrow after 3 meals to checkup on this problem. By the sound of the vet, if this digestive problem doesnt resolve it might be a big problem.

The good news is I thought it seemed healthier and has also started looking at me like im her mother and always purrs when I give it attention. She also has a strong appetite and comes running on her front legs when she smells her food. At first I was feeding it 3 times a day (wet food) but went up to 4 times as it was crying alot... Is that too much for wet food? I asked the vet if i should change the diet due to the constipation, but he said dont change the diet.

Also the mother has been around much less today than recently and only heard her a few times, unfortunately i couldnt convince my wife to take in the mother cat and get her spayed.

Oh my heart!  She's a dear.  She does look a little younger than 9 weeks.  Have you tried stimulating her?  Use a warm, wet washcloth and stroke her bottom.  It will simulate mom's tongue as she licks the baby.  Helps the kitten poop.  Fingers crossed the issue is resolved soon.

Also, you might want to remind your wife that if mom isn't spayed, she will keep reproducing.   If mom has adopted your area as her territory, it will soon be filled with her kittens, all grown up and reproducing themselves!

Ondine said:

Oh my heart!  She's a dear.  She does look a little younger than 9 weeks.  Have you tried stimulating her?  Use a warm, wet washcloth and stroke her bottom.  It will simulate mom's tongue as she licks the baby.  Helps the kitten poop.  Fingers crossed the issue is resolved soon.





Also, you might want to remind your wife that if mom isn't spayed, she will keep reproducing.   If mom has adopted your area as her territory, it will soon be filled with her kittens, all grown up and reproducing themselves!

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Thats a good idea, I will try using that method to help to get her to pass her stool. The doctor also told me he did something similar to help move out the poop, because I was there at the vets office a good 45 mins they also gave her some kind of supplement injection. So i will give this syrup I have and also try using the warm towel method to see if it helps.

As for the mom yes I told her that, but there is an organization not far from where im at that might be able to help I will give them a call where they can catch the mother and I pay for the spay and let her back out in the neighborhood... If the case is she already mated since she had the last litter how do they handle that?

They would usually do a spay/abort and keep mom a little longer to recuperate. If mom is truly feral and you are willing to allow mom back in the yard, that would be the best solution.

If the mom is too far along, they may try to find a foster for her and the kittens and adopt them all out, if feasible.

A lot depends on the organization's resources.

Thank you for helping this kitty - and mom, too!

I was thinking about the kittens legs long term, I was reading an article (http://messybeast.com/twistedlimb.htm) similar to the problems the kitten seems to be having. The one leg that is not wrapped up and isnt wounded (although doesnt have use of it) we may be able to get her to strengthen that leg and possibly use it. Although the problem is her other hind leg which is wounded and in a "locked out" position and the limbs in the leg do not move so basically her whole leg is straight. Since the top of her paw is wounded we cant massage it as much as we should.

For this issue I was wondering what people thought our options would be for this kitten, I read amputation or even euthanize if the condition doesnt get better... Keep in mind im in Thailand so the vet's english isnt that great so I am not always given a clear explanation of the problem or possible outcome.

We got her diapers yesterday so she wasnt dragging around her butt when moving on the floor and some good news is she passed her stool on her own in the diaper when I woke up, this is the first time she has done it on her own as before we had to help her to pass it out.

She is a doll! I believe if she has made it this far she has a great life ahead of her! Wonderful of you to rescue her! Thank you!