URGENT ADVICE NEEDED - Newborn kitten found with 7 week olds

Please help me.

My mother just called from my home saying a newborn kitten was found in our living room and is also the same place where a nest of 4 kittens is.

We're already taking care of 4 kittens and they will be 7 weeks old (7wo)  tomorrow.

Mom says the new kitten looks about newborn, but that the 7wo  climbing up to the couch and are rough housing him. Queen is nowhere to be found... yet.

I'm at work right now and need to give my mom instructions on what to do with the new kitten.

I also would like to know if this could be Queen's new baby although the litter is only 7 weeks old.

Thank you very much

OK, first off I know nothing about pregnant cats or kittens, sorry but I do believe I have read on here that it is possible for a cat to get pregnant with a second litter while still pregnant.

Is the mother an indoor/outdoor cat? Your mother needs to find the mother and see if she has delivered any more.

First remove the kitten from the 7 week olds if it appears they are or may do damage (not exactly sure what rough housing means here).  However, when you do so, it is CRUCIAL that it has a heat source because it will NOT be able to regulate its own body temp.  Your mom can keep it in contact with her as one possibility.  Another would be a heating pad.  Please note the warming  must be active.

It is possible that it is the queen's baby yes, though I believe this would be an unusual occurrence due to the large age gap- it is more common for 2 sets to be born a few days to a week or so apart.

The kitten will obviously need to be fed.  You will probably know more once you figure out if the cat is in fact its mom and see if she will take care of it.  You will probably want to get some KMR in case.If the mom can't be found or won't feed it, it will need to be fed every 2 hours.  If this needs to happen tell us and we will provide more info on feeding it. Most important is to make sure you feed it on its stomach as it would feed from mom,not as you would a human baby.

You may end up needing to separate mom and the new litter from the 7 week olds? I am eager to hear others input on this situation, which is unusual at least in my experience.

Please update with more details when you have them.  I also hope you will consider getting mom spayed after this, and that you will stop letting her out until you are able to do so to avoid her having yet another litter in such a short amount of time.

@StefanZ catwoman707

I'm afraid I can't help. Have paged the kitten advisors.

Most definitely do this new baby a huge favor and keep the rowdy 7 week olds away.

It says baby was found in the living room, literally? As in someone or a cat brought it there?

If so then I would tend to believe that a mom will take care of it, and is likely going to bring in others as well.

It may be the 7 week olds there being the reason she is not delivering them nearby.

AbbysMom said:

Is the mother an indoor/outdoor cat? Your mother needs to find the mother and see if she has delivered any more.

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She's an outdoor stray.She's my friend that decided to move in and have her babies in our living room.

tulosai said:

 
First remove the kitten from the 7 week olds if it appears they are or may do damage (not exactly sure what rough housing means here).  However, when you do so, it is CRUCIAL that it has a heat source because it will NOT be able to regulate its own body temp.  Your mom can keep it in contact with her as one possibility.  Another would be a heating pad.  Please note the warming  must be active.

It is possible that it is the queen's baby yes, though I believe this would be an unusual occurrence due to the large age gap- it is more common for 2 sets to be born a few days to a week or so apart.

The kitten will obviously need to be fed.  You will probably know more once you figure out if the cat is in fact its mom and see if she will take care of it.  You will probably want to get some KMR in case.If the mom can't be found or won't feed it, it will need to be fed every 2 hours.  If this needs to happen tell us and we will provide more info on feeding it. Most important is to make sure you feed it on its stomach as it would feed from mom,not as you would a human baby.

You may end up needing to separate mom and the new litter from the 7 week olds? I am eager to hear others input on this situation, which is unusual at least in my experience.

Please update with more details when you have them.  I also hope you will consider getting mom spayed after this, and that you will stop letting her out until you are able to do so to avoid her having yet another litter in such a short amount of time.

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Rough housing means playing rough with it: i.e. play bite and clawing it.

My mom says it just appeared on the living room. Where the 7 week old's nest is.

The 7 week old have been eating moistened kitten kibble mixed with spoon-fulls of paté, so they may be fine without mom. 

Right now I can't provide anymore details since I can't leave work. I was waiting for the 10-12 week mark on the babies to be completely weaned and to have her spayed, but that may need to be put off. I'm already struggling I really can't afford to take care of any more kittens, much less buy heating pads

My whole family works full time jobs so we are barely home, so I don't think we will be able to feed it every 2 hours.

catwoman707 said:

 
Most definitely do this new baby a huge favor and keep the rowdy 7 week olds away.

It says baby was found in the living room, literally? As in someone or a cat brought it there?

If so then I would tend to believe that a mom will take care of it, and is likely going to bring in others as well.

It may be the 7 week olds there being the reason she is not delivering them nearby.

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Yeah, the baby just appeared out of nowhere. I'm sure it wasn't my family since I'm already threading on thin ice taking care of the 7 week old and everyday or week explaining they need more time with mom.

As I mentioned to tulosai, I'm already struggling I really can't afford to take care of any more kittens if she brings in more.

@Everyone

When I get home I'll see if my mom heeded my advice and separated the newborn into a box with lining. If not, I'll do it myself.

I'm really worried about this whole situation. I really want the best for the babies, but I don't know how they will fare in the future. I'm already seeing almost daily Facebook post about people giving away kittens to random people, I will not do this to my home's litters and have them have the worst of fates. I'm saddened to say this, but would it be best to have them be put to sleep?.  My country is mainly a dog owner country, so I don't think more babies would fare well. Most likely they would get hit by a car or mauled by a dog. I haven't been able to find a decent animal shelter here or a humane society.

I'm not at peace of mind right now.

Sorry to be really blunt but a box with lining isn't good enough- the baby can't provide its own body heat so doing things like wrapping it in a blanket won't help- it will still be cold, it is not able to insulate itself like older cats or humans are.  You need a heating pad in there 

Please do not put the babies to sleep, I definitely do not think this is the kindest thing for them.  Getting them fixed and then letting them live their lives out outside as barn cats or the equivilant would IMO be infinitely kinder, but there is a chance you may be able to find good homes for them- we can give you more tips on this as the time comes closer that you would be rehoming them.

tulosai said:

 
Sorry to be really blunt but a box with lining isn't good enough- the baby can't provide its own body heat so doing things like wrapping it in a blanket won't help- it will still be cold, it is not able to insulate itself like older cats or humans are.  You need a heating pad in there 

Please do not put the babies to sleep, I definitely do not think this is the kindest thing for them.  Getting them fixed and then letting them live their lives out outside as barn cats or the equivilant would IMO be infinitely kinder, but there is a chance you may be able to find good homes for them- we can give you more tips on this as the time comes closer that you would be rehoming them.

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I read somewhere here that since she brought them home, she does care for them. Makes sense, since she already knows the 7 week olds are being taken great care of by me.

The 7 week olds were first under the couch. We only cleaned under there, but it's pretty much in the same condition as when the 7 week old were born. Maybe she'll move them inside there? Maybe?

I'm saving up to have Queen spayed. The vet said the usual cost is $50 dlls, but due to my situation, he's slashing down the price to about $30 dlls. I can't afford to spay 5 cats (1 Queen and 4 babies) and with more on the way, I'm losing my mind here. I would have to pay about 1-2 weeks' salary on mom and the first litter and then more on the 2nd litter not considering food and having to deal with my family's patience thinning every day. 

I'm trying really hard to help them, but everyday there's something else that messes things up. I'm losing hope.

Please carry on and do what you can, no one can do more than that and anything you can offer, esp with some advice and support from people here, will help these kittens chances in life.

Is there anything you have in your home which holds some heat for a while, even if it needs to be wrapped in a blanket or something before being next to this tiny kitten when there is no person there to hold it close and keep it warm? Something like a bottle you could fill with warm water and wrap up, or a heat stone to warm and wrap up, then put in to the box with the little one?  That or to be able to keep the mother cat close with it and other kittens in another room?

There are many advisors and other members here on TCS who will do their best to help you.

Up

MServant said:

 
Please carry on and do what you can, no one can do more than that and anything you can offer, esp with some advice and support from people here, will help these kittens chances in life.

Is there anything you have in your home which holds some heat for a while, even if it needs to be wrapped in a blanket or something before being next to this tiny kitten when there is no person there to hold it close and keep it warm? Something like a bottle you could fill with warm water and wrap up, or a heat stone to warm and wrap up, then put in to the box with the little one?  That or to be able to keep the mother cat close with it and other kittens in another room?

There are many advisors and other members here on TCS who will do their best to help you.

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Thank you very much for the advice and support. I really needed that. [emoji]9829[/emoji]

UPDATE: 

I called home and my father says he think she stole the kitten from a litter that another cat had next door because he hears tiny mewing.

He also says that the 7 month olds are starting to get used to him and they are keeping him warm. Also, the Queen is giving it milk.

What should I do now?

Do you think she didn't steal him, rather took him in thinking the other Queen couldn't handle it?

Should I return it to it's litter?

Thank you everyone for your help.

I googled cat rescue groups in tijuana mexico and came up with LOTS of them!

The 7 week old kittens are fine without their mom now, plenty big enough, and the younger they are able to go to a rescue group the better and faster for them to find homes.

Rescues will vaccinate them, spay/neuter them, deworm them and find them great homes with people who will care for them.

All it takes is to spend some time calling around and finding one to take them.

THAT is their best chance at a good life!

The new baby is another thing.

Someone should go next door and ask if one baby is missing, as your momma cat brought one home.

If so, baby should be returned.

catwoman707 said:

I googled cat rescue groups in tijuana mexico and came up with LOTS of them!kittehs

The 7 week old kittens are fine without their mom now, plenty big enough, and the younger they are able to go to a rescue group the better and faster for them to find homes.
Rescues will vaccinate them, spay/neuter them, deworm them and find them great homes with people who will care for them.

All it takes is to spend some time calling around and finding one to take them.
THAT is their best chance at a good life!

The new baby is another thing.
Someone should go next door and ask if one baby is missing, as your momma cat brought one home.
If so, baby should be returned.

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I searched online and didn't quite find many. For some, the pages haven't been updated in years. Others were full or very very far.

I was worried about there being more new babies, but she only brought one home. She's feedind it well and the other kids are learning to play with it.

I noticed that they might think he's a rat since he's so small. The great thing is that the alpha kitten is protecting it and licks it.

I don't think I'll be able to ask the neighbour since he's a creeper and my family and him are not in speaking good terms.

He is feeding well.

i have another question

She keeps putting him on the cement floor. Why? Is it because today the weather was really hot? We keep moving him up ob the padded nest. Should we keep that up?

I'm really not sure about this so see what others say, but as the little one can't maintain body heat I would be a little surprised though it is possible.   Might also be she wants to protect the little one from the larger siblings - is there another soft nest area she could keep the little one in, close to the other one, if she wanted to?  Even a little cardboard box or something she could nurse in?

She is trying to get rid of the baby. Do NOT allow this to happen. The baby MUST stay with the mama for food and warmth. You must be vigilant and keep this baby with mama and make sure it is nursing or it will die . If not, you must be prepared to intervene and hand-feed it and raise it yourself. Time is running out. Is the baby feeding and growing or not? If not, time to immediately supplement. Let us know asap! We can help!

You are saying she is nursing the baby well, and very often, yet she puts him on the cement floor?

Does she do this before she nurses him or when?

I notices he was cold. It makes no sense she put him on the floor since that's where the siblings play.

what I did was keep putting him on the padded nest where the seven month old kittens were. she kept putting him on the floor no matter how high I raised it. I took him to the vet and he gave me some powder to feed him milk I kept feeding him from yesterday and I'm sad to say he didn't make it. I had found a neighbor who had a lizard warming pad and I kept feeding him often he did eat. he pooped out about 3 lumps large long red lumps with a liquid red tinge to it my hand God all bloody I took him again to the vet and he said it was normal so I returned home. When I went back to feed him two hours later he had been moved, the darn mother found him and she put him on the floor. I put him on the heating pad to warm him up which he did and I tried feeding it but it didn't swallow. He started to fade and I lost him.

I had named him Cosmo in hopes the Universe's force would energize him and with my efforts he would thrive. But in the end it didn't work.

I lost Cosmo. I failed him. I want to thank everyone for their efforts but in the end I failed everyone. I'm so sorry I wasted everyone's time and more so that Cosmo is gone.

I'm going to give him a proper burial to say good bye.

Again, I'm sorry I failed him.

Thank you.

Awww. I am so sorry for your loss of Cosmo. You did not fail him. You did everything you possibly could to save him. Thank you for that. He knew he was loved and now he will have a proper burial. It is upsetting to lose a sweet little one but it is not your fault.

sarthur2 said:

Awww. I am so sorry for your loss of Cosmo. You did not fail him. You did everything you possibly could to save him. Thank you for that. He knew he was loved and now he will have a proper burial. It is upsetting to lose a sweet little one but it is not your fault.

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Thank you.

In the end I do believe he knew he was loved. He passed just after 5 mins after I cupped him in my hands for warmth And tried to feed him it was as if he waited to say good bye to me.

I'm still shaken up about the whole thing. The vet had even been nice enough to give me the powdered milk for free and didn't charge me for the consultation since he sae I really wanted to help Cosmo.

I'll try to return him the leftover milk and the tools I used in hopes they will help the next person that comes in like me.

I'm going through the motions of loss, but ultimately I think I met him for a reason: so I would see that I can be of great help to animals and even though I might not always succeed, I should never give up Since my drive to help may be the difference between life and death of a creature. Or at least a decent and happy end.

He went slowly, warm, with a full belly and him feeling my love for him by stroking his tiny head. I like to think he had a better death than life.

Thank you again everyone for your kind words of help and encouragement.

I'll try to sleep now cause I still have 4 kittens to educate and take care of Before I find them forever homes.

Bless you! Enjoy your other kittens!

It's likely that Cosmo had something wrong with him to begin with and his first mother had already dumped him somewhere when your mother cat found him and brought him home.  After a few days, perhaps she too realized he had some fatal condition and was putting him out of the nest onto the concrete.  It's upsetting to us, but cats do this for the good of the litter, and somehow they know that a kitten will not make it long before we do.  Many times we have tried to save kittens that the mother cat has rejected, only to have them die despite our best efforts.  All rescuers experience this at one time or another.  You didn't fail him, you gave him comfort and love and he passed on in your hand instead of alone on the concrete.  You are doing a great job with these kittens!