Should I bring this kitten in or leave to stay out with the mother?

I have a stray cat that "lives" on my front porch.  I started feeding her last winter when the temperature was staying at 0° or below for about a week and I (the softie) felt sorry for her.  She had four kittens five weeks ago today.  Two of them died within the first 24 hours.  A third one died about two weeks ago  (yes, I buried them all).  I keep her in a box about 20 inches tall and she has been trying to get out.  So far she can't reach the top of the box but she's constantly trying.  I'd like to adopt her and bring her in the house as I'm afraid that if she gets out that that's the last I'll see of her.  I bought some cat milk and kitten chow & I've been crushing it up before adding the milk and am giving it to her at least once per day.  I already have a 12 year old cat that I've had since he was about 10 weeks old.  He was neutered at six months.  I've brought the kitten in the house a couple of times in the last week or so and he seems to be OK with her although I'm not sure how'd he react to having her around full time.  I don't want mama cat in the house (I'm guessing she's at least a year old) as she's always been an outside cat I think he (maybe both of them) would be very upset if I did.  I really can't afford to have mama cat fixed right now but I don't see a problem getting "Patches" fixed when she's old enough.  So I guess I have the same question as to whether I can bring her in in the next week or two as long as I'm giving her proper nutrition.  Suggestions? 

Well, at five weeks old the kitten needs out of that box. Very cute kitten by the way! The kitten needs to be in your house for sure. She needs love and toys and to explore. She also needs wet food, in addition to kitten chow and kitten milk. I say bring her in now into your bedroom, and let her get used to things. Your other animals will adjust.

Is the mama cat still nursing this kitten? Or can she not get into the box with her? You have a bit of a problem, because the kitten still needs its mama if possible, and the mama is going to be pregnant again soon if she does not get fixed. Can you bring mama in too? Isn't she used to being fed now by you?

The Humane Society spays cats for a very low fee if you have one nearby. You need to check and try to get the mama fixed, even if she lives outside and you feed her on the porch.

You have a very kind heart to help this mama and her kitten!

donza

PS: let us know how it goes!

If you don't bring the kitten in now, it will get out of the box and be gone. If you separate it from mama totally, it needs to be fed several times a day. And use a litter box. Did you buy Whiskas cat milk or kitten formula? It needs formula. The Whiskas cat milk is treat milk for adult cats.

Please ask more questions and also let us know how it's going, but get the kitten in!

Yes I bought the Whiska's milk.  I called my vet's office & they said it would be fine as long as I mixed it with kitten chow (if you can believe that).  I have a friend with a large pet cage (big door) who said that I could stand it up on its end, stick mama cat in it (quickly!) and shut the door as it's about the only way possible to get her to the vet's office.  I've heard that if you get a mama cat fixed that their milk will give out but I don't know if that's true or not. I've also heard that as long as mama is nursing that she won't get pregnant again.  Mama cat still gets in the box with her and lets her nurse for now.  She's having a lot of problems with her right eye if you noticed from the pic. It looks like an infection to me.   I've been wiping it down with a warm wash cloth a couple of times per day and putting a couple of wetting eye-drops (Refresh Optive) in it (again, vet's office said that's the best kind to use).  They said I shouldn't bring her in before she's weaned because mama cat most likely wouldn't want her back.  

If the kitten has an eye infection she will need an antibiotic eye ointment like terramycin to clear it up. This comes in a tube and you get it from the vet.

Cats do not reject their kittens because they visited the vet.

The Whiskas cat milk won't hurt the kitten, but it is not optimal. A can of powdered KMR will be more cost-efficient in the long run.

Lactating does not prevent a cat from going into heat and getting pregnant. She may already be pregnant again. Cats frequently get pregnant while nursing.

And, spaying does not cause a cat's milk to dry up. Many continue to nurse for weeks. Mine did!

It sounds like you may want to try a different vet.

Do you have a Humane Society nearby?

What are your plans for bringing the kitten in?

There is a shelter about 35 miles from where I live.  They have a program where they give dogs & cats away without a spay/neutering fee.  I'm going to call them  tomorrow (and my vet about baby kitty's eye too).  My big kitty has one of the tall litter boxes so I don't think she can get into it.  I could come up with a step for her like a book or something like that but then she couldn't get out again.  Harrumph..

I figure that if the shelter has a program like I mentioned above that perhaps they have a reduced spay/neutering charge.  

She could probably get out of the litter box because it wouldn't be a tall climb to get back out of it.

My big cat gets his treats at bedtime  After he has them he lies down with me for an hour or so before he gets up and wanders off for the night.  His litter box is in the hallway between my bedroom & living room (and has been for a couple of years now).  His food & water bowls are in the kitchen.  I'm pretty sure he'd go a little crazy if I closed him up in the bedroom with me at night. It's pretty tiny.  

He's managed to get out a few times when something changes in his life & it worries me because it usually takes a week or more before I can either trick, bribe or catch him in some way.  I always the fear that I'll never see him again whenever he's gotten out.  

I don't remember the last time I had a kitten as tiny as "Patches."  Makes a 56 year old man a little antsy...

Okay. So you have a cat who is set in his ways. It sounds like you can bring the kitten in with no problem. If you wait, the kitten will climb out and be gone, like I said. You can use a pie pan for a litter box for the little one if need be for now. Not a big deal. I just learned a lot about your old cat, but not much about your specific plans for the kitten or her mama. If you can't take the kitten, it would be best to find someone who can. And the mama needs to be spayed or she will be pregnant on your porch again. Regardless, the kitten needs to get out of the box. It's not healthy any longer at her age!

The Humane Society DOES have reduced spay/neuter services.

Are you going to bring the kitten inside or not?

Yes I brought 'Patches' in the same day and adopted her because I saw her climb almost completely out of the box.  My Phat Cat was a little apprehensive at first but by the 2nd day they were already starting to play a lot.  She's starting to cuddle up with him on the floor now but at night she'll get in bed with me and sleep right up against my neck.   Awwwww, I'm hooked.  I also took mama cat & had her spayed at Help for Animals on Wednesday (July 1st) for just $40, which included a rabies shot.  It was a 65 mile drive (one way) from my house and I had to wait eight hours before I could pick her up and bring her home but it was worth every penny.  I'm glad I found that place because my vet wanted nearly $100 more.  * whew! *

Mama cat is in the house for now (she's been sleeping almost constantly).  If she's fine after about 10 days she'll be going back outside then.  I don't mind having her as an outside cat at all.  But I couldn't have her having a littler of kittens every three or months.  So all's well for now.

I also call Patches 'Little Girl' a lot so that might wind up being her name.  I figure she won't mind one way or the other.

She'll be six weeks old tomorrow (Sunday, July 5th)!

Such a wonderful update!  Little girl looks very content.

So glad you got the mama spayed.     Very responsible and forward looking.  Will you keep her inside or let he be an inside/outside cat if she desires?

She is beautiful! I am so happy that you brought her in, and that you had her mama spayed. I'm glad your other cat and the kitten get along so well.

You'll need to make that trip again for the kitten before she's six months old, but it will be worth it again!

Is mama kitty recovering okay? Is she still nursing her baby? She should still be able to nurse for a few more weeks. Are they still interacting?

It's really kind of you to take care of both mama kitty and her kitten.

Do you have the mama isolated, or IS she meeting your resident in any way?   I mean,  If they do meet, and he doesnt react on her in any peculiar way, it could be a signal to let her stay inside or inside / outside, and not just be your outside kitty.

Of course, being spayed and your outside cat isnt no bad solution, but we prefer beautiful sagas with a really happy end, more the common  realistic stories.  

I know she is at this moment just hours after the spaying, and shouldnt be stressed nor disturbed.

But suviving outside cats has usually good immune system, and healing meat better than average, so her recovery should go OK.

Yeah, a splendid update.  Me to Im happy to read it!

Mama Cat (Suzie Q) is inside for now and she ignores her baby totally.  My P-H-A-T, P-H-A-T, phat, phat, cat (Carrots) ignored her (even hid from her) at first but now they play together a lot & she even snuggles up next to him during the day when she naps.   Mama cat just sleeps on the couch all of the time and will most likely be going back outside in about another week or so.  I'm not supposed to have pets at all where I live but when I moved in here two years ago my landlords graciously said I could keep Carrots because I'd had him for ten years at the time (he's 12 now). I had been going to church with them for eleven years when I moved in so that didn't hurt but I don't believe they'd approve of me having three cats in the house. 

I've let Suzie Q out a few times and she seems fine with that because she's that's what she's used to I suppose. She doesn't go off the porch unless it's out to the yard to... well, you know.  She doesn't stay out long (maybe an hour or so) before coming back in.  She's been a really good outside cat and I wanted to keep her around but I couldn't bear the thought of her having a new litter of kittens every three months or so.  At least now I can keep her around without having to worry about her getting pregnant.

Patches is such a sweetheart.  When we go to bed night she likes to "play" with my nose and eyes.  She covers my eyes with her paws and gnaws at my nose for around 10 minutes or so before she settles in beside my neck and goes to sleep for the night.  So you can see how I fell for her.  She's SUCH a cutie.  I think can get by with two cats -  but not three.  My place is very small (a 12' x 40' trailer), so the thought of three cats in the house is a bit much. Carrots is over 12 years old now so I don't know how much longer he'll be around and it's comforting to know that Patches will be there when he finally goes to "kitty-heaven."

I've been a sucker for cats since I was a little boy back in the 60's.  I don't see that stopping now...

Female cats become very lazy and docile once they are spayed, so you'll likely have a very nice porch kitty in her. You can always let her in when it's cold or stormy, she'll appreciate that, but she won't count as an official "inside" cat. Though it hardly sounds like your landlord is going to hassle you. You just did everyone a favor by having her spayed. She does sound quite content!

And the little one sure is giving you joy. The good Lord does provide!

And heeeeeere's Patches!

Snuggling with Carrots


Yep.  She's kinda little.


Which one is the remote?


Wait!  What's that over there?


I'll just go to sleep.


She loves her Tribble  Yes, a "Tribble."


Hey!  Here I am!


Wait.  I'll come over there...


"C'mon, Carrots.  Let's play!"

---("Dumb little troll.  Leave me alone!")---


Forget all of that.  Let's do lunch!


Last weekend, she got sick.  Very sick.  She was lethargic, lying around and sleeping almost constantly like my 12 year old cat, which to me was not normal.  I got worried.  So I I took her to the vet on Monday.  He checked her temperature and she was running a fever.  Her stool had been runny for about three days.  He gave her a dose of worm medicine (liquid, in the mouth with a syringe), put some flea medicine on the back of her neck and gave me two more doses to give her for two more days.  Fun, fun, fun!  He also gave her a dose of an antibiotic and nine more to give her once a day for the next nine days.  I just gave her today's dose.  Only four more to go!  As for her stool, he said to give her about 4 to 5 cc's of Pepto Bismol and he gave me an empty syringe for it.  I don't think she was at all pleased with the cherry flavored stuff, but it solved the problem within 24 hours.  By the middle of the week, she perked up and by about Thursday she was bouncing around a playing like a kitten should be!  I guess I found out just how much I've fallen for her.

As for Suzie Q (mama cat) , she started staying outside again about three days ago and seems quite comfortable with it.  She's definitely a "porch cat" now and is finally started to put a little meat on her skinny bones.

So all's quiet on the kitty front for now.  I plan to have Patches spayed when she's about 12 weeks old.  Then I'll have three plain old kitty-cats.  Looking forward to it... 

So cute!  Love the pictures and the captions.  Glad you have a vet who knows how to take care of small kittens.

What a great update! The kitten is adorable and I am happy to hear that you took her for a vet treatment.

Mama looks like she enjoys the good life!

Nice job with all the cats!

Patches and Carrot look very happy to be together. I love happy endings and your story makes me smile.