Never had a cat before...now I have 5 kittens!

sifl · Mar 31, 2016

We have kind of "adopted" (been feeding and cuddling with) a "stray" (owners refuse to spay or care for her properly) cat. We had started feeding this cat because we thought it was a stray as I had seen her wandering around the neighborhood before with no collar (at this time we had a dog that would scare her away, we had to put him down about 8 months ago now) . She was SOOO thin that I was shocked to see our neighbor appeared to be looking/waiting for her while sitting on the curb in front of their house. My mom saw her and asked her if this was their cat, she said yes. The cat had a saggy stomach and appeared to be lactating so my mom asked the woman how many kittens she had and she said she had 3. We had to put our dog down about a month before we saw this cat in front of our house by that time and we were eager to have a creature to care for, so we continued to feed this poor cat because she was so skinny (and overall very small in size, I am no expert with cats, but she appeared and still does appear to be a very adolescent cat) and seemed to still be nursing her babies. We would feed her and she would sleep in our backyard. Over the summer she sometimes wouldn't go home for days at a time even though my mom would put her out on the sidewalk in front of our house and encourage her to go home. Anyway...since this first pregnancy (I assume it was her first since she is so young!) she got pregnant again. My mom asked these neighbors if they were planning to spay her and they basically just said "Nope" and were very standoffish towards her. After she had her second litter she was always coming to our house begging for food and affection (it seemed like she came over just minutes after giving birth since she was still covered in blood and mucus!!!) and we obliged...being the soft hearted little ladies we are. So... now she has just given birth to a third litter at our house...I guess since we have been spoiling her too much so she decided to have her kittens here! Now I have 5 kittens on my hands and I have been researching all I can to be able to care for them properly since I have always been a dog person and have never had a cat let alone kittens!

So I guess my question is how should I be preparing as the kittens get older? The kittens are almost 3 days old now (she had them on Monday [3/28] night until about 1 A.M.) We are thinking of buying a playpen like this one:

for when the kittens get older and start moving around. Do you think this is a good idea?

I also don't know what to do about litter box training. The momma is an outdoor cat and does her business outside so I don't know if she will be able to teach the kittens how to use the litter box when they get older. Would the kittens figure it out on their own if I put a litter box in their playpen?

Also, should I give the momma cat a bath? She stinks a little because I assume the babies are peeing and pooping all over her in the nest right now. And would it be safe to use dog shampoo? Since I have some leftover doggie shampoo from our dearly departed doggy friend...

As for feeding them after they are weaned, is it best to feed them all out of one big bowl? Should I also give them "milk replacement" or some other high calorie supplement?

Any other tips for this new clueless cat parent would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!

handsome kitty · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you for taking care of this cat and her kittens.

My first recommendation is to get some KMR (kitten milk replacer). Powdered is better than pre-mixed, pet Ag, GNC and Royal Canin are good brands, avoid hartz and seargents brands. Give the mom a dish of this a day, you can also give some to the kittens when they begin to ween. She desperately needs the extra nutrients and calcium. Calcium deficiency can be fatal.

You should be feeding her kitten food, wet and dry, again not only does she need the extra nutrients, she will pass them along to her kittens. Give her as much food as she wants, nursing moms eat a lot.

I wouldn't give the mom a bath just yet. Try wiping her down with warm damp cloths. You can wipe down the kittens as well if she isn't cleaning them.

FLEAS! Mom probably has them. You can use Advantage II on her and it will take care of any on her kittens. Do not use a flea collar it can be toxic for the kittens. Fleas are deadly to tiny kittens.

Does she have a 'nest' in your house for the kittens? A box w/an old blanket or fleece inside for her to feed and keep her kittens safe? The kittens cannot regulate their body temp until they are 3 weeks old. A heating source is a good idea especially if mom is leaving them to go outside. You can use a hot water bottle, a heating pad on low or even a sock filled with raw rice (heat in microwave for 5 minutes and holds heat 3 - 5 hours) What ever you use, cover it with a towel so the kittens are not directly on it. Place it so it heats half the box and the kittens have room to move away if they get too warm. The nest needs to be in a dim area for when the kittens open their eyes.

Sometimes when the kittens open their eyes there is a crusty discharge. Use a warm damp cloth to soften it before wiping it away. Do not use that cloth or part of it on other kittens or eyes. It is not unusually for kittens to have an eye infection, if so a vet trip will be needed for some terramycin ointment.

Re: litter boxes. Get one for mom and don't let her out. she can get pregnant within a week of giving birth. For the kittens, they will begin using the litter box when they begin eating solid food between 4 - 6 weeks. they will need non-clumping, unscented litter - they will try to eat it. Their litter pans should be low for easy entry and exit. disposable cake pans or the boxes cat food comes in work fine.

The playpen is a good idea. Eventually they will outgrow it and you will need to kitten proof your house or at least the room they are contained in. Block off or fill in any small spaces. Do not use recliners when the kittens are around, they can get squished. Scratchers are a must for mom as well as kittens and a Cat tree will add vertical space and make the room larger - especially when placed in front of a window.

Others will come along and give more advice. Keep using this thread for any questions or concerns you have.

StefanZ · Apr 1, 2016

Sifl said:
We have kind of "adopted" (been feeding and cuddling with) a "stray" (owners refuse to spay or care for her properly) cat. We had started feeding this cat because we thought it was a stray as I had seen her wandering around the neighborhood before with no collar (at this time we had a dog that would scare her away, we had to put him down about 8 months ago now) . She was SOOO thin that I was shocked to see our neighbor appeared to be looking/waiting for her while sitting on the curb in front of their house. My mom saw her and asked her if this was their cat, she said yes. The cat had a saggy stomach and appeared to be lactating so my mom asked the woman how many kittens she had and she said she had 3. We had to put our dog down about a month before we saw this cat in front of our house by that time and we were eager to have a creature to care for, so we continued to feed this poor cat because she was so skinny (and overall very small in size, I am no expert with cats, but she appeared and still does appear to be a very adolescent cat) and seemed to still be nursing her babies. We would feed her and she would sleep in our backyard. Over the summer she sometimes wouldn't go home for days at a time even though my mom would put her out on the sidewalk in front of our house and encourage her to go home. Anyway...since this first pregnancy (I assume it was her first since she is so young!) she got pregnant again. My mom asked these neighbors if they were planning to spay her and they basically just said "Nope" and were very standoffish towards her. After she had her second litter she was always coming to our house begging for food and affection (it seemed like she came over just minutes after giving birth since she was still covered in blood and mucus!!!) and we obliged...being the soft hearted little ladies we are. So... now she has just given birth to a third litter at our house...I guess since we have been spoiling her too much so she decided to have her kittens here! Now I have 5 kittens on my hands and I have been researching all I can to be able to care for them properly since I have always been a dog person and have never had a cat let alone kittens!

So I guess my question is how should I be preparing as the kittens get older? The kittens are almost 3 days old now (she had them on Monday [3/28] night until about 1 A.M.) We are thinking of buying a playpen like this one:

for when the kittens get older and start moving around. Do you think this is a good idea?

I also don't know what to do about litter box training. The momma is an outdoor cat and does her business outside so I don't know if she will be able to teach the kittens how to use the litter box when they get older. Would the kittens figure it out on their own if I put a litter box in their playpen?

Also, should I give the momma cat a bath? She stinks a little because I assume the babies are peeing and pooping all over her in the nest right now. And would it be safe to use dog shampoo? Since I have some leftover doggie shampoo from our dearly departed doggy friend...

As for feeding them after they are weaned, is it best to feed them all out of one big bowl? Should I also give them "milk replacement" or some other high calorie supplement?

Any other tips for this new clueless cat parent would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!

How is it going? Handsome Kitty gave you excellent and nice covering advices.

I have two comments. You can - and should - change the bedding int the nest now and then. At least twice a week. Moms dont like it smelly if they can avoid it!

Re supplements - these kmr mentioned are excellent and you can use them also when the kittens gets older, if the need will arise.

Dont bother to get stage II for older kittens, proceed with the baby variation.

But goat milk is useful as supplement, both for adult cats, and in emergency, for kittens. Much better and much safer than cow milk.

Also, it may seem ridicolous to give kmr to an adult cat, but its not ridiculous to give goat milk.

Use a full fat variation, not any low fat diet variation.

I hope you plan on spaying of her? And finding good homes for the kittens? Be sure you get some adoption fee for them - "kitten for free to a good home" is dangerous business for the kittens.

It would be good if your neigbour does let you have the cat as your own. In writing, or by mouth with witnesses.

So they dont demand her back when they fancy it and when she has got some meat on her, tx to your good care.

Sarthur2 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you for taking this family into your home and your hearts. I can see why she adopted you for her third litter. I shudder to think what became of the kittens from her first two litters.

How is she doing? Five kittens is a lot for an undernourished mom. Make sure all the kittens are gaining 6-10 gams a day. Do you have a digital kitchen scale to weigh them? Watch for a runt. You've got a few weeks yet on the weaning and litter training. We can go over that with you soon, but in the meantime, I suggest you put a litter box nearby for mom. She may surprise you and begin using it. Cats learn very quickly!

Please post pictures when you can. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

sifl · Apr 2, 2016

Thank you for your advice!

I am feeding the mom wet kitten food. I will try to get some KMR as soon as possible, though. I had been giving her goats milk previously, but I noticed that this might have been giving her diarrhea because during her second pregnancy I was giving her lots of it and she seemed to have a lot of loose stools. She wasn't able to clean herself properly after having loose stools because her belly was so huge and it seemed like she got a bad infection. I kept hoping her owners would see it and take her to the vet but they never did. It's really hard for me to understand people who don't get their pets fixed since I have honestly never encountered anyone like that before! It's really shocking for me to see how anyone could be so cruel to their own pets! So thank you very much for all of your support!!

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StefanZ · Apr 2, 2016

Try and get the Advantage II, its safer than the Advantage (!). Advantage II is for sure OK for nursing mommas.

That fair kitten may turn into a point "siamese-mix" in one or two weeks. We will see.

foxxycat · Apr 2, 2016

I second the flea treatment. Any vets office has it. Also our local grain store sells it as well but its more expensive.

Congrats on the kittens :clap:

Sarthur2 · Apr 2, 2016

Just make sure the runts are getting ample nipple time. You can put them to mom's nipples when the others are sleeping. They tend to get pushed off by the bigger, stronger kittens, and can go downhill quickly if they are not eating enough.

Has your neighbor not expressed concern as to the whereabouts of this cat? Since she is residing with you now, you'll need to get her spayed. I doubt she'll go home after this, especially if the neighbor does not seem to care. Her offspring from her previous litters will be pregnant or impregnating before long too. Perhaps you can put food out for the little one who cries. He's probably hungry and seeking his mom, and not very old himself. Back to back litters as she has had are very hard on the moms, and force the existing litter to fend for themselves at a young age unless a caring human offers food, shelter, comfort, and spay/neuter services. Your neighbor is an irresponsible pet owner to allow litter after uncared for litter. We need laws about spaying and neutering. Some countries in Europe have them, but the US does not. However, we do have laws regarding animal neglect and cruelty.

Have you set up a litter pan for mom? If mom is having loose stools, she may need an antibiotic for an intestinal infection. Goat's milk does not usually cause diarrhea, but bacteria and parasites can. Since she lived primarily outside, she probably has picked up something that won't go away on its own.

Sarthur2 · Apr 2, 2016

What sweet little babies, and I adore mom's half and half face! You are a saint! [emoji]128149[/emoji]

talkingpeanut · Apr 2, 2016

You're doing a great job!

I second getting mom spayed if you can. Can you keep her in 100% until then? She will go into heat before she can be spayed, let alone get pregnant without going into heat, and the babies need her now.

handsome kitty · Apr 2, 2016

Your Goldilocks is probably a male. Most orange tabbys are.

sifl · Apr 2, 2016

StefanZ said:
Try and get the Advantage II, its safer than the Advantage (!). Advantage II is for sure OK for nursing mommas.

That fair kitten may turn into a point "siamese-mix" in one or two weeks. We will see.

Sorry, I meant Advantage II. Since she is a small and thin cat, do I need to give her the full dose of the flea treatment? For some reason the package for cats over 9 lbs is cheaper and I think that might be too much for her small frame.

Really?! He seems very obviously to be a ginger tabby. Maybe the color is a bit washed out in my photos. He seems to be the biggest (along with the baby with the prominent white whiskers and white chest) and is growing like crazy!

StefanZ · Apr 2, 2016

Sifl said:
Sorry, I meant Advantage II. Since she is a small and thin cat, do I need to give her the full dose of the flea treatment? For some reason the package for cats over 9 lbs is cheaper and I think that might be too much for her small frame.

Really?! He seems very obviously to be a ginger tabby. Maybe the color is a bit washed out in my photos. He seems to be the biggest (along with the baby with the prominent white whiskers and white chest) and is growing like crazy!

If she is petite, and you give her a dose for a big cat, its surely wise to give her less than a full dose. so I agree with you.

On the photo I see a blondie. But if its a ginger tabby so it is.

Stick to it.

sifl · Apr 2, 2016

sarthur2 said:
Just make sure the runts are getting ample nipple time. You can put them to mom's nipples when the others are sleeping. They tend to get pushed off by the bigger, stronger kittens, and can go downhill quickly if they are not eating enough.

Has your neighbor not expressed concern as to the whereabouts of this cat? Since she is residing with you now, you'll need to get her spayed. I doubt she'll go home after this, especially if the neighbor does not seem to care. Her offspring from her previous litters will be pregnant or impregnating before long too. Perhaps you can put food out for the little one who cries. He's probably hungry and seeking his mom, and not very old himself. Back to back litters as she has had are very hard on the moms, and force the existing litter to fend for themselves at a young age unless a caring human offers food, shelter, comfort, and spay/neuter services. Your neighbor is an irresponsible pet owner to allow litter after uncared for litter. We need laws about spaying and neutering. Some countries in Europe have them, but the US does not. However, we do have laws regarding animal neglect and cruelty.

Have you set up a litter pan for mom? If mom is having loose stools, she may need an antibiotic for an intestinal infection. Goat's milk does not usually cause diarrhea, but bacteria and parasites can. Since she lived primarily outside, she probably has picked up something that won't go away on its own.

I'm not sure if the runts are small or the relative size of the bigger ones is just making them look that way, haha! I will try and post some pics later that show how big they are...but in photos they just look like little fur balls!!

No, the neighbors haven't expressed any concern...I don't think there is any point in communicating with them any more after they were so standoffish and have habitually neglected their cat. I have caught a glimpse of her kitty from the first litter and it seems to be well-fed (at least better than the momma!) and bigger than its mom even. You are right! There was probably nothing we could have said to compel them to spay her. I don't understand how they can't see if they keep keeping these kittens (they have at least 2 from her second litter) and letting the mom get pregnant, the problem will get exponentially worse!

I will get a litter box, too. She doesn't seem to be having loose stools any more (that was mostly during her second pregnancy). But then again I haven't been able to properly "inspect" her poops before she covers them with dirt.

sifl · Apr 2, 2016

sarthur2 said:
What sweet little babies, and I adore mom's half and half face! You are a saint! [emoji]128149[/emoji]

Thank you

Her pretty face was one of the reasons we originally fell in love with her!

crazy4strays · Apr 6, 2016

You are an angel! Thank you for caring! My suggestion is just to ask your neighbors if you can keep Mama Cat. If they hesitate, you could offer them money. They sound really neglectful.

sifl · Apr 8, 2016

Hello again!

I have been noticing for the past few days that mamma cat has been "blinking" one of her eyes more than the other and that some clear/slightly white goop has been coming out of it. It seems like she has an eye infection (and also an ear infection). We, of course, also want to get her spayed. With her nursing babies, when is the soonest you think we can take her to the vet? Or is there anything we can give her in the meantime that would help with the eye infection?

talkingpeanut · Apr 8, 2016

You should speak to the vet about an antibiotic eye ointment and something for the ear infection. Babies and mom can all be spayed/neutered when the kittens are 8 weeks old.

Sarthur2 · Apr 8, 2016

Yes, call your vet. If mom needs to be seen, the babies would be fine at home for the short duration. But mom should be treated now, as the eye infection can be contagious.

sifl · Apr 25, 2016

Hi everyone!

I took the mama cat to the vet today to get her checkup before her spay. Her eye infection had cleared up by this time, but the vet didn't seem to be worried by the symptoms I described. It probably is herpes and I have been giving her L-lysine for that already because I suspected she had it. She got her vaccines and was tested for leukemia, luckily, the test came back negative.

She also got flea and deworming medication. Since she has worms, is there anything else I should do other than dump and clean the litter box?

Never had a cat before...now I have 5 kittens!

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