Advice about a crazy foster momma cat

I have a foster mom and her 4 kittens. They are 6 weeks this Saturday and I have had them since 3 days old.

The mom took a while to warm up to me but I was brave and stuck my hand in the carrier while she was nursing and then when they got older she loved to get a good rub down from me.

Well, They came down with ringworm and I have been doing a lot to treat them. The last couple days she has been getting more and more agitated and last night she chased me from the room. Today she bit at my arm but only caught my shirt. I scruffed her and put her in the carrier in order to take care of the kittens, litter box etc.

The foster coordinator said to separate her from the kittens(they are still nursing) and they would take her back on Tuesday, sooner if needed but I said I would stick it out until she was back in the office. 

So poor mom is going to be taken from her babies and stuffed in isolation until the ringworm is gone and then she can be fixed

And she will never see her babies again... I guess she only had a few more weeks with them anyway but is there anyway I can win her over so she can stay with them longer? Or am I over disappointing about this? This is my first time fostering.

I am going to try feliway tonight. I'll spray it on a towel and put the towel where she likes to lay and then go back in after 20 minutes.. my next step will be to put them in the bathroom and keep them apart... 

Seems harsh to punish a protective mother...

Thank you so much for reading and any advice! This is a great site.

I suppose you do talk with her a lot? making soft crooning sounds?  sing?   Potent cat language, both momma to kittens, and a friendly courting tom....

Yawning often?  Standing on all four, strech yourself forward and backward?   This is greetings among friendly cats

The blinking with the eyes?

Because Cats said:

 
I have a foster mom and her 4 kittens. They are 6 weeks this Saturday and I have had them since 3 days old.

The mom took a while to warm up to me but I was brave and stuck my hand in the carrier while she was nursing and then when they got older she loved to get a good rub down from me.

Well, They came down with ringworm and I have been doing a lot to treat them. The last couple days she has been getting more and more agitated and last night she chased me from the room. Today she bit at my arm but only caught my shirt. I scruffed her and put her in the carrier in order to take care of the kittens, litter box etc.

The foster coordinator said to separate her from the kittens(they are still nursing) and they would take her back on Tuesday, sooner if needed but I said I would stick it out until she was back in the office. 

So poor mom is going to be taken from her babies and stuffed in isolation until the ringworm is gone and then she can be fixed

And she will never see her babies again... I guess she only had a few more weeks with them anyway but is there anyway I can win her over so she can stay with them longer? Or am I over disappointing about this? This is my first time fostering.

I am going to try feliway tonight. I'll spray it on a towel and put the towel where she likes to lay and then go back in after 20 minutes.. my next step will be to put them in the bathroom and keep them apart... 

Seems harsh to punish a protective mother...

Thank you so much for reading and any advice! This is a great site.

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I think the blinking is what got me on her good side to start with and I always say "hi momma" in the sweet high pitched.. hate to say it.. but baby voice, Okay I'll own it. I'm big on the high pitch "baby" talk. For the past week or so I have made a point of going to her first and sweet talking and petting her so she knows I'm not going in and just grabbing her babies. 

No to the yawning or stretching. She never has done that in front of me(maybe she never liked me haha... ha). She used to circle me and lay next to me so I could pet her but now she circles and growls/hisses as soon as she gets behind my back... well last night we started the whole new ball game. It's funny because every now and then between hissing and swating she will chirp at me like she wants me to still pet her so I think she is torn. 

Thank you for moving my post.

Because Cats said:

 
I think the blinking is what got me on her good side to start with and I always say "hi momma" in the sweet high pitched.. hate to say it.. but baby voice, Okay I'll own it. I'm big on the high pitch "baby" talk. For the past week or so I have made a point of going to her first and sweet talking and petting her so she knows I'm not going in and just grabbing her babies. 

No to the yawning or stretching. She never has done that in front of me(maybe she never liked me haha... ha). She used to circle me and lay next to me so I could pet her but now she circles and growls/hisses as soon as she gets behind my back... well last night we started the whole new ball game. It's funny because every now and then between hissing and swating she will chirp at me like she wants me to still pet her so I think she is torn. 

Thank you for moving my post.

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Right, they do it to friends.  And you arent no friend as she sees it, possibly someone whom is acceptable...  So that is why YOU must start with it.

Also, having on calm, relaxing music may also help. Classical harp music is best they say, but most may work.  Gregorian chants are also good.

But radio with human voices is just stressing for an shy semiferale.

because cats

Can you just put mom in another room while you treat the babies each day? How long does it take?

Ah gotcha. I need to take a Benadryl anyway so I won't even have to fake yawning.

Good to know about the music and to avoid voices.

Thanks so much! Will try this tonight

The thing about moving them back and forth is the ringworm but I could try to do that. I spend at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Less with her recent attitude toward me.

because cats

Is it just the kittens with ringworm, or does mom have it too?

It just seems it might be easier to put mom in the bathroom while you treat the kittens. I get why she gets upset, but it would be great if she could stay longer with her kittens.

Mom has it too  

I'm going to try what you both suggested I will do all I can to keep them together as long as she doesn't keep trying to bite me. I can put up with growling and hissing. 

Wish me luck! It's almost time dum dum dummmmm......

How did it go?

Very well thanks!

First I sprayed the feliway right in front of her, she was right by the door. I put on the music and yawned haha although I was scared she might think I was showing my teeth and pounce.

I got her food ready quickly while she was growling then while she was eating I sat up on the bed where the kittens were playing.

She came up and sat next to me and was growling a little but I didn't make eye contact at all which I think really helped. She chirped at me(or the kittens maybe) but I ignored her and pet the kittens instead. Then she moved to the side and rested/nursed and I made sure never to look at her for more than a second.

I hope the morning is just the same. I will put her pill in her food and pill the kittens while she is eating. And I will separate them completely when it is sulfur bathtime.

Thanks so much!

Let us know if it continues to go well tomorrow. If it does, will you be letting the rescue know that you're keeping her longer?

How much longer do the treatments go on for?

Glad the Feliway spray helped! [emoji]128077[/emoji]

I'll report back.

If tomorrow morning goes well then I definitely want to keep her. They are still enjoying nursing and she loves her babies. I will just tell them that I will separate them is she gets out of hand and give them a couple days notice for me to bring her in. I don't want her in isolation.. she will be so stressed and the ringworm will probably take even longer to go away on her.

I had a silly little dream that she would get adopted along with a pair of kittens.... goodness I hope she doesn't sit in a cage forever. That will be harder to think about than returning them(well after all this.. returning them will not be so hard I think. I will be ready for a break and to just enjoy my newly adopted cat) 

I don't know how much longer for the ringworm to go away... the last one to come down with it has it really bad. They all are covered in small spots of ringworm.. I hope I can get her happy enough to move them all to the bathroom to deep clean the room. 

You've had a big job on your hands. Thank you for what you are doing!

I agree with you that mom will get better more easily under your care, with her kittens rather than in a cage at the rescue.

Maybe an adopter will take mom with at least one kitten if advertised that way! Is she partial to one?

Because Cats said:

Ah gotcha. I need to take a Benadryl anyway so I won't even have to fake yawning.

Good to know about the music and to avoid voices.

Thanks so much! Will try this tonight

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Yeah.  This about radio with human voices on is an often given advice.  And sure, it may work, but in another position.  For a semiferale whom has landed, feels safe and contend now, and just needing time and to get used.   For a shy semiferale whom hasnt landed yet, or is a high pitch protective / defensive mode, as a good momma is, this is no good try.

So claming / relaxing music is what is prescribed here.

Think on yourself as such a friendly, courting tom...  They keep on trying the whole time  about being friendly, making nice noises, friendly gestures, the works.  It is often a real belegeuring...

Why, such a courting happens in the human world too, if the man is wants very much, but the woman doesnt (as yet).   He must convice her he IS a serious candidate.  Sending flowers, small short letter, small gifts every day...   Friendly smiles and perhaps small nice talk  if they happen to meet.

The vice verse - ie woman courting a man may happen too, of course, but its not the standard custom.  

But what you wrote during the time talking with SArthur sounds promising.  As you say, dont look into eyes.   Cats usually sit at each other side. Or even with their back. Only very good friends to look into eyes.  Home cats are also used humans look them into eyes, and they can look into human eyes, Semiferales dont.

sarthur2 said:

Thank you for what you are doing! Maybe an adopter will take mom with at least one kitten if advertised that way! Is she partial to one?

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No, she is not partial to one. I do think the kittens have paired up together a little so I am going to tell them that when they take them back. If they listen or not is up to them. All four are all black and hard to tell apart without their identifying ringworm and they do all like each other so maybe it doesn't matter.

And thanks! This has been rough haha! I will take a break after for sure. 

StefanZ said:

 
Yeah.  This about radio with human voices on is an often given advice.  

Sending flowers, small short letter, small gifts every day...   

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Yep, it's in the foster manual to play tv shows, music, etc. which I did more than a few times on the ipad. Play mostly Sinatra and Louis Armstrong but I did put on Netflix too but only while I was in there. 

Oh, I wanted to add haha... If she bites my then I'll get her a nice big batch of chocolates and a bouquet of irises! Just kidding

So This morning- I started the music and went straight to her without talking to her and sprayed feliway again. I made her food and put it down all without eye contact. It took her a while to eat so that is either because her medicine is ground up in it or she is not feeling totally great from the medicine(I wasn't about to even try to give her the pill orally!). She then went to her shelf while I played with the kittens. At one point she was rubbing against my legs so without looking at her I pet her back but of course she started to growl. Fickle feline haha I know she wants me to give her a good rub down. I can laugh because she didn't swat, spit, or bite today.

We can take it a few days at a time if this keeps working. She was giving me a stare down when I made eye contact while leaving the room.

I'd like to do all I can to make it work because they are still nursing away and not interested in wet food at all. It would be nice for them/her to wean on their time. If she can keep her cool a little longer... please momma! It's for you!

I have to move them all to the bathroom very soon. It is too hard to wash all the cloth that they are touching/on because they are all over the room now and mom is not happy with me shifting stuff. There is too much now anyway to wash and clean in one day to give them a fresh area. I will move them right after I Sulfur dip them. I wish there was a window in the bathroom... it will be like a little cell.. poor things. The good news is that all the original ringworm spots are filling in with hair.. bad news is that there are plenty of newer spots that need to heal.

Thanks for the help and support! It's helping me keep my head. 

It's a shame they will have to be in the bathroom. Maybe put a night light in there. Hopefully it will not be for too long. Is there not a room you could strip bare for them?

It does sound like they are getting better. What medicine are they on?

I get why mom growls. She doesn't really understand what you're doing. She seems to be tolerating it though. Getting used to it maybe. The kittens still need her for sure!

I will definitely put in a night light for them. They have one now that is not too bright. I know cats can see in low light but not complete blackness. I don't have anymore rooms to donate to them. I can clean the room and move them back once their spots are all gone but that will take time.

The medicine is Fluconazole.

I went in to check on them because I didn't see one of the kittens in the sleeping pile when I peeked in the room and she just growled. I think no eye contact really is the key.

I am so glad I can keep them together!