While visiting the very sick Nick at the hospital on Friday, we came across these guys.

We would like to introduce 5 kittens that were found in a box, outside the medical center that we take our kids for treatment. Currently, they are treating a stray cat named Nick, who has anemia and were passed on to us by people who found us online. We have taken over responsibility for Nick while he fights for his life right now.

While on our visit to Nick, we were shown a box full of kittens that someone left outside the offices of the vet clinic. The hint was obvious, as they knew we would not walk away from the box of kittens, unless we knew that someone would take them under their wing. Sadly, nobody did.

So of course we couldn't just abandon the kitties, they are far too young to fend for themselves. Now we have to hand feed them, using a bottle and powdered kitten formula, and stimulate the kittens to pee and poo, every 3 to 4 hours. This is hard work, as well as financially draining., but the reward is tremendous.

Since we are still hopeful that someone else will step up and claim these kittens, since we are already well over capacity, with more than 30 cats and kittens living permanently in our home. Having so many cats in one place, is never a positive thing. Sickness is much harder to control, so are fleas and worms, since they share everything and all spaces. We do segregate new cats when they first arrive, and release them slowly. But one of the biggest problems, is we are unable to find food that agrees with all the cats. What is good for one, is not always good for another. And it is near impossible to feed them on an individual basis. We are also beyond the limits of our financial capabilities, and one infection that spreads would push us off the cliff of financial destruction.

Basically, we are hoping to find homes, not only for these new beauties, but some of the resident cats we have already. This is difficult in the best of circumstances, in the Philippines, it is next to impossible. We need responsible people to open their homes and wallets to take in a cat or cats. Indoor is also a must, unless they have a completely enclosed outdoor space that the kitties can't escape from. There are far too many dangers in the Philippines to have outdoor cats. We have learned this the very hard way. If you know someone in the Cebu area who matches this criteria and would love a new companion, please refer them to us, sincerely, the kittykeepers.

Meet the new kids.

Aw, those kittens are adorable.  You must be worn out with the round-the-clock care.  It sounds like you are basically a rescue group at this point - is there any advantage into making it official?  I don't know the laws in the Philippines but would you be able to get tax advantages and accept donations if you became a non-profit group?  You are doing so much for these kitties.  Bless you for taking them on.  Although it's been many years since I lived in the Philippines, I remember it was not a friendly place for cats so I know you really have your work cut out for you.  I wish I could offer more than than just moral support!  

I, too, am offering moral support.  You are angels!

I do have one suggestion.  From what I understand, it is best to feed them while they are on their tummies.  If they drink while on their backs, there is a danger of their aspirating the formula.  Just like when they are nursing from mom - they lay on their tummies when they do.

"There are far too many dangers in the Philippines to have outdoor cats."

I live in Canada and think domestic cats should not be outdoors here as well. Fishers (a big nasty weasel), coyotes, fox, raccoons, and other wildlife here that will kill a cat if given the chance. Not to mention mentally twisted people that mean to do them harm and vehicles that may run them over. There is also the flip side, I don't want my cats killing the wildlife such as squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. I don't let any of my cats wander outside, only allowed out during the day when I am with them and they are not allowed to wander off our property or get out of sight. My wife and I follow them around our property. Our neighbors probably think we are crazy but I don't care what they think when it comes to the health and well being of my cats.

I sure hope Nick gets better and I think it is amazing what you are doing for the little kittens as well as the other cats you have at home.

Thank you so much for the kind words. We do already consider ourselves a rescue family, but I have no idea what making that official would entail from a legal standpoint. There is already a loose nit community online that donations come into, but there is a lot of difficulty and mistrust by those donating, too many scammers have soiled the grounds.

We of course are not like that and will show exactly where the money goes, but people will still accuse us of negative actions, just the way people are in the Philippines. Sadly, Nick has taken a turn for the worst, and is really suffering now. I didn't expect him to make it through the night, but he did, so we are off to the hospital now to visit with him and see what can be done, if anything.

Keep him in your thoughts and prayers, he needs all the support he can get. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

Sadly, Nick is not doing well at all, his condition has worsened and the doctor fears that he is paralyzed from the brain damage being caused by the virus. Even if he does survive the virus, he won't survive without constant human intervention. He is also in terrible pain, and we can't treat his pain the way they might in Canada or the USA. So he is suffering far more than I would ever like to see, and with such a bad prognosis, I am not sure what to do.

People online think we should keep fighting, but they are not the ones who travel to the hospital every day, hold his head and try to feed him. He appears to be blind, and possibly has no sense of smell either, since the only way he knows to eat is by putting the food directly against his face. Only then does he try to eat the food.

His RBC is still very low, and his WBC is climbing everyday, so he is fighting, but the RBC makes it so difficult since he is starving for oxygen all the time. It also appears that his breathing is reflexive and from the diaphragm only, another bad indication of paralysis.

We are going back to the hospital now, and I will update the other thread we started about Nick. Thanks for your kind words and support, we need the encouragement just as much as the cats do, as this is both physically and emotionally taxing. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

Thanks for the support, we need all the support we can find. Just to let you know, the pictures are deceptive, and the kitties are always on their belly while feeding, but not flat like you might see during nursing. The angle is akin to a kitten that latches onto one of the higher nipples while feeding. My wife is very good at this, as it is not our first rodeo with new born kittens. In fact, most of the cats we have rescued were found abandoned while still in the nursing stage, so she has a lot of experience with this.

Nursing, burping, stimulating, weighing, she is like a kitten factory line, it's amazing to watch.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words and advice, everything helps.

Thekittykeepers said:

Thanks for the support, we need all the support we can find. Just to let you know, the pictures are deceptive, and the kitties are always on their belly while feeding, but not flat like you might see during nursing. The angle is akin to a kitten that latches onto one of the higher nipples while feeding. My wife is very good at this, as it is not our first rodeo with new born kittens. In fact, most of the cats we have rescued were found abandoned while still in the nursing stage, so she has a lot of experience with this.

Nursing, burping, stimulating, weighing, she is like a kitten factory line, it's amazing to watch.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words and advice, everything helps.

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Oh, glad you told me.  Keep up your work.  It is needed desperately and so hard to do.

Praying for a peaceful outcome for NIck.

Unfortunately, but not unexpected, Nick passed away today. There is some concern about the actual cause of his illness and ultimately, his death, as the tests of not returned with anything conclusive. Since he was showing neurological signs of injury, without the impact injury, it is suspected that he suffered from panleukopenia, which can cause brain damage with neurological decrease in function. But his actions also mirror some of those found in patients with rabies. Since he bit one of the staff members, enough to break the skin, the doctor plans to do a partial autopsy to figure out whether Nick had rabies. We don't have an expectation of this being the case, but it is better safe than sorry.

Fortunately, on the brighter side, all the kittens are doing extremely well. One had an eye infection when he arrived, and it was quite bad. We found it while giving them their first bath, which is more akin to a soldiers field shower, using baby wipes on all the important parts. While cleaning his face, my wife pressed on his eye (which was closed) to get the dried mucus that had accumulated there. To her surprise, and with just a little pressure, it seemed like his eye literally popped. Green pus with an strong oder came pouring out. Scary, very scary. I wasn't even certain that he still had an eye, so much volume came out.

We tried hard to keep his face clean, and we started him on a course of antibiotic eye drops, and just a few days later, his eye is perfect again. We are still giving him the drops (doing the full course of antibiotics), but it appears that what ever the infection was caused by, is gone, and his eye is absolutely normal again.

They are the sweetest little things, and she is an expert at caring for them. Even her ability to burp these little kittens, amazes me. My hands are too big and clumsy for such delicate work. They all absolutely adore her, so he is their new mother, that I have no doubt about. I am envious, but it's OK, they are my babies too.

We have named one of the kittens Nick, in honor of his passing. We finally got some photos of Nick as he was a kitten, and through the adolescent age as well. I really wish we knew him back then, he really seems to be a wonderful kitty with a lot of personality. We know that we can never replace him, and even though he was only in our lives for less than a week, his memory will be with us forever.

Anyway, thanks again for the kind words, in this moment, we need all the support we can get. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

RIP sweet Nick

I'm sorry about Nick.  Sometimes they just grab our hearts, even though we only know them a few days.  RIP sweet Nick.  

So sad to read about Nick. At least he had you by his side.   

I am so sorry for your loss of dear Nick.  Bless you for surrounding Nick  with love when he needed it most and did not have to be alone.   May Nick run free and be with you in spirit always.  The work you do for the kitties and your generosity is amazing.   I pray that @Thekittykeepers  and the cats will know many blessings.  Even though you and Nick knew each other only a short while, I am sure your memories are precious.  Please let us know how you are doing.   Sincerely, Marianne.

Thanks so much for the kind words and blessings. We are coping as best as we can, considering the situation. The 5 kittens are amazing, and we are so happy with their progress. We have never had kittens of this age, be so delightful to care for, they do everything the way you would hope. They have adapted to bottle feeding perfectly, their growth is measurable each day. They respond to stimulation and have perfectly formed poo, not one case of diarrhea, and they are all growing in tune with each other. It could not be better for the kittens.

On a scary note, the suspected virus that took Nick from us, is apparently an ongoing outbreak in our area. We have spoken to many vets, and all of them have seen fatal cases of the suspected virus in their clinic, and the mortality rate is almost 100%.

Between caring for sick/injured cats and abandoned litters, too young to be given the vaccine, we have been warned not to take in any more stray cats from the area while this outbreak is happening. And even though we have cats that are coming of age, and ready for spay/neuter, we have to divert our funds to trying to vaccinate the cats that have not received theirs yet. It's extremely stressful, and expensive. The cat version of the vaccine is double what the same basic vaccine is for dogs, and we need a lot of it. Since we are just two people with no organization or donations, this all comes directly out of our pocket. We have considered starting a "go fund me" campaign, but are nervous about the reactions people have, and the scammed that have spoiled the pool of donors.

We have a lot on our plate, and it will be difficult to turn away cats in danger, but we can't risk the ones we already saved. Our quarantine is already full with 9 cats, and we can't realize them until they are all spayed/neutered, but they are not old enough yet, and need a few more months before they are ready. Wow, just writing this makes me realize the weight of our situation.

Anyway, thanks again, and pray we get through thus outbreak period with no infections. Since all our cats remain indoors, there is little chance of exposure. It will work out, it always does. Got to keep smiling and moving forward, that is the only direction we can go. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.