Hi,
I have been a cat owner all my life. (pretty much) But This is the first time I have ever had to take care of an orphaned kitten. Well, Almost orphaned. Let me tell you his story. I rescued two kittens (Anakin Skywalker or Ani and Padme) from a home that just was not what most people would consider humane. I honestly beleive the woman was doing what she thought was best and seemed to really care for the kittens but thier area was filthy and they were covered in flees. As most of us know, fleas are a large killer of young animals and I tried my best to save them both but Padme just did not have the strength to eat what she needed to survive. I know we made her last few days happy because even in her weekened condition she would still pure her little heart out when we held her and talked to her.
After she passed away I went back to the home and found out the woman still had one kitten left. The kitten seemed healthy but was about the nastiest tempered little witch you have ever seen. As much love that Padme gave us I decided to save her sister and try and do what I could to make her life happy. It took us about a month and many scratches and bites but now Padme II and Ani are very happy and have almost reached adulthood. Padme is also now the most loving cat you could ask for. Now when I first went searching last summer to find two kittnes to raise as barn cats I had planned on finding to males and then getting them fixed this spring when I started my 2nd job and had the extra money. But when I saw the condition of the kittens I knew I had to rescue two from this home and only one of the whole litter was male. So as you might have guessed, Padme got pregnant before I could get her fixed. (She is getting fixed next week if the Vet oks her)
My kids and I have been checking on her a couple times a day to see when she would have the kittens knowing that most first time moms especially young ones loose thier first litter. Sunday morning on the March 27th she came up to the house covered in blood. Knowing that for a cat this was not normal I already feared for the babies and ran out to the barn to start searching for them. After about 15 minutes I was running out of ideas on where to look. "think like a new mother cat. something is coming out......Ah Ha." I checked the litter box and sure enough there was 4 newborn kittens in the box. They looked dead. One had been cleaned off and the afterbirth removed. Two others had been cleaned but the afterbirth was still attached and one was still in the sac. They were cold and I could find no signs of life. Rigor had not set in so hoping I was wrong, I started rubbing thier tiny bodies. One kitten finally gasped. I had my son run him in the house and start warming him up. We tried to revive the other three but Rigor started to set in and I knew it was to late. I later found another kitten at the bottom of a pile of hay but rigor had already set in on her also. We beleive the female had one more but we could not find the body and suspect that it was eaten.
When I arrived in the house I took over care of the one that was trying to breath. I held him upside down and rubbed and sure enough out came the ....whatever you call that stuff they breathe when they are in the womb. He started really showing signs of life then and started rooting. We brought mama cat in and tried to get him to feed. He just did not have the strenth to attach to mama. The vet had me give him a quick dose of sugar water and then I went to the store and got kitten formula and a bottle. He took right to the bottle. Every time before we would feed we tried to get him to eat off of Padme but he just would not do it. Then finally tuesday morning he latched on to Padme and drank for about 15 minutes. I thought we finally had it. My son had the day out of school so he stayed with them that day. He said that the one time was the only time that he fed or that she would let him. She did not want to clean him and if he would latch on she would roll him off.
It was just to stressfull for the kitten, Padme and for us. I started taking him to work and feeding him exclusivly from the bottle. (he is so quiet I have been able to hide him under my desk for 2 weeks now.) When I took him to the vet the first monday he weighed 3 ounces. As of last tuesday he weighed 5.5 ounces. I will take him again today.
So that is his story. My husband has named him Smokey because he is grey and because he loves to sniff my husbands hands after he smokes. (I hate the name but if letting my hubby name him means I can keep him then Smokey it is.) So here are my fears and concerns. He was deprived of oxygen for who knows how long. Will he have brain damage? Are his eyes supposed to be that dark when they first open. They are almost black. He eats so much sometimes I think he is going to explode. Should I stop him? How can you test if they are deaf? Will he have low self esteem with the name smokey (just kidding).
We have made it over 2 weeks. Are we over the hump or do I still need to worry about Kitten sudden infant death syndrome that I read about? His eyes just finished opening yesterday. It took three days. Is that normal?
Now that I have bombarded you with questions about my newborn. I need to let you know I have a 4th Cat that I have had for several years. His name is Luke Skywalker. He is grey and black stiped but is stripes are wild. They don't follow a regular pattern so he kinda looks like a jugsaw puzzle. He was a ferral kitten. The vet thinks he is part siamese. He his big about 15 pounds but not fat. and his face reminds you of egypt. there is black around his eyes like mascara and then a black line from the tip of both eyes back towards his ears. I wish I could show you a picture but that will take more computer knowledge than I have currently. OH I forgot to tell you. Padme and Ani and Black and white. They look like Paint horses. Ani is beautiful and Padme is kinda homely but I love them all. Along with my two horses and three dogs.
Wow that was long. Hope I didn't bore you to death but I love telling about my animals. Especially my little fighter Smokey.
Di.
I have been a cat owner all my life. (pretty much) But This is the first time I have ever had to take care of an orphaned kitten. Well, Almost orphaned. Let me tell you his story. I rescued two kittens (Anakin Skywalker or Ani and Padme) from a home that just was not what most people would consider humane. I honestly beleive the woman was doing what she thought was best and seemed to really care for the kittens but thier area was filthy and they were covered in flees. As most of us know, fleas are a large killer of young animals and I tried my best to save them both but Padme just did not have the strength to eat what she needed to survive. I know we made her last few days happy because even in her weekened condition she would still pure her little heart out when we held her and talked to her.
After she passed away I went back to the home and found out the woman still had one kitten left. The kitten seemed healthy but was about the nastiest tempered little witch you have ever seen. As much love that Padme gave us I decided to save her sister and try and do what I could to make her life happy. It took us about a month and many scratches and bites but now Padme II and Ani are very happy and have almost reached adulthood. Padme is also now the most loving cat you could ask for. Now when I first went searching last summer to find two kittnes to raise as barn cats I had planned on finding to males and then getting them fixed this spring when I started my 2nd job and had the extra money. But when I saw the condition of the kittens I knew I had to rescue two from this home and only one of the whole litter was male. So as you might have guessed, Padme got pregnant before I could get her fixed. (She is getting fixed next week if the Vet oks her)
My kids and I have been checking on her a couple times a day to see when she would have the kittens knowing that most first time moms especially young ones loose thier first litter. Sunday morning on the March 27th she came up to the house covered in blood. Knowing that for a cat this was not normal I already feared for the babies and ran out to the barn to start searching for them. After about 15 minutes I was running out of ideas on where to look. "think like a new mother cat. something is coming out......Ah Ha." I checked the litter box and sure enough there was 4 newborn kittens in the box. They looked dead. One had been cleaned off and the afterbirth removed. Two others had been cleaned but the afterbirth was still attached and one was still in the sac. They were cold and I could find no signs of life. Rigor had not set in so hoping I was wrong, I started rubbing thier tiny bodies. One kitten finally gasped. I had my son run him in the house and start warming him up. We tried to revive the other three but Rigor started to set in and I knew it was to late. I later found another kitten at the bottom of a pile of hay but rigor had already set in on her also. We beleive the female had one more but we could not find the body and suspect that it was eaten.
When I arrived in the house I took over care of the one that was trying to breath. I held him upside down and rubbed and sure enough out came the ....whatever you call that stuff they breathe when they are in the womb. He started really showing signs of life then and started rooting. We brought mama cat in and tried to get him to feed. He just did not have the strenth to attach to mama. The vet had me give him a quick dose of sugar water and then I went to the store and got kitten formula and a bottle. He took right to the bottle. Every time before we would feed we tried to get him to eat off of Padme but he just would not do it. Then finally tuesday morning he latched on to Padme and drank for about 15 minutes. I thought we finally had it. My son had the day out of school so he stayed with them that day. He said that the one time was the only time that he fed or that she would let him. She did not want to clean him and if he would latch on she would roll him off.
It was just to stressfull for the kitten, Padme and for us. I started taking him to work and feeding him exclusivly from the bottle. (he is so quiet I have been able to hide him under my desk for 2 weeks now.) When I took him to the vet the first monday he weighed 3 ounces. As of last tuesday he weighed 5.5 ounces. I will take him again today.
So that is his story. My husband has named him Smokey because he is grey and because he loves to sniff my husbands hands after he smokes. (I hate the name but if letting my hubby name him means I can keep him then Smokey it is.) So here are my fears and concerns. He was deprived of oxygen for who knows how long. Will he have brain damage? Are his eyes supposed to be that dark when they first open. They are almost black. He eats so much sometimes I think he is going to explode. Should I stop him? How can you test if they are deaf? Will he have low self esteem with the name smokey (just kidding).
Now that I have bombarded you with questions about my newborn. I need to let you know I have a 4th Cat that I have had for several years. His name is Luke Skywalker. He is grey and black stiped but is stripes are wild. They don't follow a regular pattern so he kinda looks like a jugsaw puzzle. He was a ferral kitten. The vet thinks he is part siamese. He his big about 15 pounds but not fat. and his face reminds you of egypt. there is black around his eyes like mascara and then a black line from the tip of both eyes back towards his ears. I wish I could show you a picture but that will take more computer knowledge than I have currently. OH I forgot to tell you. Padme and Ani and Black and white. They look like Paint horses. Ani is beautiful and Padme is kinda homely but I love them all. Along with my two horses and three dogs.
Wow that was long. Hope I didn't bore you to death but I love telling about my animals. Especially my little fighter Smokey.
Di.
