Baby Kitty Panting ~ HELP PLEASE

harleejake · Feb 11, 2006

Please someone .... anyone who knows, help us. Story in the nutshell:

Miss Mama was dropped off in our strom drain a few months ago with her baby and she came to our lanai door. We let her in for safety purpose, as we live on a lake with alligators. Our property is a dumpsite for unwanted kittys. Pretty sad. Neighbors are mean to the strays and throw things at them, or try to trap and kill them. One man proudly told us that he hit Stokes (another drop off) "I hit him right in the head with a garbage can, that outta teach him to stay out of our yard!" WHAT AN A-HOLE. Well sadly, Stokes was attacked by a domestic cat and very injured.

SO back to Miss Mama. She had 5 kittens on Thursday night, (sadly, one died).

We have been able to socialize Miss Mama and can even pick her up and cuddle her now. She has not had her shots yet.

THE PROBLEM/CONCERN:

One baby is panting very heavy, like gasping for air and his/her cord has not come off yet. Tummy seems to be full and other than the panting, seems to be ok. Is this normal? The last time we took a kitten to the vet, they put it to sleep (or shall we call it what it really is?) DEATH. Do baby kittens usally do this? Baby does not do it all the time, just a few times but has us worried. Should we remove the cord with dental floss and sharp sizzors? Someone suggested that.

Thank you in advance for any help !

Julia (Florida)

Please email me:

[email protected]

gayef · Feb 11, 2006

Hi Julia,

When you say the cord is still attached, do you mean the placenta is still attached to the cord? If so, then yes, cut about an inch to an inch and a half away from the belly and dislodge the placenta. Wrap it up in tissue and flush it away. The cord will dry up and fall off on it's own when the time is right for that to happen, usually about a week to ten days old or so.

As for the panting, some kittens do - it really isn't panting although it looks like it sometimes. Kittens are born blind and deaf and associate everything by scent and feel. If you are approaching the nest and the kitten smells you, he may actually be hissing a warning at you. *grin* If you are hearing congestion or a rattle in the lungs then of course, that is different and will need medical attention.

harleejake · Feb 11, 2006

gayef said:
Hi Julia,

When you say the cord is still attached, do you mean the placenta is still attached to the cord? If so, then yes, cut about an inch to an inch and a half away from the belly and dislodge the placenta. Wrap it up in tissue and flush it away. The cord will dry up and fall off on it's own when the time is right for that to happen, usually about a week to ten days old or so.
QUOTE]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the fast reply! I know I am going to sound un-knowledgeable here (because I am) but when you say the placenta, is it close to the tummy or would it be hanging off the end of the cord? The cord is about 2-3 inches long but looks like it's drying up. All other babies have lost thier cords. I have not yet changed the original bedding that Mama delivered on, have just added clean towells to the top, which I'm sure was done backwards. I would like to replace the entire set up in there with a big, comfy sheep skin folded with the soft cotten for them to lay on. Do you think it's too early to do this? I have been taking the babies at least once a day and moving them to a corner in the closet they are in and put a thin dishtowell over them so Mama will come out to eat and poop. Mama seems fine with this, in fact she seems happy about the help.

Thanks again, you have made my day ... in fact possibly my entire week.

It has been very sad around here the past few weeks with Stokes having to be put to sleep from being attacked by a cat that broke through our lanai and then one of Mamas babies died. To top it all off, my son is in Georgia being trained to serve in the United States Airborne.

gayef · Feb 11, 2006

The placenta would be at the end of the cord farthest away from the belly and you would know it if it was still attached. Don't worry about this baby's cord, if it looks like it is drying up on it's own, it will fall off when it is ready to.

Change the bedding out now so it doesn't get too stinky ... Momma might be compelled to move the babies if the bedding gets smelly as her instinct will tell her that will bring predators (into your bedroom closet no less *grin*)

Sounds like everything is progressing normally - please keep us updated and of course, don't forget to get Momma spayed as soon as the babies are weaned. We love baby pictures too, so post some when you get a chance!

Best of luck and let us know if you have any other questions,

~gf~

harleejake · Feb 11, 2006

Thanks for all the help. I changed the bedding, which Mama was not too happy about at first because I moved her babes but she was very happy after (I think she even said 'thank you' with a little meow, or was it a hiss

). I assure you now that she is socialized, she will be going to Dr. 'Do It Now' and have a much less stressfull life. I just hope we can find a good, forever loving home for her away from alligators as she loves to be outside and we already have taken in 3 extra drop-offs to add to our original adopted babies who are now 9 years old. My husband says one more won't make a difference but Mama does not get along with 2 of our cats and screams at them whenever they walk near her outside the lanai screen. Than again, who knows, she may have a much calmer demeanor after being spayed.

I will post pics as soon as I figure it out. Hmmmmm ... maybe I'll try it now:

http://hometown.aol.com/harleejake/images/kittys1.jpg

beckiboo · Feb 11, 2006

How sweet that you took Mama in. I hope you can find her a new home. Condolences on the loss of one of her babies, and Stokes.

Is there a cat rescue near you that can help? Sounds like a bad situation for the outside cats!

momofmany · Feb 12, 2006

Originally Posted by Harleejake

My husband says one more won't make a difference but Mama does not get along with 2 of our cats and screams at them whenever they walk near her outside the lanai screen. Than again, who knows, she may have a much calmer demeanor after being spayed.

I will post pics as soon as I figure it out. Hmmmmm ... maybe I'll try it now:

http://hometown.aol.com/harleejake/images/kittys1.jpg

It is instinct for mom cats to protect their young. While she is screaming at your cats now, that may change once the kittens are older and adopted out. Don't judge her reaction right now to how she may be in the future.

Thank you for taking her in and caring for her!!

harleejake · Feb 13, 2006

Originally Posted by Beckiboo

How sweet that you took Mama in. I hope you can find her a new home. Condolences on the loss of one of her babies, and Stokes.

Is there a cat rescue near you that can help? Sounds like a bad situation for the outside cats!

Thank you Becki along with all who have responded to my Mama issues, along with the condolences for Baby abd Stokes. I'm so glad I found this site ... it's nice to feel not alone when trying to deal with turmoil. We buried baby under Stokies favorite Sago Palm in a pretty little flower box. Baby was clearly one of Stokes, so I like to think that Stokie has baby with him now. Stokes was such a lovey boy and the ER Clinic that KILLED him lied to us. He was another 'drop-off' and sadly the neighbors were being very abusive to him so my son and I coaxed him to our house with food and was nearly socialized enough to take in for shots and neuter. He had come such a long way when the attack happened (domestic cat broke through lanai screen). He will never be abused by anyone else

and although we will always miss him, we were at least able to give him a warm and loving place to call home for 3 months. He was very loved here.

YES, there are cat rescue places around but they are all filled up so it's up to us to find forever, loving homes to adopt the babies out to. They will not go for FREE because we do not want some idiot selling them to a lab for experimentation. As far as Mama goes, we hope to find a

home where she can also go outside and not be near water. She LOVES to be outside.

I have a question for you: How did you make the adorable picture insert in your post? I'd love to do one with all our fur babies but not sure where to start.

~ Julia (FL)

hedgysforever · Feb 13, 2006

I am sorry for your loss of baby kitty

and Stokes

,and i hope everything goes ok for your cat and her new babies

harleejake · Feb 13, 2006

Originally Posted by hedgysforever

I am sorry for your loss of baby kitty

and Stokes

,and i hope everything goes ok for your cat and her new babies

Thank You

Julia (FL)

beckiboo · Feb 13, 2006

There is a forum for people who make siggy's. I just PM'ed one of the people offering to make siggys, and sent my best pics of my furkids, and Icklemiss made it for me. If you want, you can make your own. Then you post it in User CP.

If you don't know what I am talking about, talk to someone on the siggy board, because I'm kinda new to this myself! LOL!

Here is a link to my post on the siggy board!
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77669

You might want to check back with the rescues. I was fostering for a rescue...so I got the fun of raising the kittens, and then took them to shows at Petsmart or Petco on saturdays, and they were adopted out. Maybe you could connect with a rescue as a foster family. The first cat I fostered was one I found. Then a few kittens I found were adopted out through my foster agency.

Best of luck with the cats and kittens. Once they all start getting spayed and neutered, life will settle down a lot!

Baby Kitty Panting ~ HELP PLEASE

harleejake

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gayef

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harleejake

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gayef

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harleejake

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beckiboo

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momofmany

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harleejake

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hedgysforever

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harleejake

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beckiboo

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