Telling black kittens apart

julieh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
115
Purraise
4
Location
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I posted in a previous thread about my 5 black foster kittens and how it was impossible to tell them apart. I had marked their paws with a different color amrker hoping that would help but this morning - the markings had faded and we are back to not being able to tell them apart again !

help ! They are 5 days old today and all are doing well.

Here are some ideas and their problems. Maybe someone has a better one !

1- Marking their paws with different colored markers - colors faded. I even used "Sharpie permanent ink" cause I knew teh Crayola washables wouldn't hold. Neither did the Sharpies...
2- Tying a string around a back paw - either fell of or momma licked it of - either way it didn't stay on.
3- Tying a string around their tail - got licked off by mom while washing their butt.
4- Nail polish on toenails - smells pretty strong at first, this might work only I don't have 5 different colors... Kinda $$$
5- Tying a string around their neck like a little collar - I didn't try this because of the way they belly crawl. I am afraid one kitten will choke the other if he gets a claw or paw through his litter mates "collar". This will be better suited to when they are older.

I'm out of ideas and would like to keep track of their weight - any ideas for telling them apart ? Like I said, all black kittens (so color won't show up on their fur).

Thanks for any suggestinos !
Julie
 

arlyn

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
9,306
Purraise
50
Location
Needles, CA
Try medical paper tape around a back paw or tail?
The adhesive isn't strong enough to hurt them coming off.
It can be marked with a sharpie then.
 

mimosa

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
608
Purraise
37
Location
The Netherlands
No experience how it works, read it on a mailinglist somewhere:

You might clip a little patch of fur short on different areas of their bodies. If you are careful this won't hurt them, it will stay visible (until it grows back) and it'll disappear eventually.
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
I would do the nail polish again - even if you have only one color they have like 18 claws, I think. So do different combos on different paws!
 

paulena

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
1,112
Purraise
1
Location
In Kitty Heaven
The nail polish thing sounds like a very good idea.

I have two black cats, (liter mates) one male and one female. I could tell them apart by the color of their eyes. Black has green eyes and Katie has yellow eyes. Also, by the sound of their meow. Hubby still gets them confused as they have the very same markings, being a very small (I mean small) amount of white hair on their chest. I find it quiet easy to tell them apart. But that is only two, not five.

Best of luck!!

Paulena
 

beckiboo

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
7,382
Purraise
4
Location
Illinois, USA
Originally Posted by kluchetta

I would do the nail polish again - even if you have only one color they have like 18 claws, I think. So do different combos on different paws!
I agree, do a different paw on each kitty. Instead of pink and green, their names will be right hand and left foot! LOL!

I'm surprised the sharpie wore off, I have heard of that working. I do think you need to reapply it, but it should last at least a day or two
. Good luck in getting nail polish on babies, and letting it dry before it goes everywhere!
 

wookie130

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
2,313
Purraise
106
Location
an ice cube in Iowa...
I don't imagine their eyes have opened just yet.

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about telling them apart until there are more noticeable differences between them...like eye color, face shape, belly fur, etc.

Just me, though.
 

mimosa

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
608
Purraise
37
Location
The Netherlands
Originally Posted by wookie130

I don't imagine their eyes have opened just yet.

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about telling them apart until there are more noticeable differences between them...like eye color, face shape, belly fur, etc.

Just me, though.
She needs to be able to tell them apart because she can't keep track of each kittens weight otherwise.
 

ashleynicole

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Messages
1,503
Purraise
1
Location
Tennessee
I also think the nail polish sounds the best. Since there are 5 kittens I think you said, do one foot on each, and leave one kitten with no polish at all. Another idea is maybe getting some cheap ribbon and cheap velcro (the kind you can cut to the length you need) and making your own break away collars. I know you wouldn't be able to find any small enough, so you could make your own in different colors. And since they would fasten with the velcro, if it gets caught on another kittens (or moms) tooth, claw, etc. it will come apart. I'm not sure how expensive that would be, or how well it would work, but its an idea!
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
This would work for a short time. Try nipping the nails on different paws. Like #1 would have the right front nails nipped; #2 would have the left front nails nipped, etc. and the the 5th would have NO nails nipped.

Course that would only work if you checked and kept them nipped every few days.

The only other thing is to use the nail polish - ask your friends if they have a spare. I would not use string or anything they could choke on or get caught with (feet, etc.)
 

novarose21

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Messages
23
Purraise
2
Also, with my kittens i did a little dab of nail polish on the tip of there tail.
 
Top