Helpless Kitten Really Needs Vibes

I need to cry on someone's shoulder right now.

Eight days ago I adopted a kitten out to a family, the mother of which had been calling me on a regular basis, it seemed just to talk about this and that. I found this strange since they didn't take a kitten right away but I was always on the phone with the woman who told me about her health problems and life in general. They have several animals and were thinking about getting a pair, so I was to keep an eye out for a good pair for them.

I had a pair, so I called but then they didn't want a pair they wanted one single kitten. It was fairly late at night when the husband and boy arrived--they spent a good while here in the "kittery" playing with them. They selected a solid black kitten, the one in the picture below.

This was one of the kittens I had considered adopting myself, but I chose my two boys. She was such a good little kitten. Small, but fearless and sooooo affectionate. She had no problems at my house and I had her for well over a week, almost two. She was the last one of that group to be adopted, mainly because she is black.

The home she went to has three cats already, and many other animals of all types.

Today, I got a call from the man who adopted her. He wanted to return her, eight days later. Why? Because she has been pooping all over the house, even when the litter box is nearby. He told me how she has had diarreaha (sp?) "ever since he got her" and yet he also told me she poos in tiny little specks of stools which he finds all over the house. So I don't know for sure if she has the runs or what; the point was she is a defective kitten: can he exhange her?

Six times I suggested she needed to see a vet. Six times I told him the kitten had no trouble finding the litter box at my house. Even when I had her in my larger house, she found Pixel's litter box and used it. And she had never been outside the kitten room previously. So she isn't dumb to this. But clearly she is in some distress.

He told me he needed to take her in for her free removal of her stitches in a couple of days but he didn't know what the vet would charge to see her for this problem. That's when I begged off the phone call: I needed to calm down, and told him I would contact the program director and call back.

Before I relate what happened when I called back, I'm interested to hear how y'all would have handled this. I have every owner sign a statement that says the kittens can be exhanged within three days and they should be seen by a vet within ten days of adoption for their first check up.

I would have offered to take the cat off of him (not exchange it - maybe make up something about 'probably no problem, but since past the three day thing, have to check with program director, needs vet let me take her') and if not cooperating, I think I would have called spca or equivalent. Kitty could be in life threatening danger due to his apathy.

I've had a subsequent conversation with him. He is now in rescue mode and has told me that he's rescued two dogs of parva and cats of something else. When he says rescue I think that means home remedy, though, I'm not sure.

Also during this call he let me know how thin the kitten was when he got her. He mentioned being able to feel her ribs. Yep, she sure was tiny, I admitted. He told me the amazing thing about her is that since he got her she has gained weight. Do I think he is trying to tell me again I sold him a defective kitten; should I remind him he spent over a half hour at my home shopping the merchandise. I reminded him I would take her in for vet care, all he need do is bring her to me. He is considering it.

I weigh my kittens, by the way, since I have a postal scale and it's handy and I'm obsessive, and the kitten weighed 1.2 lbs when left.


There was also earlier discussion about how the one cat they have did not get along with the kitten at all. I reminded him about our conversation on how they might want to slowly integrate the kitten in with the rest of the animals, which they didn't do. I told him keeping the kitten in one small room for a week at least might also help the kitten to use the litter box, IF it wasn't a PHYSICAL problem she was dealing with. I can just imagine this little creature being under continual surveillance by a big threatening cat, with other animals running around, all the new smells, sounds, etc. Not to mention some needy humans, right?

I really want to go pick this kitten up.

What I can't figure out is how a 1 pound kitten has the runs for 8 days and still gains weight....I am suspecting this is a case of the other cats not getting along with the kitten, although then why would he want another one?

Originally Posted by Vik61

I really want to go pick this kitten up.

What I can't figure out is how a 1 pound kitten has the runs for 8 days and still gains weight....I am suspecting this is a case of the other cats not getting along with the kitten, although then why would he want another one?

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If there is any way you can - I would do it (go get her, I mean). She's in real danger. I would be surprised if she's gain weight - but I wouldn't be surprised if her tummy is rounded from something else, like bad gas, etc.

I was JUST thinking that very thought, Satai, thank you! I think typing this out has helped me a lot. This is the first problem call I've received.

I'm going to go get her--I'll even lie about giving them an exchange if I have to.

Originally Posted by Vik61

I was JUST thinking that very thought, Satai, thank you! I think typing this out has helped me a lot. This is the first problem call I've received.

I'm going to go get her--I'll even lie about giving them an exchange if I have to.

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This is the right thing to do - it may even be a matter of life and death.

Good for you for going to get her.

And if she's really sick, you can use his apathy and irresponsibily about taking her to the vet to renege on the exchange if you've said you can arrange one.

Make him go to kitten parenting classes if he wants one!

One possibility is that the older cats are eating her kitten food and getting diarrhea. My cats have been into the foster kittens food, and I think EVERYONE has diarrhea! Unless he has seen her go, it could be the others.

Either way, if you have a bad feeling about a kitty, go get her if you can. And since she is so tiny, she needs to be watched even closer!

P.S. I am totally impressed that your vet will spay a 1.2 pound kitten! Ours require them to be 2 pounds first, and some kittens are just tiny, but still need to be speutered!

Update, please?

Yes, update is that they took her to the VET!!! Well, they couldn't afford to have the tests run, but when they brought her in for her suture removal the vet saw her for free and I couldn't get the whole story but they bought antibiotics from him, (for $18). I got more information about the cost of things than anything else about her vet visit but thank god the vet is at least treating her, however half-assedly.

He couldn't tell them what it was, I guess, without tests. It WAS the vet where she was neutered and kept for awhile.

After hanging up with him the first night, to calm down. I called him back and told him that when I adopted her out to him it was with the assumption that he would feed, shelter care, and love her in every way, including paying for her bills: this is why we ask people to adopt kittens: because we cannot care for them all. So no, an exchange is not possible, and not fair to the kitten who could have been adopted by several other people who came to my home after he did, when he took her.

He did the thing I required him to do: take her to the vet. He also did what I suggested which is keep the kitten in one room for awhile, to get her back into the habit of using the litter box and to also give her a safe place away from the rest of the animals.

She is a little charmer and appears to be winning them over with her penchant for "kissing."

The household has three dogs, three other cats and a guinea pig. ONe of their cats has some kind of eye problem, he told me, and he was considering using some of the kitten's antibiotic on the other cat. I swore up and down on him not to do that. This has me still feeling edgy. But he had done the other things I suggested so I have to trust he won't mess up both felines by dividing the antibiotic.

Obviously, we don't screen out applicants for financial ability to care for these babies. I did what I could do, which was revamp the forms I have people sign, to include a statement that the kittens need to be seen by a vet within ten days.

I know we are neutering them very young. I think this is because of the huge need to get these kittens spayed/neutered BEFORE they go out. Just to be sure.

Sounds like if at all possible, the kitten needs to be taken back. just the thought of him using some of the kitten's antibiotic on another cat is a RED FLAG!!! instead of trying to educate these morons, it may be time to realize that the kitten's true owner should be someone else It's beginning to sound like a sort of foster-home hell

here are those {{{prayers and vibes}}} for the kitten - didn't want to mix them with the negativity of my former post She is SUCH a cutie She deserves a very wonderful home with caring, understanding people who will give her the opportunities to reach her potential

Originally Posted by catsknowme

Sounds like if at all possible, the kitten needs to be taken back. just the thought of him using some of the kitten's antibiotic on another cat is a RED FLAG!!! instead of trying to educate these morons, it may be time to realize that the kitten's true owner should be someone else

It's beginning to sound like a sort of foster-home hell

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I think so too.

He only took the kitten to the vet because he was effectively made to - one of the other cats needs a trip to the vet too but he didn't take her because he didn't feel he had to.

He isn't willing to care for them properly, and he's already neglecting his current cats. I don't think he's changing, just wary of his audience.

I know you guys are right. I need the vibes too. I'll be calling them every day for the next several days, and every other day after that, to be a general pain in the butt.

You couldn't be more right though, with a cat with a bad eye already--why would they even CONSIDER buying another cat?!~


I'm going to double check the story with the vet tomorrow and call the guy back to get the kitten back. I get money on the 3rd so I will buy her back.

Good for you.

Now, is there anything we can do to help the kitty with the eye infection?

Though I cannot imagine laying out $40 for a new kitten when my current cat needed help, the only thing to do would be pay for the cat's treatment.

And dang, I am paying for my two new kittens, their upcoming vet visit, his kitten, and now his cat's eye. On a fixed income, I cannot do this!!! I want to but then I want to cure the world of all kinds of things....

I will bug him about it though, Satai~

Originally Posted by Vik61

Though I cannot imagine laying out $40 for a new kitten when my current cat needed help, the only thing to do would be pay for the cat's treatment.

And dang, I am paying for my two new kittens, their upcoming vet visit, his kitten, and now his cat's eye. On a fixed income, I cannot do this!!! I want to but then I want to cure the world of all kinds of things....

I will bug him about it though, Satai~

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Oh, hon, that's not what I meant! I can imagine how hard it is - you could be as rich as Donald Trump and probably still not have enough to save all the cats in the world. And if you did, then what about the dogs, and ferrets, and zoo animals and circus animals, etc., etc., etc..... Our work is endless. The war is constant.

I was just wishing that pets were like kids - if he was neglecting his kids we could get social workers involved, hopefully not to remove them but to educate him and get him to face up to his responsibilities.

Are there any animal options near you like that? I think there might be in some parts of the States, but I'm not sure... it was just a thought (and a sad, wistful one, if I am to be completely honest).

Yes, I meant to reply to that earlier. I have asked around about the humane society doing something in a case like this and was told it was unlikely in this area.

Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and at least call and ask them to maybe send someone out to have a look at the whole situation. Of course he'll know it was me who called.... oh well.

I was sort of thinking out loud, Satai, and didn't take your comment as a strong suggestion to take care of this family's cats/pets. Sorry if I gave you that impression. This whole episode has taken me by surprise and thrown me for a loop. I feel badly for placing this animal in this situation. I feel responsible for getting it out now.