Adopted Kittens Exposed To Felv

[shesnothere]

Hello everyone,

Today, I adopted two kittens (roughly 9 mos. old) that had been surrendered to a local Humane Society. They were listed as Ragdoll/Ragamuffin however, staff is saying they could have some Himalayian genes, regardless they are adorable! Their previous home had roughly 11 cats all different ages there is suspicion with almost certainty that there has been inbreeding (of course) and they were exposed to FELV at that home. They tested negative for FELV and will get a second ELISA Snap test next week. Also, one of the kittens has gingivitis and I'm not sure what I should do for her e.g., wet food vs dry food for her? I know it will be about two weeks before I get them to a local vet. Right now they are under my sofa and hopefully they will come out and eat and use the litter box. I sure could use words of wisdom from all....

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from all!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! wet food mostly, I think. Goat milk might be a good addition possibly. Kibble if they'll eat it but I believe you want the majority of their feed to be canned. You could give that vet a call regarding specifics about the gingivitis.

As you may know they need to eat as much as they'll consume. You could start brushing the other kitten's teeth to try and avoid duplicate issues there.

Time, and patience is key here - let them come out on their own, sit on the floor and read to them, try a wand toy after a little while.

These might be helpful in a little while;
16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats
Playing With Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know

 

[abyeb]

This article gives some good information about gingivitis in cats: Gingivitis And Stomatitis In Cats

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS! And thank you for rescuing those kittens! It sounds like they have been through a lot so it is understandable that they are hiding. You can find good advice in the various threads i our Caring For Strays and Ferals forum as well as in the Behavior forum.
I am a big proponent of the passive companionship concept that Furballsmom recommended. Once they come out of hiding, you can encourage them to seek safety from an elevated position. Cat trees and shelves are good for that.
I would ask the shelter vet or the rescue's counselor about offering immune support with probiotics and L-lysine and CoQ10, especially for the gingivitis. You can also ask about B vitamins. Cats seem to do best on wet food but you can moisten their kibble as well. The gravy flavors tend to have more gluten as thickeners so I thin out the pate and feed a bit more often.
Please let us know how it is going! And here at TCS, we LOVE pics