Advice on care of new kittens needed.

[dorymb]

Oh help! The kitten just lay there when I brought their afternoon meal. I picked her up and brought her over and she threw up and then had diarrhea. She is now laying by the water bowl (she took a sip) very listless while the others play around her. I am trying to contact the sanctuary. They did not call back yet.

 

[ondine]

I hate to tell you this but it sounds like she needs a vet ASAP.  Is there an emergency center you can take her to?  She is really sick and needs attention.

Vibes you are able to take her...

 

[msaimee]

I hope you are able to get her help today. Sending prayers your way.

 

[dorymb]

     Thanks for putting up with my saga. The little ones seem better today. I spoke to Sanctuary and they were not helpful. They don't want to take kittens until they are 8 weeks old. The sanctuary told me that the healthy kittens will go right to a cage in a pet store adoption area. The un-adoptable go into the shelter. I wish I could find them good homes.

     Then a friend hooked me up with a cat rescuer in Philly. she thinks Mom brought home something that made the kittens sick. This makes sense to me because the trouble started the morning I found the squirrel carcass in their shelter. I saw one of the feisty kittens throw up yesterday too. She also thinks Mom is hunting because she isn't getting enough food. I fed Mom an extra meal last night but she wasn't around this AM. I spent a nervous night, but all six kittens ate today. 

     The woman in Philly is going to try to get her vet friend to help with de-worming them and testing them. She'll call me today or tomorrow. She said she would have taken them, but she just got 4 kittens whose mother was beaten to death by neighborhood kids in Philly. She also said that sending kittens to a shelter is often a death sentence. Anyway, I'm keeping a close eye on them.  Thank you thank you thank you for comments and advice.

 

[msaimee]

I'm glad the sick kitten is doing better today. Young kittens can quickly become dangerously dehydrated when they're vomiting and having diarrhea--they don't have the resilience to bounce back from intestinal illnesses like older cats. When you give them their canned food, you can mix water into it to provide more hydration. I hope your vet friend can help these kittens out soon, and that she'll give you a break with the cost.  

It's wonderful how much you're doing to help these cats. I know how stressful it can be, especially when they're ill! We all have sagas to share because there are seldom dull moments when caring for ferals.

 

[feralvr]

OH dear..... I am sorry about all of the vomit and diarrhea. Such a worry, for sure. I wish and hope for the woman in Philly to come through for you and have another option for you other than the Sanctuary, whom see a bit unhelpful at the moment. I am sure they are overrun too. I don't have great advice for helping the kittens other than them seeing a vet.... so sending truckload of vibes that they make it through this setback and thrive. :cross:

Did you check out the Kitten Rescue link I posted earlier. Here it is again, just in case. as it may help you to care for the more sick kittens. :cross:
http://www.kitten-rescue.com/ AND THIS ONE: http://www.kittenrescue.org/index.php/cat-care/kitten-care-handbook/

 

[dorymb]

I am driving down to Philly tomorrow with the 6 kittens. Mom has taken off and I haven't seen her for 2 days. I put all six in my powder room for the night. The volunteer at PAWS arranged for me to get vet care for them. Shots, de-worming, feline l test, antibiotics if needed...the works. The two kittens who weigh only a pound each are eating and although very quiet, are alert. No throwing up today just diarrhea which I'm told is normal. The volunteer (who is a good friend of my good friend, ) thinks they just didn't get the nutrition they need from mom and that' swhy they are so small. The others weigh between 1.5 and 2.25 pounds. Unfortunately I gambled and lost the mom, but it is none too soon for the kittens because without mom they ventured out (climbing trees today) and it was only a matter of time before I'd lose them too.

I am going to set a trap in case mom comes back tonight and then I can take her too. They may just treat them and return them to me. The volunteer told me to act desperate and that maybe the director will relent and take them.

 

[ondine]

I am going to set a trap in case mom comes back tonight and then I can take her too. They may just treat them and return them to me. The volunteer told me to act desperate and that maybe the director will relent and take them.

As someone who rescues and is often faced with finding homes for kittens, please consider fostering them for the rescue.  I am sure the rescue is overwhelmed now and just a six or eight week commitment with these kittens would make a world of difference for them.  It will give them a chance to grow and get well and the rescue time to find them homes.  And you will have the satisfaction of knowing what a critical difference you made.

Also, if you trap mom and have her fixed, could you consider having her as an outside cat?  Providing food and shelter for her, just the minimums, will give her a decent life she will probably not get anywhere else.

Even if you can't do any of the above, kudos to you for stepping up here.  Too many people would have ignored the situation.  You've gone above and beyond for these kitties.

 

[feralvr]

You made the right decision by taking in the kittens and I have to agree with Ondine by asking if you could possibly foster them for PAWS for a couple of weeks till they are ready to go up for adoption? PAWS will help you and pay for whatever costs you may incur. IF your PAWS is like the PAWS near me, then they will gladly accept you as a foster. :nod: IF you can't, and I understand how difficult that can be, then you are still doing right by the kittens. You would not want to risk losing them either OR mom moving them away. Either way, I give you kudos too for what you have done. Ondine is right, too many people just look the other way. So thank you for your efforts. :bigthumb:

Sending loads of vibes that you are able to trap momma cat. She WILL be back in search of her kittens and now is the time to set that trap. I hope it works out. :cross:

 

[msaimee]

I hope you can keep the kittens for a while, too. Summer is the busiest time of year at shelters, with lots of kittens, and if yours are malnourished or require special attention, they may not get adopted. It would be great if you could keep them for another month and then try to find homes for them, or at that point give them to a shelter. I know caring for so many cats has probably been burdensome in terms of time, stress, and financial cost, but I suspect you really care about these kittens and I'm sure they see you as their human mother now and appreciate all you do for them.

I agree about keeping the mom cat as an outdoor cat. She would likely be found to be unadoptable and euthanized at the shelter because of her feral tendencies. I've been taking care of an outdoor feral cat for three years now. I provide him with daily food and a pet house on my porch during the winter months. When he's sick or injured, he gets antibiotics in his food. He does not want to come inside, and I accept this. He is happy with his life and my care for him, and we share a special bond. Your mama cat will likely develop a similar bond with you if you continue to feed her.   

Let us know how everything goes!

 

[dorymb]

Mom will definitely be welcome here if she returns. All spay/neuter programs here return the cat to you and I've always done that. I leave for 12 day vacation Friday and it was important that I find a good place for them ASAP. The vet at PAWS(Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) checked out all of them. They were negative for felv, all were deemed healthy except for round worms. they got treated for that and will be getting their shots. The shelter (PAWS) agreed to take them and told me they have an extensive network of foster moms. I was so impressed by their operation and reputation. I feel great about leaving them there. My brother went with me. He volunteered for a time recently with an area shelter and he was so impressed by this place. As I wrote in previous post, one of the foster moms who is very involved with PAWS arranged this for me (the PAWS vet is her good friend) and told me she would give me updates. I feel very fortunate and so relieved. I drove 1 1/2 hours to do this because I wasn't happy with the local alternatives. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and advice.

 

[ondine]

Wonderful!  Vibes that mom returns and that you are able to trap and spay her.

 

[feralvr]

Great to hear and I love PAWS - so you can feel confident that the kitten's will be well cared for and adopted out when ready. You did a great thing and the right thing seeing that you were leaving on a long vacation soon. for momma cat to return so that you can trap her. :cross:

Enjoy your trip and take good care.