Feral Kitties

[RainieCat]

Greetings everyone. So glad I found this forum. I have a few questions I have not been able to get answers for. Long story short, feral momma disappeared( yes we're sure) leaving two kittens yowling their heads off. Hubby put on long jeans, heavy boots and waded into the waist high vegetation with spiders and who knows what else to find them. I tried to save one of these feral cats last year and it was so sick from FIV our vet sent her home to kitty heaven. It is very prevalent with the feral's from this area.

Both hubby and I are allergic and we have a wolf husky that chases all critters off the half acre we own. Kitties are her specialty. So we don't have cats, but I just couldn't leave them there. So I brought them in, put them into a large plastic dog crate, bought all of the things I needed when I found no place or no one to take them. This was Wed afternoon. Watched videos, decided to de flea them with a soft safe kitten bath. OH MY GOSH. The warm water I gently spooned over them ran blood into the sink. They were just chewed up raw, bloody and scabby. The fleas were everywhere. I was prepared for the fleas and we got most of them but not their bloody little bodies. Broke my heart.

They appear to be around three weeks old. We got put on a waiting list at our local shelter but it will be two weeks to two months. NO ONE is taking kittens right now anywhere in my area.

Their eyes are clear, no crusty noses, lungs are good....really good!!!
they eat voraciously, just formula right now.

My dog is a basket case, hubby and I are exhausted ( we are in our mid sixties and lead a quiet life) Since I do not know how long I will have them we went to the tractor store and bought a nice large adorable chicken coop for them. We can always get some chickens for it later...Right??....Right??

Here is the link. I hope it is okay as I wanted you all to see which one and if you think we need to wait until they are older to put them it? It is very secure. They won't be able to get out.

Innovation Pet Deluxe Farm House Chicken Coop, Up to 8 Chickens - For Life Out Here



My questions are: When should we flea bathe them again?

When can we put them into the coop? They climb like little monkeys right now.
When do we start the baby can food? I purchased some already and I know to pour some formula over it when it's time.

My main concern is getting them outside as quickly as possible and keeping the fleas under control. Everything else we have covered even the petting and hugs but they don't really like it. They just want fed and then left alone. Not at all like the kittens we had when children. Yesterday before the flea bath black kitty weighed 7.5 ounces and the himmie weighed 9.5 ounces. They have one of Daphne's stuffed toys to sleep with. She was NOT a happy doggie having to share especially with CATS!!!.

Sorry for such a long post but I really want to help these babies meanwhile keeping myself, hubby and Daphne flea free, allergy free and happy too. They REALLY do need to go outside ASAP...We are in Tehama county n. California and it will be in the 108-123 degrees for the next three months but probably cooling down to 70-80's at night. The coop is in the shade of some large heavy trees and we can hose off the walkways to help cool it down or we can bring them in during the heat of the day but I don't want to bring in fleas if they are going to get them again just by being outside. Yes, we do have deer coming onto the terraces where they coop is along with possum, sometimes skunks etc. and the feral cats come up to drink from the bird baths too.
Thank you sooo much for any help. I've left word that the next time I try to bring home feral kittens/cats somebody shoot me!!!! Dealing with feral cats/kittens takes some really special people. I applaud you all.
RainieCat

 

[StefanZ]

Apparently you are doing nicely. What I dont understand fully, why the hurry to get them outside in the coop? Its because of your allergy? If so, cant you fight off the allergy in some other way? Apparently you do manage your dog...

Advantage II is the medical par preference to use against fleas. Otherwise its combing, changing of their bed - and new baths with some mild soap. Most people uses Dawn, but probably most others mild soaps are OK.
Be sure the kittens dont get chilled out, not during the bath nor afterwards.
Because you dont want fleas on kittens.

PS.. Diacetomeus earth, DE, is useful against fleas and other parasites and worms. Make sure its of food grade / human grade.

Himmi of 9,5Oz is a decent weigh, blackie on 7,5 is probably some underweigh - unless of naturally petite posture.

Kmr / goats milk as base yes. You can try to begin introduce them to more substantious foods already now - although normally its at least one or even two weeks early.

And yes, do proceed with socializing them. Handling them, carrying them. talk much with them Even if they arent fond of the handling. Make them like it!

Its nothing peculiar nobody wants them NOW. Its not difficult to adopt out nicely fostered kittens of adoptable age, ie 8-12 weeks, but the great majority dont want the trouble to save a weak, fleas ridden 3 weeks old, where they still must do all the work themselves... And most shelters dont have the resources, unless they do have fostering homes lined up.
BUT its not totally impossible to get such a shelter to agree YOU will be their fostering home, and they will help you with vets costs, and help adopt them out later on.
Because its not always money which is their limiting point, but its always the places as such.

Tx a lot for helping these two little siblings of our!


Please proceed with reporting and asking questions!

 

[ashade1]

Hello! Welcome to TCS! I really would not recommend putting the cats outside in a chicken coop... especially how you are describing the weather. It might be nice for them to go out and watch the birds for a couple of hours on a cool evening but not the entire day. You can get a topical flea treatment that will take care of the fleas. Can you post a picture of them so we can see how old they are?

 

[RainieCat]

Thanks for the replies, I am feeling much better about them. Yes the hurry is I can't breathe, they affect me terribly. Well, I stocked the coop with a new scratching carpeted thingy with a platform that butts right up against the inside second story coop area. They were all over trying out their little nails. Too cute.

I added a new litter box, the old one is still inside the bathroom in the kennel in case I have to bring them in during the heat of the day. They do seem much happier in the coop investigating and starting to play but they are pretty unsteady still. We have a heavily insulated small kennel with their momma stuffy in it and they like that. All in all if I only have to bring them in on hot days if they show stress then I think we will all manage. They both go nuts when they hear me walking or talking. Spoiled already and I do have to pick them up and talk to them...can't be helped. Maybe we can get on the foster list to help with the spay and neuter and costs to keep them.
I will just bring them in during the heat of the day...I promise. Here are some pics. As you can see it is pretty grotto like and very shady. I bought a roll of shadescreen this morning and we added it to the back side to help.

Mist is in the front, he always wants to be with me, Tinker Bell is in the background curled up sleeping off lunch. I will weigh them again probably tomorrow.

 

[RainieCat]

H ere are two better pics from this morning. Tinker Bell doesn't eat as much and today she weighed around 8.5 ounces and Mist 11.25 ounces. She gobbles her food then looks around to see she can get any from Tinkerbell. We have been bringing them in around 11:30-12.00 after feeding them and then putting them out to get the morning sun in the early morning. A cute little buck in full velvet heard them and walked over to the fence to see what all of the noise was about and to look at the new coop. We call him Bucky, he has stayed around for about a month now. We have fruit trees, water, greens and lots of high ground cover so he thinks he has a found a home.