I Found A Skinny Stray Who's Very Pregnant- Guidance Needed

[tikishenanigans]

Mama seemed antsy so after the babies are thier fill and started wrestling I figured we could try a out of nest box adventure. I had prepped an area blocked away from tiki and had a bunch of newly washed bathmats spread out, and the box that's been thier "den". I figured the babies would sleep (and they pretty much did) and mom could adventure and maybe play. But she's going inbetween laying in my lap and laying with them, and keeps chatting to me. She's got no clue about jingle balls although me moving them seems interesting. Babies think that jingle ball is fun to watch for a couple seconds before moving on to important baby cat business (I know theyre too small, but they've been following it when I move it.) So a shorter adventure that calmed mama down and gave us some good love time. She doesn't want to go without them, so this is my best compromise with her.

 

[tikishenanigans]

I'd have a thousand more but either a baby squirms or Mona's trying to be petted and it's just grey fur

 

[tikishenanigans]

Mama* now just time to describe everything so Tiki doesn't know what I was up to during his nap

 

[tikishenanigans]

*scrub. Jeeze my phone's not saying what I'm saying today

 

[kittens mom]

For some reason I have to download the pics to size them. they are beautiful. Is the one a little cream dilute tortie. The cat in my avatar was a blue cream dilute.
It's normal for mom to still be on duty.
Tera liked fuzzy things. My babies like jingle balls too. Followed the sound. I took early childhood development seriously. If you keep these Kits you have the opportunity to guide them and form the unique from birth bond with them. Your scent is imprinted on them.

 

[tikishenanigans]

I did two doses yesterday, and this morning Dot's eye look great. I don't know if I do anymore just in case? (And to prevent antibiotic resistant strains) I'm relieved it's doing better. I get way too worried about the little things (like if closed significantly more early on if her eyesight would develop off)

I'm not good at cat colors, there are so many factors, but I think so. Tiki was actually my first cat, my family had dogs growing up (along with parakeets, fish, hermit crabs...). My SO's family had cats. I worked a at a shelter and worked with and loved both, but Tiki was my first so I'm only about two years into being owned by a cat. Mama's cream and grey swirls for color with more grey on her back and more cream on her belly and has a whiter undercoat and white points? or whatever the term is accentuating her face and ears, along with the tabby stripes. I'm pretty sure Dot is mostly the same but with the lovely cream mark on her head. Solid isn't showing much cream color but still has the stripes and white on ears. They started out dark grey "meatballs" (I'm totally stealing that term) and they've come so far. The dad could be anything, but among those that use my yard as a dog free path there's a mostly white with a grey spot like her color that I think may be her parent if she's local and a brindle cat that are out often. I've also seen a black and white tux, two oranges and a long haired brindle a couple times, but it's hard to know who could be a neutered outdoor vs a feral living off the farmland. Then again since she could probably had a family there's a a lot more possibilities. I may start annoying neighbors with TNRing and catching up pets along with ferals. I feel like some of the neighbor's may to be contributing to the issue anyways so I'm not sure I mind bugging them. No kitty needs to be as skinny as mama was even not pregnant. My county doesn't have a program (it's mostly my neighborhood where I've noticed an issue, I know my parents neighborhood has no strays) and the others require you to be a resident there.

 

[kittens mom]

I'm not sure where the Meatball thing came from but steal away. Later they transform into wrecking balls.
I'd probably do two more treatments just to make sure the bacteria was cleared up. Bacteria becomes more resistant when you knock it back and then let it grow back ( My opinion ). Makes you feel a bit more confident getting through you first baby crisis.
My understanding is creams start solid and the markings appear.
My SIL is a major contributing factor as they hold some nonsense religious belief that S/N is altering gods creatures of something along that line because my brain can't follow that kind of reasoning. Our county charges a whole 15 dollars for a county license for an intact pet. There are several of us that are gong to start pushing that to match the Albuquerque Heart Ordinance of 150 for an intact pet per year. We now have two TNR groups and a foundation that provides vouchers for S/N. I feel like we're starting to progress here.

 

[Sarthur2]

The eyes begin to clear immediately, but you should treat for 5 days to make sure the bacteria is gone, as Kittens Mom said.

 

[kittens mom]

The eyes begin to clear immediately, but you should treat for 5 days to make sure the bacteria is gone, as Kittens Mom said.

Thanks for the time. 5 days sounds like a good idea.

 

[tikishenanigans]

ok, I figured it should be a while on the meds. Five days it is.
We don't have any cat licencing here. They just say they "encourage" cat and ferret owner to have rabies vaccines. Intact dogs are $15 and S/N is $7.50, service dogs are free. Not a whole lot of incentive.
So what would be early kitten development? Bright colors? Textures? I figured when older I'd make stuff like water part of playtime to make it not scary, but what are some things to start now?
I'm considering when I should start a bowl of KMR for the babies. Both have wondered what mom was eating and climbed part in her bowl, but they have a couple more days until 3 weeks old.

 

[kittens mom]

ok, I figured it should be a while on the meds. Five days it is.
We don't have any cat licencing here. They just say they "encourage" cat and ferret owner to have rabies vaccines. Intact dogs are $15 and S/N is $7.50, service dogs are free. Not a whole lot of incentive.
So what would be early kitten development? Bright colors? Textures? I figured when older I'd make stuff like water part of playtime to make it not scary, but what are some things to start now?
I'm considering when I should start a bowl of KMR for the babies. Both have wondered what mom was eating and climbed part in her bowl, but they have a couple more days until 3 weeks old.

Them being able to explore right now is important as it develops motor skills. The mama cat will do a lot of teaching. At 3.5 weeks it was up to us to teach Frog and Toad how climb, navigate things on the floor and feel secure. Now would be a good time to introduce things like scratchers. All of my cats LOVE tablet time. There are some great apps. We also supervise potty habits closely. Their range is only a few feet from a litter box in the beginning. Call them by name. Essentially you're laying the groundwork for what you want in your house pet later. We had/have an unfair advantage as our babies are raised in our homes from birth.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Those kittens are adorable. I'm so kittensmitten! But then, I always am. kittens mom , I canNOT decide if that baby is a dilute tortie or not, I keep second guessing myself. It'll be more apparent in a couple of weeks, wouldn't you think?

 

[tikishenanigans]

Babies are doing good. I think Mama(Nelly now) is starting to wean Dot(Layla). Either that or she's not gaining as much because she's running it all off. Today she figured out pawing balls makes them roll. Lots of fun. Solid(Owen) is just a cuddle bug. He's gained quite a bit more than Layla, but he's resting while she's attacking anything she can get her paws on. Layla's high baby voice also changed to a goat bleat noise. It seems like she's developing a lot faster than her brother. Still no signs of useing the litter or anything but nursing. It's so cute to see them getting better at running/climbing. Nelly (mama) is so tired of being attacked. And now that they can escape the nest she's not safe from them anywhere.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

They grow up in a flash, don't they?

 

[tikishenanigans]

Sorry about the lack of updates. It's been pretty hectic. My cousin got married yesterday and I'm making my sister's dress for her wedding later this year... Plus the babies are double trouble. They can run and scamper just like squirrels playing tag. It's so cute, but everything's blurry pictures, or a giant eye as they come to investigate the phone. I've expanded thier world with a level as Layla at least has eating big cat food and going to the litter box down (it took a couple trys to get peeing went in the box too,not just in front where mama sometimes gets litter) I haven't seen Owen eat or go in the box, but more baby poo appears than I expected from one kitten and he's growing just like Layla. Mama was in heaven for the five minutes before the babies figured out how to get her. I wish I had a better way to do more mama cat time alone, but she's not as easy to keep in a playpen to keep her smell from all of Tiki's house. He likes baby smells but hates mama cat smells.
Any tips on helping babies learn to burry poo? Mama cat just paws the sides of the box instead of covering and Layla's copying that. I'd like them to learn to cover.
Layla's trouble. If there's a kitten up to something we don't even have to ask each other which kitten anymore. She's pretty confident as her world keeps growing. Owen still prefers regular things, but he has to play attack sis and if she's over in new things he goes for her. Owen LOVES jingle balls, although Layla is the only one to pick them up. She tries to hold it up and grab the bell with her paws underneath. They also loved playing with a few cat things Tiki hasn't cared about in a while, like his cheese- a scratcher/play center thing that looks like a triangle of Swiss. Perfect holes for the twins to scamper through. Owen is my playtime alarm. Just before thier time (10-15 minutes at a time) is up, he climbs up to my chest and meows at my face that he's tired/hungry and has to go back right now. He's my little cuddle bug while Layla's my little adventurer.
Mama has some bigger health issues like her teeth where I'm not winning the fight to keep her. My SO's parents just had to put down thier old girl who had expensive teeth issues and he's still hurting over that. The babies are getting into his heart, so I still have hope there. I wish we'd been able to keep the least "rehomeable" of the three, but tiki and my guy are too against it. Hopefully I win with the babies. I can't imagine giving them up. This is why I'm not a foster, and why my love of my chinchillas didn't lead me to start a rescue/shelter for them, I can't let go. Working in a (thankfully no kill) shelter was much easier, I had favorites but they didn't worm thier way into my heart the same. I'm sure I missed something I meant to tell you guys, but the last week or so has been such a whirl.

 

[tikishenanigans]

Oh yeah, pictures. Dagnabbit they're all over 5mb again...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH MY GOODNESS! That tail sticking out of that cube SLAYS ME! I am so addicted to kitten tails! I do hope @hellomisskitty spots this thread!

 

[tikishenanigans]

Today was the best. Mama cat finally figured out playing with jingle balls and I got to see the young cat she is (1-2 years). She's had such a hard time just existing, so to see her happily chasing a ball, or grabbing it and trying to kick it with her back feet... I'm crying happy tears. She keeps trying to mom the babies and lick them if the land funny while scampering and they just try to escape her to keep playing.

 

[Sarthur2]

How rewarding to see her play!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

What a wonderful difference you have made in this cat's (AND her kittens') lives! Bless you for being a good and caring soul.