Kitten with harelip?

[jcat]

Timmi and his sisters were born two weeks ago tomorrow, so I thought I'd post an update. Timmi is doing very well - he has tripled his birth weight, and is opening his eyes, though not all the time, and they're not too focused. He's supposed to get milk replacer for at least another two weeks, and then a mixture of KMR and "kitten flakes", i.e., a sort of gruel. Joachim is going to adopt Timmi and his momma, who has been christened "Struppi", when the time comes. Timmi's sisters are going to go and live with one of my students and her boyfriend, and have been named "Romy" and "Sissi" (Romy Schneider was a German actress who played the Austrian Empress Elisabeth, nicknamed "Sissi", in a number of films). F., who'll graduate in July, and her boyfriend are moving in together this Saturday, and both grew up with cats and want their own "fur babies". They met Romy and Sissi yesterday afternoon, and F. told me today that they definitely are taking them, and have already paid the adoption fee. She's now looking into ways to secure their balcony (they've bought a third-floor condo).
Timmi is still being bottle fed, but the schedule has been changed - every three hours at night, and every two and a half hours during the day, when somebody is always present at the shelter. He's still suckling, or at least trying to.
Please keep your fingers crossed that the kittens continue to thrive!

 

[pat]

Good to see an update, keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[xocats]

Your story about Timmi, his Mother, sisters & all the of the wonderful humans who are caring for them, has touched my heart.

I read your whole thread from your first post to the last.
If you & the people who are caring for little Timmi are any example...there is hope for the human race.

My fingers are crossed.

 

[jcat]

Thanks for the crossed fingers. Somehow I think the "Great Cat in the Sky" is holding her paw over these kittens, since they've already got homes waiting for them. F.'s cousin and his wife live right around the corner from me, and his wife is one of the shelter volunteers. Since F. had heard about Timmi from both U. and me, she figured she was "meant" to take the kittens. Her boyfriend was more in favor of taking kittens who are going to be ready for a new home earlier, and there are several at the shelter, but apparently has also fallen in love with Timmi's sisters.

 

[captainoftheark]

Originally Posted by jcat

Has anybody here had any experience with hare-lipped kittens? Our shelter took in a very young (probably under 6 months, according to the vet) pregnant cat two weeks ago, and she gave birth to three kittens on Wednesday. Anyway, one kitten has a harelip (no cleft palate, as far as we can see), and is having a little bit of trouble suckling, and so is also getting extra bottle feedings. I called three area vets this afternoon to ask about him (or her, we can't quite tell, but we think a male), and none of them have had any experience with harelipped cats, though one vet said she had a dog with a harelip as a patient, but that nothing has ever been done about it. I'll call an animal clinic I'm fairly sure can deal with it on Monday. My question is: Is this something that has to be "repaired" ASAP? I can't imagine anything being done when the kitten is so young and tiny. Is such an operation done once the kitten is a few months old? Is there anything other than extra bottle feedings that we can do to help? I'm saying bottle feedings, but actually we're (I've got the 6 a.m. feeding) using an eye dropper. A syringe is simply too big at this point, and he really has trouble sucking. We're holding him upright, and squeezing a few drops of KMR into his mouth at a time. I looked inside his mouth, and his palate seems to be intact, and he has no trouble swallowing. Momma cat seems anxious, but isn't rejecting him. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi there. I'm new to this forum but I also have a "hare lip" kitten, although she's growing up so quickly! She'll be a year old on June 15th. She was at a local shelter where she was rescued when she was 6 weeks old, by a local rescue group. My daughter has fostered for and adopted from this group before. She asked if I wanted to foster a kitten. Yes, I said. She was given her first set of vaccines and dewormer and brought to us. She's a gray and black tabby. (I'm very partial to tabbies.) Her lip isn't as bad as some. She sort of doesn't have much of a whisker pad on the left side of her nose, but otherwise she's ok. Her vet said her palate seems fine and she's never had ANY problem eating! LOL However, the vet did say that with any birth defect, there may be something else congenital that develops down the line. We'll cross that bridge if we get there. For now, she's happy, healthy and playful like nobody's business! I had her fixed and finished up her vaccines and found her a loving forever home-with me!!! Yes, she's a foster fail! HAHA She's been accepted into the clowder. I now have 6-3 boys ages 16, 14 and 13; 3 girls ages 5, 11 months (that's her) and 10 months. Everyone's fine and the baby girls snuggle up to all the older ones for sleeping and grooming. One thing....my little "Hare-y" always looks like she's sneering! So cute! Take care of your little boy and enjoy him while you've got him.....[emoji]128049[/emoji]

 

[jcat]

Welcome to TCS! It does good to hear that the special kitties like these find good forever homes, too, and thrive!