Normal To Care For 7 Spayed/neutered Kittens/cats At Once?

[FeebysOwner]

My neighbor has fostered/cared for cats and kittens for years. She is known well enough that people seek her out for help with strays/ferals and have even covertly dumped kittens on her doorstep.

Long story long (never can make them short), right now she has a mama cat and 6 kittens (two belong to mama, 4 others are one of the cases where someone dumped them on her doorstep - and mama took them on as her own). All the kittens are well socialized and crazy full of energy (of course) and play and play and play whenever they are not eating or sleeping.

The kittens are all around 11 weeks old and are due to be spayed (2) and neutered (4) along with mama next week. She plans on taking care of all of them after surgery - and of course after healing, all of them will be put up for adoption. She figures the kittens will be adopted pretty quickly, but will continue to take care of them all - including mama (1 1/2 to 2 yo) - for as long as it takes to get them adopted. She works with a local rescue center who also partners with a local PetSmart for food/supplies/medical care/etc. and that is where they will be adopted from.

After all that - my question is this: is it reasonable (maybe sane is a better word) to keep all of these kittens and mama together - in the same room - after surgery while they are healing?

She has the summer off from her job, so she will be more readily available, but she also has other cats to attend to at another location close by, so she won't be with them 24/7.

I can't do anything about it, but was hoping to hear this isn't as bad of an idea as it seems to me.

Thanks!

 

[verna davies]

A hard question to answer. My first thought was that they would all be subdued after the operation at the same time but then I realised that some bounce back quicker than others. Is it not possible to seperate them in different rooms or even the same room but restricted to several large cages. I would be concerned about the mama cat especially with all the kittens bothering her.

Hopefully someone with experience in this will reply.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am kind of with you on the mama being separated at a minimum. But, I do hope some experienced members will advise on this and if they would recommend separation - how/who to do it with. The 2 females together, 4 males together - I don't know?

I will appeal to her if I get some 'ammunition' from anyone on this site.

 

[CatLover49]

I am kind of with you on the mama being separated at a minimum. But, I do hope some experienced members will advise on this and if they would recommend separation - how/who to do it with. The 2 females together, 4 males together - I don't know?

I will appeal to her if I get some 'ammunition' from anyone on this site.

Wish I could help..Cause ya have really helped me with Snowball..but dont know much on that subject...

 

[CatLover49]

Wish I could help..Cause ya have really helped me with Snowball..but dont know much on that subject...

Just have experienced my boy getting fixed years ago..and it wasnt no other cats involved..

 

[verna davies]

As spaying is a bigger operation than neutering, I would put males together and females together. Its good that she's getting them all done , I hope it goes well.

 

[Kflowers]

Why would you want to separate mom from the kits? Together they will comfort each other after the trauma of going somewhere strange and being fixed. If you are concerned they might try to nurse, mom'll take care of that. Our mom and her kits and the addition we found all went in to be spayed and neutered at the same time. It never occurred to us to separate them, though I admit they were weaned by that point. Everyone was fine.

They came back really early due to some illness, as usual, going around the clinic, so they woke up together. Mom washed everyone's head. Everyone happy. It was easy enough to keep an eye on all of them. Within 8 hours they were acting as though nothing had happened and this was back when the spay incision was about three inches long.

Cats didn't get cones for this operation back then.

 

[FeebysOwner]

My bigger concern is about the playfulness of the kittens and whether or not going back to their usual non-stop playing is going to be an issue related to healing/incisions, especially the females - and, even more so for mama who is 'older'.

And, this caretaker will not be there - or even in the house where they are - all day/night long.

 

[Kflowers]

I see. I expect mom is still in charge and will smack the kits if they get too much for her. The kits have been playing with each other, right? So they're used to backing off it one says to. From what you said it sounds as though the caretaker will be checking on them. I'd think it would be distressing for the kittens to suddenly be without mom after going to a strange place.

If the vet keeps them for a day after the surgery they should be in pretty good shape. My guess is the rescue lady knows what to look for when she checks on them. It's even possible the vet put them in the same cage with mom so they could all wake up together. could you ask about that?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I totally get what you are saying. But, they still 'beat up on mama' (playfully) and she lets them. She is super tolerant. Although, most of them also groom her too!! It's so cute!

And, as far as playing, no one has stopped - no hissing, no swatting, maybe a few squeals here and there - and, I don't think that is even a protest as much as it is a 'dare' from one to another. They just run and jump each other, wrestle, tumble, then one goes running so they can be chased and then they pick up the 'battle' in another location. I know, not uncommon!!!

They will be picked up from the vet same day - so, they will more than likely all be together by the time they get their 'wits' about them.

Besides the fact that Feeby would not permit me, I could never be a foster and not end up in a mental facility!!

 

[Kflowers]

worrying is kind of you. If they hurt mom, she'll roll them off of her, time she was teaching manners. Remember most of the time now the spay incision is really small. More, if Mom is separated from the kits she will be frantic to get back to them. She might hurt herself more than they would just by trying to claw through the wall to get to them.

 

[Willowy]

I think it'll be fine to keep them all together. If the boys get too active for the girls , they can be separated. But I wouldn't separate them unless there's actually a problem. Stress can hinder healing so it's best to keep everything as normal as possible.

 

[Macntösh77]

My neighbor has fostered/cared for cats and kittens for years. She is known well enough that people seek her out for help with strays/ferals and have even covertly dumped kittens on her doorstep.

Long story long (never can make them short), right now she has a mama cat and 6 kittens (two belong to mama, 4 others are one of the cases where someone dumped them on her doorstep - and mama took them on as her own). All the kittens are well socialized and crazy full of energy (of course) and play and play and play whenever they are not eating or sleeping.

The kittens are all around 11 weeks old and are due to be spayed (2) and neutered (4) along with mama next week. She plans on taking care of all of them after surgery - and of course after healing, all of them will be put up for adoption. She figures the kittens will be adopted pretty quickly, but will continue to take care of them all - including mama (1 1/2 to 2 yo) - for as long as it takes to get them adopted. She works with a local rescue center who also partners with a local PetSmart for food/supplies/medical care/etc. and that is where they will be adopted from.

After all that - my question is this: is it reasonable (maybe sane is a better word) to keep all of these kittens and mama together - in the same room - after surgery while they are healing?

She has the summer off from her job, so she will be more readily available, but she also has other cats to attend to at another location close by, so she won't be with them 24/7.

I can't do anything about it, but was hoping to hear this isn't as bad of an idea as it seems to me.

Thanks!

II can tell you from personal experience as I have 7 cats exactly myself that ælmost 2 years ago when 5.were kittens just reached age to get fixed and the mamma and daddy barely 8 & 9 months old themselves all got fixed and all at once that it was no big deal in the end. I was fríghtened a bit and anxious and had friends with me to assist and all and I didnt need any of it in the end. There wae a little fogginess involved but only a first. When we got home they all went at their pace to my bed to be with me and comfortable. One, the÷ smallest of the babies was imbalanced once she got on the bed and fell off and I caight her / she still did go to land on feet. I took and got her some water and food and put some by bed for them all to not have to work too hard and they slept good and I stayed right there with them. The next day they woke and basically were normal, just went a little easy on themselves bc of stitches etc. But it was so minor an adjustment and temporary that it was as if nothing had changed. And if she has built a relationship at all with them so they are comfortable and relaxed and they have a happy place at home and she can read them well it will probably and hopefully be just as simple.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks! So, I am getting consensus that I am being a worry wart - as usual - and it is best to leave things in the hands of their caretaker and let them be together.

It is a good point about the stress as they heal. After all, they have been together since they were born - as far as all of them know anyway.

And, all will be separated shortly thereafter with the impending adoptions. , but good for all them to eventually have happy homes.

Such bittersweet times ahead...