Congrats! What precious and adorable kittens, and Camo is beautiful enjoy all of them,please post more pics.
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Semi-feral pregnant cat -- catch her now or wait?
- Thread starter Cataria
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Aww, congratulations! All so sweet!
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Congrats Grandma! Your family sure grew in a hurry!
Thank you so much for the pics! I would expect a brand new Grandma to have a strong urge to show off the kids.
There is a very willing audience here.
Myself, I would either start a savings account strictly for vet bills, or, if you have the credit score, find out what credit cards are available. I'm talking about the cards that offer 0% for so many many months, I've seen 15 to 21 months out there. After the vet bills come in, figure out a monthly payment you can do every month for the time period. Easier to make regular payments.
As soon as the kids are weaned, get mommy spayed. Outside she could get pregnant while nursing, but since that is not a concern you can wait. It is perfectly safe to spay/neuter at 8 weeks, but that is mostly for TNR colonies, so many. I'm an old lady but I feel more secure waiting a little longer. Maybe boys, starting at 3 or 4 months. Neutering is so much easier, not so invasive. Then the girls right after. Since they will be inside there is no danger from Toms.
Catch your breath and enjoy, they grow up in the blink of an eye!
Kittens should stay with mommy and siblings until 12 weeks, for sure. They may not nurse anymore but that's when they learn how to play without being too rough. Learn how to be cats. If you find good people you can always hold the kitten until ready, give the new owners time to make sure they have everything. If you do not, personally, know the people, get references and check them before baby goes. Their vet is a great reference, if they don't have one it gives them (new owners) time to check out vets and get a good one. A home visit would really help, you should have a friend with you, just to be safe.
Now enjoy!
(didn't see any kittens)
Thank you so much for the pics! I would expect a brand new Grandma to have a strong urge to show off the kids.
There is a very willing audience here.
Myself, I would either start a savings account strictly for vet bills, or, if you have the credit score, find out what credit cards are available. I'm talking about the cards that offer 0% for so many many months, I've seen 15 to 21 months out there. After the vet bills come in, figure out a monthly payment you can do every month for the time period. Easier to make regular payments.
As soon as the kids are weaned, get mommy spayed. Outside she could get pregnant while nursing, but since that is not a concern you can wait. It is perfectly safe to spay/neuter at 8 weeks, but that is mostly for TNR colonies, so many. I'm an old lady but I feel more secure waiting a little longer. Maybe boys, starting at 3 or 4 months. Neutering is so much easier, not so invasive. Then the girls right after. Since they will be inside there is no danger from Toms.
Catch your breath and enjoy, they grow up in the blink of an eye!
Kittens should stay with mommy and siblings until 12 weeks, for sure. They may not nurse anymore but that's when they learn how to play without being too rough. Learn how to be cats. If you find good people you can always hold the kitten until ready, give the new owners time to make sure they have everything. If you do not, personally, know the people, get references and check them before baby goes. Their vet is a great reference, if they don't have one it gives them (new owners) time to check out vets and get a good one. A home visit would really help, you should have a friend with you, just to be safe.
Now enjoy!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #44
Thanks! Didn't even think about taking advantage of those deals on new cards, I will look into that! And great rehoming advice, I'll keep ahold of that.
Here's my kitten weights for the morning!
Tortie: 4.9 (from 4.4)
Gray/white: 4.8 (from 4.1)
Brown tabby: 3.8 (from 3.1)
Cream/white: 4.8 (from 4.2)
Gray calico: 4.4 (from 4.1)
Black/ white: 4.0 (from 3.6)
Here's my kitten weights for the morning!
Tortie: 4.9 (from 4.4)
Gray/white: 4.8 (from 4.1)
Brown tabby: 3.8 (from 3.1)
Cream/white: 4.8 (from 4.2)
Gray calico: 4.4 (from 4.1)
Black/ white: 4.0 (from 3.6)
Terrific! All gaining.
They're doing great! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Gorgeous little family you have there! Check around with your area vet, or your county Veterinarian's Association. There might be a vet who gives litter discounts in some form or another. I had one in Tennessee who would see the entire litter for the charge of one office visit (although meds were charged seperately, and offered a discount for spay/neuter of the entire litter at once.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #48
More kitten pictures!
Good idea! I will check will my own vet at least tomorrow. Speaking of which, I realized I overlooked something important... Kismet is getting a spay tomorrow, and Nenya has a check-up when I go and pick up Kismet, and especially since Kismet is having surgery, I want to use two carriers. Problem is, I only have two carriers, and Camo decided to have her kittens in one. Oops! Time for creative solutions tomorrow morning, LOL.
Good idea! I will check will my own vet at least tomorrow. Speaking of which, I realized I overlooked something important... Kismet is getting a spay tomorrow, and Nenya has a check-up when I go and pick up Kismet, and especially since Kismet is having surgery, I want to use two carriers. Problem is, I only have two carriers, and Camo decided to have her kittens in one. Oops! Time for creative solutions tomorrow morning, LOL.
Good luck with everything at the vet's office today! Let us know how it all goes! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
Thanks, I will! I just dropped off Kismet this morning for her spay.
Although something the vet said upset me this morning -- I know I am being incredibly oversensitive about this, but I could use some help rationalizing this out so I know what to say and to stop feeling so offended/paranoid when I'm sure they didn't mean it this way. I had four cats, after Camo, five. People are constantly commenting to me about how that's too many cats and no, I can't take in another cat because I already have that many, yadda yadda yadda. But outside of the rising costs, having five cats has been zero issue. I have two Litter Robots and only need to empty out the tray underneath about once a week. I have automatic cat feeders. I have several cat fountains. My house has two floors, and attic, and a basement and they usually have free roam of all of it (not the attic, currently, since Camo and the kittens are up there), so they have a lot of space to roam around. I think I have spent more money on cat furniture than actual furniture, LOL. I have a Roomba that does a great job of picking up cat hair, and a Dyson for everything the Roomba can't get. I do this because my cats are my number one priority, and taking care of them gives me a lot of enjoyment. Cats aren't the only thing in my life; I have a horse/take riding lessons, I like programming, I like to travel... and cats are great, and my set-up with my cats is great, because food/water/litterbox wise, they are very self-sufficient for several days at a time, and I can just enjoy them. Much, much less work than actual children!
Anyway, when I asked the vet about if they had discounts for litter spaying, they asked if I was keeping all of the kittens. I am going to try to find some of them homes, but I am okay with being prepared for having to take them all in. When I said there were six kittens, she looked horrified, and said she'd look into finding them homes for me.
And... she's trying to help. I get that. But what if I decided I did want to keep them? For a lot of people, 11 cats would be a huge, huge deal because apparently, to a lot of people, having 5 cats is a huge deal. Yes, maybe 11 cats would be an utter disaster and completely throw off my careful organization of cat care. Maybe they won't all get along. If that happens, I'm sure I will figure that out in a few weeks when they are old enough to roam around the house, but I'm not going to know that while they are 2 days old. I don't have an abstract, hard limit of how many is "too many" because it's situational to the cats' behavior and my finances.
Me keeping them all is definitely NOT a foregone conclusion -- I have had a couple of people comment that they are interested in a kitten, but I'm not sure how serious they are or if they would provide good homes yet (i.e. no declawing, won't make them outdoor cats). And for friends or friends-of-friends that I trust, I am willing to travel a long distance to get them to a good home -- I can and have driven fourteen hours twice to take cats to a home that I found them several states away. I want them to have homes that are as good as or better than what I can provide them. I don't want them going to a shelter 1) I want to be 100% sure they have a good home, and 2) I don't want to take homes away from shelter cats. I'm not sure what kind of help the vet is offering, and I really need to ask, but I am not sure what to say if it is not satisfactory to what I want, and I don't want the decision taken away from me. Also, I don't know how many kittens, if any, I want to keep myself.
I guess... what would happen if I did tell the vet I was keeping them all, or even if I was going to keep a couple? I have verified there are no ordinances where I live on number of a cats -- only cat-related things are "must have rabies shots" and "outdoor cats must have collar and tags." But I have had so many people tell me "don't tell anyone you have 4/5 cats or they will take them from you," which I hate, because 1) I love my cats and don't appreciate being told that I can't talk about them, 2) I take very good care of my cats, which the vets can see during their check-ups. But I have heard of people who have given pets good homes (not animal hoarders) having them taking away for having too many, and I'm just afraid of that, I guess? Just because there are no laws against it doesn't mean I'm necessarily protected.
Am I just getting offended/overly paranoid for nothing? Could really use the perspective from some actual "cat people."
Although something the vet said upset me this morning -- I know I am being incredibly oversensitive about this, but I could use some help rationalizing this out so I know what to say and to stop feeling so offended/paranoid when I'm sure they didn't mean it this way. I had four cats, after Camo, five. People are constantly commenting to me about how that's too many cats and no, I can't take in another cat because I already have that many, yadda yadda yadda. But outside of the rising costs, having five cats has been zero issue. I have two Litter Robots and only need to empty out the tray underneath about once a week. I have automatic cat feeders. I have several cat fountains. My house has two floors, and attic, and a basement and they usually have free roam of all of it (not the attic, currently, since Camo and the kittens are up there), so they have a lot of space to roam around. I think I have spent more money on cat furniture than actual furniture, LOL. I have a Roomba that does a great job of picking up cat hair, and a Dyson for everything the Roomba can't get. I do this because my cats are my number one priority, and taking care of them gives me a lot of enjoyment. Cats aren't the only thing in my life; I have a horse/take riding lessons, I like programming, I like to travel... and cats are great, and my set-up with my cats is great, because food/water/litterbox wise, they are very self-sufficient for several days at a time, and I can just enjoy them. Much, much less work than actual children!
Anyway, when I asked the vet about if they had discounts for litter spaying, they asked if I was keeping all of the kittens. I am going to try to find some of them homes, but I am okay with being prepared for having to take them all in. When I said there were six kittens, she looked horrified, and said she'd look into finding them homes for me.
And... she's trying to help. I get that. But what if I decided I did want to keep them? For a lot of people, 11 cats would be a huge, huge deal because apparently, to a lot of people, having 5 cats is a huge deal. Yes, maybe 11 cats would be an utter disaster and completely throw off my careful organization of cat care. Maybe they won't all get along. If that happens, I'm sure I will figure that out in a few weeks when they are old enough to roam around the house, but I'm not going to know that while they are 2 days old. I don't have an abstract, hard limit of how many is "too many" because it's situational to the cats' behavior and my finances.
Me keeping them all is definitely NOT a foregone conclusion -- I have had a couple of people comment that they are interested in a kitten, but I'm not sure how serious they are or if they would provide good homes yet (i.e. no declawing, won't make them outdoor cats). And for friends or friends-of-friends that I trust, I am willing to travel a long distance to get them to a good home -- I can and have driven fourteen hours twice to take cats to a home that I found them several states away. I want them to have homes that are as good as or better than what I can provide them. I don't want them going to a shelter 1) I want to be 100% sure they have a good home, and 2) I don't want to take homes away from shelter cats. I'm not sure what kind of help the vet is offering, and I really need to ask, but I am not sure what to say if it is not satisfactory to what I want, and I don't want the decision taken away from me. Also, I don't know how many kittens, if any, I want to keep myself.
I guess... what would happen if I did tell the vet I was keeping them all, or even if I was going to keep a couple? I have verified there are no ordinances where I live on number of a cats -- only cat-related things are "must have rabies shots" and "outdoor cats must have collar and tags." But I have had so many people tell me "don't tell anyone you have 4/5 cats or they will take them from you," which I hate, because 1) I love my cats and don't appreciate being told that I can't talk about them, 2) I take very good care of my cats, which the vets can see during their check-ups. But I have heard of people who have given pets good homes (not animal hoarders) having them taking away for having too many, and I'm just afraid of that, I guess? Just because there are no laws against it doesn't mean I'm necessarily protected.
Am I just getting offended/overly paranoid for nothing? Could really use the perspective from some actual "cat people."
You sound a lot like me and my family! I currently have 6 cats and my parents have 4, plus two dogs. We also foster (I run a rescue), so there are always more cats around.
You are also a very well throughout owner!
I think the problems comes from people associating a "large" number of cats (which seems to be anything over 3) with hoarding situations. They immediately think of litter boxes all over the house, the smell and the filth.
Caring for 11 cats vs 4 will require more cleaning; but, to me, this is a personal choice and this doesn't seem to be an issue for you.
As for the vet, it's often unheard of for someone to want to keep and care for an entire litter of kittens, especially if there are cats already in the home. I would tell them that if you don't have homes for the kittens (which could very well be your home) when they are 6-8 weeks old (or whatever age) that you'd love to post pictures and have people contact YOU about adopting.
You are also a very well throughout owner!
I think the problems comes from people associating a "large" number of cats (which seems to be anything over 3) with hoarding situations. They immediately think of litter boxes all over the house, the smell and the filth.
Caring for 11 cats vs 4 will require more cleaning; but, to me, this is a personal choice and this doesn't seem to be an issue for you.
As for the vet, it's often unheard of for someone to want to keep and care for an entire litter of kittens, especially if there are cats already in the home. I would tell them that if you don't have homes for the kittens (which could very well be your home) when they are 6-8 weeks old (or whatever age) that you'd love to post pictures and have people contact YOU about adopting.
You've come to the right place! [emoji]128571[/emoji]
Many of us staff members and forum members have lots of cats, who we love dearly and take great care of. I myself have 5 cats. I took in a pregnant stray last winter, who had 4 kittens last March, and I kept them ALL! I had to put my last elderly kitty down last spring, which was the last of a group of cats I adopted (all strays) over a 5-year period earlier in my life. My high was 7 cats, and the oldest lived to be 21. All of my cats live long, happy lives. I love cats, and I'll have as many as I feel I can support and care for properly.
Yes, the vet folks mean well, and I'm sure their concerns are for the welfare of the cats. They should be happy that you are asking about discounts for services, instead of allowing them to live and breed unvaccinated and unfixed.
I just chuckle and let comments roll off my back because nothing is going to change regarding my cat situation. The people who want to tell you how many cats you should have clearly are not in the same league as we are!
Some people collect 100's of pairs of shoes. I don't see the point of tying up so much money in shoes, but I don't judge.
Whoever said something to you at the vet was out of line. You're a paying customer. Their job is to treat, not to judge. Try not to let it get to you. You're in good company! [emoji]128149[/emoji][emoji]128062[/emoji]
PS: You can politely decline their offer to find homes for your kittens!
Many of us staff members and forum members have lots of cats, who we love dearly and take great care of. I myself have 5 cats. I took in a pregnant stray last winter, who had 4 kittens last March, and I kept them ALL! I had to put my last elderly kitty down last spring, which was the last of a group of cats I adopted (all strays) over a 5-year period earlier in my life. My high was 7 cats, and the oldest lived to be 21. All of my cats live long, happy lives. I love cats, and I'll have as many as I feel I can support and care for properly.
Yes, the vet folks mean well, and I'm sure their concerns are for the welfare of the cats. They should be happy that you are asking about discounts for services, instead of allowing them to live and breed unvaccinated and unfixed.
I just chuckle and let comments roll off my back because nothing is going to change regarding my cat situation. The people who want to tell you how many cats you should have clearly are not in the same league as we are!
Some people collect 100's of pairs of shoes. I don't see the point of tying up so much money in shoes, but I don't judge.
Whoever said something to you at the vet was out of line. You're a paying customer. Their job is to treat, not to judge. Try not to let it get to you. You're in good company! [emoji]128149[/emoji][emoji]128062[/emoji]
PS: You can politely decline their offer to find homes for your kittens!
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I agree with Sarthur2, just let it go. Even though you have it together regarding caring for your cats many don't. I've been in the vet's office when people are scrambling, trying to figure out how to get money together for an emergency visit. Like shelter workers and volunteers they see the worst side of pet owners. I think the fact that they are willing to help you find homes for the kittens speaks volumes to their commitment of animal care. That doesn't mean you have to take them up on it.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #54
Thanks all, that helps a lot. It's really awesome to hear from people whose first response isn't that I am completely out of my mind.
Vet called and said Kismet's spay went well, so that is a huge relief! I'm looking forward to picking her up in a few hours.
Also, I just realized that I was such a scatterbrain when I left the vet office, I forgot to ask for Kismet's carrier back. I guess I'm going carrier shopping this afternoon so I can get Nenya to her appointment. Probably for the best, I should get a third carrier anyway.
Kittens are doing good, all of them are still gaining weight.
Vet called and said Kismet's spay went well, so that is a huge relief! I'm looking forward to picking her up in a few hours.
Also, I just realized that I was such a scatterbrain when I left the vet office, I forgot to ask for Kismet's carrier back. I guess I'm going carrier shopping this afternoon so I can get Nenya to her appointment. Probably for the best, I should get a third carrier anyway.
Kittens are doing good, all of them are still gaining weight.
I love the suggestion of asking if you could post pictures and have prospective adopters call you for screening. AND I would reiterate to the vet that the reason you want to spay/neuter the entire litter is because you do NOT have hoarder instincts, and you do NOT want to part and parcel of cat over-population, and that your financial status allows you to keep up with wellness checks and vaccinations. That should allay her fears. I'd laugh a lot about how you have cat care and housekeeping down to a fine art. Somehow, that laughing admittance that it does take a bit of doing, but that you do it well, seems to calm a lot of folks down.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #56
Thanks all. Went to my second appointment and it turns was a vet tech, not one of the actual veterinarians I talked to this morning (they've gotten some new people and I don't know them all yet), and the vet tech says they have to check with the owner before they can give me any more info about what they were talking earlier. Hopefully I will get to talk to the owner directly since I know and get along with her pretty well -- she was the emergency vet on call when I discovered Kismet's maggot infestation. Let it be known that picking maggots squirming out of a one week old kitten's eye and butt together with your vet at 9 PM is a great bonding experience.
Anyway, Nenya got her shots, and Kismet is super drugged and happy, so that's all good.
Back to Camo! Should I limit how much food she is eating at all? I have been free-feeding her dry Royal Canin kitten food and supplementing with 5.5 oz cans of Friskies filets. I don't currently know how much dry food she is eating although the amount in the bowl is visibly going down, but she is happily chowing down two cans of 5.5 oz Friskies, which seems like a crazy amount! I know nursing cats need to eat more, but I don't want her to end up with weight problems. If she cooperates, I am going to try to get a weight on her later so I can keep track, and I'm going to start weighing the food bowl.
Anyway, Nenya got her shots, and Kismet is super drugged and happy, so that's all good.
Back to Camo! Should I limit how much food she is eating at all? I have been free-feeding her dry Royal Canin kitten food and supplementing with 5.5 oz cans of Friskies filets. I don't currently know how much dry food she is eating although the amount in the bowl is visibly going down, but she is happily chowing down two cans of 5.5 oz Friskies, which seems like a crazy amount! I know nursing cats need to eat more, but I don't want her to end up with weight problems. If she cooperates, I am going to try to get a weight on her later so I can keep track, and I'm going to start weighing the food bowl.
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Is she gaining weight? If she is, then cutting back is in order. If not, it's not recommended to cut her back while nursing. Their appetite usually decreases when the milk production lessens and kittens nurse less. Getting her weight is a good idea. I've found that my cats gain weight after spaying, but not before. Spaying seems to slow down the metabolism.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #58
Hey all! I have been trying to sex the kittens, and I have a strong suspicion 5 of the 6 are female. Sanity check?
The tortie and calico aren't posted because they are obvious.
And here's the male (cream and white) for comparison:
Pictures of the front ends to come shortly!
Sanity check?The tortie and calico aren't posted because they are obvious.
And here's the male (cream and white) for comparison:
Pictures of the front ends to come shortly!
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I'm not sure the third photo is a girl, but it's hard to tell from that picture. I agree with all the others!
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- #60
