Possibly Abandoned Kittens

Morf

A young female stray that has been hanging around our area quite a while had kittens recently. I didn't know where until today. She brought one and left it on the back doorstep today. I made a makeshift bed for both of them in the shed. The thing is that there are 3 more kittens two gardens away of the same age/size as the kitten that would seem to be from the same litter but the stray just seems to be ignoring them.

They are between a quite high (5') boundary wall and another wall. The gap is about 10" wide and it's quite sheltered. Should I just leave them be or at what point should I try (with great difficulty) to move them?

That cat is currently in my shed nursing one kitten and I haven't seen it make any effort to bring the others across since it brought one over earlier this evening.

Victor

Morf wrote: »

That cat is currently in my shed nursing one kitten and I haven't seen it make any effort to bring the others across since it brought one over earlier this evening.

I'm sure she'll move them in her own good time.

Perhaps leave her some water, but not necessarily food.

Morf

She's been eating my two female (spayed) cats' food for quite a while.

She's quite comfortable being around the place. It's not her or the single kitten I'm worried about.

anniehoo

Leave her for another 24hrs max. Queens will move the strongest kitten first and come back for the rest (if she feels they'll make it). Unfortunately, this happens ALL the time with strays/wild animals and so many weaker kittens perish for a number of reasons: fading kitten syndrome,young mother that's clueless,killed by tomcat,queen with no milk,hypothermia or just pure abandonment if she knows they wont make it.That's feral life.

Give her a chance first to get settled and then decide what you want to do. Wild animals have a natural instinct that seems weird to us but sometimes we just have to sit it out for as long as we can bear it and let nature take its course. Then,if you're willing to rescue those kittens and bring them to a vet and/or handrear them yourself let us know...give her 24 hrs though

Morf

I managed with help to rescue the three kittens. They were in a very bad state. Wet, cold and very dehydrated. Dried them, warmed them up and gave them a little cows milk with a dropper.

Then to my surprise the mother allowed them to suckle. They all seem to be doing much better now thankfully.

SillyMangoX

Just for future reference cows milk = no no for kittens. Even though I know you were trying to do good, it can cause severe diarrhoea and actually make their dehydration worse. If you were to give them anything, water would be good unless you can get to a vet/pet shop and get some kitten milk formula. Might be a good idea to get a pack of it to have handy in case mother cat goes missing! But fair play for trying your best for them, so many people would just walk away!

Morf

One of them has died. It was the weakest. It was separated from the other two abandoned ones and I don't think it fed much since yesterday. The one she didn't abandon is doing fine. One seems ok and another I'm quite worried about. Trying to encourage it to suckle as much as possible. Will try to get kitten formula from the vets tomorrow to hand feed it.

SillyMangoX

If you think the other kitten is in a very bad state and hasn't fed, try giving it a sugar/water mixture to get it through the night until you can get formula as if it hasn't been suckling it's glucose is probably very low. Try 1tsp for normal sugar in roughly 30mls of lukewarm water. Only give a few drops of this though as again it may cause diarrhoea, just give enough to get a bit of energy into the kitten. And if you can't get any replacement formula, see if you can get goats milk tonight as it would be easier on the kittens tummy than cows milk. Just warm it up a bit and syringe it into his mouth. Oh and also, make sure the kitten is warm before you attempt to feed it, if you feed a cold kitten they can die unfortunately. If you think he's cold, try placing him under your tshirt against your skin (fastest way) or if you aren't comfortable with that, a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel would help. Feel the kitties ears and gums to get an idea of how warm he is.

How old would you reckon the kittens are? If you aren't too sure, post a few pictures and people here might be able to judge. Hope everything works out!

christmas2012

hope they make it

Morf

These are the two kittens. The mother isn't allowing them to suckle. I'm not sure how well of a job she's doing with the other kitten i.e. encouraging it to pass urine/defecate but it's the least of my worries at the moment as it is suckling.

Is cat milk ok to give them as a temporary measure before I can get kitten formula? I don't think it has the lactose that cats find difficult to tolerate.

I've stimulated them both to urinate before their last feeding.

SillyMangoX

Oh my god the poor little puds must only be a week old, are their eyes open? If you are giving them cats milk id say you shoud dilute it as it is quite rich. They look like they have quite swollen bellies so when you are going to the vets to get formula bring them along too, id say they have a worm infestation. And at that age they cant regulate their own temp so make sure they have a nice warm hot water bottle!

Morf

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Oh my god the poor little puds must only be a week old, are their eyes open? If you are giving them cats milk id say you shoud dilute it as it is quite rich. They look like they have quite swollen bellies so when you are going to the vets to get formula bring them along too, id say they have a worm infestation. And at that age they cant regulate their own temp so make sure they have a nice warm hot water bottle!

Their eyes are beginning to open. I have them on top of a water bottle at the moment. One of them had a nice poo which I'm strangely pleased about.

SillyMangoX

If they are just starting to open they must be 1-2 weeks. Great news that their digestive systems are going, any sign of worms? Kittens that small can get over powered by an infestation, it would be worth checking because that may be why the other died. When we got my cats at 3-4 weeks old they were puking up worms but they are fine strong 3 year olds now!

Morf

SillyMangoX wrote: »

If they are just starting to open they must be 1-2 weeks. Great news that their digestive systems are going, any sign of worms? Kittens that small can get over powered by an infestation, it would be worth checking because that may be why the other died. When we got my cats at 3-4 weeks old they were puking up worms but they are fine strong 3 year olds now!

What would be the signs of worms? They seem to be far more comfortable since I've started stimulating them to urinate (understandably).

My going-on 1 year old cat seems huge in comparison. She's spayed and never had a litter herself. She isn't paying them much heed.

SillyMangoX

If you look at their poo there would be little spaghetti like strings, possibly moving, and they would have a pot belly. If you Google images of round worms in kittens you shoud get an idea if you arent squeamish

Morf

Without getting too close I had a good look through the stool with a cotton bud and I can't see worms.

I have the number for a lady in the local ISPCA who I'll ring in the morning. The vet that I usually deal with usually only has a clinic between 6 and 7 in the evening.

Morf

Another has died and it's not looking too good for the last.

The one the mother is looking after seems to be doing ok though.

Morf

I've just passed the last kitten on to a member of the local SPCA. Thanks to everyone for their advice.

I'll post some photos of the healthy kitten when its eyes are open.

Morf

The remaining kitten disappeared this morning. Not sure if the stray cat moved it or otherwise.

Morf

The missing kitten has returned with mum (who has been around a lot of the time since it disappeared).

Seems in reasonably good health. Should I be looking to have it vaccinated?

It was hissing at me a bit but seems reasonably calm now. It would be about 5 weeks old now.

It's very cute. I'm especially happy after Mischa ran away. I'll post a photo soon.

salsagal

Hi Morf,

firstly, well done for giving a s**t about the kittens in the first place!

afaik you'd need to have it vaccinated after about 8 weeks, it's a 2 part process, vaccine 1 happens then about 2-3 weeks later u go back for 2nd part.

The Blue Cross operates a mobile clinic which wouldn't cost u as much as the vet (I mention this, as you're going out of your way to look after strays).

Hope the surviving kitten thrives:-) Keep us posted.

Morf

There he/she is. I haven't checked the sex yet as it's still a bit uneasy around me.

It seems in pretty good health that I can see. The stray cat is nursing it in a bed in the middle of the kitchen floor right now. The stray cat isn't usually allowed in although I have been known to feed it cat treats in the kitchen.

There are a couple of toms around the area that I'm a little worried about. I can't really keep the kitten/mother in all the time (not that the mother has ever been an inside cat). The toms seem mostly content to eat my cats' food then wander off.

ferretone

Any chance you could whisk mammy in to the vet for a spay? She's probably pregnant already, tbh, but it's best to do if possible anyway, cute and all as the kittens would be, they'd be coming into a world where there are just too many, so spaying mum before they grow any further just makes sense.

Morf

ferretone wrote: »

Any chance you could whisk mammy in to the vet for a spay? She's probably pregnant already, tbh, but it's best to do if possible anyway, cute and all as the kittens would be, they'd be coming into a world where there are just too many, so spaying mum before they grow any further just makes sense.

Yeah that's certainly the plan. Should I wait until the kitten is weaned first?

Morf

Rosie (my niece insisted on naming her this) and kitten. Seems to be a girl from what I could see.

ferretone

Morf wrote: »

Yeah that's certainly the plan. Should I wait until the kitten is weaned first?

No need, and much better for any potential new kittens if you don't, you may even get ahead of the conception if you go now, tho I doubt it. The kitten should be eating some kitten food by now anyway, drinking for comfort almost as much as nutrition. Yeah it will probably moan while mamma is gone, just shut it in until she gets back. Ideally book her in ASAP. If they could spay her tomorrow, all the better.

Well done on this, by the way

Morf

I'll see about bringing it in this week and having the kitten checked over while I'm at it.

ferretone

Brilliant, that would be ideal

Morf

O hai! I can haz vaccinations?

Outkast_IRE

Morf i would just like to say well done, its not often you find someone good enough to try and help stray/feral cats , and you have done great, especially with regards to trying to get the mother spayed etc.

Honestly one of the nicest most genuine things i have had the pleasure of coming across in a long time. Well done.

Morf

I adore kittens. It wasn't really a hard decision. Thanks.

Morf

It seems our vet wont spay a cat until it has weaned the kittens. When is the best time to get a kitten vaccinated?

Morf

The stray (Rosie) is being spayed tomorrow and Bertie the remaining kitten is getting his vaccinations.