Took in these 2 little guys

JaMarcus Hustle

Hey folks,

Bit of advice needed.

We took in 2 strays yesterday (Friday). We found them outside my apartment in Dublin - they were wandering very close to a car park entrance and we were worried they'd get run over. We were out for hours looking for the mother, but couldn't find her anywhere, despite trying to coax her with Whiskas.

Anyway, here's the two little rugrats we've taken in - Newton and Darwin:





I'll take them to the vet on Tuesday to get them sorted out re: worming, vaccinations etc. and I guess knowing for sure what sex they are would also help!

I rehomed them today....to my family home in Kilkenny (plenty of green fields and less roads - I think they'll be much happier here!). It's surprisingly easy to smuggle kittens on Irish Rail, but that's another story.

Anyway, I've been feeding them warm Cat milk (lactose free) every 3 hours or so, and they lap it up - Darwin more so than Newton, but the latter is catching up! Afterwards, I encourage them to the pee/poop by holding them up and massaging their belly/anus with a warm, wet piece of tissue. They seem to really hate this, is this normal? It's doing the trick, although one of them hasn't pooped yet which is a concern, only peed.

I have them sleeping beside the stove on a bed of 2 hot water bottles which they seem very cosy. My only other concern is that we have a family dog - a little Westie - who is ridiculously excited to get to them. He was sniffing them earlier, and one of them took a swing at him. He then went to pull her about by the scruff of the neck / ear like he does with our regular cat, though she's a lot bigger and recognises it as the playing that it is. I'm worried he'll hurt the kittens.

The cat on the other hand, just hissed at them and ran away as the kittens hissed back. Any hints or tips for integrating them with the other 2 pets, or for raising these little guys in general?

Here's a couple of videos - first one is the two of them messing about, and the second one is Newton struggling to stay awake. Any guesses at what age they are? Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rYzdG_YE3A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNKky9InNd4

irelandspurs

The dog will calm down soon and the kittens will stand up for themselves,a cheaper option might be trying to get some royal canin cat milk about €13 for a tub and you mix it up,should go further than the whiskas cat milk.
Get a litter tray and put them on it after they have eaten and you'd be surprised how quickly they start using it and also get some kitten food and leave a little in a bowl.

mymo

Try to avoid the whiskers cat milk, there's none of the nutrition they need in it.
Plenty of fresh water, and as said above the royal canin kitten milk is great. It's a powder you mix up and replaces mothers milk.
They look about 5 weeks but may be more, are their eyes pure blue or can you see the colour changing?
That happens around 6wks, if that's happening I wouldn't worry about he milk at all, they'll be fine weaned onto solids.
They are old enough for solid food, royal canin do a baby cat mousse for weaning, they also have baby cat dry food (400g bags 3 for 2 at mo in pet mania Kilkenny )
You can soak this with a bit of water at first until they get the hang of it, then the kitten food in a few weeks.

They should be ok to poop themselves by now, but may need a clean after, also try putting them in a litter tray and scrape with their paws, they'll get it quick enough.
If you're worried about the dog, can you get a lone of a dog crate off someone?
I use one for kittens, I know they are safe when I can't supervise and at night. Put in a bed and litter tray, bowl of water and they'll be fine.
Best of luck, great you got to them.

Also get a bottle of parazole wormer, comes in a yellow box, from the vet, ask for a syringe to dose them too, you weigh them and dose by weight. Do them straight away, then in 2 weeks, again a month later. Instructions are on the box, it's good gentle wormer for kittens, hardest part is getting it down their throats!

ncmc

I have no advice to add, just wanted to say fair play to you, what a great news story for a Sunday morning. I wish there were more people like you around. Those little guys have really fallen on their feet meeting you. They are totally gorgeous!

Tranceypoo

ncmc wrote: »

I have no advice to add, just wanted to say fair play to you, what a great news story for a Sunday morning. I wish there were more people like you around. Those little guys have really fallen on their feet meeting you. They are totally gorgeous!

Agree. And flippin 'eck that second video of kitty nodding off should come with a cuteness warning!!

JaMarcus Hustle

Thanks guys, heading into Pet Mania shortly to pick up the above. Didn't have any kitty litter here, so picking up that too. Hand is scraped to bits from trying to get them to poo, hope they pick up the hang of it themselves!

Also, their eyes are VERY blue. Certainly not changing colour yet.

So on today's shopping list is Cat Litter, Royal Canin Kitten Milk (Powder) and Royal Canin Kitten Mousse. Should that be enough for now, or anything else I should get? Re: taking them to the vet, is it okay to wait until Tuesday?

mymo

I have tried many litters but find the best is the wood pellet stuff, and put the litter box on an old mat to prevent a trail of litter.
Keep us updated, with photos.

JaMarcus Hustle

Here's Newton shortly after the above video, after losing his battle to stay awake...



This is Rocky and the two of them finally getting used to each other...



And here's where we found them. The curb in the bottom picture seperated the flower bed / shrubs from the entrance to a car park (we were standing/kneeling in the driveway) and they were able to climb over it.

DBB

I have two comments, neither of which are helpful, just observations!
I LOVE the names you've chosen for the kitties! Just.... Perfect! I LOVE nerdy sciencey names for pets!
Secondly, the look on Rocky's face is absofeckinlutely hilarious! Ahhh, gotta love Westies!

ShaShaBear

I would say they are quite young indeed, not over 5 weeks anyway. They seem quite big, but I fostered a litter not too long ago and at 5 weeks they were about this size but much, much more nimble on their feet. Now that might be nothing since I'm sure they're all different, but I'd say they're a tad closer to 4 weeks old, which would explain the blue eyes!

And just to reward your Attachments of Insane Cuteness and excellent name choices, here is one of my litter after his fight to stay awake. To put in perspective, he's between a wall and a bookcase :rolleyes:

JaMarcus Hustle

This is their new bed for now, I think they like it - been messing around since they got in there and the mirror is providing them with lots of intrigue! And they love that hat with the fluffy earflaps



I've also found that having kittens on standby is a great way for guilt tripping my girlfriend into coming to visit me sooner than we had planned - sent her this earlier today :pac:

boomerang

Fair play OP, giving us all reason to smile this Bank Holiday weekend.

Such a shame ye couldn't find mum. She is probably stray or feral, and will go on to have many more kitties. Keep an eye out for her when you're back home. Spaying her would be the best gift you could ever give.

Agree these babes look about five weeks. No need to help them eliminate any more and they are ready to move onto semi-solid food. We use mushed up kitten wet food (ie pouches) or you can soak Royal Canin Baby Cat dry food and then gradually move them onto eating it dry. The little nuggets are teeny-tiny so perfect for kittens their age.

Re: the parazole - it's half 1ml per kilo body weight, for three consecutive days. If you have a flat electronic kitchen scales - perfect! Put a large dish on the scales and then set the unloaded weight to 0g. Pop your kitten in the dish and try and keep them fairly still. Then get out your calculator and multiply their bodyweight by 0.5 to get the dosage in ml.

Or if you are bringing them to the vets for a check up you can have the vet weigh them there. You'll need a 1ml syringe for the Parazole - the vet will give you one. Repeat dosing with the Parazole every two weeks to twelve weeks and once a month thereafter, or you can start them on monthly Milbemax once they're six weeks old. First vaccination at nine weeks.

They look great OP - I wouldn't worry too much about a vet visit just yet so long as you are worming them. Have a look in their ears for a lot of dirty waxy material, which might indicate earmites.

What amazingly lucky kittens!

Lamina

They are gorgeous! Well done for taking them in, too many people just look the other way.

JaMarcus Hustle

boomerang wrote: »

They look great OP - I wouldn't worry too much about a vet visit just yet so long as you are worming them

Thanks for the advice - but would I not need to get the Parazole from the vet or can it be got in pet stores?

jimf

DBB wrote: »

I have two comments, neither of which are helpful, just observations!
I LOVE the names you've chosen for the kitties! Just.... Perfect! I LOVE nerdy sciencey names for pets!
Secondly, the look on Rocky's face is absofeckinlutely hilarious! Ahhh, gotta love Westies!

if dogs could only talk

SillyMangoX

JaMarcus Hustle wrote: »

Thanks for the advice - but would I not need to get the Parazole from the vet or can it be got in pet stores?

It can be got in most pet shops. Well done OP they are very cute

aonb

I think sending that "I miss you" photo to your GF was a despicible act of blackmail

So well done on rescuing the kittens - nothing to add, other than that they certainly look spoiled and happy. Your good deed for the rest of the year - at least!

(oh, just a comment - if their mother was feral, they would have been a bit more wild/aggressive surely??) Oh and would be interested to hear how you got them from Dublin to Kilkenny on a train - bet your fellow passengers were well entertained!

JaMarcus Hustle

aonb wrote: »

(oh, just a comment - if their mother was feral, they would have been a bit more wild/aggressive surely??) Oh and would be interested to hear how you got them from Dublin to Kilkenny on a train - bet your fellow passengers were well entertained!

Yeah I thought they would run away too, but I guess the fact they're barely able to run 5 yards without falling over, and the fact I live (they used to live) in a heavily populated area meant they weren't too scared/able to run away.

I brought them down in a shoebox with the lid taken off, inside of one of those giant orange Superdry bags - like the one at the back here. It's deep enough that no one could peer in, and they were nice and snug in there. Smuggling kittens is easy!

Raphael

Aw, they're beautiful! Mrs. Raphael knows a fair bit about cat integration, so I'm parking her in front of the keyboard:

Mrs. Raphael wrote:

Not that long ago, I had to integrate a kitten into a house full of 4 adult cats. The first step is to give the kittens their own area (i.e. "safe zone"). This designated area will help them to establish their own territory and will help your cat adjust to the sudden impact on his territory. Next step is to rub a sock on the kittens and pet the cat with it and vice versa (this allows each to get used to the other's scent with minimal contact -- a hand towel would also work). Then allow them to interact minimally (I've always done this via the crack under the door). Finally, allow the kittens to wander out into the cat's turf under supervision. It's better that they enter his turf than he intrude on their safe space.

TL;DR - Take it slow, start with smells and then let them slowly but surely see more of each other.

Also, from both of us, if you suspect Mommy is a feral cat in the area where you found them, getting in touch with Feral Cats Ireland might be a good idea - they do TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release), which will save her from leaving any more bundles of joy around the place.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to watching that video on repeat

JaMarcus Hustle

Thanks to the Raphael's for that great advice - that sock idea is genius! Gonna give it a go now!

Raphael

Glad to help!

JaMarcus Hustle

I think Newton approves of the new bed I got them Darwin is somewhere in at the back...



Edit: I guess now I know what type of cat Darwin is.

A copycat....



And it's hilarious watching them emerge from their cave. They don't exactly walk out, or even stumble out, they just roll out the entrance.

Alicat

They are just adorable... I've never wanted to reach inside my computer screen so much. I would like to squidge them!

Mollywolly

All my life I've been a "doggy" person but this cuties have got me grinning like a loon This is the best story of the weekend, by a long shot.

Fair play to you OP for taking them in - most people would have just walked on by.

Mars Bar

I see you're going to the Gaslight Anthem JaMarcus. Will you bring them with you so I can squeeze them? They are SO cute!

Fair play to ya for taking them in.

honerbright

Mars Bar wrote: »

I see you're going to the Gaslight Anthem JaMarcus. Will you bring them with you so I can squeeze them? They are SO cute!

Fair play to ya for taking them in.

Ha, I was gonna say the exact same thing!!

They're so adorable, OP! Keep the pics coming

JaMarcus Hustle

honerbright wrote: »

They're so adorable, OP! Keep the pics coming

If you insist! Darwin (the guy without the white on his face) wasn't really eating any of the food I was giving them, but he was hooked on milk so I had an idea. I threw 2 little bottles of whiskas cat milk into a blender with a packet of of the whiskas kitten wet food and blended it up, making what is essentially a cat milkshake (looks exactly like a chocolate milkshake!) and they absolutely love it! Pop a little bit in the microwave to heat it up for 5 seconds, and they go nuts for it.

And yes, that is the grease/fat-catcher from a George Foreman grill that they're eating out of. They make a great little cattle trough for kittens! :pac:

Karl Stein

Wee dotes. They're lucky you found them - you're doing a great job. Fair play.

JaMarcus Hustle

I think Newton approves of their new toy :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSPgOPhysY8

mel.b

JaMarcus Hustle wrote: »

If you insist! Darwin (the guy without the white on his face) wasn't really eating any of the food I was giving them, but he was hooked on milk so I had an idea. I threw 2 little bottles of whiskas cat milk into a blender with a packet of of the whiskas kitten wet food and blended it up, making what is essentially a cat milkshake (looks exactly like a chocolate milkshake!) and they absolutely love it! Pop a little bit in the microwave to heat it up for 5 seconds, and they go nuts for it.

It might look like a chocolate milkshake but it doesn't smell like one :eek: I had to do this for some older sick kittens that i was syringe feeding and I must say it is THE most revolting smell.

Newton and Darwin are just gorgeous

JaMarcus Hustle

First worming done. They were NOT pleased.

Quick question re: feeding - how much should I be giving them and how often? I'm sure I'm giving them enough, I just don't want to give them too much is all. At the moment all they're having is the milk/wet food blend that I've been making them - each batch thicker than the last (more food, less milk) to try get them onto the wet food by itself. Only one of them will eat the dry food (nuts)

Also, what should I be looking to get done by the vet (apart from telling me if they're male/female!) ?

irelandspurs

JaMarcus Hustle wrote: »

First worming done. They were NOT pleased.

Quick question re: feeding - how much should I be giving them and how often? I'm sure I'm giving them enough, I just don't want to give them too much is all. At the moment all they're having is the milk/wet food blend that I've been making them - each batch thicker than the last (more food, less milk) to try get them onto the wet food by itself. Only one of them will eat the dry food (nuts)

Also, what should I be looking to get done by the vet (apart from telling me if they're male/female!) ?

Would need to get 1st vaccination done then 2nd in 3 weeks,just leave a bowl of nuts down and they'll soon be eating it just keep it away from litter tray as they prefer to eat away from where they go to toilet.

RustyNut

Extra large credit on your karma account OP. Well done you

mymo

Biggest danger with young kittens is dehydration, add a bit of water to wet food, and try to get them drinking too.
Vet will vaccinate around 6 weeks normally, but once they're wormed and eating well they'll do it.

P.s. I worm kittens in the bath, they can't run away and it's easy clean up. First dose isn't bad, wait until they bigger and stronger!

JaMarcus Hustle

So, a week on and someone seems to have swapped the shy, bashful little creatures that we took in and replaced them with rowdy little louts who do nothing but trick and fight! They haven't been long making themselves at home - here's some of today's shenanigans...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_D4J95UXiw

JaMarcus Hustle

Just thought I'd give a little update on these two.

Can't believe how big they've gotten in the space of a couple of weeks. Gone are the timid, shy little creatures who were scared to leave each other's side, and in their place are two bold little fúckers who scratch, scrape, bite and climb on everything.

I remember when they could barely climb out of a shoebox - I was in my room on the phone the other night, and came back into the living room to this (I was so proud!)...



They also keep turning on my playstation!

I was woken this morning by noise coming from the side of my bed, rolled over and was greeted with this craic...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1AkqapOoUs

But despite all this, they still have their moments of cuteness. Sadly, it really only happens when they sleep!






And yes, Darwin did fall asleep on my girlfriends feet in this next photo...



Food-wise, they're now eating the Royal Canin babycat nuts and drinking water. Every now and then, I'll give them a treat of Whiskas kitten wetfood or milk (or sometimes both blended together in a food processor - they love that). They use their litter tray, although only about 50% of time which is annoying, but they're getting better. And they now follow you everywhere, so when I'm leaving the apartment, I have to run because they try follow me out the door. And they love being around you - if you're in a separate room and the door is closed, they'll bawl their eyes out until you open the door, and when they come in all they'll do is sleep beside you (or mess about with your feet). They're moving back to Kilkenny next week where they'll have loads of countryside to roam about, I know they'll love it down there.

All in all, they're lots of trouble, but I wouldn't swap these two little bastards for the world! :pac:

boomerang

Get them used to being brushed, OP. Would be great if they learn to enjoy it as they'll always need regular brushing to prevent mats, with those beautiful long coats!

Re: the litter tray, you could provide a few more than just one, in different parts of the house? Kittens that young I'd usually restrict to one room, in case they get caught short!

JaMarcus Hustle

Weekly update time - as of yesterday, the kittens are back in Kilkenny - this time for good. Our dog Rocky is ridiculously protective of them. Our older cat hissed at them and he nearly took the head off of her. He constantly watches over them, and goes crazy if he's separated from them. Even when they're taking a nap, he just lies there beside them the whole time.

Exhibit A - watch what happens when you block his view of them.... (they're inside the box)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAqgXdKbXl8

Quick question - I wormed them 3 days in a row when I first got them, and I wormed them again just the once a few days ago. When should be their next dosage?

Tranceypoo

How do you get anything done in your house with all that damn cuteness going on?!

DBB

Tranceypoo wrote: »

How do you get anything done in your house with all that damn cuteness going on?!

Lol, what a feelgood video! I was expecting to see that Rocky was being protective over them in a "don't mess with my breakfast" kinda way, but no, that is just hilarious! I've said it before, Rocky clearly hasn't read the "Cats and How We Hate Them" chapter in his Westie Handbook!

aonb

those 2 last video's are really great! How are you coping on your own without them now that they're back in Kilkenny - life will be so dull and boring without the distraction of those two cuties?! Lovely Ricky, hope he still loves them when they're crawling all over him and chewing bits of him.

Let us know how they're getting on

Janedoe10

Thank you for allowing us see these little fur ball of terrors and the westie grow up to get her .. Serious kudos

JaMarcus Hustle

Came home for the first time in almost 3 months today and was excited to see how these 2 have turned out. My my mum has been looking after them, that is, whenever Rocky allows her to. He's firmly the Dad now of these 2 little guys (the Vet confirmed that they're boys, btw). The best part is, the 2 of them have begun looking after another stray! They allow a kitten to sleep with them at night, and are always playing with him, and never eat his food. It's adorable but sadly, he's still a little shy of humans so it's hard to get a photo.

Anyway, this will be the last update as they are now no longer kittens, but fully-grown, ridiculously bushy/fluffy cats. Thanks for all the help at the start - looking back at the photos posted 6 months ago has given me a huge smile! I've tried to take a new picture of them beside Rocky today, and to compare it to the first one posted above is hilarious. I can't believe how big they've gotten. Best decision I've ever made.

ncmc

Aw I love updates like this! They are beautiful cats, they look so healthy, happy and well looked after. Well done again on taking them in, a lot of people would have walked on by. They obviously landed on their feet with you!

mymo

They are beautiful cats, you did a great thing for them, they will reward you with a huge amount of love.
Thanks for the update.

JaMarcusHustle

Long overdue update on these 2 dudes as I was home at the weekend. They're still inseparable and have grown into two very handsome cats.

Darwin, the darker of the two, had a close call a couple of months ago. He was missing for almost a week and we couldn't find him anywhere. Turns out he fell into a basement in an abandoned house nearby and couldn't get out. The man who is renovating the house randomly visited and heard a meowing and asked us if we were missing a cat. Newton would have been lost without him, as you can see from the below pictures! They've come a long way from the photos on the first page!

Added in some bonus pictures of Darwin's eyes as I think they're amazing.

aonb

Lovely photos and what a handsome & content looking pair - how lucky were they to end up with you

DBB

Jeez JaMArcusHustle...
That's one pair of seriously stressed out kitties

Whilst scrolling through the first few photos, I was beginning to wonder if they every actually wake up :pac:
They're beautiful, really beautiful