Urgent question re: kitten found tonight, cat flu and older cat with bad kidneys

New Home

While I was driving home tonight I found an abandoned kitten, probably 4 or 5 weeks old (he's as long as a hand span). His left eye is a bit "gunky" and he's sneezed quite a few times while scratching his nose, so I'm afraid he might have cat flu. I've relegated him to the bathroom with the door firmly closed, for two reasons. The first is that my older cat is veeeeery territorial, and would eat him alive. The second is that the older cat has serious kidney problems, and I'm afraid that if he caught cat flu it'd be the end of him.

Now I've a number of questions:

1. How contagious is cat flu? If I keep them separate and I wash my hands carefully, what's the likelihood of the older cat catching it?
2. Is it curable? Would antibiotics work, or is it viral?
3. If he caught it, how risky would it be for his kidneys?
4. Aside from washing kitty's eyes and nose with saline solution, is there anything else I can do before I bring him to the vet in the morning?
5. He's so tiny I don't even think he was weaned, but he does have all of his tiny teeth - would I be ok if I tried to feed him wet kitten food? And maybe some lactose-free milk, or goats milk, even? I've nothing similar in the house.
6. Would anyone know of any charities/groups/volunteers/ in Connaught who might be willing to take him on, or someone who might be looking to adopt a kitten? He's super cuddly and he purrs and purrs and purrs...

I'll post a photo later.

charlietheminxx

I only saw this now OP. Fair play to you, that must have been very stressful. A lot of your questions I would say I am too late to answer.

Did he get to the vet this morning? What did they say?

New Home

By a miracle I found a charity who had just got a call that day from a lady offering to foster, so I handed that ickle furball over this morning; the lady said she'd bring him to the vet herself this afternoon. He definitely has cat flu and ear mites, and judging by the way he keeps it, he probably has an ear infection in his right ear. I kept him in the bathroom, and I'm praying that was enough to stop my older cat from catching it, too. Really, though, people who abandon animals should be fined through the nose or serve time. This little thing was tiiiny, an adult rat would have been bigger.

Bass Reeves

He may not have been abandoned. If his mother was semi feral she may have had kittens and been moving them because she was disturbed which forced her to abandon one or he kitten may have strayed from where her mother was feeding them

New Home

He was super cuddly and not afraid of humans at all, that's what made me think he was abandoned. By the way he behaved, I'd say he was born around children, too. He was along a stretch of road where lots of animals get hit by cars, so I don't think it was entirely accidental that he was found there. I do take your point, though.

New Home

charlietheminxx

What a sweet little thing, it's so sad I hope he makes a full recovery and finds a wonderful forever home.

Graces7

New Home wrote: »

He was super cuddly and not afraid of humans at all, that's what made me think he was abandoned. By the way he behaved, I'd say he was born around children, too. He was along a stretch of road where lots of animals get hit by cars, so I don't think it was entirely accidental that he was found there. I do take your point, though.

feral kittens of that age have no fear of humans. It surprised me too at one time. The fear comes later. they are books with blank pages..

and well done; cat flu is as infectious as in us; a sneeze is all is would take

Graces7

Little dote\1 By the eye colour I would assess as at least six weeks. all are born with blue eyes.

Aglomerado

So cute! Love that last photo. Hope he will be OK. Well done NH & hope your own cat doesn't pick anything up.

ILoveYourVibes

He is lovely.


Cat flu is highly contagious its spread directly and indirectly. Directly cat to cat. Indirectly from bowls bedding food and human hands.

Recovery takes about 2 weeks.

No idea how it could affect your guy. I would advice you to ask a vet though.

Wash all his bowls and bedding separately.

Wash your hands very well after being with him and maybe change your jumper if he was in contact with it. Or better yet have a special jumper you put on for THAT room only then take it off before you leave. When he rovers dump the jumper and his bedding etc . Get new stuff.

After recovering from cat flu, many cats will remain life-long carriers of the virus but will show no, or minimal, signs of the illness. Cats who are life-long carriers can spread the virus to others, as they sometimes ‘shed’ the virus during periods of stress such as boarding or entering a shelter.

If it truly is cat flu he will be a carrier for life. But the virus should only 'shed' during times of stress.


Hope it all works out. Hope someone can give better advice.

New Home

Thanks for that, I Love Your Vibes. I did all that, and sprayed every surface of the room he was in (and myself and my clothes!) with Dettol All In One (the clothes went straight into the wash with more disinfectant, and the bowls will be soaked in water and bleach). Hopefully that's going to be enough.

twomonkeys

I think that kitten is a little bit older than 4-5 weeks, going by the photos. His eye colour has already changed so I reckon he’s closer to 7-8 weeks old.

Also, cat flu is covered in vaccinations so if your own guy is up to date with his vaccinations he has a much lower risk of catching it.

Graces7

twomonkeys wrote: »

I think that kitten is a little bit older than 4-5 weeks, going by the photos. His eye colour has already changed so I reckon he’s closer to 7-8 weeks old.

Also, cat flu is covered in vaccinations so if your own guy is up to date with his vaccinations he has a much lower risk of catching it.

agree. also he has a squint!

New Home

twomonkeys wrote: »

I think that kitten is a little bit older than 4-5 weeks, going by the photos. His eye colour has already changed so I reckon he’s closer to 7-8 weeks old.

Also, cat flu is covered in vaccinations so if your own guy is up to date with his vaccinations he has a much lower risk of catching it.

He can't have vaccinations/injections as he's had the start of injection-site sarcoma before - even the rabies vaccination (which was compulsory for allowing him to travel) had to be done on the tip of his tail, so that if anything nasty developed the tail could be amputated.

The vet said that the kitten he's so tiny because he's severely malnourished, she thinks he might be as old as 12 weeks!! :eek::eek::eek: The size of him, though... he would have fit in a ladle, the poor little thing! He was as long as the short side of an A4 sheet of paper, can you imagine?

New Home

Also, the squint might be due to the flash of the camera phone, but he's definitely cross-eyed - his coat is like that of a Siamese, only with a marbled black coat instead of a creamy one, so that could be an explanation. The other could be the eye infection he's been treated for.

Graces7

New Home wrote: »

Also, the squint might be due to the flash of the camera phone, but he's definitely cross-eyed - his coat is like that of a Siamese, only with a marbled black coat instead of a creamy one, so that could be an explanation. The other could be the eye infection he's been treated for.

Not Siamese or even part Siamese; bred them for decades... Probably pert Oriental. Very smooth shiny coat... one of my newbies is clearly part-Oriental and looks like your one. He will have a strange voice too! He is lovely! My wee part oriental girl has their markings; a white spot under each armpit/leg one on her private parts and one at her throat.

PS also the size? My newbie part Oriental is kitten size at full adult status. Tiny girl

Fascinating trying to work out who is what!

New Home

You're right, more than Siamese I should have said counterpoint.

New Home

Some recent photos I was sent - he's grown so much in such a short time!

ILoveYourVibes

Awh glad he has done so well.

You're an angel for turning his life around and anyone else involved too!