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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Our Foster Kittens Have Arrived!

57 replies

AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 08/05/2013 09:00

Look at my lovely kitteny name change. It is in honour of our two/three foster kittens from Celia Hammond in Lewisham and their beautiful (if skinny) young mum - hardly more than a kitten herself Sad.

They arrived late Friday night (DC's were allowed to stay up late specially) and are settling in nicely. They're about 2 weeks old now, one chubby little smoke grey monster, one slightly runty black and white one who we were worried about but seems to be growing nicely, and a third one who was being hand reared after a ropy start and is being placed back into the family this afternoon!!!!!

We've just started to stroke them, and they have the softest fur in the whole wide world. DCs are besotted.

I'll try and get some photos onto my profile later today, but the kittens are still lurking in their box and I can't use flash, so they're of patchy quality.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 09:03

Well done you.

(I hope the DCs aren't too besotted. Remember they're only fosters!)

Smile
issey6cats · 08/05/2013 12:28

aaaawww enjoy :)

thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 14:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 08/05/2013 23:27

Oh dear.

Third kitten has arrived, but is resolutely refusing to suckle. Mum is doing her best, we're doing our best, but he simply doesn't seem to have a clue.

We've given him a bit of his kitten milk from a syringe, but not much, and all is not looking well. Any suggestions?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:42

Oh dear oh dear. Was he eating fine when he was being hand reared? And what was the ropy start you mentioned? (I'm wondering whether he was ill and has had a relapse.)

Have you a contact number for whoever was hand rearing him ? You really can't leave them too long without feeding.

thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 23:45

Oh dear. It looks like he will need more syringe feeding and to maybe go back to whoever was feeding him before. Do you have a contact for them? Celia is still awake (I've just got off the phone to her) and would be happy to talk to you if you like?

cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:49

My thinking thecatneuterer.

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 08/05/2013 23:49

I do have a contact number for the lady who was hand rearing him, yes. She thinks he might be brain-damaged Sad and I'm starting to agree.

He wasn't feeding as a newborn and was shoved out from/escaped from the nest. He's half the size of his siblings. I just went up to check on him, and he was out of the box and half way across the room, mewling. I put him back in the box and mum grabbed him firmly, so I don't think she'd shoved him out.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 23:51

Oh yes - sorry - didn't see your post cozie

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 08/05/2013 23:51

The lady who was hand-rearing him is going away this weekend, so can't take him back. We can syringe feed if he'll take it, but we're out of the house for 5 hours each day.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:51

Maybe he has got a problem but you have to give it the old college try, eh? I'd maybe phone the lady who was rearing him - or take up thecatneuterer's offer (on Celia's behalf.)

cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:52

No, no thecatneuterer - I was just underlining what you said. Worried here.

thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 23:52

So have you called her? I know it's late, but it's a kitten emergency ...

thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 23:53

Lot's of cross-posting here. Would you like to speak to Celia to get her advice?

cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:53

You just hate to think of a little life maybe slipping away before it's had a chance, don't you?

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 08/05/2013 23:56

I've texted her. Do you think I should talk to Celia? In the meantime what do you suggest about the escaping?

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 08/05/2013 23:57

I'll pm you

cozietoesie · 08/05/2013 23:59

I would - get her number from thecatneuterer and phone her. Re the escaping, you're going to have to stay up and keep him near Mom. Is the room a reasonable temperature?

It's OK you being away for 5 hours if he's feeding from Mom but if it's back to hand feeding (and if he's underweight) he may need to go to someone else for the duration.

crazynanna · 09/05/2013 00:00
Sad
thecatneuterer · 09/05/2013 00:13

I've just spoken to Celia who is dashing out of the door now to pick up kittens that have been dumped in a park.

She says try to contain the kittens with the Mum if at all possible so they can't escape. Also try a bit more syringe feeding - very slowly so it doesn't choke. The kitten shouldn't die with just one night without suckling and she will ask the clinic to call you in the morning. Or you can call the clinic yourself and ask to speak to Trudy. (She knows who you are as she knows the story with the syringe-fed kitten)

However she warns that things aren't looking too promising. Often the mother rejects the kitten by ejecting it from the nest or not allowing it to suckle because she knows the kitten has some sort of problem. And it is 'natures way' if you like. However we will try our very best to overcome nature and will do all we can to save this kitten if possible.

Does that help OP?

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 09/05/2013 00:14

I can sleep in the spare room with the four of them, make more tries at syringe feeding whenever he peeps (we did get some down him last time) and text my two Lewisham contacts asking them to get in touch first thing.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 09/05/2013 00:16

I'm so sorry that your first go at fostering is turning out to be so traumatic. It's usually much more straight forward

cozietoesie · 09/05/2013 00:17

Good advice. I don't know whether Mom is in a box, OP, but if not - could you try and put something round her to make 'sides' (eg pillows, a rolled up blanket or coverlet etc) so that the wayward kit can't get away so easily? It would also prevent drafts if the temperature isn't so great.

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsKittens · 09/05/2013 00:18

X-post.
Yes that makes sense cat neuterer, thank you. I don't think mum has ejected him - she's doing her best, but he's got no sense of direction. However, we've mentally prepared ourselves (and the DCs) for a bad outcome.

I'll rearrange the boxes to make them more escape proof.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/05/2013 00:18

Ah - good that something did go down last time. Any calories and liquid in his tummy are a good thing.