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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.

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Original poster

Found a cat expecting kittens!

99 replies

Paddlinglikehell · 12/09/2013 22:28

Just posted this in Chat. OH came In with a young cat he found down our (isolated) track. She has had a lot of water and a tiny amount of food, but is now sleeping, absolutely exhausted, she was a little vocal initially and very friendly. I can see and feel the kittens moving around, so she is on a warm bed, next to the radiator and am going to see how she is in the morning.

Anything else I should be doing? Will phone Cats Protection in case she has been lost tomorrow and take her to the vet, but I fear she may have been dumped. I am also a bit worried, because she doesn't seem to have the energy now (she did before) and can hardly raise her head when I go in. She is very young, probably 7 months looking at her teeth..

Any advice appreciated.

OP posts:

Mama1980 · 13/09/2013 15:43

Hi How is she doing?
I found myself in a similar situation last year, young cat (male thankfully) had been dumped and hit by a car I found him in my garden in a terrible way. Long story short the vet thought he was saveable and waived his initial fees but it cost me well over £1000 for all his treatment in the end, luckily i could afford it but if i couldn't then id have had to do something different. Can your vet give you a rough idea of ultimate costs? Have you tried any local cats protection? ( apologies if this has already been suggested/answered I can't check and type on my phone)
Incidentally my cat made a full recovery and is currently snuggled next to my rescue dog! It is amazing how resilient these animals can be.

GobblersKnob · 13/09/2013 15:46

Shamelessly place marking to find out the outcome, fingers crossed for pregnant kitty

Original poster

Paddlinglikehell · 13/09/2013 15:46

Everyone thinks where we live is quiet, yet this year we have had two dogs, two ferrets and two cats, one feral we spayed and lives on the farm next door now, but has become extremely tame, so probably has been a domesticated cat - we feed it each day and he hunts too, and this little cat with kittens in her belly.

Sparkling, you have done a great job, there is nothing worse than not knowing what has happened to your cat, it isn't easy to knock on someone's door and tell them their cat has died :(

OP posts:

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2013 16:59

Thanks Paddling, i think that my payback should be a stray cat turning up and needing me. Sparkling Cat and DH say no to another feline and I think it's my only chance.

thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 17:23

I'm sure I could arrange for a box of stray cats to turn up on your doorstep Sparkling - your DH would never know it wasn't entirely random. Do you want to pm me your address?

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2013 17:24

Sparkling Cat would be furious thecat

Original poster

Paddlinglikehell · 13/09/2013 17:48

Vet just called, she is OK. Needs to be on drip over weekend. She has terrible diarrhoea which is dehydrating her, but she has eaten.

The RSPCA have a place for her tomorrow at one of their hospitals, where they will keep her on medication etc., the vet is happy to pass on our details, with a view to us rehoming her in future.

The vet said if we take her on it is approx. £150 for weekend hospitalisation, then poss £300 for c section if she needs it (will include spay). Kittens may have to be hand fed, as she has no milk at all at the moment and not strong enough to make any. Either way it is a lot of work and she may need further tests etc.

My heart is saying we do it, my head saying it is too much work and money, with no guarantees. I have gone past the days of feeding every two hours!

I have left it that the RSPCA will pick her up tomorrow, unless we ring in the morning.

I am now wondering if the RSPCA get her well and we then we have her to have the kittens, if that is possible, but doubt they will do this. My fear is they will give up on her if she costs them so much in time and money (bad experiences with RSPCA in the past) :(

The vets will tell me where she is going when they know.

Need to discuss with DP when he is home. WWYD?

OP posts:

AutumnStar · 13/09/2013 17:56

I'd have to give it a go but I am totally soft and love animals.

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2013 17:59

I know what you mean about the RSPCA. A lady locally rang them because she wanted to adopt a kitten, but they said they put all the pregnant cats down.

thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 18:00

I'm fairly sure that if she went to the RSPCA now they would abort. It's what we would do. Charities have to make difficult decisions and in cases like this, where the mother is ill and is unlikely to be able to feed the kittens, then there just aren't the resources to hand rear kittens (which frequently die anyway in such situations). If they are able to find another mother cat feeding kittens they may be able to use her as a wet nurse, and that would probably be their best chance, but unless she is literally on the point of giving birth, I think they would go for the easier option.

But if they do then I suppose the decision has been taken out of your hands so you wouldn't feel bad about it.

I don't suppose that helps.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 13/09/2013 18:00

I think I'd keep her, but it's not my money. She might not need a cs, she's got a couple of weeks to go and could be strong enough by then to birth and feed the kittens herself.

thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

claraschu · 13/09/2013 18:05

Don't let the RSPCA have her, if you can possibly avoid it. I don't trust the RSPCA, and have heard a lot of horror stories about them. I would take care of her but we are far away and have 3 cats already.

Mama1980 · 13/09/2013 18:10

I'd keep her given what the vet has said.

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2013 18:13

I thought that thecat, she was very upset. I did think it didn't sound quite right TBH.

cozietoesie · 13/09/2013 18:18

I'd keep her. I think she deserves that chance.

Like you, though, I don't think I could face hand rearing newborns and I don't think their chances sound that good anyway if Mom has bad diarrhoea, dehydration and is as tired as you said last night.

Original poster

Paddlinglikehell · 13/09/2013 20:25

Well we have just been thrashing this out, thank you for your comments, they have really helped.

OH felt we should give her the chance, I on the other hand played Devil's Advocate, partly because if we go down the keeping route, I don't want him to say he didn't know it would be so much trouble etc!

We went through the scenario of costs, c section, hand rearing, none of which unduly worried us, although I don't think he really understands almost 2 weeks of hand feeding!

Having then looked at some comments about the RSPCA hospital she would go to, along with your comments, we decided we couldn't do it and she deserves the chance. OH said that we should at least give her the weekend and is happy to throw £250 at her for a start off Nd then see what happens. He didn't mind hacking to pay for a c section if that was what was needed, but that I am going to be cheeky and ask the vet to charge at cost! They actually owe us a favour anyway!

So I left a mess. to say we will be taking her on and I will ring in the morning to confirm it.

So there we are, I am actually feeling a little bit queasy at what is ahead, there are no certainties that she,or the kittens will vet survive, but where there is life.....I spent last night nursing her and feeling those little kittens moving around, so while they are in her and she is getting the help she needs, there is hope.

I know that if we go over the initial £250 it won't matter, but it makes OH feel he is in control of costs ;)

Wish us luck are we mad? Hope I don't back out over night!

OP posts:

out2lunch · 13/09/2013 20:38

yay right decision.good luck. :).i would have done exactly the same. you'll have no end of support and advice on here.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 13/09/2013 20:43

Oh, good luck, I hope it all goes well for you, dh, the cat and her kittens. You will keep us updated, won't you?

cozietoesie · 13/09/2013 20:45

Good luck.

Come and vent here if you end up with hand rearing 8 kittens and have to scream!

GobblersKnob · 13/09/2013 20:47

Aw how lovely, what a very lucky cat she is

GetStuffezd · 13/09/2013 20:59

Oh Im SO pleased to read your update!
Best of luck, can't wait to keep reading.

Mama1980 · 13/09/2013 21:29

Oh yay, And good luck!

timtam23 · 13/09/2013 21:53

Good luck to you Paddling - I'm not sure I could have taken on the hand-rearing of kittens but as you say she has got this far and deserves the chance.

Sometimes these things are meant to happen

thecatneuterer · 13/09/2013 22:00

Yay and good luck.

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