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

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

The litter tray

Should we keep the kitten?

46 replies

cyclerunmum · 02/08/2015 08:33

Need a common sense perspective on this please as I am being swayed by cuteness too much!

Yesterday my DD rang to say a kitten had been handed in where she worked (rural place) found in a field nearby, on it's own, soaking wet and crying. She is about 6 to 8 weeks, small, very hungry and thin, has ticks on her tummy, and looks a little scraggy, but not sure how long she's been outside alone. She is also beautiful :)

We have no idea where she came from, no one nearby knows who she belonged to or if she's from a farm cat (likely, but she is far from feral).

I said we could bring her home til Monday and see how my old male cat (14 years) and dog (10 years) reacted to her, but secretly want to keep her, if no one else claims her of course.

We have the room and resources for her, but my main concern is my old cat who has hissed at her a couple of times since arrival, but is keeping away upstairs whilst kitten is downstairs for now. Old cat seems happy this morning (away from kitten) but I have read about old cats reacting badly for a long time to new cats, and their personalities totally changing. Our old boy is the most loving wonderful cat and I would hate to upset him too much....

DH is not as keen as me but may be talked round, DD7 and older DD are keen to keep her. Kitten has been a dream, is eating and drinking and using litter tray.

What do I do?

OP posts:

Report

soulfuleyes · 02/08/2015 22:30

What an absolute darling!

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 02/08/2015 23:27

She's gorgeous! And thank heavens you rescued her, poor little thing!

The cats will adjust! When we brought Obie and Ophie home last year, Portia my 15 yr old sulked for a month.. refused to come in and slept in the sprout patch in the garden. I was very worried. But she came round. She still doens't LIKE them.. she isn;t a friendly cat to cats, but she eats side by side with them, potters in the garden with them nearbye and they have learned to live together ok with the odd hiss and swipe!

cozietoesie · 02/08/2015 23:54

Does she realize that Obie's a cat though?

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 09:21

How is she doing this morning?

cyclerunmum · 03/08/2015 12:43

Betty is still doing ok, I think! She seems to have runny poos now, but is still going when she needs to the litter tray, 3 times so far since about 6am. She has had a little play, and look round, but then has pretty much been asleep for the past 3 hours. Reading up, she should be sleeping around 20 hours a day, so I am not worried yet.

She seems to like sleeping on my laptop keyboard, which is very cute, but she has typed some interesting things so far :D

Thanks for asking

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 03/08/2015 15:49

That's broadly OK, I think - a little bit concerning about the runny poos but at least she's using her tray for it and I'm sure you'll keep a weather eye on the situation. (And gawd knows what's been in her system when she was in the fields.) See how she is over the next day - do you have a good local vet?

I wouldn't worry overmuch about her maybe being a little subdued for a short while after her traumas and her meds. It might even help a lttle with OldCat's acclimatisation.

cyclerunmum · 04/08/2015 06:50

Well we had a worrying evening last night as Betty suddenly stopped eating from around lunch time, or drinking. She became really sleepy and didn't want to wake up properly.

She has still been using the litter tray, poos getting a bit more solid and seen some worms in them, so the treatment is obviously working.

Done quite a bit of reading and it appears this can be a side effect of her worming. She is more alert this morning, and had eaten a few mouthfuls of food, but is still not very interested. She has played a bit, and followed me round, and is now sleeping again.

Gosh I didn't realise how worrying having her would be! If she doesn't eat or drink today I will take her back to vets, but I am hoping we are over the worst. Anyone else had experience of side effects like this? Her worming tablet is Milbemax?

OP posts:

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 04/08/2015 08:20

I'm not expert but perhaps she was eating to feed the worms and now that they have gone it's back to her normal eating habits

cozietoesie · 04/08/2015 08:52

I'd vet her as well, I think. Kittens should be little eating, sleeping and playing machines and her not eating or drinking most of yesterday would worry me, wormer or no. I'd want to get on top of anything wrong at an early stage because - as I said earlier - you really have no idea what she's been eating (or exposed to) during her time living rough.

Poor wee Betty. Lots of luck to her.

cyclerunmum · 04/08/2015 09:16

Thanks, I have made an appointment with our vet at 11am today. I took her to a larger 'vet chain' type place on Sunday just because they were the only ones open, rather than calling an out of hours vet out.

I will be happier with a second opinion on her anyway, and our vets have treated my old cat and dog really well over the years, so know me fairly well! As the dog has Addison's I think I am one of their best customers!

Will update after they have seen her.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 04/08/2015 09:19

Good luck to her. A vet visit will ease your mind if nothing else.

cyclerunmum · 04/08/2015 13:44

Well I feel much better after seeing the vet, Betty was checked over again, more thoroughly this time (she really didn't like having her temperature taken!). No temp, chest clear, everything else looks ok.

They gave her some critical care cat food and she wolfed it down, it is to stimulate her appetite. Then when I got home she ate some of her own food and had some cat milk :)

She has been up for over an hour, even running around, it's like a different kitten now. I have the tin of special food to give her just a tiny bit now and then.

Only thing vet did say was if she starts sneezing they will give her antibiotics for possible cat flu as she has a weepy eye. He isn't convinced it is that, so just keep an eye on her. She hasn't shown any symptoms other than this eye, so fingers crossed.

I am a bit paranoid only because years ago we got a puppy who died of parvo within a few days of us picking him up. It was really awful and has made me worry more than usual. So hopefully Betty can now get stronger and be with us for many happy years.

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cozietoesie · 04/08/2015 13:50

Better news - and fingers crossed for her.

Corygal · 04/08/2015 16:31

Well done on the urgent vettery - she is training you well

Let us know how she goes and good vibes for a more peaceful week.

ShipwreckedAndComatose · 04/08/2015 16:35

Good news! Cute as she is, she's clearly weakened by her poor start in life and will take a little tlc

cyclerunmum · 05/08/2015 14:30

Betty is doing really well now, eating and playing when awake, even running around! Phew...

And it looks like she was part of an abandoned litter as her sister has been found and handed in at DD's work today.... little black and white girl, in same condition Betty was :( Looks like this one will need to go to a rescue centre if they can find one with space. Poor babies, shame I can't have her, 3 cats and a dog would be just too much for us sadly.

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Pipbin · 05/08/2015 14:33

I love Betty, thank you for sharing her with us.

Corygal · 05/08/2015 17:19

So glad all is well. Sure you can't squeeze in just one more kitten?....

Mimigolightly · 05/08/2015 17:42

Three cats are no more trouble than 2 . You'd hardly notice the extra little one.

cyclerunmum · 05/08/2015 17:50

:) thank goodness someone has taken her sister. Some visitors to DD's work (touristy/holiday area) have said they will take her home with them, they live in Scotland!

This second one has been to vets today and treated for nasties, so that is two now rehomed. I wonder if any more will appear over the coming days? hope not.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 05/08/2015 17:53

I'm very glad she's improved - a weight off your mind? (Well one weight off it, anyway. )

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