Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Purrs

1. 

   Over the past year I have raised several orphaned kittens from birth or soon after.. I have done much research online and am getting a great deal or conflicting advice. The latest kittens (5) were found half dead in puddle of water. I have many questions..... 2 are 8oz eyes open and crawling the other 3 are 4 oz crawling and eyes sort of open... is it normal to have such difference in weight? two of the 4oz ones had their cords dried but still on they fell off after a few hours.. the others had no cords. They are all eating well now that they got the hang of the bottle..... some better than others.

   Any advice would be great
   Thanks

   Posted 3 years ago by pipwe1 #

2. 

   I wonder if these sweeties are from different litters? There are many websites that can help you.. Other TDK folks may have good advice as well.. I'd try www.alleycat.org for information.
   Keep us posted on their progress! My fingers are crossed for them!

   Posted 3 years ago by caroline #

3. 

   Could be different litters, could be same litter. Sometimes dramatic differences in weight/size in the same litter can be due to some kittens nursing better or being healthier. Making sure that everyone gets enough food, warmth & attention will go a long way toward equalizing any advantage one might have over another.

   Personally, it sounds to me as if these might be from different litters. No real impact on care or treatment, at this point. The ones who still had cords attached were very young - probably younger than 14 days.

   You've probably raised enough of them to know the warmth - peeing & pooping stimulus - food - peeing & pooping stimulus routine. If something starts to go awry (loss of interest in nursing, listlessness, discharge from nose or eyes, other abnormal behavior or symptoms), don't hesitate to contact a vet. When they're so tiny, kittens can take a turn for the worse quickly.

   Good luck! I hope you'll let us know how they're doing, in coming days.

   Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

4. 

   One of the litters I fostered not too long ago (2 boys,2 girls). One of the boys was the runt of the litter. The other boy was twice the size of the girls & looked like it was several months older,but,was indeed from the same litter. Just a few weeks ago I handed over a 3-week old litter of 5 to another rescue group who had the resources to better take care of such a large litter. Bottle-feeding so many was a handful. So I know you have your work cut out for you. Best of luck to you!

   Posted 3 years ago by feral #

5. 

   Thank you so much for all your advice.... I'm new to this site but will let you all know how things are going. I have never raised such a big litter before so my fingers are crossed.

   Posted 3 years ago by pipwe1 #

6. 

   They could be from the same litter-I have a feral litter in my yard right now and the largest is twice the size of the smallest. They could also have different fathers in the same litter. Any case, you know what to do as you have done it before. If you need any more advice we are here.

   Posted 3 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Phoenix, AZ 10/8 #

7. 

   First, Nice to meet you pipwe1!! how wonderful that you save these babies..Keep us posted..

   Posted 3 years ago by 2bpurring #

8. 

   Hi and thank you 2bpurring... The latest news... Unfortunately one of the smaller kittens lost his fight..the vet didn't know why he was the runt of the litter and just never seemed to get over the stress of his situation.. The others are thriving and keeping me on my toes all day and night!! They have all gained weight. It will a week tomorrow since they were found soaking wet and almost dead. Is there anyway I can post photos on here to show you? Hopefully in the next month they will be found good homes with loving people.. I would love to keep them but have 7 of my own.. Yes I know... I'm the crazy cat lady!!!! Thanks again all and will update you all soon.

   Posted 3 years ago by pipwe1 #

9. 

   Good work, pipwe1! Sorry about the little guy who didn't make it, but you have so many who are doing well. You must be tired, but happy. You can put photos up on a Catster webpage or upload them to a photo hosting website like webshots.com. You can put the link in a post here for us to click on or you can edit your profile on TDK and put the link in your profile. That will turn your screen name pink. Click on my screen name if you would like to see my two polydactyl kits. :D

   Posted 3 years ago by Kitten Whisperer #

10. 

    Pipwe1, I'm sorry to hear about the one who didn't make it. It can be heartbreaking, but I'm glad he knew kindness and love before he left.

    I'm thrilled to hear about all the others! You've done a marvelous job of giving them a chance for life, and a chance to find lifetime homes. I'm so proud of you!

    As far as posting photos, many of us have accounts on Catster.com. If someone posting on The Daily Kitten has their name showing up in pink, it means their name is linked to a website. Many on TDK have linked to their pet's account on Catster. (Click on my name, if you'd like to see an example.)

    I'd love to see photos of these little cuties! And you reminded me... I need to update my Catster profile for ThreeLittleKittens, since they're now adopted & renamed.

    Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

11. 

    Your 3little kittens are adopted Ann? That's great! :)

    Posted 3 years ago by Buttercup #

12. 

    Yes, Sara came and met them all on Sunday. Monday, the vet examined them all and declared them healthy. Funny, the male weighed at 2 lbs, but the females weighed 1.4 and 1.2 lbs, respectively. I'm curious to see just how big he's going to get!

    They've settled in nicely with Sara, and are bright, curious, alert little creatures. She absolutely adores them! None of them can replace her beloved Efrat, but she cherishes them anyhow.

    (That's one of the marvelous thing about loving pets; the more love you give, the more love you get.)

    Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

13. 

    pipwe1, welcome to TDK, the best people in the world are here. I'm also relatively new, and have had a great time getting purrs, advice and comfort. So sorry to hear about your baby feral that didn't make it.

    I recently found homes for six ferals who had been ferociously guarded by my big boy kitty named Bob. Their mom is still living on my porch, and *her* mom has recently returned after a long absence....with four kittens about 8 weeks old.

    Please do the Catster thing so we can see your tiny babies! I can't wait!!

    Posted 3 years ago by lisaeylau #

14. 

    And on a happy note, my former baby feral, thrown from a car window and abandoned in a winter field, is now 4 years old, 16 pounds of love and purrs constantly. Ruggles is now sleeping on his back in the middle of my bed, belching softly from a large handful of Whiskas treats. His furbro Rotley is curled up nearby, snoring softly.

    Perfect Friday night!

    Anncetera, you are so right about the love you give and the love you get.

    Posted 3 years ago by Emma #

15. 

    anncetera...it's a shame the adopters didn't keep the 'screaming Mimi' name. I thought it was a great name,& her picture surely showed it.

    Posted 3 years ago by feral #

16. 

    Thanks, Emma!

    Susie, I'd think so too, except for one thing. Sara came up with the new name, and started using it; Mimi started answering to it right away! So I think her new name must be a better fit.

    Sometimes people keep the baby names I give the kitties... sometimes they change them. As long as the kitties get good, loving homes... that's what I care about the most.

    Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

17. 

    Speaking of ferals, they're appearing on my porch now in a steady stream. Various moms return every year in May, bringing their litters to me, a place they know they will have food to wean then. I'm drowning in kittens!!! I'm so thankful I got homes for Bob's Babies before the onslaught began. These are really wild. All clearly from a limited gene pool, there are so many calicos and tabbies.

    Posted 3 years ago by lisaeylau #

18. 

    Lisa, good luck with managing those kittens! Are you hoping to catch, friendly-up and place some of these kittens? If not, do you have a low-cost spay/neuter campaign or TNR campaign active in your area?

    Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #

19. 

    anncetera2, Austin offers few options if you're really, truly, honestly as broke as I am. I hate to air my personal stuff so let's just say I made a mid life career change and between getting my practice going and the student loan, my cats get healthcare and I don't.

    All free services here are only offered to people who live in a different zip code. I've tried to slip by, but you can't--they require too much documentation.

    Even vets who do discount are out of my range. I pick a bill every month to skip.

    SPCA has a list of requirements a mile long--or you pony up about $100 per kitten you drop off. I've tried catching them, but what to do with them when I do? I can take them to the Town Lake Animal Shelter where they will be immediately put down because they're not adoptable. That's it.

    I caught the litter Bob was protecting and found homes for them because they were so young, and did not yet hiss and spit--much. It was a major feral kitten victory!!

    I've been in this apt. 11 years and the same colony has been here the whole time. The mom of the litter I'm watching now has been here since 1997. She is the grandmother of Bob's litter. I've been trying to catch her the entire time--as has the management--but she's way too smart.

    I think a lot of the kittens wander over to the Buddist temple next door and live there.

    But that's the story with my feral colony. Back before I was so strapped for cash I got a few kittens to Animal Trustees of Austin. And I never give up completely. But I don't have the resources to do any more than feed the moms when they're PG. I've soul-searched this up down and sideways.

    Posted 3 years ago by lisaeylau #

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