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Hi....today has been kind of a strange day. My daughter was at her friends, and someone drove by and threw a box out their window. Well my daughter and her friend of course had to look to see what was IN this box. Turns out it is a baby kitty. :O( Well....poor little kitty. He has nobody. We are going to take care of him. What kind of a person can sleep at night after doing something like throwing a kitty out their window?? We have 2 cats already. Do you think our cats will accept this new kitty? It is probably only about 3 weeks old. We have a male (fixed) and a female. All of these are our first cats. So I am not familiar with how cats might be with a new addition.Thanks for your help. Oh....he is so cute. He is grey and white with little white socks on. My daughter has named him 'socks'.
I can't believe your story, I mean I believe you but yes, that is bizarre.
Ya might wanna be pettin them other two kitties a lot...at least don't take anything away from what they're used to. Some cats get an attitude about losing affection to the younger ones...some understand. Good Luck...hey, I've got 4...you got one more corner of your blanket to tie down hahaha!
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You don't wanna even know some of the things we see and hear at work everyday. I can't believe people can actually do these things... but they do.
I would NOT put that kitten any where near yours until you get it to the vet. You need to find out how old it is so you can know what to feed it. But you also need to make sure it's not gonna infect your cats with something nasty, like Feline Leukemia, let alone stuff like earmites, upper respiratory, etc etc etc.
Baby kitties can be alot of work, and sometime a big heartbreak, because very often the really young ones don't make it. But if it is at least 3 wks old, you are ahead of the game. We had a 2 day old dropped off today!! At least by 3 wks you're not lookin at 6x a day bottle feeding and needing to stimulate it to... um, lets say 'produce waste products'.
Lottsa luck to you... but make sure you call the vet ASAP Monday morning, ok? Email me if you need anything else, ok?
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Thanks Linda and Dana (and Deb on the email!) Our cats are pretty much outdoors alot. They have had their shots. They don't like it indoors except at night. But I will get the kitty checked out Monday, and not let the kitten close to them. thanks alot.
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Here's a tip..we just learned. Sometimes kitties will NOT share a litter box. If you cannot get the newbie to use a box..get him one of his own.
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Cats are very territorial. They may not accept the new kitten right away...actually, probably won't. One thing you may try if this is the case is to get a cage for the kitten to stay in the same area as your other cats, so they can get used to the new one being there, before letting them free to be in the same area. This should't take more than a couple weeks. Maybe your vet would have an extra cage for you to borrow or rent for 2 or 3 weeks...or the vet may have a better idea for you.
Of course, they may get along fine. What do I know bout cats? hahaha
------------------ Don Coplen aka "SaintPete" Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
Co-Leader (with Bill Modzel and Dave Sherby) of the Letterville Adobe Illustrator Support Group
If any Letterville Adobe Illustrators need any help, feel free to email any of the three of us and we will help out as best we can.
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we got 3...mother and daughter, and my maine coon OC(FOR OUTSIDE CAT)yea right....mother and daughter we brought up from sarasota...oc was given to me....it been almost 3 years...and they all are sorta gettin along....now we have a stray who comes and eats and leaves....so the 3 dont mind him...at 3 mos.. iwould keep it away from the others till its big enough to run or defend its self....cats are vicious....even with there own kind...
------------------ joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-944-5060 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND
Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Cheryl...ya know what is really fun? Ya know those door mirrors you can get at WallyWorld for like 5-7 bucks? Get one and lay it on it's side and plop the kitten down in front of it...hours of entertainment!
We used to do this when we had a new one come in...they were all playin in no time. After the vet visit though...I used to do the vet visit right away...before we even brought em into the house.
They say in these parts that up to 5 cats you were "ok" but after 5 kitties, you started addin more to your collection, you were certifiable...hehehe!
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Update on baby kitten: We took him to the pet store, and they gave us some 'milk replacer' and a bottle! This little guy is so cute. We may have to find a home for him in a couple weeks when he gets stronger, as our cats are not too thrilled with the little 'intruder'. I have a hunch he will have melted our hearts to the point of not being able to let him go tho.
Ahhhh, new kittens are sooo sweet. You HAVE to fall in love with them.
We rescued two black and white kitties that were about four months old and have kept them indoors for the past several years.
Then last summer when Sarah was working in Disney, her roomates saw a man throwing a trash bag of kittens into a dumpster. Of course once they brought them back to the apartment, no one knew what to do with them (they were so tiny their ears hadn't even opened - all guesses put them at about three days)
Sarah got them through the night(after a few long-distance phone calls) and found a friend who was hand raising a hedgehog, he got her bottles and formula to hold her over. All the shelters she contacted said they would just put them to sleep because they were too tiny.
To make a long story shorter, the kids and I went to Florida and took them to the vet (They ended up picking up distemper from someone else who volunteered to hold them till I got there - another long story I will skip)
Anyway only one survived, we confined him to our bedroom at first and only allowed supervised visits, but our two male rescues treated him almost like uncles. They would play with him very gently and when he got out of hand they would just leave. The other cats would wash him, but always kept themselves slightly aloof. They seemed to recognize that he was one of them and that they needed to be gentle.
Amazingly he is almost a year old and is over twelve pounds. He and the Maine Coon Kitten we added to the pack (she's the only female) get along just fine with the other two.
And ALL the cats and Chang, our Peke-a-poo, have now accepted two new dogs that we just adopted (eight year old Japanese Chins, who together weigh less than one cat!)
Be patient and they will come around. Of course there is a lot of help here on this list if you need it.
Dana, I'm so glad your shelter took in the little one. It was sooo frustrating that there were no options.
Valerie - who decided after feeding a kitten every two hours that she is too old to have any more kids!
------------------ Valerie Connot DOA Flatliners North Wales, PA
Posts: 138 | From: North Wales, PA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Dana Aaron
unregistered
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We will never turn away an animal, but more often than not during kitten season, we see WAY too many this young. We do have some foster parents that will take on the responsiblity, but not enough. So they usually get euthanized. We don't enjoy doing it, but we're stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
One of the techs decided to try feeding it - if it nursed well, then she would take it home with her. It did... tremendously, so she's got it with her at home.
I really wish people would get their cats spayed/neutered and keep them indoor ONLY. I get so sick of listening to people on the phone complaining about the cats using their garden for litterboxes or the kittens under their porch. In the space of one hour Friday morning while I was in dispatch, we had 3 emergency calls for HBC cats (hit by car), injured and bleeding by the sides of roads.
And not to mentions the 1000's of kittens born. Right now we have 266 kittens in foster homes, waiting to hit the 2 lb mark so they can come in to go up for adoption (thats how big they need to be for anesthia for surgery.) At the height of kitten season, we might take in over 2000 cats and kittens in one month!!!
And everybody that comes in wanting to be pre-approved to adopt a cat... one of the first questions we ask is indoor/outdoor?? then we procede to educated those that indicate that the cat might go outside.
Do you have any clue the myriad of things that can happen to a cat outside?? Yea, yea yea... I know - I had a cat that went outside. She always came when she was called. She was up to date on shots. She never strayed far... and she never came home one day. I have no clue what ever happened to her. That did it for me. No cat of mine will ever go outside again.
They don't NEED to go outside. They don't need to pee in your neighbors yard. They don't need to chase the birds your neighbor is feeding.
Yea, they might have their shots, but Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids are fatal. Yea, there's a vaccine you can give your cats, but there is serious doubt how effective it is.
There are no 'shots' for upper respiratory, ear mites or being smooshed by a car or attacked by a dog. What about the stupid wacko teenagers - you don't wanna hear about some of the things we have dealt with there.
Oh... you live in the country? Predatory birds will take a rabbit... what's the difference?
My cat's life and the joy she brings to me isn't worth taking the chance.
Sorry to rant like this, I am done on my soap box now. I guess when you answer dozens of calls every day about this, it tends to build up, ya know??
Sure hope it works out ok with the kitten. Don't worry too much about the other cats in the house. Usually cats will either love each other, or live with each other. Just make sure litter boxes are very clean, and maybe have seperate ones - that tends to be the biggest problem.
Good luck! and email me if you have any more questions.
------------------ Dana Aaron docs-gal on chat
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently, you have to show up.
[This message has been edited by Dana Aaron (edited June 17, 2001).]
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I understand ya Dana... my sister worked in a shelter for a few years while she was in college. The squirrel stories were funny! The cat stories weren't. Baby squirrels are really cute and cuddley until they reach "preteen" then it's like walking into a cage full of Cybil's... happy phsyco day!!!
One thing to keep in mind about the new guy... being that you have saved him from his rough start in life- he will be the BEST cat you'll ever have. ALL of my strays, and especially the ones I bottle fed were too good to be true. The grocery store cardboard box wonders... not so much.
With my experience with multiple cats (indoors ) I have found that the two older ones will act like they hate it to establish the food chain... there's always an Alpha kitty (the leader, the head honcho, the boss, the meanest of the bunch... or so it "thinks") that gets to eat first, poop first and gets to have the biggest ego. It's an animal thing... men do it too, they are just sometimes better at hiding it. (oh get over it guys, you KNOW it's true! ) ANYway, after the "who gets to be first" ceremony they'll show their true feelings and let him crawl all over them and chew on their ears and tails and when they grab him with their two front paws to hold him still to clean him- you're gonna crack up- it is too funny watching adult foster parent cats with a kitten!
The furr ball lovin' side of the Moon
How do you give a cat a bath??? Close the lid on the toilet, flush 3 times then RUN!!! (I Love cat jokes almost as much as blonde jokes! Bah ha ha ha)
------------------ The Moon aka: Stefenie Harris Moonlight Designs Pollock Pines, CA learnin' somethin' new every day!
Posts: 550 | From: Pollock Pines, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hi Cheryl, Over the years I have given refuge to many different animals; in my experience the personalities always clash at one time or another. My own pets barely blink an eyelid at new arrivals now! I think my main concern would be worms, they can be contracted by humans too. The other thing would be calcium defficiency; if these people have dumped the animal, odds are the Mother didn't have proper pre-natal care either. This can be rectified by adding dairy products to the youngsters' diet. If untreated it can cause major damage to the bones in the future. Goodluck!
------------------ Freeloner
Posts: 94 | From: Q.L.D Australia | Registered: Jan 2001
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Our shop is on a farm just outside of town so we get two or three a year dropped off.. what do these sick b....... think that little kitten is gonna do..we've taken a few home because they were so small but now we're overrun..found homes for a few and still a few are loose here on the farm and we do scrape a few each year off the road..we have hawks and foxes that take kittens as well and this year a groundhog that has been fighting with the cats...
Dave
------------------ Ace of Signs Selinsgrove, Pa. www.aceofsigns.com
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I would say just give it a little bit of time with the new arrival. The older ones should come around.
When I had my last cat, Morticia (named after Morticia Addams) my parents shipped their terrier and cat to my house while they went on vacation for 3 weeks. At first, Tish was very cranky. After a couple days, I snuck home at lunch time to see the 2 cats curled up in 1 giant ball, asleep on my bed, with the dog laying not too far away from them. She actually seemed lonely when they went home.
------------------ Chris King Paper Works & Graphix Indiana, PA
Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Kitty is doing great. Loves his milk. Our 12 year old cocker spaniel 'Astro' absolutely adores the new baby. Our Moma cat thinks baby is ok. Bubsie our 'other baby cat' is not sure what to think. (his stinger is a little bit bent out of wack) But he has been getting special treats....and knows he is still the baby. (sort of). So that is the update so far. I will try to post a picture soon. Thanks to all who emailed me about our kitty situation.
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When you say 'his milk' - I hope you mean something like Esbilac made specifically for cats. Many people feed their cats cows milk which isn't very good for them.
I guess it has something to do with the difference in the lactose between cow's milk and mama cat's milk. They have a tougher time digesting cows milk properly.
Also - make sure you get him on DRY ONLY kitten food. Don't mess with the cans. If you feed canned food, do it as a treat on the side. But also be prepared that THAT is all he wants, screw the dry stuff!
If you plan on feeding canned only, get in the habit of brushing his teeth, or he will have really yucky teeth really young. Infections in pets' teeth can actually lead to death (we lost a doxie when I was growing up that way.) The crunchy canned stuff helped to clean their teeth off. Same for dogs. (yep - got the toothbrush and doggie toothpaste right here... so if you ever borrow a toothbrush at my house DON'T use the one with black electrical tape around the handle!!!)
Also - did you find out for sure he's a boy? I still get the mixed up sometimes - cats aren't as easy to tell as dogs!! If he is a boy, make sure you put him on a high quality food like Iams or Science Diet, or something like that, since the boys are much more prone to urinary tract problems and the cheaper foods don't help at all - can actually make worse.
Post a pic soon, ok? I know we will be looking for a playmate for Shirley, but probably after the wedding... we already have two 'kids' now out of wedlock...
------------------ Dana Aaron docs-gal on chat
I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently, you have to show up.
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Dana.....thanks for all the advice. Yes, it is called 'milk replacer' for kittens. The lady at the pet store told me she thinks he is about 4 weeks old but very small. He loves his bottle! (and thinks I am his mommy) He is a doll. She said he is a tabby...his eyes are baby blue....not sure...do kittens eyes change color? He has gotten so strong...jumps, runs, plays....and is very very happy. Kind of a bugger in the middle of the night....but that's ok. He is just too cute. thanks again for the advice. I will post a picture soon.
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Hi Cheryl- I live on a main highway & have had a kitten dropped off every summer. Unfortunately, I have an older cat who is very territorial & she killed & ate two of 'em. I thought she would be OK, but she wasn't. So, if you're going to keep the little kitty, please don't leave it unattended in the company of your older cats until she's old enough to defend herself. Now when this happens, I give them to my sister, who has a farm. Love- JILL
------------------ Jill M. Welsh
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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) I have found that the two older ones will act like they hate it to establish the food chain... there's always an Alpha kitty (the leader, the head honcho, the boss, the meanest of the bunch... or so it "thinks") that gets to eat first, poop first and gets to have the biggest ego. It's an animal thing... men do it too, they are just sometimes better at hiding it. 
(oh get over it guys, you KNOW it's true! 
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