Teeny kittens

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Basia

Member Since 2014
Hi, everyone
I'm new, using a neighbor's computer, my questions may not be appropriate for your forum, but please help.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, I found a nest of 4 tiny kittens (3 pure white, one golden tabby) in my garden plus mama cat. I left some food nearby for Mama Cat who later followed me into the house. I move very slowly & didn't shut the screen door. The dry food came from my neighbor who also gave me canned.
I could not sleep well because we have skunks, opossum, raccoons and who knows what other wild life.

On Wed., Sept. 3 at around 10:30 pm there was a lot of noise on my patio. I went out there only to find 3 kittens on the patio and I in the nest. Mama was running between my house and the kittens. I took them all in. Mama lets me pet her but not pick her up. She does not like to use a litter box but demands to go outside. No neighbor knows her. I have not seen any white kitties around but several gold tabbies like mama cat.

What's best to do for the kittens: eyes open but they don't really walk just tumble around. When do kittens start eating? Pooping - using a litter box? Can be given away? What's best to feed them? How often? And mama cat - best food and how much? She needs to be fixed. I'm in Monterey Park, CA (borders Los Angeles)

All hints will be appreciated. I don't know when I'll be on my neighbor's computer but she'll call me with all information, as well as, print it and bring it over.

Thank you and best of health to your kitties,
Basia
 
Low carb canned kitten food, such as Evo Cat and Kitten canned food.
More foods listed at Cat Info as well as an explanation why.

The kittens should be at least 8 weeks old before adopting out (roughly 2 pounds). I strongly encourage getting each of them altered before placement; your local humane society may know of some low cost clinics.
 
Momma will continue to nurse them for several weeks. When they are about 4 weeks old you can start introducing food to them. I usually mix the food (especially if any of it is dry) in water to make it soupy for the first few days it is introduced to them. About that time you will also introduce them to the litterbox.

Once they are large and old enough to adopt, have all of them fixed, including mamma, before adopting out.

Also, a suggestion if you want to keep the kittens confined to a small area while they are small is to use a portable crib such as a pack and play. It worked well until they were about 4-5 weeks old and learned how to climb out of it. :mrgreen: It allows momma easy access but keeps the kittens out of trouble.
 
Hello,

Thank you all for very useful ideas. I am not clear on two issues:
1. Which canned food would be best for Mama Cat (or M.C.)? She's very thin and has Fancy Feast classic turkey with giblets available all the time, as well as, Young Again. Both are very generous gifts from a neighbor whose diabetic kitty passed away recently. Mama Cat or M.C. does not like Young Again (it was an unopened bag). If I read things correctly, perhaps, something with more fat would be better for her?
2. Fixing kittens: I thought that could be done when they were about 6 months old. Have things changed so much that the procedures can be done much earlier?

Thank you once again,
Basia
 
Any food that says it is good for all life stages is fine. Yo want to avoid ones that only adult cats.
One rule is that the cat has to be at least 2 1/2 pounds to neuter.
 
Friskies canned food is also a good food to feed M.C. One thing that I have done in the past is to supplement a momma cat's diet is to also feed kitten canned food or dry kitten chow. This way she is getting extra nutrients that will be passed to the kittens when they nurse.

Depending on where you take them to get fixed, most places will not perform the surgeries until they are 2 or 3 lbs. Usually that is around 3-4 months old. Also, when they are old enough to fix, you can check with your local animal shelter to see if there are any groups they work with that can offer discounted prices for spay/neuter. Where I live, usually during kitten season, First Coast No More Homeless Pets offers free spay/neuter. I have rescued several litters of kittens and that saved me a lot of money.
 
Depending on the vet & equipment, I have heard as low as 2 pounds for pediatric S/N. This may result in a larger cat, as the sex hormones slow or turn off the growth hormones. No sex hormones, and it takes longer for the growth hormones to turn off.
 
Thank you! Sorry, my questions are trivial in contrast to so many urgent requests. Asking for your patience, please.

1. How does one play with such tiny kittens? In my opinion, they're only 3 - 4 weeks old.
2. The babies have fleas! What do I do? A flea comb is arriving tomorrow. What else? Mama Cat does not seem to be bothered by fleas but I could see them on the white baby fur. The bedding is changed daily. I cut up some fleece blankets and toss everything away daily. Noticed the situation only 2 days ago.
3. Need a good vet in Monterey Park, Pasadena, Alhambra, San Marino, CA area. Anyone know one?

Your answers are greatly appreciated. I have not been near baby kittens in ages...40 years or so, and it shows!
Thank you, Basia
 
Food grade diatomaceous earth may be carefully massaged into the fur to reduce fleas. Do not sprinkle through the air - they should not breathe it in!
Liberal use of the flea comb, shaking off fleas into soapy water use Dawn).
If they are stable, you can bathe them using Dawn in warm, not hot, water (test the temp on the inside of your forearm), which also will help remove fleas.

Otherwise, check with a vet if you may use CapStar, which kills adult fleas. Avoid anything over the counter by Hartz.

Even if a vet prescribes something, it is still possible to have a reaction, so be very watchful after any treatments.

Play gently with something not easily swallowed - a light weight, small, plastic golf ball may work, or something similar with a bell in it often go over well. Avoid using your body as a toy; that can teach the kitten it is OK to pounce on a human and you don't want that.
 
Hello, a big hug, BJM! This is my lucky day since I have Dawn and diatomaceous earth (feed grade) which I bought for a big war I fought and won against ants! A flea comb arrives tomorrow. I'll be all set. Those tiny kittens and I are getting along just fine since I can't breathe in powders either due to asthma!
Many thanks, Basia
 
Also, pet and hold them often so they become used to being with people. That will help socialize them so they will be more adoptable when they are ready.

Can you post pics of momma and the kittens. We love kitty pics. :mrgreen:
 
Hello,
I'll do my best but pictures will take some time, Lisa. I am totally technologically challenged...in fact, have a brand new Air computer in my closet ...not using it. Need to learn how. Same goes for my camera! Kittens are well: trying out a teeny litter box. Only one doesn't like being combed. I call him Traveler because he is in constant motion! The three 'whities' might end up with sweet slightly gold-tinted tabby tails! Cute!
Thanks, Basia
 
Greetings!

Babies are doing well. They all appear to be males - makes sense if an egg split into 3. The three white ones look like exact copies of one another except for their weight. The gold tabby looks like mom but not a doubt that he's a boy. Three are eating kitten food but one, Traveler, mostly races through the food plate, and just gets his tail, paws and belly messy. Mom's leaving them for longer periods. Very few fleas! Don't find any on mom. They all still nurse and participate in fairly frequent encounters of "this is MY favorite spot and NOT yours!" We have three small litter boxes and a big one for mom. It's so funny to see them pee in one and, then, go to the next one, scratch industriously to cover who knows what? up! Basia
 
Greetings!

Babies and Mama Cat are doing well. Eyes are still blue, tails barely golden tabby as if dusted with fog or snow. I'm keeping them all: can't split a family! My heart has been captured. I do have a substitute family ready to take them, if need be, as I'm elderly. I have 2 questions: (1) Traveler, the smallest of the white triplets, bites everything. He notices everything first, moves like lightning so that his other name is Quicksilver. He was never permitted to play with my fingers but even his Mama Cat needed to hold him down or he would try to playfully bite her. Much more so than the others. Hints to counter this behavior? (2) All babies get their noses messy inside and out while eating. Does this phase pass? Or will need they need to be cleaned with a wet washcloth forever? I'm sure this varies (ECID- I've been reading up) but any suggestions?
Thank you for taking the time to respond, Basia
 
No real advice on the problems..but it does sound like you have a small family of flame point siamese mix little ones so the eyes may remain blue and just lighten as they get older to sky blue. So they grow up to look like this


My Casper the flame point

And to say...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm so happy you're keeping the family together. cat_pet_icon

Mel and The Fur Gang
 

Attachments

  • Myspace29.jpg
    Myspace29.jpg
    3.7 KB · Views: 993
You might try a warm, damp washcloth for grooming after eating ... and if you put a good smell on it, they may be inclined to lick more. Perhaps a very mild catnip tea would work.
 
Hello!
Thank you, Mel. I believe you're right! Just checked some websites and, of course, your beautiful Casper's photo helped a lot. Thanks for including it. Took a better look at the kittens' ears. They always appeared pointy and longer than norm, but what I took for pinkness of skin, lack of fur, and translucence now shows itself as slight orange - pinkish fur. Something is happening around their noses, too. Paws seem pure white. Your reply provided much fun for me! Knowledge is so enjoyable!

Thanks, BJM. Just ordered some catnip but would have never thought of catnip tea. Until it arrives, I'll leave some dripping wet warm washcloths around. Water fascinates them.

Thanks for your kind words, Aime. I visited England and Cornwall (primarily Falmouth) some years ago. Beautiful country.

Sincerely, Basia
 
Basie

If their paws stay white but their legs point out (turn a color) then you have Snow-shoe flame points. I have several different colors of points here. Casper's littermate brother is a Blue point, which means instead of that lovely soft peachy orange his face, ears, tail and legs are a soft bluish silver. And their father that I also have is a snow-shoe lynx point, so he has tiger-strips and spots just like a lynx for his markings. My two girls at the Bridge one Muse was a seal-point with rich chocolate brown markings and Musette (not related but named for Muse) was a Blue-cream tortie point. Siamese and their mixed relatives are a fascinating breed. Usually very talkative and extremely social little buggers. My husband and I call our 4 we have at present the Meezer Choir...lol

And yes, all kittens are messy when they are first learning to eat solid food, much like our human children they just can't quite get that whole food to mouth thing down right away, and it's more fun to walk in your plate or shove your sibling's head in it than it is to actually eat it...lol They will grow out of a lot of that, especially if mom is still around to teach them proper grooming habits.

Many years ago I had a solid long-hair black momma cat that gave birth to 2 siamese marked kittens and a solid black one like herself. I truly think even she thought she had 2 white and 1 black because when the white ones started turning into siamese markings she tried to scrub them off as well. She thought they were the dirtiest kittens she had ever seen.. :lol: :lol:

Good luck with your new furry family! If they turn out even half as much fun as we have with ours, you will never lack for conversation, or entertainment.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Yeoww! brand organic catnip is really good. I got some on ebay and Saoirse loves it. It's more potent than a lot of stuff that's sold in pet shops.
 
Hello!
I've been too embarrassed to respond because I'm so hapless with technology. Got braver yesterday since I managed to open my camera and take pictures. Next step will be loading them on my computer! So soon, Lisa, I hope!
Mel, thanks for the additional information! My babies are little cuddle bugs! So adorable! Mama Cat still comes around but babies are more thrilled to see her than vice versa. Only one or two will try nursing. She hates being inside and dislikes canned food. I think that they are quite clean, but any spec of food against their white fur is so striking.
Aime, thanks! I did get a banana-shaped toy for the babes with the catnip you suggested. At first, they were afraid of it. Now, they drag it everywhere, as well as, the recently purchased practice golf balls!
Virtually speaking, see you all soon, Basia
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top