new cat or kitten advice (merged)

scat

Personally I'ld try to make sure the runt gets as much of mothers milk as he can - this may mean shifting one of his siblings out of the way to make sure he latches on ok. She should have plenty of milk for five. From your pic they all look perfectly healthy. There is usually a runt, and they usually stay the smallest!

On a side note - make sure she gets spayed as soon as the vet advises is safe.

Secret1234

Yeah gonna keep moving the others so she gets plenty milk, its moving around well enough but is very vocal so think she wants more. Will speak to the vet and cats protection who have been really helpful.

Defo gonna get her spayed as soon as, the women at cats protection looked after her for a week whilst we were away and they've said they want to keep her for themselves once she's weaned, they said she was a lovely cat so yay!! This will be her second litter we took her in whilst heavily pregnant with the first lot and 2 weeks after they were born she busted out of the bedroom window whilst we were out and got caught out again!! We were new to all this so take part responsibility, we didn't know how bad they get when the're in season!! This time she's being kept under lock and key and getting neutered as soon as, we've also had all the other strays on our street neutered coutesy of the RSPCA to reduce the problem, (although they still are homeless )!! We'll sew her legs shut if we have to!

Thanks for tips! x

floyd

Wow the Mommy is absolutely beautiful. Good luck with the kitties

Emmacw

spookylukey wrote: »

Here's a link to rescues in your area...

http://www.catchat.org/adoption/hants.html

Would like to highlight this one... The lady that runs it is a one woman band and does a fantastic job

EIGHT LIVES LEFT KITTEN RESCUE
Gosport, Hampshire.


Thanks spookylukey I will look into this one first!



emma

Emmacw

Zingara wrote: »

Visit Purrs Cat Forum : http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php

Lots of rescue people post there and should be able to point you in the direction for rescues in your area with kittens - there seem to be a lot around at the moment.

Karen
x

thanks for the link :T - have saved it to me favourites and will investigate further.

cheers

emma

Nikki

Late to the thread but definately 2, mine are brother and sister. We found them and had to hand rear them. We'd like more and will go for 2 again, but are finding our rescue centres have no kittens, only older cats that need to be the only pet or can't cope with young children.

Nikki

Every 2 hrs for the 1st 2 weeks and then every 4 hrs for the next 2-3 weeks. After this every 6 hrs and you should be able to wean it between 5-7 weeks. I hand reared our kitties an they are very happy for it. Your vet or rescue centre will give you any advice if you need it.

eviljim6

Just got a kitten myself from a stray someone had taken in.
He is lovely but very naughty and likes to chew electrical wires.
Just wanted to add that the lady we got our kitten from charged a small amount for him and his brothers which we were happy to pay becuase this was to go towards getting her 'done'.
I think this is perfectly accetable and makes good financial sense if you have been so good as to take in a stray.

Good luck with your cat and kittens. Runts are the best btw, my last one was and 2 years on she is adorably small still.

(This is my first ever post so hello everone, really chuffed to have finally plucked up the courage to type)

Secret1234

Thanks Nikki and hello eviljim6 welcome to the best forum ever!! Thanks for your comments guys

Had my first stab at it last night, not as easy as i imagined!! First we left her alone with mummy cat for a while and she starts to drink but then mooches off to find another nipple, this happens over and over again, its like she's not patient enough, gave her a bit of formula milk but that was a trauma. Just going to spend as much time as possible making sure she gets on mummy and then giving her milk if she's not gaining weight (gonna buy some electric scales today). As for getting her 'done' i'm hoping RSPCA or cats protection are gonna help, however if thats not possible i will ask for a small donation, we've always donated for the cats we've had, seems only fair

Think my cat was the runt, he's tiny but very accident prone!! Wouldn't change him for the world though, i knew he was the one i wanted the moment i saw him! If this little fella survives then i'm going to be so tempted to keep him as my own! That would be very silly as i have 3 of my own, 2 strays i care for and 5 kittens!!

Aaaagh i'd so be a freaky cat lady if i had the finances and space!!

scat

eviljim6 wrote: »

Just got a kitten myself from a stray someone had taken in.
He is lovely but very naughty and likes to chew electrical wires.
Just wanted to add that the lady we got our kitten from charged a small amount for him and his brothers which we were happy to pay becuase this was to go towards getting her 'done'.
I think this is perfectly accetable and makes good financial sense if you have been so good as to take in a stray.

Good luck with your cat and kittens. Runts are the best btw, my last one was and 2 years on she is adorably small still.

(This is my first ever post so hello everone, really chuffed to have finally plucked up the courage to type)

We took in a stray a few weeks ago as well. CPL didn't have room for her and I didn't want to just let her out, and hope she found her way, as she wasn't spayed and coming up to 'that age'. We advertised and registered her with every animal welfare organisation going but nobody came forward. When two weeks had past I got back in touch with the CPL and said that though we loved her we really couldn't afford the expense of neutering and injections right before our holiday ( as well as the expense of putting her in a cattery! ) CPL said if we would keep her they would pay the cost of spaying and for one of her jabs ( so effectively saved us £70 ). I still feel very cross with whoever dumped her. She's still cost me a lot of money and though I love her dearly I wasn't really ready for the financial burden of another cat ( we have two 15 yr old cats ) . I have to say I'm surprised that the CPL didn't insist the OP's cat was spayed when she escaped after her first litter - pregnant or not! There are just too many unwanted kittens about - the fact that two of us in this thread have ended up taking one in is testament to that.

To give those planning to take a kitten on an idea of the costs involved this is what my act of charity has cost me!

2 vaccinations - £30 each total £60
chipping - £30
spaying - £35
flea treatment - £15
course of worming treatment - £10
10 day stay in cattery - £80
collar - £8
insurance - £10 p/m
cat litter - a small fortune
kitten food - a smaller fortune

Nobody should take a kitten on if they are not prepared to do it properly, and doing it properly isn't cheap!