If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
On 28 Jul 2005 16:13:50 -0700, "Calvin Rice" ,
clicked their heels and said: I don't understand why you say the kittens will be feral, since they will be born indoors if they are born, and will not go outdoors until after the mother is taken away, after six weeks or so. I fully understand that the kittens would be feral if born in the wild. Why are you planning on taking mom away at 6 weeks and allowing them outside? -- Janet B www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote in message ups.com... Janet B wrote: With millions of perfectly nice and non feral cats needing homes, bringing more little lives into the world doesn't make sense to ME. If it does to you, have at it. I wish you luck. I'm not bringing more little lives into the world. I've had all of my cats neuitered before they could reproduce. The mother and father brought these little lives into the world. They're in the world now, in their mother's womb. If I hadn't been told about these little lives, I wouldn't have become involved, but once I was told that their lives were about to be taken, I had no choice but to try to rescue them. -cr Good for you. In my opinion, you are doing the responsible thing. The fact is the cat is pregnant and it's not like you're going to leave them on the side of the road when the kittens are born - you'll be able to find homes, right? Besides, aborting the kittens now would like be aborting a baby in the third trimester without the mother's consent and that is just wrong... animal or human. I am sure when the birthing day comes, the cat will make itself comfortable and do it's thing. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
On Thu 28 Jul 2005 06:44:17p, Snittens wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav ): "Calvin Rice" wrote I'm not aware of any vet recommendations in this case. But thoughts about what life is worth saving are not limited to medical minds. -cr I understand where you are coming from. When I first got involved in rescue, I felt sick about having a pregnant cat spayed and the kittens aborted. Then I started to see just how many kittens are in need of homes. I always thought "oh kittens are easy to adopt, there are enough homes to go around." No there are NOT! And even though kittens can be easy enough to place, it's all the work that is involved before they are old enough for adoption (8 weeks by law, better at 12 weeks, IMO) that is the real strain on shelters and rescues. Kittens get euthanized. I bet most people don't realize that. They think "I'll take these cute and fuzzy kittens to the shelter and they will all get homes!" Well, if they are under 8 weeks and/or ill in any way, they may very well get put down. Please rethink this. If you really want to save some kittens, go to your local rescue and foster a litter that have already been born. -Kelly I have to agree with this, too. Once you see kittens euthanized just for being born, it's hard to see more that might end up doomed. Though, I respect the wishes of Calvin and wish him and the momcat and the babies-to-be well. -- Cheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Calvin Rice wrote:
Kelly, if the mother has her kittens, I certainly will see them. The cat is indoors, and will stay indoors, either in the bedroom or in the garage. Six weeks after the litter is born, the owner of the mother will come get her and have her spayed. My question is how to see to it that the mother-to-be starts to eat, drink water, and use the litter box in the bedrrom where she is confined. My worry is that the mother-to-be will waste away, or miscarry, or something, I know not what, because of the trauma of being suddenly confined in a stranger's house. If the kittens are actually born normally, I don't see why they will be different from any other kittens. If this was happening outside, yes, the kittens would become feral. That already has happened. This will be the cat's second litter. But the first litter was born in the wild, and remained half-wild. I say half-wild because all of these cats have been underfoot around the person's house, but hard to trap for neutering, although all had been trapped and neutered, except Blackie. Yes, I'm inexperienced, though I have four cats. That's why I'm asking for advice on how to help the mother and save the litter. This is all so well-meant, but also so very unwise. Yes, the mother's stress will almost certainly influence her own health and that of the little ones. Even if they are born without damage due to her fear, chances aren't high they'll become human-adjusted kittens with her around... and she'll try and keep them from you, be sure of that. At this point, if that former neutering option is out of the question now for some reason, I'd even put her back where she resided. Anything but this. Joske |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Janet B wrote:
Why are you planning on taking mom away at 6 weeks and allowing them outside? Neither one of those things is necessary. The mother of the person who delivered Blackie to me, hates to be parted from her. She feeds her, though she can'r pet her. Blackie rubs around her legs like any other cat about to be fed, but then wont allow more contact. I'm sure the lady would accept a longer parting period if that would be better.. I've acquired two six (or less) week old kittens in the past six years. In both cases the kitten had already been separated from the mother. Both kittens adapted well to my care immediately. I'm aware of the big commitment required when adopting a kitten, holding it most of the time while doing other things, being especially careful and loving with it. Because of my experiences, I assumed that six weeks was proper for separation from the mother. But I'm open for better advice on this. It's not necessary that six week old kittens go outside. My other cats are indoor-outdoor, so i just assumed that these kittens would become the same, until placement, but again I'm open to better advice. -cr |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
Joske wrote:
At this point, if that former neutering option is out of the question now for some reason, I'd even put her back where she resided. Anything but this. No, the spay/abort option is still available. I can have the cat taken away to the vet tomorrow, assuming we can get her back in the cage. I can put on thick gardening gloves and a heavy shirt and try to handle the cat, maybe getting a pillow case around her, with help. But I wonder why a cat, in the middle of her mothering instincts, would not be horribly traumatized by suddenly becoming not pregnant. Since stress for the mother seemed a sure thing, whether the kittens were aborted or saved, I concentrated on trying to save the kittens. I told the owners it was none of my business, but they allowed me to make it my business. -cr |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
On Thu 28 Jul 2005 07:31:50p, Calvin Rice wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav roups.com): Janet B wrote: Why are you planning on taking mom away at 6 weeks and allowing them outside? Neither one of those things is necessary. The mother of the person who delivered Blackie to me, hates to be parted from her. She feeds her, though she can'r pet her. Blackie rubs around her legs like any other cat about to be fed, but then wont allow more contact. I'm sure the lady would accept a longer parting period if that would be better.. Hi Calvin. I totally understand where you're coming from here! (with the expectant mom, the close arrival of lil wons!) It is better for the kittens to be with mom until at least 12 weeks old. Mom teaches them how "to be cats", how to litter train them, that people are ok, how to eat solid food, etc. In this case, mom doesn't know some of these things, from the sounds of it. If you plan to let the mom give birth, which it sounds like what you plan to do, I'm mixed on whether mom should influence the little ones WRT human touch, litter box experience. Maybe in this case it would be better to send her back. Do you have any other cats? Any that might "adopt" the kittens and show them these things? It comes better to them from another cat. Copy-cat and all that. My 2 year old male took my latest additions under his wing when they were about 3 months old. I used to call him Mr. Mom. It's not necessary that six week old kittens go outside. My other cats are indoor-outdoor, so i just assumed that these kittens would become the same, until placement, but again I'm open to better advice. I wouldn't let them be outside cats. At least not at 6 weeks old. You will have to try to contain them if your cats are indoor/outdoor. That little is way too young for them to be able to stay out of trouble out there. Of course it depends on what your neighborhood/city is like. Good luck with whatever you do. -- Cheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote I don't understand why you say the kittens will be feral, since they will be born indoors if they are born, and will not go outdoors until after the mother is taken away, after six weeks or so. I fully understand that the kittens would be feral if born in the wild. -cr My mind isn't made up, but I'm melodramatic enough to recognize that these tiny living things have no one but me to work on their behalf, and see them chasing each other around, sleeping on top of each other, and evolving into personality-rich beings like the other cats I know. If I don't help them, they vanish in darkness, almost getting help, but then losing it. Because if the mother is feral, she may not let you near the kittens for at least 4-5 weeks. By then, they will already be on the skittish side and will need intense hands-on in order to become accustomed to people. Please don't let them outside. You may never see them again. They need to be in a small room and handled as much as possible. I think you are romanticizing a bit here. -Kelly |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote in message ups.com... Kelly, if the mother has her kittens, I certainly will see them. The cat is indoors, and will stay indoors, either in the bedroom or in the garage. Six weeks after the litter is born, the owner of the mother will come get her and have her spayed. My question is how to see to it that the mother-to-be starts to eat, drink water, and use the litter box in the bedrrom where she is confined. My worry is that the mother-to-be will waste away, or miscarry, or something, I know not what, because of the trauma of being suddenly confined in a stranger's house. If the kittens are actually born normally, I don't see why they will be different from any other kittens. If this was happening outside, yes, the kittens would become feral. That already has happened. This will be the cat's second litter. But the first litter was born in the wild, and remained half-wild. I say half-wild because all of these cats have been underfoot around the person's house, but hard to trap for neutering, although all had been trapped and neutered, except Blackie. Yes, I'm inexperienced, though I have four cats. That's why I'm asking for advice on how to help the mother and save the litter. =cr She could hide them somewhere and/or not let you anywhere near the kittens. Believe me, I know this happens. Our shelter vet does spay pregnant mothers, but not if they are close to delivery, so sometimes we are stuck with feral moms with kittens. I haven't fostered a feral mom and kittens personally, but many of my shelter friends have. The mother becomes fiercely protective of the litter, and, I don't know if you've observed this, she will practically sit on the kittens and not let you touch them. I have fostered motherless semi-feral kittens that I got at five weeks, and they took a lot of work. They will hiss, spit, and claw at you. Being born indoors is not automatically going to make them sweet, friendly kittens. Lastly, how many generations feral the kittens will be also has a factor in how hard it will be to socialize them. Do you have the mother cat in a cage right now? That would be the best thing. She will be more comfortable in a small space. Put a little condo or box in the cage for her to hide in. -Kelly |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote But I wonder why a cat, in the middle of her mothering instincts, would not be horribly traumatized by suddenly becoming not pregnant. Since stress for the mother seemed a sure thing, whether the kittens were aborted or saved, I concentrated on trying to save the kittens. I told the owners it was none of my business, but they allowed me to make it my business. -cr Because the pregnancy hormones are what contributes to stressing her out. Once those subside, she will go back to her normal self. Believe me, I have experience in this area. -Kelly |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
How about a challenge????????? | JHBennett | Cat community | 3 | October 12th 10 03:42 PM |
caught the mother | Ann | Cat anecdotes | 58 | November 10th 04 08:11 PM |
Nursing mother question | KellyH | Cat health & behaviour | 21 | November 14th 03 02:28 AM |
How about a challenge???????? | JHBennett | Cat health & behaviour | 20 | July 30th 03 10:24 PM |
How about a challenge??????????? | JHBennett | Cats - misc | 2 | July 28th 03 01:55 PM |