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 |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
Back when it was 10-15 degrees outside this winter a beautiful looking
"silver and cream female" was looking for food around my back porch. I call the large " interwoven white and butterscotch long hair cat "stranger". Stranger showed up every time I came home and ate all I could give her. I put a bowl in the kitchen and she came right in and took over like she owned the place. Two weeks ago she had five kittens. She is a very dedicated mother. I had to close off a room because she stalks and attacks my 16 and 18 year cats. I have to wash my hands before picking up a kitten, because she smells my hands first for the traces of other cats. Once I had some peanutbutter smell on my fingers and she couldn't figure it out. When should I expect the kittens to start using the litter box and when will they start eating solid food? When is the best time to get take the mother to vet to get neutered? Thanks Worried, in Pa.. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 20:54:20 -0400, "kuhnfucius"
wrote: Back when it was 10-15 degrees outside this winter a beautiful looking "silver and cream female" was looking for food around my back porch. I call the large " interwoven white and butterscotch long hair cat "stranger". Stranger showed up every time I came home and ate all I could give her. I put a bowl in the kitchen and she came right in and took over like she owned the place. Two weeks ago she had five kittens. She is a very dedicated mother. I had to close off a room because she stalks and attacks my 16 and 18 year cats. I have to wash my hands before picking up a kitten, because she smells my hands first for the traces of other cats. Once I had some peanutbutter smell on my fingers and she couldn't figure it out. When should I expect the kittens to start using the litter box and when will they start eating solid food? When is the best time to get take the mother to vet to get neutered? Thanks Worried, in Pa.. There will be a brief period where the kittens don't use the litterbox. Scoop up the feces from the floor and put them in the litterbox, then put the kittens in the box. They'll learn. As for the spaying, first, make sure the mother can't get outside! Don't want more pregnancies. Spay 3 weeks after she has stopped nursing the kittens. Make sure the milk is dried up before spaying. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
I recently had the same situation. The kitten started using the litter
pan all on their own as soon as they were getting out of the welping box and moving around the room. (Approximately 4 weeks old.) If at all possible you should use something with very low side, say no higher than 3-inches, to make it easier for the kittens to get into and out of the box and use plain, clay litter. The clumping kinds have been proven to clog up the kittens intestines and lower tracks and can cause death. Kittens should not be adopted out before they are 9 weeks old, and certainly no younger than 6 weeks old, if they are eatting well on their own and drinking water. The mother cat can be spayed anytime after that, but it will be a lot easier for her if you wait the 2 to 3 weeks so she has stopped producing milk. Hemma |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 20:54:20 -0400, "kuhnfucius" wrote:
Back when it was 10-15 degrees outside this winter a beautiful looking "silver and cream female" was looking for food around my back porch. I call the large " interwoven white and butterscotch long hair cat "stranger". Stranger showed up every time I came home and ate all I could give her. I put a bowl in the kitchen and she came right in and took over like she owned the place. Two weeks ago she had five kittens. She is a very dedicated mother. I had to close off a room because she stalks and attacks my 16 and 18 year cats. I have to wash my hands before picking up a kitten, because she smells my hands first for the traces of other cats. Once I had some peanutbutter smell on my fingers and she couldn't figure it out. When should I expect the kittens to start using the litter box and when will they start eating solid food? When is the best time to get take the mother to vet to get neutered? Thanks Worried, in Pa.. I have found with the ones I raised that it varies from kitten to kitten as to when they will start eating "solid" food. As for the litter box, as long as they can see their mother use it they should pick it up with no problem. Also thank you so very much and God bless for taking in and caring for these furbabies. Too bad there are not more people like you out there. As for nuetering and spaying have you checked with the shelter or animal groups to see if maybe there is assistance available to have them fixed? Around here the Michigan Humane Society will pay for spaying / nuetering if they were strays or a person has limited means. God bless and good luck. Possible to post pics or the new babies?? |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
"Unknown One" wrote in message news On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 20:54:20 -0400, "kuhnfucius" wrote: Back when it was 10-15 degrees outside this winter a beautiful looking "silver and cream female" was looking for food around my back porch. I call the large " interwoven white and butterscotch long hair cat "stranger". Stranger showed up every time I came home and ate all I could give her. I put a bowl in the kitchen and she came right in and took over like she owned the place. Two weeks ago she had five kittens. She is a very dedicated mother. I had to close off a room because she stalks and attacks my 16 and 18 year cats. I have to wash my hands before picking up a kitten, because she smells my hands first for the traces of other cats. Once I had some peanutbutter smell on my fingers and she couldn't figure it out. When should I expect the kittens to start using the litter box and when will they start eating solid food? When is the best time to get take the mother to vet to get neutered? Thanks Worried, in Pa.. I have found with the ones I raised that it varies from kitten to kitten as to when they will start eating "solid" food. As for the litter box, as long as they can see their mother use it they should pick it up with no problem. Also thank you so very much and God bless for taking in and caring for these furbabies. Too bad there are not more people like you out there. As for nuetering and spaying have you checked with the shelter or animal groups to see if maybe there is assistance available to have them fixed? Around here the Michigan Humane Society will pay for spaying / nuetering if they were strays or a person has limited means. God bless and good luck. Possible to post pics or the new babies?? Good idea to check with local groups. There might be vets who from time to time run very low cost 'spay days'. If not then the group can point you in the direction for vouchers for low cost spaying. One of our SPCAs do low cost spay/neuter but have a long waiting list. You might find a rescue group can help you find homes for the kittens if you need it. As has already been said just have a box available once the kittens are getting around well enough to get into one (around 4 weeks) and mom will take care of the rest. It is very easy to get the kittens to use the box. They can wean as early as 4 weeks and as late as 6-7. Mom will pretty much control that. At some point she's had enough and will 'encourage' them to eat the food available. You should be feeding mom kitten food at this point anyway so when she and the kittens are ready they will dig right into mom's food. If you notice the entire litter is eating kitten food most of the time, you can start separating mom from the little ones to encourage her milk to dry up. Just restrict the time she's available to them more and more each day until they aren't nursing any more and then make her spay appointment. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Stray and kittens
Don't know if this group wants jpgs.
"Unknown One" wrote in message news On Tue, 4 Apr 2006 20:54:20 -0400, "kuhnfucius" wrote: Back when it was 10-15 degrees outside this winter a beautiful looking "silver and cream female" was looking for food around my back porch. I call the large " interwoven white and butterscotch long hair cat "stranger". Stranger showed up every time I came home and ate all I could give her. I put a bowl in the kitchen and she came right in and took over like she owned the place. Two weeks ago she had five kittens. She is a very dedicated mother. I had to close off a room because she stalks and attacks my 16 and 18 year cats. I have to wash my hands before picking up a kitten, because she smells my hands first for the traces of other cats. Once I had some peanutbutter smell on my fingers and she couldn't figure it out. When should I expect the kittens to start using the litter box and when will they start eating solid food? When is the best time to get take the mother to vet to get neutered? Thanks Worried, in Pa.. I have found with the ones I raised that it varies from kitten to kitten as to when they will start eating "solid" food. As for the litter box, as long as they can see their mother use it they should pick it up with no problem. Also thank you so very much and God bless for taking in and caring for these furbabies. Too bad there are not more people like you out there. As for nuetering and spaying have you checked with the shelter or animal groups to see if maybe there is assistance available to have them fixed? Around here the Michigan Humane Society will pay for spaying / nuetering if they were strays or a person has limited means. God bless and good luck. Possible to post pics or the new babies?? |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
How to help a stray mom and her 2 kittens | Ancientone | Cat rescue | 2 | November 29th 04 02:17 AM |
more on stray kittens | Ann | Cat anecdotes | 9 | October 31st 04 07:54 PM |
update on stray cat and kittens | Ann | Cat anecdotes | 30 | October 28th 04 05:11 PM |
Stray Mom, Feral Kittens | Suzie-Q | Cat health & behaviour | 8 | August 16th 04 09:06 PM |
ignorant person, stray cat, plus kittens equals disaster | [email protected] | Cat anecdotes | 22 | May 21st 04 10:36 PM |