red tongue

I got 2 kittens to foster yesterday. They are both female. One is black and
white the other all black. I'm guessing they are around 10 - 12 wks. Their
mother was a ferile/stray? who got hit by a car late last week.

The black cat has the brightest red tongue I've ever seen - not dark pink -
red. She has also been VERY aggressive and will leap across the cage at me
when I look in at her. Is the red tongue a sign of some illness or could it
be from increased blood supply because of her agitated state. Her sister
does not have the bright red tongue but she doesn't get as agitated and will
let me pick her up and pet her.

W

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.rescue", "Wendy"
artfully composed this message within
on 24 Aug 2004:

Is the red tongue a sign of some illness or could it
be from increased blood supply because of her agitated state.

I guess I'd be worried about fever, but some searching turned up
heatstroke as a possible reason for a red tongue.

Congrats on the new fosters, and best wishes for the lil wons.

--
Cheryl

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.rescue", "Wendy"
artfully composed this message within
on 24 Aug 2004:

Is the red tongue a sign of some illness or could it
be from increased blood supply because of her agitated state.

I guess I'd be worried about fever, but some searching turned up
heatstroke as a possible reason for a red tongue.

Congrats on the new fosters, and best wishes for the lil wons.

--
Cheryl

I came up with heat stroke when I did a search too. It was a relatively cool
day with low humidity yesterday though so I don't think that is it. She
settled down a little this afternoon and the tongue isn't as red so maybe it
was just from freaking out. She's stopped lunging at me and now just hisses.

I've got 6 fosters from 3 different litters at the moment. I have 2 left
from the litter of 7. All the rest of them have been adopted. I got two 4
wk. old kittens last Friday and then the two yesterday. I've been told there
are three more from the last litter still out there that they are trying to
trap. I hope they manage to get them soon. The older they are the more
challenging it is to get them used to people.

W

Wendy, how is the ferocious feral kitten coming? Your story reminded me
of a black kitten who inspired the term, "pink hisses." Though in your
case (and hers, as well), the hisses were more than just noives.

What you might try for Red Tongue is isolating him/her in cage with you as
the only contact. Physical contact is very important to kittens; you just
may start to look pretty good to this kitten after a day or two "in stir."

Separating the fractious kitten from its siblings may well help settle the
other kittens down as well.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

"Sharon Talbert" wrote in message
. washington.edu...

Wendy, how is the ferocious feral kitten coming? Your story reminded me
of a black kitten who inspired the term, "pink hisses." Though in your
case (and hers, as well), the hisses were more than just noives.

What you might try for Red Tongue is isolating him/her in cage with you as
the only contact. Physical contact is very important to kittens; you just
may start to look pretty good to this kitten after a day or two "in stir."

Separating the fractious kitten from its siblings may well help settle the
other kittens down as well.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

Thelma (aka Red Tongue) is coming along slowly and her tongue is no longer
bright red. I guess it must have been from her being so freaked out. She no
longer launches herself across the cage at me and tolerates being picked
up.. She puts up with the tickles under the chin and every once in a while
almost looks like she's considering whether to enjoy it or not. Then she
catches herself and down go the ears. Her sister, Louise, OTOH has become a
traitor and gone over to the other side. She cries for attention and does a
fair amount of purring when picked up and snuggled for a bit. We also now
have her brother who is very shy but does like the chin tickle and isn't
afraid to show it. He isn't wild about being picked up but will tolerate it
as long as it isn't for long. So I'm at least able to clean out the cage
without risking skin and don't have to resort to the welders gloves. I've
been able to worm all of them and get their ears cleaned out and treated
for ear mites.

I never would have thought of isolating her. I would have been afraid that
might have upset her more. Do you think that still might help her? If so
I'll certainly give it a try.

We have 7 kittens from that "colony" and 4 are pretty friendly and the other
three are still works in progress. At what point do you start showing them
for adoption?

W

I never would have thought of isolating her. I would have been afraid that
might have upset her more. Do you think that still might help her? If so
I'll certainly give it a try.


I would try it, for this little one. It just might make her focus on
human company instead of her siblings. Also, her negative energy will not
be affecting her siblings. She is probably always going to be
high-strung; let's hope you find a sympathetic home for her, even if as a
companion to a lonely housecat.

Another trick would be to put her in a highly-trafficked space (such as
your living room), but caged and separate from the other cats. Then hold
her in your lap every chance you get. Isolation is my vote, though.

We have 7 kittens from that "colony" and 4 are pretty friendly and the other
three are still works in progress. At what point do you start showing them
for adoption?


As they become socialized, put them on the adoption block as soon as they
are old enough (8 wks min.), healthy and sterilized. Works for us!

Sharon Talbert
Campus Cats

I never would have thought of isolating her. I would have been afraid that
might have upset her more. Do you think that still might help her? If so
I'll certainly give it a try.


I would try it, for this little one. It just might make her focus on
human company instead of her siblings. Also, her negative energy will not
be affecting her siblings. She is probably always going to be
high-strung; let's hope you find a sympathetic home for her, even if as a
companion to a lonely housecat.

Another trick would be to put her in a highly-trafficked space (such as
your living room), but caged and separate from the other cats. Then hold
her in your lap every chance you get. Isolation is my vote, though.

We have 7 kittens from that "colony" and 4 are pretty friendly and the other
three are still works in progress. At what point do you start showing them
for adoption?


As they become socialized, put them on the adoption block as soon as they
are old enough (8 wks min.), healthy and sterilized. Works for us!

Sharon Talbert
Campus Cats

"Sharon Talbert" wrote in message
. washington.edu...

Wendy, how is the ferocious feral kitten coming? Your story reminded me
of a black kitten who inspired the term, "pink hisses." Though in your
case (and hers, as well), the hisses were more than just noives.

What you might try for Red Tongue is isolating him/her in cage with you as
the only contact. Physical contact is very important to kittens; you just
may start to look pretty good to this kitten after a day or two "in stir."

Separating the fractious kitten from its siblings may well help settle the
other kittens down as well.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

Thelma (aka Red Tongue) is coming along slowly and her tongue is no longer
bright red. I guess it must have been from her being so freaked out. She no
longer launches herself across the cage at me and tolerates being picked
up.. She puts up with the tickles under the chin and every once in a while
almost looks like she's considering whether to enjoy it or not. Then she
catches herself and down go the ears. Her sister, Louise, OTOH has become a
traitor and gone over to the other side. She cries for attention and does a
fair amount of purring when picked up and snuggled for a bit. We also now
have her brother who is very shy but does like the chin tickle and isn't
afraid to show it. He isn't wild about being picked up but will tolerate it
as long as it isn't for long. So I'm at least able to clean out the cage
without risking skin and don't have to resort to the welders gloves. I've
been able to worm all of them and get their ears cleaned out and treated
for ear mites.

I never would have thought of isolating her. I would have been afraid that
might have upset her more. Do you think that still might help her? If so
I'll certainly give it a try.

We have 7 kittens from that "colony" and 4 are pretty friendly and the other
three are still works in progress. At what point do you start showing them
for adoption?

W

Wendy, how is the ferocious feral kitten coming? Your story reminded me
of a black kitten who inspired the term, "pink hisses." Though in your
case (and hers, as well), the hisses were more than just noives.

What you might try for Red Tongue is isolating him/her in cage with you as
the only contact. Physical contact is very important to kittens; you just
may start to look pretty good to this kitten after a day or two "in stir."

Separating the fractious kitten from its siblings may well help settle the
other kittens down as well.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.rescue", "Wendy"
artfully composed this message within
on 24 Aug 2004:

Is the red tongue a sign of some illness or could it
be from increased blood supply because of her agitated state.

I guess I'd be worried about fever, but some searching turned up
heatstroke as a possible reason for a red tongue.

Congrats on the new fosters, and best wishes for the lil wons.

--
Cheryl

I came up with heat stroke when I did a search too. It was a relatively cool
day with low humidity yesterday though so I don't think that is it. She
settled down a little this afternoon and the tongue isn't as red so maybe it
was just from freaking out. She's stopped lunging at me and now just hisses.

I've got 6 fosters from 3 different litters at the moment. I have 2 left
from the litter of 7. All the rest of them have been adopted. I got two 4
wk. old kittens last Friday and then the two yesterday. I've been told there
are three more from the last litter still out there that they are trying to
trap. I hope they manage to get them soon. The older they are the more
challenging it is to get them used to people.

W