Stray had kittens....now what?

[Opsimathia]

edit: Ooh all four ate real cat food for lunch!

[matryoshka4811]

Seriously, you ROCK!! Really, you've done a great thing and you're socializing all of them (momma and babies) is going to make them much more adoptable than if they hadn't had you in these early days. I'm glad to hear Momma Cat has calmed down toward your indoor boys but I would have put my money on it being her maternal instincts that made her hissy, not her actual temperament. We had a barn cat (she kinda came with our farm) who turned into a monster when her kitties were under 6 weeks and then she was back to normal. It seems like you pretty much have things under control though. GOOD WORK!!!

[Opsimathia]

Thanks! lol

So true on more severe cat mom aggression. She got less insane about them this week in particular.
(going into the 6th week) I think she is trying to break them of milk since they are eating real food now. There is a high shelf platform that she can jump up on to escape them and does so at times. LOL

They had their first vet visit today. Rabies for mom, wormer for all. Waiting on a giardia culture that was sent out.
Mom did have tapeworm and roundworm. She absolutely hated the pill shooter they medicated her with. Fine with shots and strange people now (at least inside a room). Even the vet was amazed she was so friendly.
Next step is mom's FIV tests, flea meds and spaying in about 2 weeks.
Vet said she didn't feel pregnant again but it was no guarantee, but you can usually palp babies in about 3 weeks of pregnancy. Said she was acting a bit like she was in heat again atm.

The kittens turned out to be 2 boys and 2 girls. All healthy and they can start their first round of shots now.
They were fine with the pudding wormer but two rejected the pill bits and had to be force fed.

So we found a new vet, closer place to get script food for other cat and everyone behaved. I was so afraid the mom would go nuts or have monster diarrhea in the car. It was all about 150$. I thought that was pretty decent for 5 cats getting a general check up, wormed, fecal culture, rabies and follow up wormer for kittens. We only had to wait a couple days for the appointment too.

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by Opsimathia

So we found a new vet, closer place to get script food for other cat and everyone behaved. I was so afraid the mom would go nuts or have monster diarrhea in the car. It was all about 150$. I thought that was pretty decent for 5 cats getting a general check up, wormed, fecal culture, rabies and follow up wormer for kittens. We only had to wait a couple days for the appointment too.

That was a good price. I'm happy to hear you're giving them the right care and vetting then....

[Opsimathia]

I am happy I could find a way to afford it! LOL



Getting them all wormed really made them seem to feel better. The litter box is less smelly,used less frequently too since getting wormed. I can not believe how bad worms make that smell. It was disgusting. They also eat a normal amount and their gums got a little pinker.

The kittens are insanely hyper now. They come bounding out to the door whenever I go visit with them. They have started biting fingers so I am trying to break them of that with chicken chewy sticks. My other cats were disinterested in the packet so I am glad I got to use them. They started playing with the little cat toys I put down there for them but their favorite toy....empty paper-towel roll.

I gave them a bath again to get rid of fleas on them. I don't want to use flea meds too early on mom so I tried to give her a bath too but she was not having that. I didn't want to push it and end up with a nasty bite so I just wiped her off with a warm damp cloth and used a flea comb. The kittens love the bath. One gives a bit of a protest at first but is fine if she feels supported. Two of them actually trance out and start to fall asleep. Its so cute. I used this hypo allergenic all ages shampoo/bodywash that I had from a hospital stay.(vet said that or dawn (blue) would be fine for them all, just no medicated/perfumed/adultcat shampoos)

I am going to have to get one of those cat trees for them. They have started this thing where they climb my legs and play fight each other from opposite legs. Its hilarious but I have to break them of the leg crawling habit. Personally I would probably let them just act crazy like that if I was keeping them all. I don't know if all people would like a leg attack. If you sit on the floor with them all you become the kitten jungle gym. They try to crawl up your pants, in your shirt, up your back...lol...I am glad they are so hyper and healthy.

Just a post wormer update.

[himain]

OP-Sounds like you have a new big family!!!! YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA

Post pics! Post pics!!

[Opsimathia]

I really should take some pictures. They are never still anymore except for when in ball-0-kitty sleep formation. They are all a similar color so it kinda just looks like a giant tribble with cat heads. LOL

Maybe sometime this week I will try to post a few. I am DONE for the day with that room as sunday is clean everything with boiling water day...yeah...I want those worms and their eggs to be REALLY gone. Vet said general cleaning and sunlight in a dry area should be enough but I would rather be insane and wormless than normal and possible wormafied again.

Good news is they don't have giardia!

One more dose of wormer for kittens in a couple weeks and then another poop sample to make sure all the worms are gone. My one old man cat loves the kittens but the mom hisses him away sometimes. At least when she is hungry. The other old man cat she is totally fine with..but he runs from the kittens despite being over 20 lbs himself. LOL

I don't let them touch or anything yet but they all walk around in the basement together just fine other than some soft warning hisses when the one cat gets too close to the kittens. Thank god they are all being cool with each other and not pee partying everywhere or fighting. It took a month through the outside door to get this far. Inside they seem to get friendly faster so thats nice. Maybe with less outside stress and the kittens being older makes the mother less ready to fight everything.