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Thread: Fostering Mama and babies. LOTS of questions! *PIC ADDED!*

  1. #1

    Fostering Mama and babies. LOTS of questions! *PIC ADDED!*

    Sooooo...

    A customer brought me a mama cat and two kittens today. The story I got was disjointed and kind of odd. She *claims* that Mama was a stray cat she had been seeing around. Apparently she was friendly enough to come inside occasionally, and the *surprise*!! She had kittens in the dog's bed one day. There were originally four, but are now only two, and the details of how that happened were vague.

    I find the entire story very suspicious, but whatever. They are in my care now.

    Mama (I'm naming her Celeste) Is not much more than a baby herself. She's very petite, VERY friendly, and EXCEPTIONALLY beautiful. She is a delicate silvery lavender color with white tuxie markings. One of the kittens is the same color as Celeste, the other is a darker blue.

    Both kittens are thin, but perky. I suspect they are thin because Celeste herself was having to scavenge for food. Earlier today I put an entire can of fancy feast plus half a cup of kibble in her carrier, and when I checked her again the bowl was empty except for maybe five kibbles.

    I've got her set up in an old wire dog crate, with a bed, food, water, and a litterbox. I set her in the box earlier, but she still has not used it. Right now the crate is mostly covered with a sheet to give her some peace, since she has had a long day.

    Here's where I'm getting out of the realm of things I'm familiar with...I've had dozens of bottle bubs, but never had a mama cat before!

    I can't tell if Celeste is producing any milk. I felt her belly, and I didn't feel swollen mammaries like I expected, except maybe on one nipple. Someone suggested I squeeze a nipple, so I did and was not able to get any milk from it. I took the kittens and placed each of them on a nipple and they sure seem like they are sucking vigorously, but I'm concerned that they aren't getting enough/anything to eat. At what point do I offer them a meal of KMR? I have KMR and a bottle handy, but I don't want to intervene unnecessarily or upset the kittens' appetite or Celeste's routine.

    Is she likely to have more milk now that she is getting fed as much as she wants? How long will it take?

    Celeste seems almost...confused by the babies. She will sniff and lick them if they are placed in front of her, but earlier I put them in the bed while she was in the litterbox, and when I came back she was laying ON THEM, with her shoulders smooshing them beneath her! How alarmed should I be by this? Celeste seems so young, I am concerned that she might not know what to do as well as an older cat would.

    Celeste's belly is pretty big, but doesn't feel like it's painful or lumpy or anything. Should I assume she was just having a lot of success hunting, or should I be concerned about dystocia?

    When should I worry that she hasn't used the box? She hasn't had an opportunity to potty since about 1pm, but she was also ravenous and (I hope) a lot of the food is being used to make milk.

    At what age do I worry about the kittens getting through the bars of the crate? Obviously I'm going to have to come up with a better setup at some point, but right now they are only three-ish days old so I don't think they'll be escaping tonight.

    Luckily, Celeste is not phased by dogs. Since we life in a loft we literally have nowhere to put the cats where they can be completely away from Jasper. She meowed at him a few times, but didn't even get off of her bed when he approached and sniffed at her.

    Anything else? I'm so nervous, I've lost so many fosters in the last year (one to distemper, and several to a respiratory infection that swept through here last year like a plague) and I want these guys to succeed! One kitten is already spoken for if they do.

    Edited to add a picture of the whole family.

    Last edited by snakemama; 07-01-2013 at 12:47 AM.

  2. #2
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    Aww, what a pretty name you chose for her. Definitely it could be that she was too hungry to produce much milk, if the kittens are suckling that is a good sign, and she should be producing more. Keep a close watch on the kittens, if they seem at all dehydrated, give them the KMR. If they show signs of getting weaker, do it, too - they are at a very delicate stage right now.

    Does Celeste clean the kittens at all? If she was starving it may be a bit before she actually poops, poor thing!
    I've Been Frosted

  3. #3
    I assume she does clean them, because they are very clean and soft, but I have yet to see her give them more than a few quick licks. probably because I am trying to give her some privacy, LoL!

    I chose the name Celeste because...this sounds corny to me but it's true...she's the color of the moon and I wanted a celestial name. Plus she can be Cee Cee for short!

  4. #4
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    She's beautiful! Paws and fingers crossed for this little family! Snakemama, bless you for caring for them!
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  5. #5
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    What beautiful kitties! May they be safe and well and find the perfect home(s). God bless you, Snakemama, for caring for them, and God bless them, too.

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  6. #6
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    Years ago I had a very thin mama cat who had a litter of 5. I mixed KMR powder with kitten food, and let her eat as much as she wanted. You can supplement the kittens by bottle-feeding them; mama will still nurse them. The act of nursing should stimulate milk production. Good luck with the precious family!
    I've been finally defrosted by cassiesmom!
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  7. #7
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    She's gorgeous. Thank you for being able to take in this precious little cat family. I hope that they will all continue to thrive in your care.

  8. #8
    Oookay, so today I spoke to three different vets and got three different answers to my question; can I put Frontline on Celeste while she is nursing?

    One vet said no way.

    One vet said to use a kitten dose and let her dry before putting the kittens back in.

    One vet said to go ahead and dose her regularly.

    I am so confused. I'm erring on the side of no Frontline for now since I haven't seen any fleas, but hubby really wants them treated so that our animals aren't at risk. (ours are treated, but I'm skeptical of how well that will work if there were an infested animal in the house!)

  9. #9
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    The best to you Celeste and her Babies and we are paying that they can overcome their rough start in life.
    God Bless You for caring.
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  10. #10
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    What a beautiful family! It is so wonderful you taking care of them. Wish you and the kitties the best

    RIP Sally

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by snakemama View Post
    Oookay, so today I spoke to three different vets and got three different answers to my question; can I put Frontline on Celeste while she is nursing?

    One vet said no way.

    One vet said to use a kitten dose and let her dry before putting the kittens back in.

    One vet said to go ahead and dose her regularly.

    I am so confused. I'm erring on the side of no Frontline for now since I haven't seen any fleas, but hubby really wants them treated so that our animals aren't at risk. (ours are treated, but I'm skeptical of how well that will work if there were an infested animal in the house!)
    My sister found this: http://frontlineplus.co.nz/products/...Plus-FAQs.aspx
    The answer to your question is in the second section/area and the 10th one down.
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  12. #12
    Thank you, I'm so relieved! I'll dose her once I'm done posting.

    Soo....Celeste is PICKY. She has not touched a crumb of dry food since she's been here, and she only likes wet food that is pieces in gravy, NOT pate style. She's also eating like...well, like a nursing mama, so right now we are going through 6 cans of Fancy Feast a day, and her appetite is growing! Does anyone know of a brand that offers a 13 oz can of bits in gravy cat food?

    Here's a pic from last night. The smaller, darker kitten is Comet, a little boy. The lighter kitten is Star, a little girl. Named after my doggy Star, who crossed the rainbow bridge a few weeks ago.



    Both kittens are spoken for, and Celeste is going to be EASY to place. She likes the dog, she likes the cat, and she loves people! Plus, well...she looks like a supermodel!

  13. #13
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    Aww, what a beautiful little family! So glad the kittens already have homes waiting! And I *know* Celeste will steal someone's heart as well!
    I've Been Frosted

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by snakemama View Post
    Does anyone know of a brand that offers a 13 oz can of bits in gravy cat food?
    9 Lives has some.

    Time helps the sadness subside, but the memories remain forever.

  15. #15
    Thank you Moesha, I'll stop at a big box pet store tomorrow and get some! She's eating me out of house and home! LoL!

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