MetaChat - OMG KITTY

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07 October 2007

OMG KITTY [AskMeCha] Boy, I haven't even gotten around to mentioning the kitten I took in.→[More:] A smart-looking tabby. The mama's owners named him Garfield but I was not keeping that. After mulling a few options, I named him Fry. Took him over at 12 weeks, he's just getting that adult litheness, and he loves to climb. Having a bit of trouble getting him to stick to the litter-box, though.

BUT (and this is not all happy)

Yesterday my nephew pointed out a screaming brood of kits in my brother's boat in the carport. I told him most likely the mother was staying away because he was milling around the carport. Well, I checked again at midnight and they were still screaming. With gloves and some elbow grease I uncovered the nest (tarp, storage boxes, mulching leaves ...) and found two kittens. One was hunched over and screaming, the other was ... gasping, I guess. Underdeveloped legs, clearly abandoned long enough and I gave it very little chance.

It being midnight and me being a cat-owner with no kitten experience atall, I did some furious web searching and made a Walgreen's run for "emergency kitten formula" ingredients (evaporated milk, egg yolk, corn syrup, a cheap bottle). By the time I got back the runty one was still.

The screamer, though, is still with me, and I'm trying to feed it, but he isn't interested in the bottle. After some trepidation -- I guess biting isn't something they can really do yet -- I tried even dabbing some into his mouth with my finger, but that didn't really work either.

One eye is still shut, and like his sibling he has weak hind legs. I don't know if he's really worth saving. (I'm figuring the mother moved the litter in a Darwinian fashion.) On the other hand he's got some volume and he's grooming his front paws right now. He's barely the size of my palm.

If he won't nurse I worry he won't be here in the AM.

No digital camera in these money and tech-deprived parts, so I can't share.

post by: stilicho at: 03:47 | 36 comments

yikes! is the bottle nipple too big?

Do you have an eyedropper? Or maybe try soaking a bit of cloth with the formula?

posted by taz 07 October | 03:59

Yeah, I had "eye dropper" in mind as a backup but forgot when I was at Walgreen's.

I'm trying cloth, but he's not interested. The only thing that's worked is a few drops in a big spoon held in front of his nose -- he seems able to lick up a bit that way, but just stops. He's definitely not as thin as his sib, so I think he's got some reserves.

Right this moment he's stopped screaming, as I have him wrapped in a towel resting on my chest near my heart.

posted by stilicho 07 October | 04:08

awwwww!

posted by taz 07 October | 05:05

You could also try to create a makeshift eyedropper from the finger of a rubber glove with a tiny hole in the tip... it seems to me that the main thing might be that if they are too tiny or weak to really be able to "suck" you need something that will fit into their mouth and allow you to "drip" a bit in. Just a guess. His sucking power may not be great. (But at least it seems he has some lapping skillz. Good sign!)

posted by taz 07 October | 05:09

He slept for about an hour but now he's awake again (evidence: howling). I'll try some more spoon.

posted by stilicho 07 October | 05:25

is he going for it?

posted by taz 07 October | 05:48

come on little guy! It's too bad Fry's not a female. Does he do ok with the howler?

posted by chewatadistance 07 October | 06:50

Awww. Keep us updated won't you? And even if his back legs aren't quite right, that doesn't mean he can't be an awesome cat.

posted by essexjan 07 October | 08:37

He's alive (and loud) after I woke him up. I will now try to scare up a better feeding device.

Fry seems wholly unperturbed by the little one's presence. As I was falling asleep the perfect name came to me: Munch (pronounced this way). This is really ominous -- it means I'm ready to keep him.

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO NURSE A CAT.

posted by stilicho 07 October | 09:49

Yep. In my experience, once you've had a cute boy wrapped in a towel resting on your chest near your heart, they can be mighty hard to get rid of. ;)

posted by taz 07 October | 10:06

Well, he got about half a measurable smidgen using an eye-dropper, but he doesn't seem to have a nursing instinct kicking in. He's pulling himself around by his front legs, though, which I figure is a good sign of some sort.

(taz, I keep reminding myself he might not make it.)

posted by stilicho 07 October | 11:04

I understand. Totally. We're pulling for the little guy, though.

posted by taz 07 October | 11:17

Go Munch go!
(pictures, useless, etc.)

posted by casarkos 07 October | 11:35

I took a couple of film pictures before I put him to bed last night, just, you know, in case.

Um, I really should check if he's a him or a her.

Fry, meanwhile, is starved for attention. I don't WANT to keep him cooped up in the cage all day. Fortunately he's a good play-by-himself-er, like with one of those little twine mice. One of those is good for half an hour of batting it around.

posted by stilicho 07 October | 12:24

If a smidge is all Munch'll eat, then that's all you can feed it, eh?

When Munch gets a little stronger, you definitely want to take it to the vet before you let Fry anywhere near it. Feral kitties can have diseases like Feline Leukemia, which are very contagious from kitty to kitty.

posted by muddgirl 07 October | 15:23

My heart's breaking just reading this. I hope Munch makes it and gratz on Fry.

posted by deborah 07 October | 15:34

Bottle feeding (or whatever works) can be so difficult. (I did it once a very long time ago when I was a teenager with no responsibilities). Can you take Munch to a vet for more assistance? Or any cat breeder in the area with any ideas? Even a rescue organization may have tips to help get Munch to feed better...Good luck, and I know we're all rooting for him!

And sorry, forgot to say, congrats on Fry!

posted by redvixen 07 October | 16:23

Munch seems to be, in the grand scheme of things, "improving". He took almost a full eyedropper of formula and seems to be getting the hang of drinking from it as I (slowly!) squeeze it out to him.

He's also definitely trying to get up on his hind legs and also to roll over, not having a lot of success with either. He's also purring when I hold him at my chest or pet him, and his howls have turned into more kittenish bleats.

I'll definitely look at kitten rescue options, though.

Fry has always been affectionate but today he wanted to sleep right next to my keyboard instead of up on a shelf. Jealous much?

posted by stilicho 07 October | 16:37

Oh, man! Progress! GO MUNCH, GO MUNCH!! Yay, Fry - we love you, tooooooooo!

posted by taz 07 October | 16:58

Eat little kitty eat!
((Fry))

posted by casarkos 08 October | 00:36

Munch is munching! Several eye droppers worth by now.

He's calmed down a lot and I think he's definitely on the right track, gaining strength. He's so wobbly when he tries to move that he often falls backward so he tends to scoot in reverse. He also looks like a bad movie animatronic effect when he moves.

He's peeing (I stimulate him with a napkin) and he pooped once in the box. It was the right color, not a great consistency, but maybe it will improve as he rehydrates ...

Anyway, locally we mainly have a humane society shelter. I have to go to the next county to find a no-kill. There's only a small rescue organization. I'm stuck with him, I think.

(We have to get that barn fixed up, so cats don't live underneath it any more. We used to get so many songbirds.)

posted by stilicho 08 October | 04:55

ooh, ooh, ooh! It sounds like good news! Going in one end and coming out the other! Part 1 of our plan for world domination is now in place.

posted by taz 08 October | 05:35

That does sound like good news on Munch, stilicho! Sounds like the family's coming together. :) And give Fry a pat from me for the crazyness too.

posted by chewatadistance 08 October | 06:23

Oh, good news! Youse a good'un, stilicho!

posted by deborah 08 October | 11:57

(is kitty still ok? pleeeeease be ok)

posted by casarkos 09 October | 14:01

Munch is doing OK today. He seemed dehydrated and listless this morning (I had slept for 8 hours) but perked up after a meal. I don't think he's gaining the kind of appetite he needs but I'm new at this. I just put him back in his box, he was purring as he rested on my chest and mewed after I put him down.

Munch is also prettier since I gave him a butt-only bath last night. His tail and back legs now are fluffy instead of all matted.

The cool thing is that when he mewed, about six times in a row, each time Fry mewed too from his cage. It was basically a sympathetic kitten-type "echo" mew, and Fry has been very, very well-behaved with respect to Munch, showing no hostility at all and a reluctance to go in the room with the box, which is exactly what I want. (But I don't leave him with the run of the place unless I'm there.)

Fry (a typical tabby) is losing his red, which bums me out. It's part of why I named him. I'm wondering if he'll even keep his stripes.

Anyway, he and I played "hide and seek" in the unfinished kitchen, with him ducking under cabinets and into boxes, then back out and through my legs when I approach. He is starting to learn his name, too, I think. There was a funny moment when he went through the upstairs balustrade and found himself on a ledge. Instead of ducking back through to the hallway he backed himself up until he could safely jump onto the stairs. Oh, I also got him to try walking into a tipped-over five-gallon bucket, which promptly rolled over. Didn't phase him a bit -- he's fearless, Fry is.

posted by stilicho 09 October | 14:59

Man, I missed all this. Go, Munch, go!

posted by mudpuppie 09 October | 15:13

Yes...go Munch! I adopted two kitties from the local shelter, one of whom was born (like Munch) with very undeveloped hind leg muscles. The vet taught me some basic daily stretching exercises for his legs, and a year later he's a very active and happy cat - although he still walks funny!

posted by lalex 09 October | 21:28

I'm concerned Munch is going in the wrong direction, guys. I'll see if I can get into a vet tomorrow and figure out if he's treatable or not.

He has gone through about three periods of lethargy/seeming recovery in the last 30 hours and each time he doesn't quite get back to where he was before. Just so you all know.

posted by stilicho 10 October | 05:35

Thanks for the update. Hopefully the vet has some ideas. Go Munch Go.

posted by muddgirl 10 October | 08:05

*crosses fingers!*

posted by taz 10 October | 08:27

Alas, Munch didn't make it. I got back from my meeting today with hopes that I could make some calls; he was still warm but completely unresponsive.

Thanks for all your support. At least he died in a warm bed and had some cuddle and purr time. I really thought he had a chance the first day but he must have already had an infection of some kind that kept him from having an appetite.

posted by stilicho 10 October | 14:31

Aw. Poor little guy. At least you gave him a chance, stilicho.

posted by gaspode 10 October | 14:35

.

I'm sorry, stilch. This makes me sad. At least he had a better time of it than he would have. Good on you.

posted by mudpuppie 10 October | 14:36

stilicho - I was coming here to find out if Munch had made it - I'm truly sorry that he didn't.

posted by muddgirl 12 October | 09:59

Thanks, muddgirl. I figure he had steep odds stacked against him from the start (not the least of which was my own inexperience).

All the cheerleading was very much appreciated.

posted by dhartung 12 October | 19:03

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