Caught kitten

[LeiLatte]

I am a bit stressed because I caught a kitten from outside and don’t know what to do with it. I don’t want to keep yet another kitten. I already kept 2 from outside 2 years ago, and had 4 cats already. The non-kill shelter here is not supportive to strays (only personal pets) and I don’t want it to be euthanized at a regular shelter. I have tried asking rescues in the past but get no replies.

Kitty is about 8 weeks old this week. I feed ferals outside and there is a mom I haven’t been able to catch for years. I thought her babies didn’t survive this time but one day I saw 3 walking outside by the food with her. When I went outside to feed last night, this little one was sitting there and did not move, so I took the opportunity to grab it.

It is very well behaved and can be handled because it’s so small, but I would say it’s less than a pound a very skinny. It’s still going through the eye color change. It has an eye infection so I will bring it to the vet and do vaccines/deworm/flea treatment, and keep it for now. But I really don’t want to keep it permanently. No one I know wants any more cats as a pet.

Do you guys ever find kittens and what do you do to rehome them?

 

[catsknowme]

Thank you for rescuing that kitty! Sadly, it is a common dilemma for many in rescue. Have you tried reaching out on Facebook to groups in your area? Your local wildlife rescue center may have some names to suggest. When one of our GA TCSers was in a quandry, i reached out via FB to a LA/MS coastal rescue group and their connections had relatives in the GA area who knew of resources. It was a complicated networking situation but bottom line is that kittens were homed, cats TNR'd and the rescue group formed smaller groups and are expanding their outreach

 

[Margot Lane]

Hard for me to say, as I don’t know where in the world you are…but have you tried online, with Neighborhood groups or Facebook? Some retirement homes allow pets, you could try there. Kitty is so CUTE. Thank you for trying to save it—- the white smudge is adorable. I’ve seen a box of kitties go to families in a day if you stand outside of Safeways. Inevitably there’s the kid who says: “Mom can we keep it?” And mom generally caves. Is there a non kill shelter farther away who could help? Given that it’s black and white, perhaps a fire station needs a “Dalmatian.” (Mascot). This one is such a keeper, I’d just think outside the box and try, try again.

 

[LeiLatte]

Yes there are a few local groups on facebook near me for rescue/assistance in Southern California… but just looking at the posts they go unanswered. I have a feeling this kitty will end up staying with us as much as we don’t want another, unless some other miracle comes along.

Can also try the no-kill shelter once it’s bigger but I will have had to pay all costs at that point, spay/neuter, plus they charge a $150 surrender fee if it hasn’t gone up in the past couple years.

I would have left kitty but it was not running away and I had a good chance, plus I can see the eye infection.

 

[RTR]

I found two feral kittens about 5-6 weeks old in bad shape a couple years ago! They were in bad shape, and I had three cats (all indoor) and that is more then enough! I had two dog cages from years ago (German shepherds), so both cages were fairly big! I kept the kittens in one of the cages in the garage with bedding and water and food! I was not going to expose my cats to them because both had eye discharge and fleas. I took them to the vet the next day, and kept them seperated for weeks! After two weeks they became very friendly two me, but I was not going to keep them! I had both spayed at a cheap clinic and their initial shots! Then I found a no kill shelter to take them! It is an expense to save these little creatures, especially if they are sick! The no kill shelter found them homes in days! Happy ending! But.... I still think about them ..............................

 

[Margot Lane]

North of you is The Cat House on the Kings, one of the best shelters! But that’s a road trip. They might have advice. …am I sensing there might be a tiny wedge of room for one more? Sounds like you have a lot (Iiterally) on your plate but maybe you could just foster the kitty.

 

[LeiLatte]

I tried calling around to get a vet appointment somewhere but they either only had 10 days out or beginning of next week. I could not convince this kitten to eat/drink, even milk. So it really doesn’t look good already being emaciated. I decided to bring it to ER and am waiting because I don’t think it will survive until Monday like this.

I gave it a bath earlier to wash off the fleas but now it seems very cold, hypothermic. I feel horrible even bringing it inside the house now. The ER vet doesn’t open till 7pm so they said there’s no doctor right now and won’t do anything until it is seen by one. Oh man. The vet shortage is really harmful all around

 

[Margot Lane]

I am hoping the kitten experts here will pipe up soon! Meantime keep it warm. Talk to it. Pet it if it lets you. What catfood are you trying? Could it respond to even a bit of KMR on a rag? I’d try wet not dry. Holding it near your heart is very comforting for it.

 

[catsknowme]

Can you rub white karo syrup or honey on its gums? Also, keep a heated rice-or-cornmeal sock on it. Warmed unflavored pedialyte for now until it perks up. I would give just a drop or two every 5 - 7 minutes. If it perks up, you can increase both the dosage and the intervals. Small, slow and steady is key here. The karo will keep the blood sugar up and hopefully buy you some time. If its sick, it is probably feeling nauseous.

 

[Sarthur2]

I’m hoping you’ve seen a vet by now, but this little guy being alone was definitely begging for help. I agree that warming the kitten with a heating pad is a good idea, as is giving small doses of clear pedialyte or honey water to perk up.

He or she may not be weaned yet, so kitten formula may be needed, or simply Gerber chicken or turkey baby food offered on a finger to start with.

More than anything, I suspect this kitten is frightened to death and needs time to relax enough to eat or drink. It’s terribly scary to be only a few weeks old and no longer with your mom.

As much as another kitten feels like a burden, I applaud you for taking him in and doing the right thing to get him the help he needs. I would do the same.

Please update us on his progress and your decisions!

 

[StefanZ]

I tried calling around to get a vet appointment somewhere but they either only had 10 days out or beginning of next week. I could not convince this kitten to eat/drink, even milk. So it really doesn’t look good already being emaciated. I decided to bring it to ER and am waiting because I don’t think it will survive until Monday like this.

I gave it a bath earlier to wash off the fleas but now it seems very cold, hypothermic. I feel horrible even bringing it inside the house now. The ER vet doesn’t open till 7pm so they said there’s no doctor right now and won’t do anything until it is seen by one. Oh man. The vet shortage is really harmful all around

Its as the others say; warm it up... Massage it too.... Keep it warmed up. If you have an IR-lamp, such as rheumtics have, use it. Otherwise, a heat pad or a micred rice filled sock.

some glucose sugar on the gurm inside the lips give some energhy... In practice it will be a droplet of white caro syrup or honey... repeat... When you get home pedialyte, proceed with that... Pedialyte contains too glucose sugar.
This sugar content works even if the kitten is too cold or weak to process food properly. He wont grow on this, but it will keep him alive for days.

When kitten perks up, use goats milk or kmr.... Easy digestible but nourishing.

Semiferale kittens of 7-8 weeks arent usually docile, they are able to run from you... Even if they ARE young enough to foster easily.
So its quite probable kitten was sick already when you found it... That is why it was defenceless...

Anyway, YOU are the best chance the Fate had given this kitten...

 

[Margot Lane]

good luck! please let us know what they vet says!

 

[LeiLatte]

Kitty got warm by the time we were seen, I ran the heater in the car and I had some blankets, kept him against my chest. We had to wait about 3-4 hours.

Anyway, I was very sad but kitty was euthanized. The vet suggested hospitalizing, feeding tube, fluids, etc. It would have been $2000 for overnight and 1 day stay, with no guarantee that it helps. I would have brought to a regular vet and I did try calling many different ones earlier that day trying, but they all didn’t have appointments until next week, and I didn’t think it would survive that long with not eating. Nobody agrees to see them without appointment “bring it to emergency”

He said it looks like the kitty hadn’t eaten for a very long time, dehydrated, anemic, could have hidden congenital issues. When I watched it walk it was kind of wobbly, or maybe it was just weak/emaciated. And it’s possible it hadn’t eaten for a long time because when I grabbed it outside, it had no energy to run away much, and slept the whole time I had it.

It’s just sad because the 3 kittens used to be similar size a couple weeks ago and all were running around, now this one had become so tiny compared to the others like it stopped growing. My husband caught the sibling outside yesterday also so I’m hoping this one will eat but as of last night I didn’t see it eat yet either. I offered kitten dry, canned wet, and KMR to the baby that was euthanized. This sibling can’t be handled yet because it is feisty so I can’t try the KMR with it. But it has canned, dry, and water.

Anyway the sibling is more energetic crying, a bit bigger, but also skinny, and smaller than the last sibling running around outside. I am hoping it will be okay by our appointment on Monday.

I was not expecting all of these issues because we rescued 2 siblings from outside 2 years ago (from the same mom), and they were angels, ate right away, and we still have them today. It’s a miracle they are healthy and it’s so sad what ferals go through outside, even though we leave food and water for them every day on the porch.

 

[Margot Lane]

You’re a saint. Thanks for doing what you do.

 

[downton ali]

The Kitten Lady has a lot of information on what to do with kittens that are found outside, if you want to check her page. Kitten Care - Home — Kitten Lady