Feral 10 week old not eating

[Ladyrosee]

This is Tulip. She is 10 weeks old and lived outside her whole life most likely. The humane society asked if I could take her for a while. I got her on tuesday and got home around 7pm and fed her around 8pm. She ate 3 meals that night/next morning and drank a bowl of water so probably sidnt eat at the shelter those 24 hours. Wednesday she ate a few times but not a normal kitten appetite. Yesterday she picked at some food, didnt eat last night. CRIES and CRIES. She just sounds so pissed off. She has no idea what she wants. She finally started slow blinking at me and being much more relaxed in my presence but I need to emphasize she is petrified and never has been touched before. I have been petting her about 8 times a day (I work 12 hour shifts today is my last shift for a little bit) so before work and hours after I stay with her and my husband works from home and is checking on her all day. I havent tried to pick her up yet.

Since taking her carrier out of her playpen she now will hide behind her litter box or in it. As you can see from the picture I put this bed in there last night and this morning I found her sound asleep curled in it. Then when she heard me unzip the playpen she looked at me like that. I'm not sure what I can do or if she is okay.

She got a vaccine on Tuesday, deworming and flea treatment from the shelter.

I need to emphasize that I am absolutely traumatized from kittens "screaming and not eating" because the age I fostered at means life or death. I know it doesnt with these older kitties that have fended for themselves for months but I still am extremely anxious and praying to anything she will just give in and eat.

She is making small changes behaviorally but the screaming hasnt improved. She is especially pissed off in the early morning/when i get up in the morning. I feel like I'm not cut out for this I've only ever fostered a group of ferals not a single one

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
Your strong emotions aren't good for either you or the kitten.
Have you talked to the group she came from? Is she in pain, having a reaction to the shot(s), or just lonely? Can you get a sock, fill it partly with dry rice or beans, heat it (test this on your skin first) and give it to her to snuggle with? A purr toy or a heartbeat toy could also help.

 

[poolcat]

Was she kept alone at the shelter, or found alone? If so, the screaming might be because she's lost her companion(s). There are purring videos on YouTube. If you have a way to play one it might be comforting to her. A snuggle toy as Furballsmom suggested, even a child's soft stuffed animal around her size would be good.

Also... how to tell if a cat is in pain: Pain assessment in cats | Feline Grimace Scale

Good luck, and let us all know how it goes.

 

[Ladyrosee]

They just did intake on her and did basic things
I'm sure they would have known if she was sick or hurt.
She is inconsolable BUT I havent tried picking her up but I think at this point I have to force it. I cant just let her basically cry her eyes out under her bed. Shes crying for a reason ya know? I had the snuggle toy with a heart beat the big plushie and she was terrified of it. I talked to the shelter and they just said get a back scratcher and touch her back

I made an appt for her you technically arent supposed to because the cats belong to the humane society but I dont really care. I just want a vet to rule out pain and tell me she's just scared

Hi
Your strong emotions aren't good for either you or the kitten.
Have you talked to the group she came from? Is she in pain, having a reaction to the shot(s), or just lonely? Can you get a sock, fill it partly with dry rice or beans, heat it (test this on your skin first) and give it to her to snuggle with? A purr toy or a heartbeat toy could also help.

 

[Ladyrosee]

They arent sure. I'm sure she wasnt alone her whole 10 weeks but she was brought in alone and that's all they know. she meows to the empty room then I come in and she looks at me and does big mad meows. And then sad quiet ones.
The pain thing is hard to assess because she looks uncomfortable because of her being scared. ears always flat. Shivering here and there. Hissing. Crouched. But I did see her sleep really comfy in that plush bed this morning then I come in and unzip her playpen and she glared at me and gave me a mouthful of words. The mornings she is just extra upset maybe because I'm not engaging with her because I'm trying to sleep. And in the mornings i have to start all over but a little better each time with snapping her out of her feral crazed behavior.

Was she kept alone at the shelter, or found alone? If so, the screaming might be because she's lost her companion(s). There are purring videos on YouTube. If you have a way to play one it might be comforting to her. A snuggle toy as Furballsmom suggested, even a child's soft stuffed animal around her size would be good.

Also... how to tell if a cat is in pain: Pain assessment in cats | Feline Grimace Scale

Good luck, and let us all know how it goes.

 

[Furballsmom]

I had the snuggle toy with a heart beat the big plushie and she was terrified of it.

awww, that poor sweetie. Try the rice sock instead.

But I did see her sleep really comfy in that plush bed this morning

This is awesome.

 

[Ladyrosee]

awww, that poor sweetie. Try the rice sock instead.


This is awesome.

Ok I will! I showed her the plushie with the heartbeat and her face was kind of funny the "WTF is THAT" expression. I will try my Morton's froggie he was obsessed with it is about the size of her

 

[poolcat]

And in the mornings i have to start all over but a little better each time with snapping her out of her feral crazed behavior.

If she was alone for any length of time, screaming and hissing may have been her way of trying to protect herself. A little better each time is fantastic! I expect she'll eventually begin to remember that you can be trusted -- and won't need to relearn that each time you interact with her.

 

[Ladyrosee]

If she was alone for any length of time, screaming and hissing may have been her way of trying to protect herself. A little better each time is fantastic! I expect she'll eventually begin to remember that you can be trusted -- and won't need to relearn that each time you interact with her.

My husband took her to my clinics "sister clinic" next to our house and she basically flew around the room and they had to catch her with a net. They barely could do an exam but looked at her mouth and eyes and listened to her heart and said shes probably just not comfortable eating and to try nutrical or AD food. she did eat some kibble left on her blanket and a little tuna earlier before the appt but I'm sure this ruined her for a while I feel so awful. My husband is so upset seeing her petrified. Breaks his heart seeing how scared she is

 

[Furballsmom]

Bless both your hearts
Talk to her softly, sit with her but don't look directly at her (this can seem aggressive to a cat), play some harp music for her.

 

[Ladyrosee]

Bless both your hearts
Talk to her softly, sit with her but don't look directly at her (this can seem aggressive to a cat), play some harp music for her.

I wonder if her big vet scare made her appreciate my set up for her more. She is on top of her bed against the mesh and she looks so cozy and tired. I was able to pet her all the way down to her back and she didnt protest at all. I swear I felt her purr. But she I think is finally relaxing for the first time in days. I hope when she wakes up it doesnt all go down hill but I petted her, stopped, started for like 20 mins then came back several times to do it again. She didnt try to get away. I tried a chin scratch and she didnt like that so I stopped trying to touch her chin. but she needs to EAT. She will smell the food and act unsure and lick her lips and try to move away and I can see her start to get a little stressed. I change her water a couple of times a day and notice a crumb of litter in it so I think shes drinking

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you try some KMR or kitten glop to help entice her?

 

[Ladyrosee]

Can you try some KMR or kitten glop to help entice her?

Hmm I do have kmr. She just has so much stuff out right now a bowl of tuna, plate of kibble and churu and then a plate of pate she hasnt touched

 

[Furballsmom]

See if the KMR might get her started

 

[Ladyrosee]

See if the KMR might get her started

I tried baby food first and she ate it over night and surprisingly she ate a spoonful off my husbands fingers this morning and I got her another spoonful just now I hear her licking.

She must be calling out to whoever she was taken from she meows so frantic and loud. last night I decided what the hell I'll leave her playpen open so she can explore the cat/guest room and I'll sleep on the bed in there. She cried for like 2 hours while exploring the room then finally fell asleep in one of the cat trees in the cave on the middle level of it. Now she moved to the other cat tree cave part and is eating the baby food I gave her. but as I left to get baby food she started crying

 

[Ladyrosee]

So she definitely needs a friend.. she was screaming non stop and I came upstairs and my cat was outside her door and she was on the other side. I cracked it so my cat could see her and she made a PRRRRRT noise and sprinted up to him chattering and rubbing on him and it scared him and he hissed and fell over backwards and ran away lol

 

[poolcat]

I'd ask the humane society if they have another kitten her age. IMO, kittens do better with companions of some sort.

 

[Ladyrosee]

I'd ask the humane society if they have another kitten her age. IMO, kittens do better with companions of some sort.

She has another week of "quarantine" before they will allow me go bring another kitten and that kitten has to be done with their 2 weeks too. I really worry she won't progress. I try to provide enrichment and actually got her to play after lying next to her while she was hiding under a blanket for an hour and I got some toys out and she gently played. But I also worry if I get another foster kitten she will be more and more wary of people and just want to hang out with them. I'm going to ask next Tuesday if they have any kittens she could possibly go to or I could get one that had its quarantine up.

She hides most of the day in her room. I forcefully pick her up several times a day and she doesnt fight it but I know she doesnt love it. she has improved a lot in a week but not great. Shes terrified of my husband and hes seen her so many times.

 

[Ladyrosee]

I'm wondering if anyone has advice about my resident cats. The young one is VERY scared but curious. He was playing in front of her though when I was holding her but he hisses at her and runs away usually when he sees me holding her but he looks from afar. My senior doesnt give a crap who comes in the house adult cat or kitten he just sniffs and continues on with his life. But my younger one is super scared. He wants in her room to smell though and I let him do that and smell my hands when I'm done petting her and he will rub on me

 

[poolcat]

It may just take time for your younger cat to get used to the new kitten. Sounds like you're doing things right. If they sleep on something portable, you could switch those things occasionally to help each of them get used to the other's smell. Maybe try feeding them in the same room, or give them bits of food as treats when they're together. You're lucky that the older one is so laid back!