Feral kitten with gunky eyes and nose

horseman18702

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Hello All,

I did post this is another forum as I am just looking to help this lil guy out asap. Its little long to read but I am one who believes the more details the better. Here is what I posted:

I just joined this forum because I am hoping to find a solution to helping out a feral kitten that I trapped. Well, actually 3. To start with, I am not a "cat person" (always had dogs) but love all animals. The last couple years I had massive loss in my life and never wanted another pet because I didn't want to get close to anything or anyone again. Having said that, the animal lover in me couldn't stop taking care of the feral cats we have in my area. My city, which is pretty decent average sized, has a bad feral cat issue and there isn't any animal control officers which is why the problem exists. For the last year, year and a half, I have been allowing the cats to take refuge anywhere around my home if they wanted and have also kept fresh food and water outside for them. A couple months ago one of the momma cats started bringing her 3 kittens (was 4 but sadly a car got that one while they were really young) and I watched them daily on my cameras. But as nature does, mom left them and they were really lost. They remained together and were literally stuck by each others side. At night, they loved staying on my front porch where they have plenty of protection and space and they felt comfortable there. But as it would come to be, I started to worry about them because I started to see them through the night getting closer to venture across the streets and I just couldn't handle that. We have complete a**holes here that race up and down a pretty heavy traffic street and we also have plenty of scumbags that love to have their pitbulls but also don't secure them where I see them scouring the neighborhood for cats roaming. Again, cant handle that thinking that one of the lil buggers would die because of these issues. So I decided to take them in and raise them as inside cats (wont be declawing) but here is where the issues begin. First, I am actually allergic to cats. But given my nature, I don't care and still will take care of these guys. Second, I am not working currently (looking but no callbacks) so money isn't there for extra spending. Difficult enough for bills etc let alone the outrageous costs of vets (which does bother me). When back to work then that's a different story but for now life is what it is. Third, I successfully trapped all 3 without trapping any of the adults that frequent my home BUT my area does have volunteer people who do trap, neuter and release so they have knocked down the population and most of the cats that are around now are mostly fixed. However, we don't have a lot of rescues around nor programs that do vet care and the last thing I want to do is send them to the SPCA as they told me a while ago that they just terminate ferals, period. Disgusting but cant change that. So after getting them inside, where they have a full room to themselves where they can adjust to me and the new life, the largest of the kittens (which I am imagining is a male because of his dominance and size) has shown gunk around the eyes and nose. I noticed it from way back once I was able to put the food outside while his mom stayed close since they were used to me and I was able to see he had this issue on and off for quite some time. By all the reading I have done I know it most likely is herpes but oddly enough (and I know that it can change quickly) the other 2 kittens don't have the same. The other night I did find a small vomit patch where I did find roundwoms and of course I panicked because I didn't want to have them get really sick on me so I do what I do and stayed up all night researching. I ended up ordering Durvet Wormeze Feline Liquid Wormer for Cats and it just arrived today so that will be starting today. I cant get anywhere near these guys as they are still extremely shy and skittish (they hide all day and are so afraid of everything) and I cant even trap them again especially since I am so afraid of causing more trauma then they have already been through as well as they will never get close to kennels/crates ever again I am sure.

Problems are that options here are very limited. I know first answer is vet then if not vet to check rescues etc and so on. I have done as much research as possible so I have seen everything from vet websites to these forums but I figured I would join to ask more specifically what's going on and the real world situations that exist for me (with options). I just cant afford vets and there aren't any organizations that can help me locally. If I left them alone outside then the chances were/are extremely high that they're life would be very short. My hopes are that they get past this point and have a nice life inside with me and if my allergies get too bad then I will make sure they go somewhere where they remain together and not to a farm or things like that. I included a pic of the wee one where you can see the eyes and nose but that was at a distance. I am guessing the stress of the trapping and confinement made the illness aggravated but I am hoping someone here has come across this before and what can be done without vets or trying to give them pills. I am really hoping there is edible items that can be given ibn the food that is safe for the other 2 to consume as well since they do everything together including feeding and drinking. Finances are the largest factor here.

Since I have no idea which of the three (or maybe even all 3) have the worms, I knew it is safe to give them the dewormer as its safe for them all to take. Was really wanting to get Drontal but again, vets are not an option nor is $225+ to
be able to get it without prescription.

Sorry for all the babble but I do believe the more details the better so that I don't waste time as I just want these buggers to be happy and healthy.

JJ

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Hi. Bless you for taking in these kittens! I don't have anything I can offer other than to say if you could routinely clean the kitten's eyes/nose with a warm damp cloth that would be helpful. It doesn't sound like a possibility though.

We have a few members who have some serious experience when dealing with strays, and I am tagging them so that perhaps they will see your post sooner rather than later and have some helpful tips for you. fionasmom fionasmom , Jcatbird Jcatbird , catsknowme catsknowme .
 
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horseman18702

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Thank you so much for the kind words. I sincerely wish I was able to get that close. Every hour to 2 hours or so I go upstairs, make the pssss pssss psss sound (LOL) before opening the door so that they don't get spooked by just the door, then I lay down on the floor with my head as close to the ground as possible to appear as least threatening as possible. The black one is the one that has the most trust of me and I am able to comfortably get to be within a couple feet of him and he will stay relaxed. It wont be long before I can get pretty close but of course I am not rushing anything and letting them decide the when the time is right, they have been through enough. I think that whatever is going on does have him wiped a bit but I assure you, since I am not a good sleeper and up mostly through the night, I can hear the 3 of them going nuts and playing for a few hours each night (usually between 2 and 4am). My thing is that even though I don't have the money right now, I would rather me going without so that I can get for them. Not looking for handouts of any kind even from my own family but just wanting to find the best answers that can help them with the means that I have at the moment. The pic below is them about a month ago and if you look at the one stone pillar, you'll see momma just looking after them. The wet look is only because it had just rained LOL.

And thanks so much for tagging the appropriate people that may be able to help. It is very much appreciated.

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Section on helping feral kittens become friendly.

Google taming feral kittens and see if anything seems as if it might work. There are a lot of different ways to approach this.

Thank you for rescuing them. They are at an age where they are tameable so the first step is to get to a point where you can touch them. Sit in the room with them and read or do something unobtrusive, talk softly to them, bring them treats or food and let them eat it when you are in the room so that they associate you with the food. No free feeding if possible. This is a major point of the kitten lady. If they won’t eat in front of you, give them food so that they are well fed but keep trying.

Put a soft cloth on a stick and see if they will let you use it as a wand type toy. Try to very gently touch them with it and see if the appear less frightened. The boy who is more comfortable with you may become what Jackson Galaxy calls a social bridge cat. His sibling may trust you if the see that he trusts you.

Sit in front of them and give them very slow blinks in which you close your eyes briefly and open them repeatedly. Don’t touch them while you do this. This is called eye kisses and is universally understood by cats.

If you get to the point where you can pick them up or attempt it try to so do with a soft towel.

Watch out that you are not getting bitten even though these kittens do not mean any harm. They have very small sharp teeth which enter your skin like a needle in very quickly trap bacteria. I suggest you get some pair of gloves which will protect your hands and possibly your lower arms as you try to do this.

If you get to where you can’t touch them you can try to wipe their eyes. Please feel that you can continue to come back here for more advice as this all plays out.
 
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horseman18702

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Thank you for the link and suggestions. I will be trying them.

I have learned much about patience with animals because of horses. My love of them and having friends huge in the QH industry (as well as previously owning my own) allowed me to learn body language and what to spot when it comes to fear or generally any animal emotion and then to judge what my next step would be. Having a 1200 lb momma horse with a freshly born foal near her is something that takes a bit of "wisdom" to approach otherwise its an ER visit :)

At the same time I have had previous experience with ferals as a few years back when I was living with my ex, I discovered a kitten that I realized wasn't someone's pet and since I wouldn't smoke inside the house, I was outside quite often. We lived in the country so my fears were coyotes and fox but it took me about 6 months of talking to her and putting food out to where she then literally sat next to me when she finally brought her kittens around and I was able to pet her and pick up the kittens. If they saw any other human they were gone. That was a real treat for me since I know that they couldn't be looked at like if they were someone's pet and it made me feel good to know that a "wild" animal had that trust in me.

For these lil buggers I was applying similar actions. I was only doing a couple of things that you suggested like sitting or laying belly down in the room and talking softly as well as making sure that when I was going to get up that I talked softly and got up in a backwards motion instead of leaning forward to stand. Then I made sure to look downwards as I slowly walked out and closed the door behind me.

Where I have to change is I was free feeding. They are soooooo shy and scared that they find the tightest places to hide even though I made nice enclosures for them lined with pillows and even made hiding spots since I placed a couple old mattresses like a natural cave where they seem to feel most comfortable (I'm sure its because they weren't able to see anything). So I will change that as well to where its an overhang instead so that they aren't "enclosed" and have no choice but to see me while still being able to "hide". They are really good with a litter box right from the start with the exception of one that will go along side it but I cant tell which one since they do it, just like eating/drinking, only when I am not there and after a while once I leave the room. That is something I have no idea on how to correct.

The black one, who really is the only one whos showing any signs of sickness as the other 2 "look" healthy and are a little more spry then he is, well I am very confident he will be the first to allow me to touch him. That's hopefully what happens so that I can try to get that gunk away. I will be using your advice to try to get him to that point. But what can I get, OTC med wise, that may help him? I know that people here aren't "vets" but from the pic I posted initially, have you any guess as to what it may be? He doesn't hack or sneeze and aside form the gunk on the eyes and nose, you wouldn't think he is sick. I know that if it is herpes then there isn't much to do and it'll never go away but what can I get to help his comfort (if you think it is herpes and not viral)? I did start to place the dewormer in the water bowl and used the exact dosage x 3 according to the charts for their size and will do it for a couple days because I cant separate them and don't know how much and which ones are drinking. So far my allergies are holding up BUT I also haven't touched them yet LOL. That may be a different story but isn't going to be stopping me from doing everything I can for them.

Thanks again and I will be trying your suggestions as well as looking into the online suggestions you provided. If you, or anyone else of course, has any insight as to what he may inflicted with and/or possible treatments then please feel free to share. Again, I know you most likely aren't a vet and only offering suggestions but that's all I can ask.

Thanks again.

JJ
 
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horseman18702

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Sorry, but forgot to add that the feeding part may be a little tough initially only because they hide all day then start to nibble here and there once it gets dark then fully eat through the night.
 

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Hello and thank you for helping those babies! Mama kitties usually don't leave their babies so it's likely that she's permanently gone; the only comfort is that she left her children in your care (often cats seem to have a premonition about their impending demise). Until you can get more vet care, I would focus on building their immune system up; L-lysine and CoQ10 are what I have used, with vet approval. My vet works with ferals so she is usually willing to see one patient and prescribe Rx for the litter, if necessary. When finances allow, don't forget about price checking with Pet Good Rx Pets, Script Save/Well Rx for Pets and Insider Rx for Pets. Adding unflavored Pedialyte to their water will help retain electrolyte balance if you are in a heat alert.
 
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horseman18702

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Hello and thank you for helping those babies! Mama kitties usually don't leave their babies so it's likely that she's permanently gone; the only comfort is that she left her children in your care (often cats seem to have a premonition about their impending demise). Until you can get more vet care, I would focus on building their immune system up; L-lysine and CoQ10 are what I have used, with vet approval. My vet works with ferals so she is usually willing to see one patient and prescribe Rx for the litter, if necessary. When finances allow, don't forget about price checking with Pet Good Rx Pets, Script Save/Well Rx for Pets and Insider Rx for Pets. Adding unflavored Pedialyte to their water will help retain electrolyte balance if you are in a heat alert.
Thanks so much for the info. I will pick some up asap. Although I can say with certainty that momma is still very much around. I watch my cameras constantly while working on my computer (which is constant) and I watch when the cats come around. I know each and every one as well as all their personalities. They are all awesome and I watched when momma told them it was time for her to be alone so she can be off to breed again. Immediately after her pushing them away, every time she would come around they would rush the porch to feed with her but she would ignore them then go off on her own. She still comes around routinely and I have noticed that behavior with several of the other mommas that come around. The good part is that some of the local people who are animal lovers have trapped, neutered and released quite a few so the "new" populations has dwindled but many of the adults are still around (which I love seeing). What I did see is that they (momma cats) are doing what the momma cat I got friendly with years back where they show the kittens that I am an "ok thing" to be comfortable with and they learn that they don't need to disappear when I come outside to feed and water.
 

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Glad to hear that mama kitty is indeed around! Hopefully the TNR group will get her spayed before there is another litter. If you ask around, you may find people who aren't using the supplements that they bought & if they will give them to you so you can ask your vet about using them. I have Qunol CoQ10 that I use because the elderly lady decided to stop using it. Some areas have "pay it foward" Facebook groups where you can post your need and also "free to you" groups.
 
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horseman18702

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Glad to hear that mama kitty is indeed around! Hopefully the TNR group will get her spayed before there is another litter. If you ask around, you may find people who aren't using the supplements that they bought & if they will give them to you so you can ask your vet about using them. I have Qunol CoQ10 that I use because the elderly lady decided to stop using it. Some areas have "pay it foward" Facebook groups where you can post your need and also "free to you" groups.
Thanks so much again.

I am making progress given the tips everyone has given. Although right now my right eye is going haywire even after Visine Allergy but that wont stop me LOL.

However, I am really worried about the black one. He is weak and I have been trying to give him ham while the other 2 are resting together elsewhere but he cant see it or smell it (personal opinion only). I am trying to figure out how to make an enclosure downstairs with me so that I can put on some leather gloves and just grab him to separate him and hopefully not really stress him out so that I can make sure he is getting the dewormer and also try to wipe that stuff away. Its proving to be hard though because the way my house is setup, I don't have any other rooms that are open that I can keep just for him and I don't have any large kennel or crate. I tried racking my brain to think of fiends or whatever that may have one but I can think of anyone so I am semi limited at the moment.
 

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Can you buy baby food meat - Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut - to give the little black kitty? A lot of cats will eat that when they won't eat other things, and sometimes it will jump start them to eat other things as well.

Have you asked any rescue centers or shelter if you could borrow (or, perhaps, rent) a crate?

If you are able to confine him, getting him into a bathroom after running the shower with hot water to create a sauna type environment could help to clear any kind of congestion he might have.
 
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horseman18702

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Can you buy baby food meat - Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut - to give the little black kitty? A lot of cats will eat that when they won't eat other things, and sometimes it will jump start them to eat other things as well.

Have you asked any rescue centers or shelter if you could borrow (or, perhaps, rent) a crate?

If you are able to confine him, getting him into a bathroom after running the shower with hot water to create a sauna type environment could help to clear any kind of congestion he might have.
The trouble is that I "think" he is eating because sometimes I will find him walking away to hide (slowly) when I enter the room. At the same time the ham does disappear not long after I give it and leave because he wont move when I am there. I was placing it very close to him or even directly in front of him while it was even touching him but that's why I don't think he was able to smell it. What I am doing, and don't know how well its going to work but I want to at least try, is that I just reconfigured the bathroom upstairs and even made a new litter box just for him because it is more apparent to me that he may be the one missing the box because he is weak. So I made a cutout so that it isn't a task to get in to. I will try what you suggest but I will know more about his eating once I isolate him. Its going to kill me to traumatize him again BUT I do know its only for a very good reason. So I do have a very thick pair of leather gloves and I will be trying to get him isolated in a short period as all I am looking for now is some form of an enclosure so that he can hide when I have to go in there.

I will try to contact, again, any of the rescues around but I do know from past personal experience and even friends who have tried as well, that we dont have any really good rescues around. Surprising for sure, and I am NOT saying that they dont so anything, I am just saying that they dont seem to have the ability to help outside of bringing animals to them directly.
 

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For the litter box (this may be what you have done already), use any cardboard box and cut one side out entirely so that he can just walk in. A longer, narrower box will work better for this so that he has someplace to walk into and away from your floor. Old plastic storage bins, etc will work, too. I agree that you are on the right track to try to isolate him and then see what is going on.
 
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horseman18702

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For the litter box (this may be what you have done already), use any cardboard box and cut one side out entirely so that he can just walk in. A longer, narrower box will work better for this so that he has someplace to walk into and away from your floor. Old plastic storage bins, etc will work, too. I agree that you are on the right track to try to isolate him and then see what is going on.
thank you again for the reply. Things are moving rapidly because that is just me, but especially when I know an animal is not well. Here is what has happened since the earlier message.

- I couldn't stand the look on his face and the fact of how he wasn't the same kitten as was when he was outside. So I decided to redo the bathroom upstairs and cleaned it up and placed his litterbox, food bowl, and water bowl in there.

- Got the gloves and went into the main room with them. He was so weak that I had zero issue grabbing him. Grabbed him like his momma would have by the scruff of the neck and then took him into the bathroom.

- He is so weak that there was zero fight and I even took the gloves off so that I can gently remove the gunk. But the real heartbreak came when he wanted to either meow or scream (I am betting on the first) but just little air came out. So after getting everything cleared and cleaned I then was gently rubbing his head while talking softly.

- Since I was doing all that, and the sadness I felt over seeing him thinner and weaker, I didn't run to the store yet for the baby food suggestion but tried to place the ham in front of him again since I wasn't sure if he was able to eat or not while he was with the others. He didn't even seem to smell it while I held it right in front of his nose.

- I had already made him a litter box out of a hospital wash basin with a full cutout short enough that he can easily get in but the litter wont. I even brought in the enclosure I made for the outside out of an old speaker box that no cats wanted to go in while outside but they like it inside the house.

Now I will clean up a bit and run to get the baby food just in case.

I really appreciate all the help and suggestions. I posted this same thing the same night on another forum but there hasnt been a single response yet from there.


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JJ
 

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horseman18702

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Thank you.

I just came down from spending a few moments with him and he seems to still have some energy as he jumped off that speaker box and was moving slightly. So I did take advantage and spent time petting him softly and talking to him. He seemed relaxed but of course I imagine his weakened state is helping there otherwise I probably wouldn't have had such a nice time. LOL

I am going to keep monitoring him and also keep on petting him as allowed so that he feels comforted. I will keep posting and also if there are any other ideas then please feel free to share because as you can see, I do read them and take it all in.

JJ
 

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I have been following your story and am happy that you are in good hands with the folks who have provided information already. Thank you for taking in these kittens and giving them a chance to have a good life.

I just had a thought. I wonder if the little black cat especially would benefit from more fluids. The baby food you are getting (plain chicken and chicken broth, no onions or garlic) has been really helpful to me when my cats won't eat. You could try mixing in just a tiny bit of water. I have a cat now that gets liquid medicine and she will drink it up if I put it in a teaspoon or two of tuna fish water. It can be hard to find canned tuna and water without any other ingredients, but I have found some and stocked up! Maybe the smell of the tuna will entice this kitty to drink and I would add just a tiny bit of water to that, too.

Do you think a vet would work with you on a payment plan if you took the little guy in? If there are vets who work with the local rescues, they might be willing to help. If you live near a vet school, they also might have special rates.

This site has been super helpful to me with solid information and moral support! Keep up the good work and please keep us posted.
 
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horseman18702

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I have been following your story and am happy that you are in good hands with the folks who have provided information already. Thank you for taking in these kittens and giving them a chance to have a good life.

I just had a thought. I wonder if the little black cat especially would benefit from more fluids. The baby food you are getting (plain chicken and chicken broth, no onions or garlic) has been really helpful to me when my cats won't eat. You could try mixing in just a tiny bit of water. I have a cat now that gets liquid medicine and she will drink it up if I put it in a teaspoon or two of tuna fish water. It can be hard to find canned tuna and water without any other ingredients, but I have found some and stocked up! Maybe the smell of the tuna will entice this kitty to drink and I would add just a tiny bit of water to that, too.

Do you think a vet would work with you on a payment plan if you took the little guy in? If there are vets who work with the local rescues, they might be willing to help. If you live near a vet school, they also might have special rates.

This site has been super helpful to me with solid information and moral support! Keep up the good work and please keep us posted.
Thank you for the kind words and support. It is all appreciated.

He's really tugging at the heartstrings and also heartbreaking at the same time. I did find that he really loved to have his head messaged as well as the temples and right behind the skull. But he really is sick. He is trying to meow but the best way to describe it is like i did above. Instead of a meow, its like he's just pushing small air out. But he is also thinner than I thought where he was the plumpest when I first got him in. I even placed the water as close as I could and he looked like he was going to drink but then just tried to rest again. I searched all over and found a few "rescues" locally but they are not only the same as I found a couple years back but they also haven't changed anything. None have anything for anyone but they will take the cats in and try to rehome them or TNR. That's no different than just me trying my best to keep them healthy and alive. And even though it isn't easy to talk about, the loss I've had over the last 2 years has taken me out. I left my job that paid well and cashed in my 401k so that I was able to stay home to take care of my mom because as luck would have it, she had screwed up and used my cell as hers and when I got a call from a local oncologists office, I called back to find she had cancer but didn't tell anyone (typical old world Italian from Italy). So after she passed last year, I then lost my GF of whom I thought I was going to spend life with. On top of that, you learn that "family" can put on a great front and pretend an awful lot but I am so soft inside that I let it go for years pretending it will all be different someday. Now that I am ready to force myself to go back into the workforce (only because the money is almost gone), jobs don't call back because I am in a very bad grey area. Overqualified for jobs that don't require degrees and underqualified for those that do. Even though I have more experience and knowledge then 90% of anyone else that they interview, I cant get a break. At 49, its tough to deal with. So why did I put all that out here? Only because I wanted to make sure people understood that my heart always was and always will be in the right place and I am wayyyy to soft but my luck is always non-existent. It bothers me more than you can imagine that I know that lil guy is a fighter but me being in the position I am and having life always beating me up, I cant get him the help he needs. All the while I am hoping but what is hope when he is struggling? It just isn't fair. and I am not meaning me as that's been my life since I can remember.

To make it even more understandable, I am forcing myself to eating those $1 salt piles of instant soup type things or eggs just so that I make the money stretch as far as possible but that didn't stop me from picking up all the supplies I needed as well as the dewormer and toys and yes, I even bought catnip because I read about how some cats love it. So that's who I am and I will pick up the L-Lysine and baby food etc just to give the lil one a fighting chance but when it comes to vets or other medications that are higher in price, I just cant afford it and you cant imagine (well I don't know you so maybe you can) just how much of a loser I feel like especially when there is a small critter here that can really use a humans help but the one that is in charge of that can only sit back and watch and hope. That's such an awful feeling and I am hoping he doesn't pay the price. I do understand and know he has a much better chance because I snagged him vs outside because he surely would have died then but that doesn't make me feel any better since I am the one watching over him.

Having blurbed all that, I will also pick up some of what you said so that if one thing doesn't work then the other may.

Thanks again for following and chiming in as well as the hopes for him. I, and I am sure the lil one, appreciates it all. And of course I will keep this updated.

JJ
 

catsknowme

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Have you tried rubbing white Karo corn syrup on his gums, in addition to the unflavored pedialyte? That will keep his blood sugar up especially if he is feeling nauseous. Also, this webinar from Maddies Forum may have some good advice for you (it's for veterinary professionals but adds tips for the lay person); I like the fact that I can pause, rewind, and it's free!
Critical Care of the Sick Neonatal Kitten
 
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horseman18702

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Sadly, and with tremendous sadness, I lost him about 1am.

I was working with him and keeping him company all through the night. Finally went to bed about 6:30a then got up at 8:30a and resumed. He drank a few times which kept me having that hope but this morning he would have fight then not. Ended up getting him, from all the kind suggestions here, Friskies Broth (with all fishy stuff), Albacore Tuna, Baby Food Beef, and Baby Food Chicken. He wanted no part of the broth then I tried the chicken baby food. When he wouldn't eat it I figured I would rub it across his mouth so that at the least he would lick it off, which he did, but then refused anything else. If that worked then I wouldn't care how long it took to finish the jar. In my panic of seeing him like that and getting weaker, I did manage to find a local person who really didn't want to give up some of her supplies, give me some places to try. Needless to say none of them would help including the SPCA. The only way was for me to surrender him completely. Believe me, if left with no other choice I would have done that but I was even more afraid that he would just be put down without anything familiar to him being around. When I called the lady back she felt bad and came to my house and gave him a steroid shot, Azithromycin, and some gruel type stuff she said was some Iams Level 2 something or other. She was very kind and helpful and even said the same that he was a fighter. She left the sludge with me and said it was going to be a long night because I would have to keep giving him 1/2mL at a time and just keep going (via syringe). She estimated him to be around 4 months old but she really didn't like the color of his gums and said it was from lack of O2 and that's why she really wanted to prep me because she felt it was a lot more than just something upper respiratory and that most likely he also some organ issues from that same reason. He was doing great and she even said she gave him a 60/40 chance (60 being not good). But thank God she did prepare me for what might happen and how he will go if that was to happen. For a while he took the sludge and I would mix that with comforting him as he sat in a box near me with a really nice merino sheepskin. Sadly though, around 1:00a he started getting more labored in breath and then starting "flopping" every few minutes from one side to the other and crying out. Again, thank God she prepped me because I was able to secure him and was petting him in his favorite spots between his head, neck, and rump. Then he took his final breath.

I really could've not used that happening after the last couple years BUT the only comfort I feel is that he would have done that alone outside somewhere without any fighting chance so at least he was comforted and comfortable at the end of his very short life. After that I went upstairs since I wasn't really with the other 2 much today due to taking care of the sick one but at least I got a little happy playing with the other 2 and they look so healthy and really coming out of their shell. The only thing left puzzling me is how to get the one to stop pooping on the outside (right along side) or the litter box. Cant figure out why.

Thanks again to all of you who said so many kind things and really tried your best to give me advice. Cant tell you how much I appreciated it all. Tomorrow I will be burying him under the large apple tree I have in my back yard.

JJ

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