Hello, New Member, Have Questions

[GaCatcouple]

Hello everyone, So a week ago a small kitten showed up at our house, were used to the every now and then straws that stop by for a day and leave, but this one didn't leave she hung around and kept hanging around, she looked so tiny and hungry, my mom who i live with cause my dad had a stroke few yrs ago so im here to help them out, has 2 cats of her own so i got some of her kitty good and gave it to this cat on the 2nd day. she seemed to eat it just fine. I posted her picture on social pages and called the pounds local and no one seemed to be missing her. 3rd day she came back ( not sure where she would go at night) but she came back again and seemed happy when seen us ( me and my wife) it was going to storm that day/night so we let her come in on the sun porch.. Well it did storm, we played with her and feed her gave water she seemed fine.. well my wife wanted to keep her so we went and got her own food bowl, potty, food, some toys. she seemed very happy, but now it seems like every time she eats she gets sick.
we have now tried two different dry foods, Speical kitty, and kit n ka bootle. she still getting sick after the eats.
We just now got some frikers wet food, so far just yesterday and today she seems to be doing better, but shes just so tiny. I don't think shes really a kitten cause she seems to have all her teeth.. but she is only maybe 5 pounds at best, I think shes just been mistreated and not feed for a while.

she got where she would just eat and leave food, at first she eat all you gave her so i would just give small amounts.

I want to get her to the vet i hope next week and get shots, I guess. Its been so many years since ive had a cat myself. I forget what all they need.. we want to get her fixed to cause shes been in heat like 3 times already and its terrible she jumps in all the windows and trys to get outside.

Thank you for any info,advice.. the reason I put couple on my name i hope my wife might get on and post, shes not a big computer person. we will be sure to put who it is at the bottom.. this is Chris.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome!!
Bless your hearts for helping this little soul!
Maybe these articles will help;

First-time Cat Owner's Guide

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips

How To Choose The Best Name For Your New Cat

16 Experts Reveal The Most Common Litterbox Mistakes (and How To Avoid Them)

9 Grass Growing Kits That Will Make Your Cat Happy

 

[1 bruce 1]

Hello everyone, So a week ago a small kitten showed up at our house, were used to the every now and then straws that stop by for a day and leave, but this one didn't leave she hung around and kept hanging around, she looked so tiny and hungry, my mom who i live with cause my dad had a stroke few yrs ago so im here to help them out, has 2 cats of her own so i got some of her kitty good and gave it to this cat on the 2nd day. she seemed to eat it just fine. I posted her picture on social pages and called the pounds local and no one seemed to be missing her. 3rd day she came back ( not sure where she would go at night) but she came back again and seemed happy when seen us ( me and my wife) it was going to storm that day/night so we let her come in on the sun porch.. Well it did storm, we played with her and feed her gave water she seemed fine.. well my wife wanted to keep her so we went and got her own food bowl, potty, food, some toys. she seemed very happy, but now it seems like every time she eats she gets sick.
we have now tried two different dry foods, Speical kitty, and kit n ka bootle. she still getting sick after the eats.
We just now got some frikers wet food, so far just yesterday and today she seems to be doing better, but shes just so tiny. I don't think shes really a kitten cause she seems to have all her teeth.. but she is only maybe 5 pounds at best, I think shes just been mistreated and not feed for a while.

she got where she would just eat and leave food, at first she eat all you gave her so i would just give small amounts.

I want to get her to the vet i hope next week and get shots, I guess. Its been so many years since ive had a cat myself. I forget what all they need.. we want to get her fixed to cause shes been in heat like 3 times already and its terrible she jumps in all the windows and trys to get outside.

Thank you for any info,advice.. the reason I put couple on my name i hope my wife might get on and post, shes not a big computer person. we will be sure to put who it is at the bottom.. this is Chris.

Hi Chris,
my wife likes to read this site, too but she rarely has much to say. But she enjoys it.
I wonder if this little cat of yours has some worms, if she just showed up odds are she does and if they get a bunch of them it can make them throw up. Worms are pretty normal but you do want to get this taken care of.
The vet will probably want to check her poop, so if you can, get the freshest "sample" before her appointment so they can check and get her some medicine if she does.
Can you look in her mouth to see how her gums look? They should be nice and pink, if they're pale gray or bluish, this could indicate a problem that needs to be dealt with ASAP.
Welcome aboard to TCS

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Hi Chris!

I'm so glad you all found and are keeping this sweet baby! We love pictures, please be sure to show her off.

I agree about the worms. That should help a lot with her throwing up. A vet visit will tell you a lot about her. Call around and see if any vets near you offer kitten packages- the vet I took Dexter to offered all his shots, boosters, neutering, etc. at one price, which was much cheaper than paying for everything individually.

Fixing her is important and extremely responsible of you as a cat owner. You are prolonging her life and preventing all sorts of issues that can arise from an unsprayed cat, and (most importantly) not contributing to the homeless kitten population. Be sure not to let her out because she will get pregnant.

As far as food, try different textures (pate, shreds, chunks, etc.) to see what she likes. Friskies is a good brand to try these different textures on. When you are ready, there is a ton of great information on here under the Forums>Cat Nutrition tab, depending on your budget.

Everyone on here is here to help and will answer any questions you may have. Good luck with your new kitty!

I hope your wife gets on board with the posting too.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Just a thought: The Special Kitty and the Kit n' Kaboodle may be upsetting her tummy because they are mainly corn. If I were you, I would keep her on the Friskies, which is moisture, meat and animal product.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Another thought, if she's in heat right now (and it sounds like she could be), that might explain her lack of appetite and not eating well. Cats don't usually go completely out until they're bred or spayed, so this is something the vet will want to talk to you about, unfortunately if she's very underweight they might want to give her a few weeks to bulk up before surgery.
If she's this friendly I doubt she's a feral stray, probably someone dumped her off, or had a cute little kitten and booted her out the door when she started growing into a cat She might have imprinted on food early on and that's why she's not interested in the dry food, she might have had to fend for herself.
Thanks for taking her in and caring for her

 

[Margret]

Hi, Chris. Welcome to TCS! We're very glad to have you, your wife, and your newest family member as part of our community.


When you're calling around to vets another thing to ask about is whether they give a discount for new adoptions. Many vets do, but you may have to specifically ask in order to actually get the discount.

Margret

 

[GaCatcouple]

WoW, thank you everyone for the replies, Here are a few pictures of her. she has been eating the wet food and so far not got sick from it. she still not gaining any weight. were going to call around on Monday to Vets and ask about what all shots and stuff she needs and find out how much it be, we will let them know she was a cat that just showed up. we have like 3 other cats been hanging around we live in the middle of two main roads and we know folks let cats out cause they think its just a dirt road, witch some of it is.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Goodness, she is a cutie! She looks very soft.

That is great news that she is eating and keeping it down! Worms can cause her to not gain weight as well. Please keep us updated as you find out more about her. As always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask.

 

[Margret]

Also, she may be small, but she doesn't look scrawny. Poor nutrition when she was a kitten may have permanently stunted her growth, but that shouldn't shorten her life, I hope.

She's lovely.

Margret

 

[GaCatcouple]

She was smaller when first showed up, she gained weight but then lost a little but i think now shes gaining it back.

sorry all these post have been by Chris. my wife works so ive not even showed her the site yet. hope she might get involved some.

 

[neely]

She was smaller when first showed up, she gained weight but then lost a little but i think now shes gaining it back.
sorry all these post have been by Chris. my wife works so ive not even showed her the site yet. hope she might get involved some.

Another warm welcome to TCS! The above members have given you some great advice. Don't worry if your wife is busy at work and can't post on the site right now. I'm sure you have been keeping her up with all the helpful information you've received so far.

I'm glad to hear she is gaining some weight thanks to your wife and you rescuing her. She is truly lovely. What did you decide to name her?

Please keep us updated once you make a vet appointment. We will be anxious to hear what the vet has to say. Best of luck!

 

[GaCatcouple]

Another warm welcome to TCS! The above members have given you some great advice. Don't worry if your wife is busy at work and can't post on the site right now. I'm sure you have been keeping her up with all the helpful information you've received so far.

I'm glad to hear she is gaining some weight thanks to your wife and you rescuing her. She is truly lovely. What did you decide to name her?

Please keep us updated once you make a vet appointment. We will be anxious to hear what the vet has to say. Best of luck!

Thank you , we both decided she looked like a Smokey she is really dark grey, shes such a good kitty. i got her a leash harness and ive been letting her go out and walk with me in the evenings, she don't really walk with me, but i just use the leash to grab it if she starts to go under the wheelchair ramp or under the porch or something. i keep her within my sight cause i know there other cats that come around ( moms cats are both females and stay in the house)

I also ment to say my wife thinks the kitty is calustrophobic
cause we tried to bring her in the house into our bedroom but she just goes crazy, she screams, and trys to climb up the blinds and trys all she can to get out of the door. she sticks her arm under it and trys to open it..
but if she is on the sun porch (15 foot wide by 20 foot long) she is just fine. or the couple times we let her roam around the living room/kitchen she seemed fine.

 

[GaCatcouple]

We have a vet visit for her on Wed, that's was the earliest they had, as they were closed Friday for good Friday we made the apt. last Tuesday. Guess they stay pretty busy. they are charging like $37 for a kitty wellness check up they call it, said the Dr would exam her and tell us her age. shes been doing really good eating the soft food but she still seems not to be gaining weight and now it doesn't seem shes drinking much water at all. I don't understand. its very hot right now shes been enjoying going outside with me and laying in the yard while i do things. I always put here away from things that can harm her. there's nothing for her to go into. shes not gotten sick now since we started the new food.
Can't wait till the vet. so we will know more about her. just hope we don't end up having to spend a ton on her we have very little income my wife only works part time.

Chris

 

[EmersonandEvie]

If she is eating exclusively wet food, do not be surprised that she isn't drinking water. Cats that eat all wet food rarely drink water on their own and instead get all of their moisture from their food! Cats evolved from desert animals anyway, so they have a naturally low thirst drive to begin with. My own cats, who eat all wet food, never drink from their water dish.

I'm still guessing worms are why she isn't gaining weight. Your vet visit on Wednesday will be able to tell you more. Also be sure to ask about any kitten packages your vet may offer, which can reduce the cost of all her shots, boosters, spay, etc. Or, if you would like, we can look up your general area and find low-cost spay clinics that may be a cheaper alternative to the vet.

Keep us updated!

 

[GaCatcouple]

Well Smoky had her dr visit today and the dr and nurses were all really impressed on how well behaved she was, she was very good, she wanted daddy to hold her while mom filled out the paper work the nurse took her back to weigh her and clipped her nails said she did really good, she didn't cry or anything, she is 4.5 pounds, and they estimated her being 18 weeks old. So she would been born around January.
they said cats normally have worms from there mothers, and so they gave her de worm stuff (profender) and sent us home with a advantage multi box to give her tomorrow. Said she felt like she did in fact have some worms. said her heartbeat was very good and lower then most cats that come in, said most are so excited to be in the office but Smoky was calm.
On the little check box of what all she was giving today it has panleukopenia,Rhinotracheitis,Callclvirus,Chimydia

They have her her first shot and has to go back in 2-3 weeks for the booster shot for the shot from today.
Also they want to give her a Rabies shot when we go back. it wasn't to bad $80 today, the next one will be more if she gets all her shots, the dr viset itself is $37 when whatever she needs. its a super clean, nice place its where my mom take her cats now for years.
We did bring home a bag of dry food they said we can try with her. maybe she can handle it. they all talked about how pretty she was. I'm proud of her she did wonderful today she is now sleeping, im sure she will most of the day. that shot made her sore im sure cause she hasn't even jump in her normal spots.

 

[GaCatcouple]

Oh, still Chris posting.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

All great news! I wouldn't stop giving her the wet food even if she tolerates the new dry because the moisture is so important. Has the vet set up a spay appointment yet?

 

[GaCatcouple]

All great news! I wouldn't stop giving her the wet food even if she tolerates the new dry because the moisture is so important. Has the vet set up a spay appointment yet?

They said it was fine to mix it up some. i really hope she can handle it cause to me wet food is just so messy and its harder to give her. the new food has how much she should get on the side, for her size and age says 1/2 to 3/4 and they gave us a cup to messure with. Were ( me and my wife) about to be gone all weekend out of town so my mom will be kitty sitting her and ild rather her not have to deal with the wet food. I totally forgot to ask the vet if its okay to just leave her food out all day or just give it at meal times, My mom takes her cats food up at night around 11 and they don't get to eat till whoever first to wake up and feed them.

We talked about it the vet said to wait another 2 weeks at least and but not to wait longer then 8 weeks, said that be a good time period and said she hopefully will gain some weight by then.
I didn't realize not only that keeps from having kittens but other side effects she can end up with if its not done. I want her to be around for a long time. she is part of our family, shes out baby since we don't have real kids.
Vet just costs, everything does, I am planing to get her rabies shot next time, and the booster for the shot today, then that should be right at $100 then the next visit can get her fixed, not sure how much they charge. I know of a place in the next town over that does it like $40 not sure if i should let her vet do it or let the other, I am sure the vet will charge a whole lot more. think mom said her cats were $100 each.

She is back to her normal self now, shes jumping on things and exploring, watching the birds and all.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Try to keep at least 1 meal a day of wet food. It's more of a hassle but she will be healthier in the long run. It wont hurt her to just do dry while you and your wife are out of town for a few days, however.
As far as when to feed....I dont think it matters. A lot of people free feed, some feed on a schedule. Since she is still so young, she should have food available to her at all times, so leaving food out is good at this moment. Just be aware that when she gets fixed, her metabolism will slow, so she may need to eat less! But approach that when the time comes.

Those "side effects" of not spaying are so bad....my in laws don't believe in fixing their animals () which is just gross because, well...female cats have a period just like human females....yeah. Unsanitary. Anyway, both of their female cats wound up developing pyometra (a serious infection of the uterus) and had to have emergency surgery to save their lives. What should have been a $50ish spay cost turned into hundreds of dollars in vet Bill's. Prevention really pays off.