hello everyone - I'm in need of some ideas.....
Amber ginger cat had 6 ginger kittens (by Garfield - ginger tom from the pub who got neutered last week) on Thursday morning. She had them in the nesting box I made by our bed that I had been carrying around for a week. Quiet place away from the dogs etc. I was working away for two days, so my partner got up at 7am - looked in the box, and she had had two kittens. She had cleaned them up and eaten the placenta but they were stone cold dead. She then went on to have 4 more, (one of which died within an hour). The three smallest ones were left. She tried to nudge them towards her (in between having them), and kept cleaning them. My partner called the vet straight away and explained, but they said that he wouldn't really want to get into hand feeding them so to try and latch them on to the teats. He tried this, and a girl friend of ours came up from the village to try and help. Amber was very calm, and let them try. The vet said to wait until lafter lunch time and keep trying to latch them on(they were all born by 10am)
No success - so he went and got a milk formula from the vet and some feeding syringes. He fed them every 2 hrs with 2ml. I got home at 10pm, and took over feeding through the night. Amber seemed fine - she took it in her stride and by this time had worked out that we did the feeding and she did the cleaning and cuddling and keeping them warm. I tried lots of times to latch them on to the teats - but sometimes they would latch on, suckle for a few seconds and then fall asleep. They did this when I fed them - swallow a couple of drops and fall asleep - and then I would have to wake them immediately to get them to swallow. Two of them picked up and were quite fiesty. The runt was a bit pathetic. Anyway - cut a long story short, they all eventually died by Saturday morning. It was a soul destroying few days.
Amber spent Saturday looking at me asking where they were - she is very vocal any way, and of course, she looked everywhere for them. She didn't go out Saturday, but I called the vet as she was dripping blood intermittently (couldn't find anything about this on the web either and whether this is normal). He said it was normal and that she would settle. It has settled but I am still going to take her for a check at the vets tomorrow. I will also take her to be neutered in 2 or 3 weeks time.
But really - I wanted to know if any one had any opinions on me getting her a kitten from our local rescue centre. Is it likely she might take to it, or most likely reject it because of the smell? Or just be indifferent? Is it best to get one now or wait a year? Just wondered if any one has experience of this. We would like to have some more kittens or young cats anyway but will get these from the rescue (a full grown cat would'nt be good because of our dog situation and not for Amber either I don't think). Any one got any ideas? - And I apologise if you think I am a terrible cat owner for letting her have kittens in the first place, but it was my decision to let her have one litter before she was spayed. Any help appreciated!!
Amber ginger cat had 6 ginger kittens (by Garfield - ginger tom from the pub who got neutered last week) on Thursday morning. She had them in the nesting box I made by our bed that I had been carrying around for a week. Quiet place away from the dogs etc. I was working away for two days, so my partner got up at 7am - looked in the box, and she had had two kittens. She had cleaned them up and eaten the placenta but they were stone cold dead. She then went on to have 4 more, (one of which died within an hour). The three smallest ones were left. She tried to nudge them towards her (in between having them), and kept cleaning them. My partner called the vet straight away and explained, but they said that he wouldn't really want to get into hand feeding them so to try and latch them on to the teats. He tried this, and a girl friend of ours came up from the village to try and help. Amber was very calm, and let them try. The vet said to wait until lafter lunch time and keep trying to latch them on(they were all born by 10am)
No success - so he went and got a milk formula from the vet and some feeding syringes. He fed them every 2 hrs with 2ml. I got home at 10pm, and took over feeding through the night. Amber seemed fine - she took it in her stride and by this time had worked out that we did the feeding and she did the cleaning and cuddling and keeping them warm. I tried lots of times to latch them on to the teats - but sometimes they would latch on, suckle for a few seconds and then fall asleep. They did this when I fed them - swallow a couple of drops and fall asleep - and then I would have to wake them immediately to get them to swallow. Two of them picked up and were quite fiesty. The runt was a bit pathetic. Anyway - cut a long story short, they all eventually died by Saturday morning. It was a soul destroying few days.
Amber spent Saturday looking at me asking where they were - she is very vocal any way, and of course, she looked everywhere for them. She didn't go out Saturday, but I called the vet as she was dripping blood intermittently (couldn't find anything about this on the web either and whether this is normal). He said it was normal and that she would settle. It has settled but I am still going to take her for a check at the vets tomorrow. I will also take her to be neutered in 2 or 3 weeks time.
But really - I wanted to know if any one had any opinions on me getting her a kitten from our local rescue centre. Is it likely she might take to it, or most likely reject it because of the smell? Or just be indifferent? Is it best to get one now or wait a year? Just wondered if any one has experience of this. We would like to have some more kittens or young cats anyway but will get these from the rescue (a full grown cat would'nt be good because of our dog situation and not for Amber either I don't think). Any one got any ideas? - And I apologise if you think I am a terrible cat owner for letting her have kittens in the first place, but it was my decision to let her have one litter before she was spayed. Any help appreciated!!