Rescue Momma and Kittens... Advice Needed Please!

[ileen]

rubysmama , ashade1 had a young cat named Ghost with a broken leg that healed poorly in one of the colonies she tends. Ghost found a forever home late last year. I'm an expert due to currently reading that thread from start to finish.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's fascinating, isn't it, ileen ?

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks ileen . Now I remember which one Ghost was.

Reading that thread must be a bit like reading a novel, unable to stop, as you want to know what happens next.

 

[ileen]

Yep. I actually think I read the beginning last year because I remember the name Clyde, but I was brought to page 1 so I started again. I'm on page 34 now.

 

[ashade1]

Hey all, sorry for disappearing but it has been kitten madness around here! We get an overwhelming amount of messages from full kill shelters, people with stray cats and kittens, and other rescue groups this time of year. We have a waitlist a mile long. I have stayed away from the bottle babies for a while because I simply do not have time for that. Well suprise! I just took one in! He is an odd case.. he has teeth and pointy stand up ears... which would make me think he is 3+ weeks.. but he is the size of a one week old! When I got him yesterday he was only 4.2oz! I have been feeding him goats milk with a little bit of turkey baby food in it because I am just not sure developmentally where he is at! I also dont know how much/how often he needs to eat. When I got him his finder was feeding wet food and they said he was nibbling at it, but he was starving! He was nibbling at my fingers on the ride home. When we got home he ate about 15 mls. He wont latch to a bottle yet so we are syringe feeding him with a miracle nipple. He has been taking about 9mls every 3 hours... does that sound ok? No poop yet but good clear pee.
Another thing... he appears to be blind, or at least partially blind. His pupils are very cloudy, no sign of infection though.

We have named him Jake, we picked him up off of a road called Jake's Run Rd

 

[Sarthur2]

That is an excellent amount of food! He should begin to grow now if you keep this up.

He is adorable!

Can you get a vet to look at his eyes and give you drops to try? Perhaps some sight can be saved if you move quickly with treatment.

 

[ashade1]

We just got him yesterday so I wanted to get a bit of weight on him before making a vet appointment... do you think I could add some canned kitten food to his formula? To get him more calories? He does have teeth, I just dont know where his stomach and liver are developmentally if I should add canned food or stick to the formula... do you think every three hours is ok to feed him too?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, every 3 hours is perfect for now.

Just mix some Gerber turkey in with the formula for a few days to see how he does.

I encourage you to get the kitten’s eyes looked at right away.

 

[ashade1]

Just weighed him and in 24 hours he is now 5.9oz! Woo! I know you prefer grams but oz was easier for me right now. We also now have a good little solid poop! Yay! Will call the vet in the morning!

 

[Sarthur2]

I’m good with grams or ounces! Awesome he’s gained so quickly. I have high hopes for this baby!

 

[catsknowme]

Jake is so precious! Maybe the vet could call in some eye drops prior to a vet visit - why stress his system anymore than need be, eh? I look forward to updates

 

[ashade1]

Yeah I am definitely worried about exposing him to something at the vet since he is so small... there is panleuk going around like crazy here with the other groups. Our normal vet that we take strange things to (like his eye problem) is out of town I think for this week so we will have to figure it out!

 

[Sarthur2]

I think any vet could give you appropriate eye drops to begin using right away.

 

[ashade1]

Just got an emergency, very last second HEAVILY pregnant beautiful orange tabby. Someone abandoned it at a busy shopping center. I hate people. Didn't have room for this one but I didn't want her to have her babies up there and us not be able to find them. It's a HUGE shopping center on this giant hillside.

Welcome to the rescue momma.

 

[Sarthur2]

Bless you! Thank you for taking her in. Orange kitties are so sweet.

No way did she need to have babies at, or near, a shopping mall. Shame on whoever abandoned her!

 

[ashade1]

Sarthur2 I know you love the orange cats! Now I have three orange females who have come to me pregnant! I am very close to giving in and saying Sadie and Sabrina are staying...

 

[Sarthur2]

YES! You know I LOVE Sadie and Sabrina!!! My favs! I hope they stay with you.

I also love black cats, and tabbies, and torties, and ..... all of them! I have 7 permanent resident cats.

Can you get basic antibiotic eye drops for Jake please? Tomorrow? Please?

 

[ashade1]

The problem is none of the vets will give me drops without an exam and no one I called today has any openings for like a week and a half unless I want to come in for an "emergency appointment" which is $75 on top of the exam fee and medicine. What kind of drops do you think would help? There doesn't seem to be any infection... I do have terramycin though if you think I should try that... I am going to call the other vet clinics today and see when they have any openings. I told my vet to let me know if they get a cancelation.

 

[Sarthur2]

Use the terramycin for now 2-3 times a day, and take the first available appointment. I’m hoping this kitten’s “cloudy” eyes can be saved.

It looks serious, but I’ve seen miraculous changes in kittens’ eyes with treatment.

 

[ashade1]

I have never seen anything like this! Do you know what it could be? Usually when I see them cloudy like that it is scar tissue from a previous infection... but he is so young that if it was from an infection surely he would still have it? I wonder if it could be just bad genetics too