Stray Kittens Interaction With House Cat

[princessmia]

Hi,

This Friday I will be watching four abandoned kittens for 10 days for a lady who is going on vacation. They are not fully weaned onto wet cat food yet and still get the bottle twice a day.

Her son found them in the wood pile by their house and when the neighborhood stray (the mother) didn't come back they took them in.

I have an almost 2 y/o female tabby who I adopted last year and is up-to-date on all her vaccinations. She also gets her monthly dosage of advantage Multi. She is an indoor cat.

The kittens I will be watching are not vaccinated. Will it be safe for my cat to interact with the kittens or should I keep them separated?

Thanks

 

[WaltS]

I would definitely keep the kittens quarantined away from your cat. There are so many things your indoor cat could get that are not protected by vaccines. Parasites, colds, fleas, etc... Kittens may appear normal but they most definitely have worms from their mother.

Glad to hear your helping your friend and that she rescued the kitties. Out of curiosity, how long were the kittens alone without any sign of the mother? Feral or stray mothers will often sit away from their kittens when not feeding to keep other predators at bay. She usually is within eye site though. If they are 6 weeks, she could leave them for an entire day while she is out hunting. I would ask if they plan on trying to trap the mother and have her spayed so she does not have more. It can get out of hand really fast.

Good luck!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Absolutely keep them quarantined. Even if the kittens are perfectly healthy, cats almost always require a long introduction period. Easier AND safer, for those few days, just to keep them apart.