Anybody ever roll a cat?

[jiaco]

Today the wife heard a meow meow sound. She went around this old abandoned house and said she saw a baby cat. An hour later, same sound and she made me look. Well, the cat had also been abandoned. Flies were laying eggs on it and an evil wasp type thing was attacking it. There is an owl that lives in this house who would have made dinner out of it and so, lo and behold, I now have a ~2 day old kitten in my house.

12 euros at the pharmacy got me baby cat formula (milk), my wife is on the every 2 hour feeding schedule for the night and the yet to be named, indeterminate sex lifeform is going to my office tomorrow for work.

So, anyone ever have a cat that they let have babies or maybe have a similar situation? I have read a bit on "cat" sites but damn, just reading the cat lovers writing is a vomit inducer. Honestly, not a cat person myself, but I could not leave this deaf, blind creature to die 10 meters from my home.

[OneEyeRed]

Have had a cat or two in the past but I am also not a cat person. However, I would have done something as well (shelter, etc.) because my dogs would kill it (Belgian Tervuren's). Not to mention my oldest daughter up north has now become the "cat lady next door" ugh. She has 8 cats and counting and I am sure her house smells just lovely. I told her I won't be staying there when I come to visit and she cannot figure out why she is always sick and her allergies never get better <facepalm>.

[jiaco]

Pretty sure in France, shelter == death.
Not even sure if this one is going to make it even with all the TLC my wife and two kids seem determined to give it.

We just killed the 6th mouse in traps in the garage, so maybe the cat is a gift of some sort. If it grows up ok and keeps the mice away, well, who knows.

Anyway, 8 cats! Yikes, one thing is for sure, this one is gonna cost some $$ at the vet and one of those visits will be to prevent any more kittens. Those are 8 cats descendant from a small pool or all different types that she takes in? We have been looking at kittens being given away and sold on a classifieds type website here tonight and at least 5 are added every 15 minutes. It is sort of scary how many cats are running amok out there.

[AleDog]

best bet is to take it to the vet, I think. That will answer all of your questions, and insure that the cat is healthy. It could have a disease as we speak.

[shawnmck]

I think it's a noble thing that you did, and it shows compassion.
I too have brought kittens home (a few days old), because someone just dumped them on the side of a road, and ants had already killed one of them.
It's very sad, but what are you gonna do? Leave them to die in fear?
Once they are old enough to eat on their own, then you can try to find a home for them (someone willing to care for them), or find a shelter of sorts.

I myself am an animal lover, and have been horrified by some stories I've heard of animal abuse & neglect.
One happened recently, where my step-father was going to the auto parts store and saw a dog that looked like his muscle & bones were showing through it's skin, and that it's skin was melting off.
He reported it to the dog-catcher who went to investigate, and what he saw literally made him vomit (no joke).
Apparently, the owner decided to pour boiling hot motor oil over the dog, which peeled it's skin right off of it's muscle & bone.
The police were called in, and the owner was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. I've heard that the case is so severe that the city plans on pressing charges to the fullest intent of the law.
The dog had to be put down, because it was just beyond any rescue & in too much pain.

I also know some jerks that once grabbed a cat by the tail and bashed it's head in on the side of a curb. When I asked in horror why they did that for, they replied...."cause they felt like it", and they laughed at me for even caring.

I could go mental & homicidal on some people like that.
:mad:

[Tenka]

Today the wife heard a meow meow sound.
You poor b**tard. My condolences.

[DragonWolf]

you won't be able to get the kitten fixed until its around 6 months old. Be warned however that if it survives the kitten can have babies at about 4 if it's a girl and will probibly start spraying in places if its a boy. In the case of being a girl she can start having kittens as young as 4 months, so keep it inside until such time as you get her fixed or your cat troubles will multiply.

I only just got my own 7 month kitten fixed and soon she will be joining my other more elderly cat (16 years i think) outside where she can help control the mouse population on account of the fact that my neighbourhood backs onto farmland.

[shawnmck]

BTW
All the cats that we've ever owned were good at hunting. Mice, birds, whatever they caught, they ate.

Just make sure you keep a litter-box readily available.
Cats usually don't need to be trained in it's use, or very little, cause they naturally take to it when they need to go to the bathroom.
One cat that we had actually used the toilet. I am 100% serious. The cat must have learned it by watching my mother, cause one day it just went up on the toilet and would do so every so often. It just didn't flush.

[jiaco]

First day with Tarzan (temporary name) in my office. I can tell you one thing, having a ~3 day old cat in your office is a great way to get lots of female visitors. And I have the feeling they will all be back tomorrow!

A crazy bit of info: Baby cats cannot really urinate or defecate unless licked by mama. So we are using a wet Qtip to stimulate and bingo, immediate release. Very funky.

[yerkyerk]

We have 3 cats. We first had 2 female cats, but one of them apparantly wasn't female. So we had the male neutered, but apparantly being neutered and seperated for 48 hours didn't stop him from getting his female counterpart pregnant... So, the teen pregnancy of our female cat (7 months I think) resulted in 3 kittens. We gave two away and kept one (who died a year later because of an unknown disease, we have good suspicions it had to do with an unsanitary vet...). We got one of the kittens back when it was a year old because my sister-in-law doesn't know how to take responsibility.

The meowing indicated that it was abandoned. You indeed need to rub his belly so it can defecate (protip: the mother cat eats whatever comes out). It needs to be kept warm. Take it to the vet for a check-up (and spend tons of money, heh, having a big heart costs money).

It needs a special diet, ofcourse.
At about 4 weeks, it might be ready to eat Brinta (dutch). That gives more "body" to the milk. I don't know what the American equivalent to Brinta is though.

Normally, a cat is ready to leave the nest at about 8 weeks, since you got it so early, it'll evolve differently. A host mom would be best for the little critter, but good luck finding one.

As for the mice; yes, it's scent will keep the mice away. Might want to remove the rattraps though, as it can hurt itself on it and you won't need those anymore anyway.

Did it still have the umbellical cord when you found it, btw? It falls off if the kitten is 3-4 days old.

[jiaco]

Did it still have the umbellical cord when you found it, btw? It falls off if the kitten is 3-4 days old.

Hey, thanks for the info. Yes the umbilical cord is still attached. This is my main reason for claiming it is ~3 days old. But only time will tell. It is starting to be very lethargic and has not eaten all afternoon. Either it is due a big nap after the ordeal it suffered yesterday or, ... (many people have remarked that the cat has a very small chance to survive).

As for the traps, they are in the garage, but will go once the cat is mobile.

I assume a host mother is difficult because just any old cat I can find will not treat the baby right?

[yerkyerk]

I think it needs a mother cat that still has kittens, so she gives milk and nurtures her young. Our mother cat is still very mothery (or however you call it), whenever she hears a squeak she rushes in and tries to protect the squeakee. So, a cat who has had and fed kittens might be willing to give it attention. It just won't give milk, heh.

There's a good chance the kitten won't make it, it's hard to tell how much damage it has suffered so far and it needs very intense care for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, good luck, I hope it makes it.

[yerkyerk]

3 things;

If it's a healthy kitten, it has a good chance to survive, as long as he's properly nurtured. Question is ofcourse how healthy it is, if it's been alone for a while.

I've discovered that a one-syllable name is much easier. You can more easily call the animal and I think it will pick up on the name faster and better.

Why is this in the rants section?

[jiaco]

1) we really have no idea if the cat was left out for hours or days
2) my kids do not like the name tarzan either
3) i put it in rants but no idea why now, guess it is pretty totally random

Right now my wife is trying to feed it again, I have held it and pet it most of the day (plus lots of visitors during work). I can only hope that it is finally feeling safe and just needs to sleep off the bad times, I will let you know as it develops. From everything I have read, the mother performs a major function that we can only weakly try to emulate.

[juice]

It's wonderful what you are doing. Cats are awesome pets. I've know a few people who weren't 'cat persons' either, but once they got to know a cat's personality, they thoroughly enjoyed their companionship. It's true that people don't choose cats, cats choose people. If they don't like the way they're being treated, they'll leave.

[nighteyes]

Good on you jiaco,
I'm not really a cat person any more but my mum is, six cats at the moment and she sometimes takes in kittens as a foster mum from the local shelter.

I suggest getting him checked out by a vet, and when he's ~6mths or ~850g getting him de-sexed, not de-clawed, I'm not sure if that's standard in France but it is one of the things that I have heard can be similar to the 'would you like fries with that?' and is really cruel to the cats, pretty much cutting off part of a humans finger. :furious:
If you could find a foster mum for the him chances are excellent that she would adopt him, we have had all of the mum cats we fostered take in extra kittens if we had them. Heck a couple of our kittens were adopted by 2 mums:).

And good luck with him.

[Kluga]

I am very much a cat person. I hope to own a cat or two when out on my own (still living at home, ergh). But what you are doing is indeed rather noble, jiaco. The unfortunate truth is that there are too few people who would bother to stop and help an animal in distress. The poor creatures are often not in a position to help themselves :cry:

Please keep us updated on it's progress!

[jiaco]

It was not meant to be...the cat passed during the night.

[Kluga]

Oh no :cry:

Poor little critter. You did your best, jiaco.

[Opal Monkey]

Aww... At least it was loved and cared for over the last couple of days.

[jiaco]

Tarzan the kitten was interred at 11:15 France time. Tarzan passed during the early morning hours between 2 and 4.

My 5 year old said his final words and the whole family shed a great tear for our little friend. I know we made his time on this earth better, and just wish we were given more time with him.

Crazy sadness. Thank you all who have participated in this thread.

[yerkyerk]

Sorry to hear that. Kudos to you and your family for taking it in and taking care of it.

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Today the wife heard a meow meow sound. She went around this old abandoned house and said she saw a baby cat. An hour later, same sound and she made me look. Well, the cat had also been abandoned. Flies were laying eggs on it and an evil wasp type thing was attacking it. There is an owl that lives in this house who would have made dinner out of it and so, lo and behold, I now have a ~2 day old kitten in my house.

12 euros at the pharmacy got me baby cat formula (milk), my wife is on the every 2 hour feeding schedule for the night and the yet to be named, indeterminate sex lifeform is going to my office tomorrow for work.

So, anyone ever have a cat that they let have babies or maybe have a similar situation? I have read a bit on "cat" sites but damn, just reading the cat lovers writing is a vomit inducer. Honestly, not a cat person myself, but I could not leave this deaf, blind creature to die 10 meters from my home.

Forgive me this cliché, but I do not know what else to say: RESPECT!

There is not many people who would be willing to do such a honorable act.


..sorry to hear it did end up that bad. Rest it peace little kitty.. =(

[shawnmck]

That is very sad news, but it should also be considered that maybe mama cat new the baby was ill & left it to die on it's own..??
Not that it makes anything better, but it is a possibility to think about.
Sometimes, no matter how much we try, some things are just beyond our control.

I do commend your compassion. Not very many people would have done the same for a defenseless animal. It is always sad when an animal dies, but it is still worth it in the end, because you gave it your best and took action instead of idly sitting by & doing nothing.

To Tarzan, may he find peace & happiness in the next world.
And to Jiaco and family, for showing as much love, sympathy, and compassion as they could.
Cheers.

[yerkyerk]

That sounds like a likely explanation, although I guess we'll never know. Apparantly, cats can sense if other cats are healthy or not and do not show the same compassion as you did to their unhealthy brethren.

Anyway, you could always get a healthy one if you want to get rid of your mice problem :D

[jiaco]

The excrement was very dark and gooey and then turned yellow and more solid. I think we were seeing placental and then formula based poop and that this kitten never drank milk from the mother, and missed the antibodies it needed. The cat got the cat-equivalent of the common cold and died from it.

As for getting another cat, it is bizarre. We never wanted a cat. Then we found a cat, and now we very much miss that specific cat. We are dumbfounded and really cannot at this point imaging getting a different cat.

I was actually searching the whole area around the abandoned house today to see what I could find. Half expecting to find a healthier brother or sister.