Free Kitty

[Tacori E-ring]

Free Kitty,
Very small (maybe 4 or 5 weeks), adorable, gray and white short hair, dirty and scared, filled with unknown bugs, anyone? Anyone?


FI is way too large hearted. One of his tenent's cat had kittens which is about the LAST thing they need since I believe this cat already had kittens within the year and she has 10 kids, yes not a typo, and I know many of you have large, stable families which is great but she is on government aid which means she doesn't pay for ANYTHING and it is a sad cycle which is bound to continue. They have little toys, we have never seen sheets on the beds, it is very sad. FI of course saw the kittens and couldn't say no and brought one home to surprise me. The problem (besides the bugs) is we have a cat and she prefers to be any only child so to speak and she is like our child so I respect that. So now we are going to return the kitten which breaks my heart but I think it is more than we can deal with right now. Has any random pet ever been dumped on you? Did you keep it?

 

[Kaleigh]

Stray''s always end up on our doorstep. I can''t have cats as my kids are very allergic. The last one was sooo cute but very malnurished so I took it to the vet for tests. One of my friends who loves cats took her in but turned out the cat was riddled with cancer and we had to put her to sleep. So sad. I hope you can find this kitty a nice home.

 

[valeria101]

I don''t know how it works in your area, but it may be possible for your tenants to have the cat spayed for free at some animal welfare foundation. And they may take care of the kittens too, theirs and yours. It''s never easy...

Yes, I get kittens and puppies on the doorstep too nearly every year. This summer and the last I wasn''t home for months so it didn''t happen. I usually call around and post about them at work. Only once there was a taker

 

[Kaleigh]

Hopefully MMM will chime in, she has lots of experience with this sort of situation. But getting that cat spayed would be number 1 in my book.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Everytime I look at it makes me what to cry. It is so sad and small. I just talked to my sister and she said to take it to a no kill shelter. I cannot imagine someone looking to adopt a cat would NOT want this one because its so adorable (sorry I keep saying it but I am not sure of the sex because as soon as we saw the fleas and bugs I didn''t want to touch it. So I think that is what I''ll do. I am not sure if she would be willing to have her cat fixed. Maybe if it was free. My FI wasn''t sure just how many kittens there are. I know he was just trying to be sweet and wanted another little thing to love but I wish I had never known about it!

 

[Blue824]

Its really important for kittens to be rid of fleas and other bugs...it is a drain on their health and their growth, so if anything, you should take the kitten (or kittenS if you can get any of the others away from the neglectful family) to a no kill shelter and let the vets handle it. If anything, try to comb the kitten, but washing them is not recommended that young, mostly because it can end up doing more harm if they are weak and then chilled after their bath.

I don''t know if you''d be able to take the mama cat to get fixed, I dunno, at that point I''d offer to pay for it because I felt bad for the animal and the kittens brought into that lifestyle, but it is rather inexpensive to do through shelters.

My first cat was a pregnant stray, I was very young and only allowed to keep one kitten (my parents are sooo not pet people, so that was huge in itself

)...so we kept one, found a home for two, but didnt know anyone to take the last two...we took them to our local shelter and they were adopted together in under a week. So the point of that babble was that by taking them to the shelter, they will most likely have the best chances of finding a great home quickly, and being healthy in the meantime!

I''d so take the kitten in to foster until a home was found if I was closer, but unfortunately I''m no where near you! Good luck with the situation!

 

[Morticia]

You mentioned that your current cat prefers to be an only child but I think, with a couple of weeks, your current baby would accept the new baby.

I have a single cat too and the woman I adopted her from told me, when I decide to get another cat (which I will do one day soon) it''s just an adjustment, that takes time. She told me to put the new kitty in another room, with a blanket, and keep them separated for a while. The cats will smell each other through the door, hiss and growl at each other, etc. Let the new kitty''s smell get on you while you''re visiting it, and eventually, the current cat will accept the new one. She said it''s just the first 2 weeks that are stressful but it will work. Cats have to be introduced gradually.... When I adopted my cat, she was living in a loft with 3 others, and got along fine with them. She''s been an only child, and recently, my neighbor had a problem in her apt so I had to babysit her cat. I figured mine would be ok, b/c she had lived with several before. WRONG! She''s been an only child for a year now and she was awful to my neighbors cat. I had never seen Meadow hiss or growl until I brought in Thai...

It just takes time.

Anyway, any chance your in the NYC area? I''ll take the little one off your hands.

You FI sounds like a very nice person! Good luck in whatever you decide. It''s a tough decision.

 

[Blue824]

Morticia is right about your cat''s reaction...they are territorial, so anyone new they''re going to be upset about at first, however, they learn to deal with it...its just this whole acclimation process that they go through. Look at AChiO''s thread (Kitty Updates)...it is a frustrating process, but the rewards are worth it, many of us have success stories! Even if they don''t be come buddy-buddy they form a relationship that works for them. Obviously that is only something to decide if you really want another cat, if you don''t you''ll resent and tire of the process.

 

[E B]

Tacori E Ring,

Have you ever introduced a new cat to a current pet? The current cat is going to despise the new cat...at first. Ever since I can remember, my family has had cats (no more than 3 at a time, but in 22 years, we've had several). We've introduced many a little one to an older cat and while they may hiss and scratch at first, they learn to love. My older cat, Wild Thing (at home with my parents), was none too thrilled when we introduced him to his little sister, Bean. Now, a year later, they chase each other all day. We've even caught them sleeping back to back. They love each other.

If you want this kitten, I say give it a shot. If not, don't advertise it as free in a local paper (or online). Lots of sick people out there feed kittens to their pet snakes, or sell them for animal testing purposes. Ask for something like $15.00, so you'll weed out the creeps.

ETA: I see I've just echoed the posters above me. Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

 

[movie zombie]

i went from one cat in 1993 to 9 cats in 2001....all have been strays, all are now indoor cats, and all had to adjust. no matter how much one cat would like to be an only child, it has never been an option in my household. it takes work but it is possible and it is rewarding.

there is also another thread regarding introducing another cat into the household and over time it is working out. you should be able to fiind the thread easy enough.

peace, movie zombie

 

[Lorelei]

Yes many of my cats have been strays or unwanted and I couldn''t have asked for a better cat in each case, plus the joy of giving them a home. Please as Ebree says don''t advertise this baby in the local ads, there are some evil people out there - don''t risk it. You will find a way to make this work, cats usually adore kittens and adopt them after the initial hissing quite quickly , it is far easier than introducing an adult. Get the kitten de - flea''d and wormed, you should find the transition with your cat quite easy and she will appreciate having a baby to play with and look after.

The thread to look for is Kitty Update, we have been discussing over 5 weeks with Achioalumna introducing an adult shelter cat to her tough guy Smokey, she had some hard times to begin with but now she is delighted she stuck with it and the cats are getting on fine! Check it out, please do all you can to keep this baby, I know it is difficult when one turns up unannounced, but in the scheme of things I do believe there is always a reason for it and the kitty will give you much joy. You are also welcome to PM me if you want as I have done this successfully many times. Let us know how you get on and I do hope you keep it! Also this baby shouldn''t even be away from it''s mother at 4 or 5 weeks, six is the absolute minimum age and I personally feel that is too young, at least 9 weeks old is better. This kitten will need lots of care initially. Check carefully the age for flea treatments with your vet as to which is safe as this kitten is so young, it could be dangerous.

 

[ecf8503]

Hi Tacori -

I know this is a tough situation, so I''ll try to offer my take on things (both as a veterinarian that deals with only cats, and as a mom to 7 four-legged, furry-purry babies myself).

It is difficult to judge age in a small kitten like this. It may be older or younger than 4-5 weeks - a vet could better estimate this based on body weight and looking at teeth. Since you''ve had him / her (let''s call it a her) for a day or so, have you offered her some food (dry and canned) yet? Is she able to eat by herself? If she can eat by herself, that is wonderful. If not, she may need some kitten milk replacer, which you can buy at pet stores - KMR (kitten Milk Replacer) is a common one.

Please do NOT give her your milk - some cats love milk, and poeple do offer it to them because they like it, BUT - cats are lactose intolerant, and milk may / will give her diarrhea and gas. Kitten milk replacer is best at this age, but she could have some CatSip (sold in a juice-box looking package at pet stores) or lactose-free milk from your grocery store. Let me say though that clean fresh water and fresh canned kitten food are best - the milk or KMR is an optional way to get extra calories into her if she can''t eat well enough by herself yet.

Kittens at this age are social eaters - so stay with her while she eats. If you walk away or go into another room, she will stop eating and try to follow you.

Sounds like she has fleas, and maybe more - can''t say without seeing her, obviously. I can''t stress enough how important it is to take her to a vet - SOON. Little kittens can get very anemic from fleas very quickly. There are many flea treatment options available - some are appropriate, some aren''t - but PLEASE do not put anything on her that you didn''t get from a vet (i.e. don''t get something at PetSmart - some of those could be dangerous to her right now). If she is old enough and healthy enough a vet can give you the safest topical to use on her. If she is too small or sick, then a flea powder or bath would be best, but a vet would need to determine that, and they can do that for you. You will also need to get a flea treatment for your other cat even if they''ve never had direct contact, as the microscopic eggs the fleas lay on the kitten roll off and get into the carpet, your clothes, etc - and about 3 weeks later they''ll hatch and your other cat will have fleas when they jump on her.

She also needs to have a fecal exam done to check for intestinal parasites and should be dewormed even if the fecal exam shows nothing, as roundworms are very commonly passed from the mother''s milk to the kittens when nursing, and since mom obviously gets out, and isn''t well cared for, we should ASSUME mom has worms.

The kitten should also have some blood drawn to check for Feline Leukemia virus - that is a VERY bad thing to have, so if she has it, then so does mom and all the littermates. In that case, your decision has pretty much been made for you, but there are some people who are willing to take on FeLV positive cats.

This is a tough situation, but from a socialization standpoint, cats really do adjust, and it takes some time. If your current cat is younger that is to your advantage, as she''ll be more likely to run and play, whereas geriatric cats tend to be a little more "set in their ways". I have 7, and all showed up at various ages, and they''ve all adjusted fine. The first 2 weeks are the toughest - you cat will probably be quite annoyed - but the beauty of it is that kittens are persistent, and eventually, your cat will give in to her!

I don''t know where you live what your shelter / rescue options are. You could offer to take mom (and all the kittens) to a shelter or a cat rescue. Or you could look into low-cost spaying options - maybe even pay for mom to get spayed yourself or ask for donations to do so. I don''t know what the right answer is there - every case is different.

Right now it sounds like all the issues with the kitten are par-for-the-course in "stray" kittens (worms, fleas, etc). Provided she tests negative for Feline Leukemia virus, the other things are usually completely treatable and she''ll become a healthy cat quite quickly once all the right steps are put into motion. I''ve seen a lot of kittens just like this one in practice over the years, and the best thing for her right now is to find a loving home with a mommy and daddy that will help her get well. I really believe the emotional / TLC aspect is very important, not just getting rid of fleas!

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions I''ll try to help out if I can. Feel free to ask or PM me if you have anything you''d like to discuss, and good luck. I know it''s Saturday, but if you can get her into a vet today I think that would put everyone''s mind to rest. Good luck - and kiss the baby for us all!

Christine (D.V.M.)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Well, I had a former roommate with a cat and even after almost a year they did not get along. BUT I feel like her cat was the bully so maybe a kitten would be different. I am off to take it to the vet now. They are going to give me a pill that will kill the fleas in 2-3 hours. They said they MIGHT be able to see me but probably not so that we should still keep them apart until the kitten has had its shots. At least it will be clean/bug free. I figured this is the first step even if we don''t keep it and try to find the kitten a home I want it to be bug free. It is so little and sad looking. I wish we could somehow steal the rest of the litter. I cannot even imagine how healthy the rest of this lady''s cats are. This is breaking my heart. But I figured maybe there is a reason he suddenly decided to surprise me with a kitten (knowing I would not be jumping up and down for joy because of our other cat) but we have love to give and I feel like our cat is a healthy, happy (until now

), very loved animal so maybe this is some sort of sign to spread it out a bit. I''ll keep you all updated. Thanks for the support. Also, Blue I am pretty far from NYC, I am in NC, road trip?

 

[Kaleigh]

Good luck at the vet Tacori, and it''s good she will be bug free. I hope you can keep her, but understand about your other cat. Who knows the may become best buds after a while??

 

[Lorelei]

Tacori hang in there, you are doing the right thing by taking the baby to the vet ASAP. I hope you keep it, like I said there is always a reason that these precious babies come into our lives, don't worry about your cat and the kitten bonding after the initial hissing, they almost always do - it is much easier to introduce a kitten than an adult, your cat won't see the kitten as much of a threat to her status which is where most of the trouble can arise and I am sure in time she will adopt it and help take care of it for you! Let us know how things go, plus you have a professional in ECF for support too. Give the baby lots of cuddles from us, I do think it could be a sign that you have been entrusted with her to be her Mommy and Daddy, you obviously have a lot of love and compassion to give and that is what she needs most right now, apart from the correct medical care and food - just as important! Two cats mean twice the fun IMO and your cat will enjoy having the companionship and stimulation once she settles down. I really hope everything turns out well, if you keep her she will turn out to be a special cat and the rewards you will get will be immense!

BTW I am jealous - I love kittens!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

IT''S A BOY!

Well, we took him to the vet today and all the tests turned out negative so besides the fleas he is a healthy kitty. The vet was saying how dangerous fleas are to kittens (like some of you were warning me about) so I am very glad we got that taken care of. She thinks he is 6 weeks and he is a little over a pound. He is so sweet. They gave him a bath and had him wrapped in a towel and on a heating pad to keep in warm and even though the fleas were dying off and crawling around he just purred. I think he was just so happy that were finally leaving him. He finally started acting like a kitten, chasing his tail, playing, pouncing on our fingers, eating, he has a very funny personality. According to the vet, and many of you very smart women, we are keeping him in our guest bedroom. We took a nap today and I think he purred the entire time. Madison (our current cat) came to hiss and growl a few times (we were there she also said not to allow them to be alone until he gets older). She doesn''t get too close. I am trying to give her extra love so she knows we STILL love her but she is angry (which I understand). I hope they do eventually get along. I will have to check out the kitty update thread. I will post a pic of the new kitty because he does have a face that is meant for the cover of a greeting card. Thanks again for all your support. Even though I was not looking for another cat I am already in love.

 

[ecf8503]

Congratulations!!!! Glad to hear all went well, and can''t wait to see your new baby boy!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Congrats Tacori!! Glad to hear everything is working out so well. Do the little fella have a name yet??

Can''t wait for pics!!

 

[moremoremore]

Hehehe. I just saw this and would love to see pix! I'm glad you're giving him a chance! If things don't work out, I'd definitely suggest a no kill shelter...and yes, a achialum can attest, some cats take time to handle house mates! I'd also suggest getting him fixed once he's old enough.... It's crazy that I heard that one mama cat and her litter can result in 400,000 cats in 7 years. If that's true. And the boys have something to do with that LOL

And glad we have a vet her ecf....sure I'll be pming you LOL

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Tacori...congratulations!! Having just gone through the experience myself, I can assure you that it IS doable...with patience, love and kindness (and bribing them with treats doesn''t hurt either!), you''ll end up with you precious felines and your older cat will now have a companion...

Can''t wait to see pix!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

That''s great news!!! I can''t wait to see some pics of this precious kitty. You have great support from Achio, and others. They can help you make the transition a smooth one as far as introducing your other cat to the new kitty. I know that when I brought my new Bichon home, Casper was a bit jealous and to tell you the truth Callie didn''t dig him either. That lasted about 4 days. Fast forward 5 years, they are soul mates. They live for eachother. Too cute!!! And the great thing is that when I have to leave the house for a while I know that they have eachother and won''t be lonely.

 

[E B]

Yay!

I''m so glad to hear that you''re keeping him. The most affectionate cats I''ve had have been boys; you''ll see a funny difference, and you''ll be so glad you experienced both sexes'' personalities. We must see pictures, and when decided, let us know the little one''s name!

 

[Blue824]

Yay!! Such good news to hear that the kitten is all healthy! and getting rid of those fleas! I really hope it will work out with your Madison and the newcomer, and I''m sure it will! I''ve only done introductions with kittens, and we found it pretty easy. So when your vet recommends you start, you''ll find that Madison will show the new boy who''s boss and they''ll probably fall in line pretty quickly. I love kittens, I get giddy when I think about them (me = huge dork) my favorite thing is when they''re learning to pounce and you''re playing and they jump straight up in the air instead of more horozontally, hehee. Really, lots of good luck, and there are lots of us on here who will be able to give you advice when you need it!

Now, you know, you can''t post about a new kitten with out showing us pictures....!!!! So go take some pictures. Now. (Please

)

 

[Lorelei]

That's fantastic news that the little guy is healthy

It's a boy!

I bet the poor little guy was in torment with those horrid fleas biting him constantly and draining him, no wonder he feels better. He has obviously realized now Tacori, that he has folk that will love him and take care of him and that means the world too him now he is comfortable with a full tummy. Big shout out to you both for such a great job!

Your cat will learn to accept him , as ECF says kittens are persistent and one day you will find the baby cuddled up with Mummy washing him! That is good advice to not leave them alone together, apparently it is very very rare for an adult cat to ever attack a kitten, but 6 weeks is very teeny indeed and it is best to be safe until he is a bit bigger.

Congratulations on your new addition to your family, I am so happy you will keep him, good things will come of it, you'll see! Pics please!

Enjoy this time with him as a baby, it goes so fast!

ETA - what are you going to call him? If you need any suggestions I am sure we can all come up with lots

 

[sparkly_stars]

awee.
I have been reading this story since you first posted, and it kind of reminded me of something we went through(kind of).
Bf and I got another kitten, but he had had one for 2 years prior...and this cat was NOT nice to anything (including people..but once it got used to people, it was okay)
ANYWAYS,
when we brought the new kitty home, the big cat(sammy) FREAKED OUT, hissed at velcro(new cat) and was just mean...we kept them apart, but slowly brought them together(we always watched over them and made sure nothing bad would happen) ,
but what happened was fantastic..


Sammy eventually became Velcro''s guardian.. he watched over him with everything.. it was soooo sweet. and they became "buddies". When Velcro got bigger, they would play fight, but it was exactly that.. play..

SO maybe you can keep him? (He soudns soooo cute. )

 

[Tacori E-ring]

AChiOAlumna- I am happy to hear things are working out. It is very heartbreaking seeing my older cat be so mean! She is the nicest cat. VERY friendly to people and acts more like a dog than cat (she even fetches). She is so great and I think she will come around (I hope) Right now she just growls and hisses at the kitten. Meanwhile we are so in love with the new kitten. He is so sweet. Really cuddly and playful. He never hides or seems scared (well, until Madison starts hissing, but even then he just stands very still). He is so little and has to leap into the kitty litter box but thankfully he uses it. I took some great photos (which is very hard with such an active kitten) but I cannot figure out how to load them to the computer

I have done it a million times so maybe something is wrong with the cord. I will have to wait until later tonight when FI gets home. Sorry for the wait but I PROMISE they will be worth it.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Tacori...your cat will eventually get used to the new addition. I never thought I''d say this, but the hissing and growling really does sound worse to us than what it means. Madison is establishing her "alphaness" to the kitten and her growls and hisses just represent a "look-you-need-to-know-that-I''m-the-boss" attitude. As long as she not physically hurting the kitten or showing any physical aggressiveness that can put the kitten in danger, then the hissing and growling isn''t a bad sign.

I would recommend, since the kitten is SO young, to keep the kitten locked away in a "sanctuary" with his own food/water/litter box while you''re out of the house. This way the kitten can feel safe in your absence and Madison can smell his scent from under the door. Also, this way Madison won''t feel threatened that she''s being replaced in your absence as well.

Smokey and Bunny aren''t best friends by any means, but he does chase her around the house and under the couch. He doesn''t hiss or growl. It''s all Bunny!! DH and I now just laugh about it and listen to hear if the tumble is going to become an all out cat fight....so far, it''s only happened once where we had to intervene. Otherwise, we just laugh and say, "Smokey is really an a**, isn''t he??" He provokes it most of the time...

Good luck and please read the Kitty Update thread (it''s still very active, so it won''t be hard to find!) as there''s a lot of great tips there that we given to me by the kitty gurus of this board!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Tacori, don't worry about the hissing as Achio says, and she ought to know!

They have to do this and as the baby is accepting it and Madison is obviously getting her message across it will soon calm down! In a week or so they will be cuddling and you will be snapping pics for us all the time! As ecf says kittens are persistent and soon you will find baby crawling across to Madison when she is sleeping to sneak in and enjoy a cuddle, she probably will take a look then go back to sleep then the deal is done! Soon you will also enjoy watching Madison teach the kitten how to be a cat, and it is great that the little guy will have a new mother! Have you named him yet? I am so looking forward to the pics and I knew you would fall in love with him! I am STILL jealous

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Okay, here are some of the best pictures I could get. Enjoy! This is right after a snack.

 

[Tacori E-ring]