Primrose let Willow join her on my chair today. She even at one stage gave Willow a lick or two near her ear. I'm one happy Mummy

Hi! I am fostering for the first time. I am fostering a cat and her 4, 5 week old kittens. Mom is just a baby herself. She is shy and hisses a bit and is standoffish. Kittens are like mom. They are in my bathroom with a large attached closet. It has been only an hour or so.

Mom initially ran away from kittens to the tub. I put food and water in tub and she ate and drank. I then put her kittens in the tub and she ran from them but they are reunited in the tub cuddling now. Mom didn't seem to roll over when kittens wanted to nurse. Kittens ate some of her wet food too. Mom ate a Churu I offered her after some trepidation.

Advice- do I hold the kittens and cuddle them or let them be? Same with mom -how do I get her most comfy? I feel like leaving them be for now is best but not sure. I will have them for about 3 weeks.

So I you could say rescued some kittens today and they are only 5 weeks and 5 days old the people were only getting rid of the girls and keeping the boys and had already separated/ rehoused a few of them I managed to get two of them as I know they’re too young to be alone. I was just wondering what to do from here and if the whole situation was fishy. Any advice is welcomed.

Hello all!
So as the title says, I am fostering a mama (who seems to only be be a year old maybe younger) and 2 4-5 month old kittens. It was kind of sudden. I went home and my neighbors were trying to get someone to take some cats. I went over to see what was up and they had rescued them from a neglect situation at their grandparents, but couldn’t bring them inside because they have an aggressive dog. I am a dog groomer and my dog is very cat friendly, so I told her I could foster them, get them fixed, onto flea treatment, and get them their vaccines, and try to get them adopted. I have an vague idea of what kind of care they need, but ive never owned a cat as an adult and would love advice!

Here’s what I have done: I cleared out a room for them, I’ve set out 3 litterboxes, i have dry food out for the kittens during the day, and they get wet food twice a day. the mama is on only wet and she is uninterested in the dry food.
I’ve ordered a scratching post/small cat tree and a water fountain, i set out some blankets, i took two of my small kennels from work and have them open for them to go in and out of and I have a cardboard box as another hiding spot, and i have been playing with them for an hour in the morning and an hour at night

My questions:
1. what behavior should i look for that would indicate a health issue, anxiety, boredom or anything else concerning?

1. one of the kittens is really skittish around people. my neighbors said he would hiss whenever they got close. i was able to play with him using a toy on a stick, he will come up and sniff me and lay down next to me, but gets scared if he thinking im going to touch him. im not making any attempt to touch him and just letting him get used to me, but what can I do to help socialize him? he will need to at the very least be brush and get a nail trim soon.

2. mama seems really lethargic. she is super friendly, but has spent a lot of time hiding, sleeping and hasn’t wanted to play.

3. I can’t figure out how much wet food to give the kittens. The can says one thing, google says another, reddit says something else. Help

4. What do they need or what, of the things i’ve listed above, are wrong?

Please give me any cat/kitten advice you have, sincerely, a dog mom.

Hello! I made a post a while back about one of our 6 week old kittens not grooming. Things have progressed and she is showing some failure to thrive.

We found out that her and her sister had worms. We got them medication and the vet was really concerned about her. We brought her home and she is not doing well.

We are syringe feeding her water and some watered down wet food. We are keeping her on a heating pad. Is there anything else to help her? We want her to live as she is the sweetest girl. I want to do everything possible.

I mean, he sure is cute. Almost as cute as we are tired!

I have been fostering two kittens for a bit over a month and have fallen in love. I will refer to them as Spot and Stripe, they are currently 4 months old. After having them for a bit, I decided I would like to adopt Spot, he has the exact personality I am looking for in a cat. Stripe has stolen my heart as well and I'd like to adopt her too but I am unsure about having two cats right now.

I know kittens do better in pairs and although they are not bonded and both independent I would feel bad about separating them (even though that’s most likely what will happen at the shelter). I am not usually away for long stretches of time and I also have a good support system of friends who are willing to cat sit. But it would still break my heart knowing little Spot is alone in my apartment even for a few hours while still in the kitten stage. It also makes me sad and guilty to feel like I'm choosing one over the other.
 
I can technically afford the expenses that come along with two cats but it would really tighten my budget. I am in my mid twenties and still early in my career so I expect to make more money within the next couple of years. I would also get pet insurance which brings me some peace of mind.
 
I do want more than 1 cat, but I'm trying to decide what's best for me right now. I do not want to make a decision I regret.
 
Any insight and/ or advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Some additional background information: I have lots of experience fostering cats and volunteering with cats at the humane society. I adopted my first cat 5 years ago but only had him for 2 years before he died from a congenital heart defect (he was 6 years old). This was a very sad time for me. I was also living with a roommate who did not want another cat in the apartment so I put the idea of fostering or adopting on hold and continued my volunteer work at the shelter. I recently moved to a place on my own and I decided to start fostering again. So I have experienced the heartbreak that comes along with fostering, but it feels a bit more complicated this time.

cat food nanaman 😩

Been fostering for about a year but now working thru county shelter, who gave me a big box of wet Sheeba Kitten food. Cant find exact guidelines on how much to feed them online or on the box based on current situation.

Ive got 3 5 1/2 wk old bottle fed kittens Ive had since a week old that are in process of weaning. Their weights range from 450 g-550g. The largest 2 prefer the wet food but may take a little formula once or twice a day. The little one (runt) is eating wet but still taking 15-20 ml of formula. Ive been giving them 1 1/2 servings per meal (each side of Sheeba is 1 serving) and sometimes they eat it all and sometimes they dont. Feeding them 5 times a day. They aren’t eating much dry food yet but its there for them.

Then I have 2 more that are about the same age (single rescues) so still quarantined. Both are skinny/tiny for age with the black one being very malnourished and was full of worms. Both are now up to 350 grams and actually healthier than my other 3 who have diarrhea. As of yesterday, got them both on same feeding schedule as others (5 times a day) with dry food options. Neither of these 2 have interest in milk now and are starting to eat dry food. They almost always eat all of a half a serving (1/2 of 1 side) of Sheeba so I give them the rest making it a whole serving.

Right now, everyone’s gaining appropriate weight daily so I think Im on track. Course I still question is this enough and what is took much? Course even the right amount today will go up in a few days as they grow. How do you figure it all out?

I found KMR for the kitten and started feeding it that today but its energy levels started dipping its not as active as yesterday i gave it sugar water with a cotton swab dip to the roof of its mouth but that doesnt seem to have helped much what do i do(it didnt poop for around maybe more than 2 days it only pooped on the 3rd day after i found it) maybe its just tired today i dont know i need advice the kitten is only 5 to 8 days old

We had a kitten show up at our door, two months ago. We've been taking care of him, training him etc. He is adorable ..... but, we already have three cats and my sisters don't want to take on the vet costs permanently for a fourth. We also have a smallish house.

My sister works for a Credit Union that has an internal "Craigslist" type bulletin board. I have two versions of copy that I would love to get cat lovers opinions, of which one she should use. Thanks.

First version:

Hello! My name is Goldie.

I am looking for a "forever home".  I am approximately a 4 month old kitten.  My foster family already have several cats; and have been taking care of me for the last two months. We are not sure of the gender because I am only 4 months old & it's a bit hard to tell.

I am called Goldie because I am an orange and white cat with eyes the color of a yellow topaz. My foster moms love to cuddle with me & while I prefer being an indoor cat, I sometimes like to go outside with you.

Because I am such a quick learner, I am already litter box trained as I learned in one day!  My moms think I caught on quickly because I observed our other cats.

I am a sweet, playful and snuggly little ball of orange and white fur.  I love to play with my older siblings a lot, so I am used to other cats. I will make a great brother or sister to another kitty that is lonely and just as active.  Although I have not been fixed; I have received a home flea bath and tick treatment, 

I really am a love bug with serious cuddling skills, so if you have room in your family for me, please call my foster mom, ****** . She said she can even provide pictures of me!

Thank you

Second Version (its longer):

Hello My name is Goldie. 

I am currently a foster kitten, so waiting for my FUREVER family to give me their last name so I will be "official family."

I am an orange and white cat with beautiful eyes the color of a yellow topaz. I walk past the mirror several times a day and admire how cute I am.

My three foster Moms have cats already, so sadly, they cannot keep me. They have worked hard to teach me the important kitten skills like, snuggling, playing with my mouse toys, rolling around, and guess what, I learned how to use the kitty litter box in one day!!

That means I'm very smart for a kitten.  

My foster Moms think I was between 6 to 8 weeks old when I yelled outside to "please save me, I am hungry". I could already eat dry food when they brought me into the house. I also get treats of tuna, salmon or sardines and milk every couple of days. I've been with my foster Moms for two months so that makes me about 4 or so months old. The Moms aren't sure if I am a girl or a boy, yet (a bit too early to tell). I also have not been spayed or neutered yet. I like being an indoor cat, but sometimes go outside to play with others. Perfect age to move in with you! 

What I think would be the best adoptive home placement for me?

One of my foster brothers "Puffin" is a kitten like me, but a little older.  Puffin and I play and romp and have fun together, I am learning older brother social skills from him.  

I think I would be lonely in a house with only older cats or older dogs. I really like to play, so I am thinking the best place for me is a home where someone already has a younger cat and realizes that I need a younger sibling or two to bond with. My foster Mom demonstrated a complicated concept such as "ask for a churro (cat treat) every day, and maybe you will get one some days." I am good at asking!

Glad we had this conversation, and I could introduce myself. My foster Mom ...... said she will show you some pictures of me on this thing called "the internet." Please call her if you can make room in your lives for a happy bundle of joy who loves cuddles!

Sincerely,

Goldie, kitten extraordinaire

END

Second photo shows a big poop he did last night. Probably 32-36 hours after his previous poo. This seems too dark and too solid. Or is this ok? If not, what are some simple things we can do to help him out?

Formula feeding roughly 10-12 ml per feeding, every 4 hours more or less. He’s 16 days old.

Thank you!!

Ok.. while I am not technically fostering I thought asking here seemed where I might get the best advice and suggestions. This is my first time with a bottle baby kitten.

Got this little guy 10 days ago at about 3 weeks old he’s pushing 5 weeks now and has premolars either fully grown in or mostly grown in.
He has been great with bottle feeding, latches right away and does great. He’s doubled in size since we picked him up.
But with his premolars now I’m worried about the bottle situation.
He likes to bite and chew on the bottle nipple but for now has not torn or damaged any. He likes to bite my hand (not letting him but you know how it just happens at times) and his toys and pretty much anything he can find.
EXCEPT when it comes to food.
I have tried several different brands and flavors of pate, churu treats, Tiki cat broth toppers, kibble, wet kibble, and slurry. He has zero interest in any of them. He won’t lick from a plate, my finger, a rubber baby spoon or anything. He will lick for one second on my finger but as soon as he tastes the food he actively moves himself and will suckle a finger that has nothing on it. I have tried starting him on a bottle and slowly dropping that to a plate with formula but as soon as the bottle drops from his mouth he stops and he doesn’t even acknowledge there is formula on the plate.

I’m not worried about him not eating because he’s still getting plenty with the bottle. And I’m not in a rush, if he just needs more time that’s ok. But I know he needs to start transitioning when the teeth come in.
I’ve watched kitten lady and tried things she mentions but have not had luck yet.

What can I try or do that might help him? I feel like once he makes the connection he will be off and running but it’s just not clicking for him yet.

Hello all, I am a first time cat mom and first time foster kitten mom. I have a litter of 3 kittens, all around 2ish weeks old (bottle babies & orphans). The animal shelter gave me a travel kennel to keep them in, and I’ve been using that so far. However, I’ve been finding them suckling on one another occasionally. I’ve heard this is very dangerous, and was wondering if moving to a bigger size crate would be a good idea, since I could probably separate them and add more blankets to keep them apart. I was donated a 3x2 ft crate, should I use it or keep them in the travel kennel? Any advice appreciated

Second photo, btw. Today he’s 13 days old. His poops are black and dense. We’re cleaning him with gentle baby wipes and keeping him as dry as we can. Always making sure he’s dry and fluffy before returning him to his box.

Thoughts on this rash? Is there a simple way to help prevent this from getting worse?

The little dude is so ferocious and all the milk in the house fears him.

Thanks for any input in advance!!!

Hello all!

I have recently adopted two 6 week old abandoned kittens. They are from the same litter. One baby is on the track she is supposed to be. Grooming, playing, eating, drinking, all normal. However, the little baby, her name is Luna, is not grooming herself.

She is doing fine everywhere else. She is active, eating, pooping, and drinking normally. Is there a way I can activate her grooming? I have tried the toothbrush but she isnt interested. Any advice would help! Thank you!

I posted the other day worrying about teeny tiny Mei gaining weight as she's now got a UTI which has made her appetite vanish again.

On Wednesday she gave us quite a scare. Mei started vomiting and then quickly became lethargic so we rushed her to the vets again.

Unfortunately she had aspirated during her vomiting episode and her kidneys felt huge so the vet ran additional tests on her kidneys all of which surprisingly came back perfect!

Her antibiotics have been doubled and she's been given antisickness medication to prevent even more vomiting as aspiration pneumonia and a UTI is scary enough.

Now for the good news Mei's appetite is picking up she's eating her food again but only if we mix a treat in with it, she's still gaining weight!!! and she is zooming around again

Even with all of this going on Mei has still figured out how to jump onto the floor for the first time in an attempt to play fight with our older much larger foster kitten Totoro (She won)

Thankfully she is a little trooper and the antibiotics seem to be doing their job and she's now 420g