I wrote on here a few weeks/months back about some feral kittens that had been born in a stable and I was asking if they would survive in the winter months etc.

Well....they are still alive! There is a little tabby one and 2 black and white ones. The only thing is they keep getting snotty eyes. Mum is worried about people and wont let us near her but shes okay with us picking the little ones up. I've been cleaning their eyes with toilet roll and warm water but Im not sure why they are getting them. Sometimes they are so snotty that they cant actually open their eyes.

There so cute but mum is teaching them to spit and growl! Wont be long before we wont be able to handle them! :)

That sounds like cat flu to me.

Hi Tracey.. it sounds as if the kittens have 'cat flu'... AB's in food will usually clear this up.. very common in ferals... they can ve vaccinated against it once it has cleared.. although not sure you want to spend this sort of money on them... if you can engage the help of the 'Cats Protection' they may help to cover some of the costs.. Many of the feral kittens I gathered up years ago while helping the then Cats Protection League, vaccinated and spayed mums... and I took in the kittens, for socialising and re-homing, many of them were seriously ill with 'flu' but the majority recovered well with AB's...

Yes definately cat flu, i would call cats protection.

Yes it's cat flu and it does need treating. If you can, look in their mouths. There's every chance they have or will develop ulcers on their tongues, which will make it very painful for them to eat which can be disastrous. The two things often go together -eyes/nose and the mouth.

I've just rung the cat protection and they can offer me a trap and a voucher to get the female cat spayed and then I have to take her to be done but she cant offer anything for the kittens.

She's given me the RSPCA number but I cant get through at the minute.I might just ring the vets and see what they say.

The problem is they won't spey her if she has cat Flu. How old are the kittens now ? So won't the cats protection league pay for some antibiotics ? If you can catch all of them then you can take them all to the Blue cross and they will take them.

It doesnt look like mum has cat flu. Her eyes arent runny etc.

I've spoken to the vets and my mum has said she will pay for them to have treatment. As they are a little over 8 weeks they will then be rehomed (which Im chuffed about) but Ive got to catch them and put them in a box first!!

They are booked in to the vets tomorrow!! :)

Well done you for sorting them out

Lucy
xx

the cat protection league will lend you a trap to catch them I used to do this with the cpl years ago for ferral cats in my area they usually neuter and treat for cat flu then place back in the same area but tas you say the kittens are young enough to be socialised and found homes .
If any neighbours have cats I would let them know about the cat flu so they can keep an eye out for thier own pets.

Good Luck

There arent any neighbours around the farm and the kittens will literally be going from my house to the vets then home again.

Anyone want a kitten? :D

The cats protection are going to lend me a trap because I rung them earlier and then hopefully the little madam can get sorted!! ;)

Anyone want a kitten?

No, no, no, please don't say things like that around me...................

Where can I fit a 3rd litter tray in the house?

Anyone want a kitten?

No, no, no, please don't say things like that around me...................

Where can I fit a 3rd litter tray in the house?

Make room for two more as the terrible twosome are on their way as I speak :D

Do you live near me ChristineW??? :D I can transport them! :D

No she lives up norf :D

:D

Im sure I wont have a problem rehoming them but for the time being....how do I cope with 3 kittens?? I get rid of a hyperactive dog and end up with 3 kittens! I think my OH may just leave me! :rolleyes:

Ok so kitten experts what can I expect? How long before the cat flu clears up and they can go to homes and how do I go about potty training them?

I expect the flu would clear up if not too bad after about two weeks :)

Litter training may take a while I would also confine them to one room or even borrow a big crate for the mean time and have somewhere where then can escape to so a nice cardboard box with some vet bed or soft blankets. They will need an escape as they will be very timid and frightened :0 it will take quite a while for them to get used to being handled etc so be prepared for a few scratches along the way ;)

Good luck :D

I have been handling them while they have been with their mum's in the straw and they protest a little when you first pick them up but then I think they quite like cuddles. I was thinking of seeing if I can borrow a crate from someone to keep them in because my OH isnt a cat lover and I cant imagine he will want them wandering around!

How old are they when you can sex them?

You should be able to see their little fur balls now :D

Oh heck! :D I had a little look yesterday but couldnt see anything there. Maybe they are all girls?!?

I've just had a thought.... what do I feed them? Do they have milk and some sort of kitten cat food?

So I need: Some sort of crate to put them in, blankets, milk and kitty food.

Anything else?

Get them on kitten food I feed half wet and dry. No milk just water.

We used a large crate bought in readiness for. the pup but an ideal cage for the first few weeks to keep them confined and used to things :) A litter tray and would recommend clumping litter as easier to remove the lumps ;)

A nice warm snuggly blanket or vet bed will be ok. Be prepared for a mess as the will be hooligans :D :D

Lucy
xx

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1761&articleid=923

Here you go. :)

He he I've printed it off and I'll take it with me next time I take a peek! :D

dont forget to check them for fleas before you take them into the house if you cant see flea's get a piece of white paper and take a flea comb through the fur if there are little black speckles  then drop a bit of water onto it and if it goes brown its flea poo and they will need to be sorted.
Vet might not want to frontline them until they are well so you may need to de-flea with a comb,as cat flu can make them quite ill most imortantly keep the eyes clean and if they have trouble breathing with catarrh  carefully hold them over  some hot water to clear the air ways you can also use carvel which helps.
they may not be this bad but cat flu can kill a young kitten if not treated properly.

I would love another cat as all mine are rescue but hubby would leave me!!!!!!!!!!!

R~

lol Good luck...

My little ferals are now 18months old... and doing really well.. they took to the litter tray immediately... and I kept them in the house for six months.. .I thought if I let them out again, they would just dissappear... one of them did stay away for 3 days when I finally let them out.. but her sister is a little more bolshy, and she came back to be with her.. they have stayed out most of the summer and only come into the kitchen to feed, but now that the really frost cold nights are here, they are wanting to stay in :D   its taken a long time.. but one now comes up for cuddles and rubs my nose with hers if I stay very still :P   The other, I can lift, and cuddle, but she is still very unsure...

Hope all works out and kittens find super new homes :D  Well done

Taken from CP website (I don't think male kittens would have their neccessaries at such young an age?)

To tell if your kitten is male or female, you will need to lift the tail and look at the back end. Both sexes will have two holes but on a female the holes will be fairly close together, whereas on a male there will be a space where the testicles will develop

Make room for two more as the terrible twosome are on their way as I speak

They are welcome with open arms anyday.....don't know about their owner though!  ;)  Can't be anymore norty than the Norty Tortie raggle taggle effort I have now!  

Your Norty Tortie raggle will look like a little angel compared to these two :D :D

What with knocking on the door/window when they want to come in ( they don't believe in meowing )

Running after the girls tennis ball getting there first and turning round with a ' go on then just try and get the ball look '

Scrounging for food yes even worse that two Labradors

Making so much mess that I love dog hair now

Fighting like they hate each other then two seconds later kissing each other and purring

Oh yes coming and standing on your lap getting as near to your face as possible , bum in the face and then farting

I love them really :D :D :D

Fighting like they hate each other then two seconds later kissing each other and purring

Typical sisters - whether they be cat, dog or human!

Hope jumps up at the inside door to let me know she wants in - the white paintwork has that added Hope signature of muddy pawprints!    Her coat doesn't drop in individual hairs, it comes out in clumps especially straight after I've hoovered!  Poor Zelli has been dive bombed in the garden so many times by this whirlwind of crinkles and the poor greenfinches have seen their numbers drop by 2!

Well done you, there aren't many people that would help those little babies nowdays!

I would say they just need lots of love, care and patience as everyone has said ferals can be very nervous but kittens are usually fine and come around fairly quickly with lots of love.

Personally i found our 2 kittens a doddle to toilet train compared to our dog

Cats are normally very clean and with a little encouragement they will get the hang of the litter tray quite quickly!

Good luck and keep us all posted

Well they are currently in my care and I am taking them to the vets at 11.30. One of them is sneezing quite a lot and his/her eyes are the worst but the other 2 dont seem as bad.

They are so cute!! I know Im going to enjoy looking after them!

I feel like a pet rescue at times! Dogs, horses and now kittens!! :D

Hope the vet can sort them out :)

So what have you called them ?

Lucy
xx

Huey, Louie & Dewy.
Rod, Jane & Freddy.
Porthos, Aramis, Athos (If in the eventuality they are all boys!).

LOL

I havent named them. Their new owners can have that pleasure! The vet wasnt sure what sex they were but thinks they are all the same sex. He said they have got cat flu and Ive got some antibiotics and eye drops to give them.

My cat-hater Other half has just been helping give them their tablets and eye drops and laid on the floor watching them eat and making sure they didnt run off! Hmm....think he might have a soft spot for kittens!

They are currently in a cage with a blanket, a cut up Frosties box as a bed, a milk bottle cut to make a drink's carton (its not sharp ;) ) and a bowl full of kitten food! They are pretty happy kittens at this point!! :)

If anyone wants to name them then we can take a group vote on CD and whichever is the most popular is the one I will go with! No prize for being the winner except having your suggestion as their name!! :D

>M cat-hater Other half has just been helping give them their tablets and eye drops and laid on the floor watching them eat and making sure they didnt run off! Hmm....think he might have a soft spot for kittens!

LOLOL funny how many blokes secretly like cats especially kittens isn't it. My late dad wept buckets when his cat died(he was 19 years old mind who)but only did so in private

You'll have to email me some photos so I can't see how extremely ugly they are & refuse to even contemplate having one!   :rolleyes:     Swap you for a naughty Selkirk Rex who is refusing to have her claws clipped and coat groomed.

>Oh yes coming and standing on your lap getting as near to your face as possible , bum in the face and then farting

ROFLMAO that is one of Reg's favourite tricks & he does it to everyone LOLOLOLOL

:( Someone has seen my advert in the vets this morning and are coming to look at them tonight :(

I dont want them to go yet! :(

Why don't you keep two of them ;) You will have hours of fun and they will be no trouble what so ever , oh yes or make any mess ;)

Lucy
xx

(ps did I sound convincing :D :D :D )

names : Snap, Crackle and Pop :D

I almost believed you then! :rolleyes:

Im hoping she will take the 2 black & white ones and leave me the tabby one! Fingers crossed!

:)

Have you got any pictures yet ?

Oh yes forgot to say from a cat hating OH we now have a very protective Daddy who gets very worried if they won't come inside first time and spends a lot of tme talking to them :D

I would be keeping them myself until they were recovered from the Cat Flu  at least ;)

Ditto Sandra at least 12 weeks old

Dyane you having a senior moment lol Gill

Well I did tell the lady that they have got cat flu and she hasnt got any other cats. Obviously she'd have to have the antibiotics and eye drops etc. I'll probably be keeping them for the next week and then letting them go. :) (That is if I dont change my mind!!)

Actually to be serious I would not let them go until they were at least 12 weeks old.

As they're already away from their Mum would the 12 week rule still apply? Just curious really :)

The vet told me they were fine to be leaving their mum at 8 weeks and they normally rehome at 8 weeks. :)

Just so you know. The kittens photos are now available! And Im still open for names. ;)