Hi,I wanted to get thoughts from you and the community here. I live in an urban area. There was young cat with 4 kittens in a yard of an empty house, that also seemed that they were getting in and out of the basement. I had been feeding them about 3 weeks. Once the holidays were over, I got a live trap from the local shelter that does TNR. This is the first time I’ve done this. Over the last few days I’ve caught the kittens. Haven’t seen the mom in about 5 days, still going to keep putting the trap out. The kittens are about 4 months old and all about 4 lbs. Three of the kittens were really wild and I released them in my back yard where I had put together DIY cat shelter and a food station. Sorry I’m so long winded. The last one I caught on Sunday seemed to be the runt and the most fearful, but didn’t seem at all aggressive(it let me touch it’s nose through the bars). This one seems least likely to survive through the winter. Looks like it’s part munchkin. I will pick him up Wednesday from the shelter. In addition to the neuter, they also did some vaccinations. Has anyone fostered anything like this? Is 4 months too old to be viable in adapting to be a pet. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you
Are you thinking of trying to make the runt an indoor cat? 4 months is usually a little old to try to turn a feral kitten into a lap cat, but I think it would be worth a try, as long as you realize it’s probably going to take a while (maybe a long while) and you might end up with a house feral. (House ferals aren’t necessarily a bad thing – that’s pretty much what Stinkerbelle was, and I’d say she had a happy life with us.)
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I have a question about the med you’re giving Frankie. I have a cat, FIV positive and recently diagnosed with stomatitis, and I’ve been researching Atopica. It’s noted that it shouldn’t be given to cats with FeLV and FIV so I’m surprised to hear you giving it to Frankie. Can you share with me your insight on why it was prescribed?
Basically, it was prescribed because nothing else was working. Having his teeth removed didn’t work as we’d hoped it would. Prednisone worked for a while, and then stopped working. Atopica is an immunosuppressant, and giving it to a cat whose immune system is already compromised is not ideal (to say the least). Unfortunately there weren’t any other good options, and he was in a great amount of pain (every time he yawned, he’d scream). It’s possible that at some point the Atopica will stop working, but it’s working for now (he gets it twice a week), so we’ll stick with it.
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Today, we focus on Newt.
Newt always looks ever so slightly amused, pretty much by everything.
That boy loves him some feathers.
I’m sure there’s a feather teaser over this way.
Enjoying that heated bed.
Isn’t he a pretty boy?
Newt is officially our old man – 13 years old this month (though that birth date is a guesstimation. He could be a bit older or a bit younger). We first met him in October of 2006. We’d bought and were renovating the house that would eventually become known as Crooked Acres, and Maxi had been coming around for a few months. She was obviously feeding kittens, but we hadn’t seen them yet. One day we were working on the house and Maxi showed up with a buff cat we started calling “Daddy Cat,” assuming that he’d been the father of her kittens. (When they were spayed and neutered a little later, the vet suggested that he might be her kitten from a previous litter.) A few days after we first met Newt, we were working on the house (again) and Maxi and Newt showed up with her kittens. Once Maxi’s kittens were adopted out, Newt was the only cat Maxi would put up with. He’s a sweet old guy with lots of pep in his step still, who just wants a bit of whatever you’re having for lunch, the occasional scritch, and in the past week he’s been spending his days curled up in the pie plate in front of the window in the kitten room. (The permanent residents are REALLY enjoying making the entire upstairs their own again!)
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Previously
2018: I JUST WANT TO LOVE YOU, KHAL.
2017: That must be some pretty potent ‘nip in those toys!
2016: And the King was all “There, there, little subject. No one’s impressed by your nonsense.”
2015: No entry.
2014: No entry.
2013: It’s the angle. The angle, I tells ya!
2012: He likes to run around with it in his mouth and growl at his brothers.
2011: (But I’m sure Anderson Litter Lung will still get me in the end. I’ve been inhaling that dust for years now.)
2010: Hydrox blew them out of the water at a hefty 5 pounds!
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: Poor Cosette – she runs from us now because almost every time we go into the kitten room, we grab her up and shoot stuff down her throat.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.