Speaking of white kitties…! I have a question about mine. I don’t know anyone else who has had as much experience with kittens, so I’m going to ask my question here. Robyn, have you ever had foster kitties with conjunctivitis? I just got two new kittens, sisters – one tiger and one white with a tabby patch on her head. They are about 11-12 weeks old and the tiger has conjunctivitis. Do you or any of your readers know how long this lasts or what possible complications may be? I know to be careful about spreading it: the sisters are separated and I wash my hands – including a quick rinse with a bleach solution – after I handle the tiger. I did take her to the vet and got some eye ointment, but I was hoping for some advice not just from a vet or the internet but from someone who has actually had to take care of a kitten with conjunctivitis.
Also, how long after getting spayed can they play together? Zelda (the white kitty) was just spayed and I had them separated for about a day and a half, and then I let them together but they were playing so roughly. It was only a couple of days later that Mrs.Parker (the tiger) got conjunctivitis so I had to separate them again anyway, but also, one of Zelda’s stitches had been pulled out. I don’t know if she herself licked it so much that it came out or if Mrs.Parker ripped it out while they were fighting. Mrs.Parker didn’t get spayed at the same time because she was too little, but she’s scheduled for Thursday. How do you deal with so many spayed kittens at the same time?
I’m going to throw this one out to the readers – I don’t remember having a cat diagnosed with conjunctivitis or how long it might last. Readers? Experience?
As far as how long to wait before you let kittens play together, I would think that by the third day after surgery, they’d be healed enough to play together, even if they’re rough. I’m lucky in that the vet who spays and neuters our kittens uses surgical glue to close the incisions, not stitches, so there’s not as much of a threat of them reopening the incision by playing roughly. I could be just not remembering correctly, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem with any of the incisions on any of my fosters.
(Someone also asked last week why my just-spayed Bookworms weren’t wearing collars, and that’s why – I’ve never had an issue with them worrying the incision or pulling out stitches (since there aren’t any), so I’ve never put collars on just-spayed/neutered kittens. The only time I’ve had to put collars on kittens was last year when the True Bloods had their eye surgeries, and even that only lasted a day or two.)
“Momma! Momma! MOMMAAAAAA!”
“HEY. What do you want? Why are you banging on our door? STOP MAKING ALL THAT NOISE!”
“I want the Momma! I’m hungry! Why is she hanging out in there where I can’t GET to her? Do you have food in there? I smell food!”
“There’s no Momma in here.”
“…….”
“…….”
“But she’s right there. Sitting next to you. Pointing the camera at me.”
“You don’t see nothin’. You understand me? NOTHING. No Momma. No food. No white kittens. It’s a figment of your imagination, you big baby. Now, quit banging on the door. We’re discussing the correct way to pet a kitty. With the Momma who isn’t here.”
“…….”
“…….”
::pout::
Sofia has gone to her new home – I got to meet her new mom last night, who was VERY excited to be bringing Sofia home. I’m sure I’ve got more pictures of her to share, because she’s such a gorgeous cat that I couldn’t stop snapping pictures of her!
The rest of Los Gatitos are going to the adoption center on Friday – and I’ll be bringing home two new kittens to put with the little feral so he won’t be lonely. Their names are Melodie and Moxie, so going along with the “M” naming theme, I circumvented Fred’s demand to name the little guy “Tony Rocky Horror” (The guy in Pulp Fiction who got thrown out of a window for giving Marsellus Wallace’s wife a foot massage.) and named him Martin.
The name Tony Rocky Horror will be showing up again, though, I guarantee it. Had Melodie and Moxie not already been named, I had thought we might go with a naming theme of characters who are mentioned in a movie or TV show, but never actually seen. Unfortunately, the only other character name I could think of off the top of my head was Maris (Crane, wife of Niles on Frasier).
More on him (and pictures, too) tomorrow, I promise.
I actually had the option of taking the Bookworms (at least a couple of them) to the adoption center on Friday. But I know Los Gatitos will be adopted very quickly, so I figured it’d be best to take them and let them be adopted rather than having them sit here waiting for room to open up at the adoption center.
When I told Fred, he accused me of just wanting to keep the Bookworms around longer.
I deny that.
I have a dream that one day, I’ll figure out how to consistently take pictures that aren’t all crooked as if I’d just held out the camera and snapped a picture without looking.
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Previously
2009: No entry
2008: “Be vewwy quiet, girlies. It will come closer and I will GET IT! Watch Mama at work!”
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
About kittens tugging/pulling on their stitches after they’ve been spayed: My Larissa was tugging on her stitches after she got spayed, she was a tiny little thing. I had her checked out by the vet to make sure she was ok, & asked how I could get her to leave the stitches alone, he told me to cut a sock in half and put that on her over the stitches. It worked great! It covered her belly like a loose belt, she couldn’t take it off, & left her stitches alone ’til they were ready to be removed, & let her play & romp & use the litter box to her heart’s content & she healed just fine! (I happened to use a black sock so Mom would laugh that Larissa had a black belt!)
I lost my favorite baby last year when the blue came apart and she split open on the cat box. The vet came out at 1am and did emergency surgery, this time with stitches but the resulting infection from the cat sand was too great. I have had many, many cats and rescue kittens and this is only the second time I’ve ever seen this and the first (when I was a child) was not nearly so serious.
I still miss Disa but I have her foster brother’s Kobolt and Tomten to give us joy.
oooooh i love these white kitties!!!!!! they’ve got some nose boogers to pick though! :p
lookie, another stinkerbell at the shelter here! http://www.flickr.com/photos/weefaerie/4813631727/
btw, i’m still about a week or two behind, which is why i’m just seeing these whities for the first time and commenting like they’re new…
What about Charlie (Charlie’s Angels), Vera (Cheers), and Stan (Will & Grace)?
I never had a kitten with problems w/incision, but it sounds like it’s quite rare (fortunately).
Eyes: I adopted my (white, deaf) kitten about 8 months ago from our Humane Society. He had a squinty eye and some eye goop when I got him. Took him to the vet…and eventually more vets, and currently a couple of animal eye specialists. There’s nothing wrong physically with his eyes (they should be examined to make sure it isn’t that) but conjunctivitis. Every vet has said the same thing: it’s probably feline herpes (very common) or feline chlamydia.
Feline herpes is super common, most cats actually have it but carry it without symptoms, but immune-system-weak kitties or stressed kitties show the eye symptoms. Lysine powder in proper amounts can be sprinkled on their food to improve the herpes, and/or they may grow out of the visible symptoms as they get older.
Feline chlamydia requires antibiotics. We have now tried 3 different (daily!) antibiotics on my kitten Rumi, over the course of five months or so. We’ve gotten to the point where he is about 85-90% perfect, but we’ve never yet gotten beyond that 90% mark, in spite of antibiotics that we are continuing to this day. We just keep hoping eventually they’ll work. The eye specialist says it is definitely possible it will take many months for the antibiotics to work, though it normally doesn’t take that long for most cats.
P.S. I’m not saying you shouldn’t worry about the infection passing on to other cats there, but it is interesting to note that we have 4 cats and Rumi has never passed on his infection(s) to any of them, fortunately.
Robin, today’a post is a prime example why you are one of my daily must-reads. First, some serious question about cat health (sorry I could not contribute any info), then a hysterical series of photos that had me LMAO!
Glad the Rocky Horror name went by the boards (Sorry Fred!), and to keep it away, let me suggest as another ‘invisibl:Carlos the Doorman on Rhoda. ( I t-h-i-n-k that was his name, but I may be having a senior moment Feel free to correct me!
Carlton was the name of the doorman, I’m pretty sure.
I love the momma saga! What a cute little drama. And the eyes…! *melt*
We just love the series of photos about the invisible, missing momma. Who is that anyway? Bolitar? Reacher? Soo cute the way the paw keeps reaching and reaching and…such focus from Miss Sofia on “there is no momma and no white kittens in here, on your way!” It is Sofia, isn’t it? excellent snaps. and re conjunctuvitis, mum has used both warm chamomile tea to help clear eye goop and rescue rememdy cream and both worked well. Jala’s info is pretty spot on, too, though.
I still can’t believe how calm Sofia was while we waited for her excited new mom to come pick her up.
I LOVE the lemme-in photos! All doors should have just that much clearance, for cat-photography purposes.
Oh I’m sorry I don’t know about conjunctivitis in kitties!! I hope your friend finds out the right way of dealing with this nasty illness for the poor kitties!
Awwww Los Gatitos are adorable!! I’m so glad Sofia’s got a lovely home and the rest are just super duper cute! Who is that poor Bookworm under that door?? Awwwwwwwwwww!! What a cutie!!
Oh I really don’t blame you about keeping the Bookworms a little longer. I’m so attached to them and I’m across the ocean!! I wish you could keep them all!! 😉
I quite liked Tony Rocky Horror!LOL! But Martin is just as lovely!
Have a gorgeous day!
Take care
x
Love the ‘Momma’ storyboard, especially the “….” bits! That Sofia is one definite kitteh!
Robyn, I love your wit and “storytelling” capabilities! Your blog is my favorite!!!!
I’ve had a foster kitten or two with conjunctivitis. They were prescribed Erythromycin applied twice daily for 5-7 days and it cleared up nicely. Not to worry.