Thank you, it is not out of the question that I may take those kittens yet, but I have alot to think about first. For one, at least those kittens have a home. It may not be the best home in the world, but at least they have a mom, food, and shelter, and it sounds like the mom has hidden them from the dog. There are literally hundreds or more of cats/kittens around here that don't even have that, and are doomed right from the start.
I would really like to get my two remaining cats retested for FeLV as well. I'm not sure how long I need to wait on that. They tested negative in March, but still may have gotten the virus over the last few months. I would feel very badly indeed if I brought kittens into the house and infected them. Cassandra ----- Original Message ----- From: Gina WN To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 1:57 AM Subject: RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma Cassandra, I didn't see your other email saying you had decided not to take them in (before I emailed the one below.) I understand your feelings and there will be those who need you out there when you are ready. Take your time. Take care, Gina Gina WN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi Cassandra, I am not trying to pressure you to keep the babies. I understand the grief you are feeling over your other furbabies, as well as the practical aspects of taking them in. But...how old are the babies? Perhaps mama kitty would not abandon them while in your care. But if she did, perhaps there is a way you can bottle feed them. When we took in our two kittens (almost 15 years ago) they were seven days old. I seem to recall them eating every two hours, then it tapered off each week until they were fully weaned at eight weeks of age. At about the three week mark, on advice from the vet, we slowly began to add a bit of wet kitten food to their formula in a bowl which they began to learn to lap up. (Plus they still got the bottle.) My memory is a little fuzzy after 14+ years. lol But, at some point they started eating from a bowl and were no longer interested in the bottle. I think at about eight weeks. Anyhow, we got help from my sister who lived next door. Is there someone who can help you feed the babies while you are at work? By the way, our bottle babies are still with us. Tigger and Taylor will be 15 years old October 1st. :) Gina "Rosenfeldt, Diane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Cassandra -- This is a toughie, obviously, and I have no practical advice to give, never having had young kittens. But if you can make this work it sounds like a chance for you and your husband (who sounds like a total keeper, BTW!!) to continue the good work you started with your angel kitties. These new ones wouldn't be *replacing* the three you lost, BTW, don't think of it that way. Entertain the possibility that Tomi, Kisa and Koda have something to do with finding these new babies to save. This must be so frustrating -- time isn't on your side here, you obviously can't wait till the kits' feeding schedule is less intense, or they could come to harm, but at the same time, sometimes mom cats do extreme things when they think they and their kits are in harm's way, which she might if they're captured. Is there anyone who could come in for a while and feed the kittens during the day until their feeding schedules are less intense? Or is there maybe a foster person who would give you liberal visitation rights until the kittens are older. It also seems to me that the momcat might be more tameable if the kits weren't an issue, so again, bad timing. Is there a way you could trap them and watch carefully for a while to see what her instincts seem to be when confined? Maybe if she/they were confined outside, rather than go right from barn to house, it would be less of a shock? (I'm just throwing this stuff out as it occurs to me, sorry! Hope some of it is relevant!) Diane R. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of C & J Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 7:51 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma What worries me, is this mom is used to farm life, and for starters, may not even want to live with us. If she abandons her babies by being moved here (I would lock her in a room with them, but she still could abandon them), I don't know that I am able to feed the babies, both my husband and I work mon-fri, 8 hours a day. We live 20-25 min drive away from work outside of the city. It is possible to come home at lunch time, but that gives us only 10-15 mins to feed the babies. How often do babies need to eat? Isn't it every couple of hours? And how long do they need to eat that frequently. I could probably take a few days off work to look after them, but do they need to eat that frequently for a whole 4 weeks? I really know nothing about looking after baby kittens. I just don't want to do more harm than good here. Cassandra This electronic mail transmission and any attachments are confidential and may be privileged. They should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the transmission from your system. In addition, in order to comply with Treasury Circular 230, we are required to inform you that unless we have specifically stated to the contrary in writing, any advice we provide in this email or any attachment concerning federal tax issues or submissions is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, to avoid federal tax penalties. Visit my Tigger Tales site! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. 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