Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Yes, the concern of infecting your current kitties is always there. I know, as I brought a FeLV+ kitten into my household last June. I decided to get all my adults vaccinated and to keep her. I found out she was negative five months later when she got the IFA test. Gina C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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
RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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.
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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Well I haven't taken these kittens in yet, and probably won't. The mother moved them, and the farmer doesn't even know where they are now (and probably didn't look very hard). I think that it might not be the best idea to take them anyway, since the mom is half wild and there would be a good chance she could abandon the babies. I am unable to feed them every 2 hours, and I don't know anyone that could or would be able to. The babies may be better off taking their chances where they are. I'm still not really ready to take in more kitties, but my husband wants to. The thing is, as soon as you mention you might be interested in adopting, it seems everyone has kittens they want to get rid of. We've been offered kittens by about 6 different people. It is a bit overwhelming the number of unwanted kittens, especially at this time of year. Cassandra - Original Message - From: C J To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 10:42 PM Subject: Now i've got something of a dilemma My husband works with a young guy who lives with his parents on a farm. These people have barn cats, who they basically care very little about. Well one of the cats had kittens a couple of days ago, and got cornered by a dog. By the looks of how scratched up the dog was, she put up a good fight, but the dog ate all but 2 of the kittens. The farmers don't care about the kittens at all, so they may still be in danger from the dog. My husband, feeling empty and sad by all that we've been through, and wanting to make me happy again, offered to take the mom and babies. I seriously don't know what to make of this. On the one hand, it is far far too soon for me take in anymore kitties, especially three of them. By the sounds of it, momma is half wild as she doesn't receive much attention from humans. She is used to being outside on the farm, and I don't know how she would handle coming into a strange house all of a sudden. It is possible she might get stressed out and not take care of her little ones? I also wanted to test my remaining two cats for FeLV in about 6 weeks, to make sure they haven't picked it up. I didn't want to expose any kittens to the virus. Plus I don't know if this momma is even healthy. She could have the virus herself, or any other number of things. She will never have been vaccinated. If I was going to get more kitties, I wanted to check out their backgrounds a little bit. On the other hand, these poor kitties may or may not survive on the farm. Nobody cares about them. Plus, ever since I was 9 years old and watched a mother cat give birth and watched the kittens grow, i've wanted to experience that again. I know I could give them a much better life. I just know i'm not ready to make this sort of decision. I've got open wounds that will take a long time to heal, and just replacing my 3 lost babies so quickly is not the way to heal. I wasn't even sure I wanted to get more cats, and definately wanted to wait quite awhile. I felt both appalled and excited when my husband told me that he had offered to take the kitties in. When it hurts so much, sometimes you just want to try filling those empty places in your heart. I know its difficult to give me any advice on this one, but I just needed to tell someone. You have all been friends to me through the rough times. Cassandra -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.9.7/868 - Release Date: 6/25/2007 12:20 PM
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Cassandra, Whew! That is a dilemma! But, as you already stated, that if you do take Mom kits, they definitely will have a much better chance at life - having a home, being loved.. They definitely won't have any of that at farm. (UGH!! FARMS the mentality of some .. Living in the heart of Pa., I know, sadly, only too well about the plight of those poor babies) Speaking from my own, first-hand [latest] experience, although Charity was dumped outside here w/ Timmy Thomas, just wee babies - only a little more than a week old @ time She was really not trusting w/ people, not that I could or ever will blame her. She escaped from box, leaving babies behind... I bottle fed the boys, and when I finally did re-trap her, well, she wouldn't have a thing to do with her babies.. I did have her spayed, tested [negative both!], and vaccinated prior to her escape... And, as everyone who followed her story on list here, she remained feral [w/ Black Bart] until this past Feb. Sadly, I did lose both of them... But, Charity made such remarkable changes - She finally knew love gave me her absolute trust - A PURE JOY I was able to adopt Thomas out to a wonderful family, but Timmy has made it purr-fectly clear THIS IS HIS FUR-EVER HOME!!! Oh, chrimminy, I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say... I think, what I'm saying is, sometimes, when you least expect it, miracles happen. And, yes, being there for those poor souls, when they desperately need help, well, yes, that IS a miracle I know how you've only too recently lost your babies, and, I know, sadly too well, that you really need time to grieve. That said, the timing of Mama babies is off, BUT. BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! Hugs, Patti her gang ** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Ah, what wonderful consultation Wendy! And so eloquently put. And as for taking in kittens, while feeding my feral colony today @ the grocery store, I ended up w/ a kitten myself. :) I had to pay $5.00 for mine, it was the last of the litter being sold by 2 young ladies. Little boy, about 3 months old. Handsome, all white w/ one green eye one blue eye. After a quick de flea, de worm ear mite treatment, I put him in a foster home w/ one of our volunteers, and in a week or two he should be ready to look for his new furrever home... The things that we do. Susan J. DuBose ^..^ www.PetGirlsPetsitting.com www.Tx.SiameseRescue.org www.shadowcats.net As Cleopatra lay in state, Faithful Bast at her side did wait, Purring welcomes of soft applause, Ever guarding with sharpened claws. Trajan Tennent - Original Message - From: wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 10:59 PM Subject: Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma Hey Cassandra, It does indeed sound like you have a situation, but never fear, time will tell the answer whether you're ready or not. lol. I honestly don't know what to tell you. Only you can know if it's too much to take on right now. If you do take the kitties in, it won't be long before you wonder how you ever questioned the decision because they'll be in your heart. I guess the question is, are you ready to make room in your heart so soon? What would Tomi, Kisa, and Koda say about all this? You are right that taking the momma in will probably be quite an adjustment on her part. Of course, losing the battle in trying to save the babies she lost to that dog might just be enough for her to appreciate a home without dogs that will attack her remaining babies. Even if she does turn her back on the kittens, you can nurse them yourself. Can you separate your remaining two cats from any newbies? You would probably want them separated initially anyway. I lost Cricket in November, and accidentally allowed another shelter kitty to claim my heart in February. At the time, I had no plans for any more kitties. I have to say that Smookie has definitely helped me to get over Cricket. I did not have time to obsess over his death (not that you are, but I sure did-I drove myself crazy). Taking care of Smookie allowed me to take my mind off the negative and do something positive as she needed extra care in the beginning. You never know...caring for those kittens might be just what the doctor ordered for your broken heart. :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7
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
RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Cassandra, I hate to sound mushy or superstitious or anything weird, but it seems to me that Koda, Kisa, and Tomi are sending some new babies in need to you. They know how big of a heart you have and how you made their lives so wonderful. Yes, it would be a tremendous amount of work, but it would also keep your mind off your grief if you have new responsibilities that take up all your time. You could even dedicate your work with the new kittens to the memory of your lost babies. Of course, only take what you can handle-you can always say no. But since you're already working out in your mind how you would handle the situation, I think you somehow really want to do this-maybe you and your husband need them as much as they need you. As for barn cats, I am continually disgusted by the way people treat their cats around here (Nebraska). If you remember my situation last week with the baby kitty whose mama died in the trunk (while baby survived), I was debating taking the kitten myself or finding a home for him. Well, the husband was taking care of the baby, but I learned yesterday that the baby didn't make it. From what I've gathered, their idea of taking care of the kitty was much different from mine. They let him get soaked in the rain and didn't even bring him inside. I have been so sad yesterday and today thinking about what I could have done. I meant to post an update on the little guy, but I didn't have the heart yesterday. I offered to take the kitten-I told the lady (co-worker) that there were many people who offered to help, but she assured me that her husband was tending to it. I should have pushed the issue more. I should have stuck up for what is right. I'm so upset that this little guy had to suffer through his mother's death only to be neglected and die alone. Some days I can't bear the insensitivity and barbarism here. Sorry Cassandra I kind of took over with my own story here! The thought of the barn kitties just made me think of this recent situation. I hope you find some sort of solution, and I'm still keeping you two in my prayers as you grieve your fur babies. Melissa _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of C J Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 7:51 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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
RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
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: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 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.
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Hi Cassandra, I can answer some of these questions, since my group specializes in neonatal kittens. This is a really good handout I give to all our volunteers: http://www.carepets.org/catsub/cat_pdf/newbornhandbook.pdf It depends on how old they are how often you need to feed them. If they are 1 day-1 week old, then yes, they need to be fed every couple of hours. As they age, the time between feedings can get longer. If you are lucky you can sneak them to work with you:) On 6/26/07, C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 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 -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20 Please help Caroline! http://rescuties.chipin.com/caroline I GoodSearch for Rescuties. Raise money for your favorite charity or school just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Hi Cassandra, I can tell you by my recent experience with farm cats that sometimes the momma is so thankful to be taken care of and loved that the stress goes away quicker than we think it will. I rescued 6 kittens and a momma from a farm that sounds as bad as the one you are describing...except the dog liked the kitties...I worried about the momma after being in a house but she is doing awesome! She loves me now and enjoys getting petted and loved. Give your farm momma a chance you might be surprised how thankful she will be that you saved her and her babies...I know my farm family is thankful! Good luck Sheryl --- C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My husband works with a young guy who lives with his parents on a farm. These people have barn cats, who they basically care very little about. Well one of the cats had kittens a couple of days ago, and got cornered by a dog. By the looks of how scratched up the dog was, she put up a good fight, but the dog ate all but 2 of the kittens. The farmers don't care about the kittens at all, so they may still be in danger from the dog. My husband, feeling empty and sad by all that we've been through, and wanting to make me happy again, offered to take the mom and babies. I seriously don't know what to make of this. On the one hand, it is far far too soon for me take in anymore kitties, especially three of them. By the sounds of it, momma is half wild as she doesn't receive much attention from humans. She is used to being outside on the farm, and I don't know how she would handle coming into a strange house all of a sudden. It is possible she might get stressed out and not take care of her little ones? I also wanted to test my remaining two cats for FeLV in about 6 weeks, to make sure they haven't picked it up. I didn't want to expose any kittens to the virus. Plus I don't know if this momma is even healthy. She could have the virus herself, or any other number of things. She will never have been vaccinated. If I was going to get more kitties, I wanted to check out their backgrounds a little bit. On the other hand, these poor kitties may or may not survive on the farm. Nobody cares about them. Plus, ever since I was 9 years old and watched a mother cat give birth and watched the kittens grow, i've wanted to experience that again. I know I could give them a much better life. I just know i'm not ready to make this sort of decision. I've got open wounds that will take a long time to heal, and just replacing my 3 lost babies so quickly is not the way to heal. I wasn't even sure I wanted to get more cats, and definately wanted to wait quite awhile. I felt both appalled and excited when my husband told me that he had offered to take the kitties in. When it hurts so much, sometimes you just want to try filling those empty places in your heart. I know its difficult to give me any advice on this one, but I just needed to tell someone. You have all been friends to me through the rough times. Cassandra Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
I would also add that if, God forbid, something bad does happen, at least they would go to the Bridge knowing they were loved and not as the result of a dog attack, which counts for something. Although I could totally understand if you weren't emotionally up for that yet. On 6/26/07, Sheryl Spagg [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Cassandra, I can tell you by my recent experience with farm cats that sometimes the momma is so thankful to be taken care of and loved that the stress goes away quicker than we think it will. I rescued 6 kittens and a momma from a farm that sounds as bad as the one you are describing...except the dog liked the kitties...I worried about the momma after being in a house but she is doing awesome! She loves me now and enjoys getting petted and loved. Give your farm momma a chance you might be surprised how thankful she will be that you saved her and her babies...I know my farm family is thankful! Good luck Sheryl --- C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My husband works with a young guy who lives with his parents on a farm. These people have barn cats, who they basically care very little about. Well one of the cats had kittens a couple of days ago, and got cornered by a dog. By the looks of how scratched up the dog was, she put up a good fight, but the dog ate all but 2 of the kittens. The farmers don't care about the kittens at all, so they may still be in danger from the dog. My husband, feeling empty and sad by all that we've been through, and wanting to make me happy again, offered to take the mom and babies. I seriously don't know what to make of this. On the one hand, it is far far too soon for me take in anymore kitties, especially three of them. By the sounds of it, momma is half wild as she doesn't receive much attention from humans. She is used to being outside on the farm, and I don't know how she would handle coming into a strange house all of a sudden. It is possible she might get stressed out and not take care of her little ones? I also wanted to test my remaining two cats for FeLV in about 6 weeks, to make sure they haven't picked it up. I didn't want to expose any kittens to the virus. Plus I don't know if this momma is even healthy. She could have the virus herself, or any other number of things. She will never have been vaccinated. If I was going to get more kitties, I wanted to check out their backgrounds a little bit. On the other hand, these poor kitties may or may not survive on the farm. Nobody cares about them. Plus, ever since I was 9 years old and watched a mother cat give birth and watched the kittens grow, i've wanted to experience that again. I know I could give them a much better life. I just know i'm not ready to make this sort of decision. I've got open wounds that will take a long time to heal, and just replacing my 3 lost babies so quickly is not the way to heal. I wasn't even sure I wanted to get more cats, and definately wanted to wait quite awhile. I felt both appalled and excited when my husband told me that he had offered to take the kitties in. When it hurts so much, sometimes you just want to try filling those empty places in your heart. I know its difficult to give me any advice on this one, but I just needed to tell someone. You have all been friends to me through the rough times. Cassandra Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20 Please help Caroline! http://rescuties.chipin.com/caroline I GoodSearch for Rescuties. Raise money for your favorite charity or school just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
you know, I have found this to be pretty true, also. I have taken several farm cats into my home bec. they got injured and were later determined to be FELV+ or they were simply too sweet to part with. Most have been former Toms (of course, they are immed. vetted/neutered, etc), but these cats have been the most loving cats I have had, that and the ones rescued from the city streets after being mangled up and rescued. It is almost like they are grateful. [Original Message] From: Sheryl Spagg [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: 6/26/2007 10:47:03 AM Subject: Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma Hi Cassandra, I can tell you by my recent experience with farm cats that sometimes the momma is so thankful to be taken care of and loved that the stress goes away quicker than we think it will. I rescued 6 kittens and a momma from a farm that sounds as bad as the one you are describing...except the dog liked the kitties...I worried about the momma after being in a house but she is doing awesome! She loves me now and enjoys getting petted and loved. Give your farm momma a chance you might be surprised how thankful she will be that you saved her and her babies...I know my farm family is thankful! Good luck Sheryl --- C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My husband works with a young guy who lives with his parents on a farm. These people have barn cats, who they basically care very little about. Well one of the cats had kittens a couple of days ago, and got cornered by a dog. By the looks of how scratched up the dog was, she put up a good fight, but the dog ate all but 2 of the kittens. The farmers don't care about the kittens at all, so they may still be in danger from the dog. My husband, feeling empty and sad by all that we've been through, and wanting to make me happy again, offered to take the mom and babies. I seriously don't know what to make of this. On the one hand, it is far far too soon for me take in anymore kitties, especially three of them. By the sounds of it, momma is half wild as she doesn't receive much attention from humans. She is used to being outside on the farm, and I don't know how she would handle coming into a strange house all of a sudden. It is possible she might get stressed out and not take care of her little ones? I also wanted to test my remaining two cats for FeLV in about 6 weeks, to make sure they haven't picked it up. I didn't want to expose any kittens to the virus. Plus I don't know if this momma is even healthy. She could have the virus herself, or any other number of things. She will never have been vaccinated. If I was going to get more kitties, I wanted to check out their backgrounds a little bit. On the other hand, these poor kitties may or may not survive on the farm. Nobody cares about them. Plus, ever since I was 9 years old and watched a mother cat give birth and watched the kittens grow, i've wanted to experience that again. I know I could give them a much better life. I just know i'm not ready to make this sort of decision. I've got open wounds that will take a long time to heal, and just replacing my 3 lost babies so quickly is not the way to heal. I wasn't even sure I wanted to get more cats, and definately wanted to wait quite awhile. I felt both appalled and excited when my husband told me that he had offered to take the kitties in. When it hurts so much, sometimes you just want to try filling those empty places in your heart. I know its difficult to give me any advice on this one, but I just needed to tell someone. You have all been friends to me through the rough times. Cassandra Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC
To Melissa: RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Melissa, I'm so sorry about the little guy. You sound like you're beside yourself. It's NOT your fault. You had the best of intentions. The lady should have taken you up on your offer. I am surprised she told you what happened. Does this woman have a cruel streak or am I just reading that into the situation? You couldn't have made them give you the kitten anyway. Those kitties were their responsibility and they failed. That's never going to be on you. Personally, I think you are doing what you can, planning on doing shelter work and TNR. You have a good heart. Don't let what happened jade you on life and the good people around who DO care about cats. Shame on those people who did what they did. They are the ones who have to live with it, and will have to answer for it. Life does have a way of evening the score even if we don't know it when it happens. And I like that idea, even if I shouldn't. :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=listsid=396545433
RE: To Melissa: RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Thanks Wendy, Well-spoken as usual. I know I can't blame myself, but I still think I should have done something more. At least I tried to take kitty off her hands, but I didn't press the issue for various reasons (her husband likes cats, I just started this job, etc.). It's not that she's intentionally cruel--it's just what she thinks is natural. In telling me what happened to mama kitty in her trunk, she was just complaining about the smell in her car--she didn't even think twice about what a horrible thing she had done. It was just something that happens on a farm. This lady is rather sweet otherwise--always giving me fresh produce and such--but I just have such a hard time knowing how callous she is when it comes to precious little lives. They have cattle too, and like someone has explained before, possibly a distance between themselves and the animals is necessary in order to justify the way they make money. As I've said before, it's so nice to have compassionate, kind people to turn to on this site. When the world looks hopeless, at least I know there are people out there who care; I just get blue that there's no one around here who thinks the way I do. It can be very disheartening. Do you know how many times I hear: We have dominion over animals. As if that justifies abuse. Okay I could rant forever on this topic, so I'll stop now, but thanks again Wendy. I have to keep my sights on the bigger picture and my plans for a rescue in the future. A little bit at a time Melissa -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wendy Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 12:22 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: To Melissa: RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma Melissa, I'm so sorry about the little guy. You sound like you're beside yourself. It's NOT your fault. You had the best of intentions. The lady should have taken you up on your offer. I am surprised she told you what happened. Does this woman have a cruel streak or am I just reading that into the situation? You couldn't have made them give you the kitten anyway. Those kitties were their responsibility and they failed. That's never going to be on you. Personally, I think you are doing what you can, planning on doing shelter work and TNR. You have a good heart. Don't let what happened jade you on life and the good people around who DO care about cats. Shame on those people who did what they did. They are the ones who have to live with it, and will have to answer for it. Life does have a way of evening the score even if we don't know it when it happens. And I like that idea, even if I shouldn't. :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=listsid=396545433
RE: To Melissa: RE: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Hey Melissa, I am glad your coworker isn't a cruel person. I was beginning to wonder. Sometimes I wish I wore a banner that said Don't tell me horrific animal stories...I'm an animal lover and my blood pressure skyrockets when you do, and I will want to gouge yours or someone else's eyes out with a fireplace poker...lololol. I'm starting to sound psycho. Of course, horrific stories like yours make me want to go psycho. I wish I wasn't wired that way, but I am. I can't even watch animals getting hurt on TV, when it's fake, like in a movie. I get very angry inside. I got so mad watching The Butterfly Effect (DO NOT watch this if you are an animal lover, and besides, it's not a great movie; pretty violent-my husband's choice), I tried to leave the theatre, and my husband didn't want me to. So I closed my eyes for the rest of the movie and thought about other stuff so I wouldn't be permanently damaged for the rest of my life. I left the theatre and started swearing like I haven't since high school! Witnessing cruelty is hard for me too. My brother-in-law disposed of their cat (a family pet for years) when she started peeing in their new home. I just can't feel the same love for them now that I did; I can't help it. What did they teach their children?!!! And how will they treat one another when their marriage gets rocky, as all do at times? Dispose of one another??? And my uncle once said he would shoot my dog that lived with my mom because she was doing something he didn't like. I got hysterical because I knew he would; luckily, he didn't. My mom and aunt live next door to each other. My uncle is a farmer. I know I'm supposed to love these people, but how can I wholly when I see cruelty? If anyone reading this is offended by scripture, then stop reading...God did give us dominion over animals; that's Biblical (Genesis 1:26 and 1:28); however 'dominion' should be interpreted as 'stewardship' rather than dominance, which gives us a responsibility to care for and protect animals, not neglect them or treat them cruelly! If you are Jewish, you can reference Shabbat 119; Sanhedrin 7 for the same information (although I'm not sure what those mean; I got them off the Internet). Our dominion over animals should be seen in the same way that God has dominion over us: merciful and loving. Proverbs 12:10 specifically says: A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel (NKJV) or a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel (NIV). Tell that to those people who think they know scripture! Thanks for the Bible study time Melissa! :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
Re: Now i've got something of a dilemma
Hey Cassandra, It does indeed sound like you have a situation, but never fear, time will tell the answer whether you're ready or not. lol. I honestly don't know what to tell you. Only you can know if it's too much to take on right now. If you do take the kitties in, it won't be long before you wonder how you ever questioned the decision because they'll be in your heart. I guess the question is, are you ready to make room in your heart so soon? What would Tomi, Kisa, and Koda say about all this? You are right that taking the momma in will probably be quite an adjustment on her part. Of course, losing the battle in trying to save the babies she lost to that dog might just be enough for her to appreciate a home without dogs that will attack her remaining babies. Even if she does turn her back on the kittens, you can nurse them yourself. Can you separate your remaining two cats from any newbies? You would probably want them separated initially anyway. I lost Cricket in November, and accidentally allowed another shelter kitty to claim my heart in February. At the time, I had no plans for any more kitties. I have to say that Smookie has definitely helped me to get over Cricket. I did not have time to obsess over his death (not that you are, but I sure did-I drove myself crazy). Taking care of Smookie allowed me to take my mind off the negative and do something positive as she needed extra care in the beginning. You never know...caring for those kittens might be just what the doctor ordered for your broken heart. :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7
