# Stray Kitten Help!



## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

My brother rescued a kitten from being run over on a country road about an hour ago, no idea where it's come from, how old it is, or how long it's been wandering - but he was absolutely parched and starving, that much is certain! We'll be taking it to the vet first thing in the morning to try and help find an owner, but any advice would be helpful in the meantime!
Can anyone estimate how old he/she is? We think barely old enough to leave Mummy. There's an awful lot of meowing coming from such a tiny animal!
Incidentally, anyone missing a kitten in the Lincoln area?


































Trying desperately to refrain from naming the little critter as it's not mine... but it's so difficult!! Especially since he's fallen asleep on my leg :flrt:


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## klair328 (Nov 15, 2006)

looks old enough to me.. perhaps he/she just got lost and kept going.. have you offerd some food and water...sounds obv but....tis very cute.. name it


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## klair328 (Nov 15, 2006)

is it he or she??


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

klair328 said:


> is it he or she??





klair328 said:


> looks old enough to me.. perhaps he/she just got lost and kept going.. have you offerd some food and water...sounds obv but....tis very cute.. name it


Yeah, offered some water, we're a bit iffy about food since we didn't know how old it was, but it stole some of Dudley's biscuits and was absolutely ravenous, so we've left him some of those. We'd offer kitten meat if we had any! Got a litter tray sorted as well on the off chance he's litter trained.
Do you know how old it might be?
I have no idea on sex, but I prefer toms, so I'm gonna go with a boy :whistling2: 

And, he's absolutely infested with fleas... thanks, bro, infest the rest of our brood, eh?!

EDIT: Checked a sexing website... 90% sure she's a female


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## klair328 (Nov 15, 2006)

by pics id say bout 8 weeks maybe older in MO

thats possibly why he looks so weak.. look at his bits.. if he has balls then tis a he
Feed him.. you have no idea how long hes been without food and water.. spesh in this heat.. poor wee guy hope hes ok You should name him thomas if hes a guy lol looks like a wee tommy


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Without a size comparison (apart from half a human eye :lol it's hard to tell, but he looks old enough to be weaned. Is that a scab on his nose or the remnants of a nasty bit of discharge? 

It may be that his new owners have let him out before he was old enough to work out how to get back home and so got himself totally lost.

I hope you can find his owners, but if not will you keep him?

He will obviously need frontlining and some proper kitten food, rather than normal cat food and water is the best thing to give him to drink.

Let's know what the vet says.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> Without a size comparison (apart from half a human eye :lol it's hard to tell, but he looks old enough to be weaned. Is that a scab on his nose or the remnants of a nasty bit of discharge?
> 
> It may be that his new owners have let him out before he was old enough to work out how to get back home and so got himself totally lost.
> 
> ...


:lol2: I would get a better size comparison pic but she's so wriggly!
I too am slightly concerned, it does look like a scab... and her ears are hardly the cleanest either. The vet can tell us more! Also possibly help clean off the ridiculous amounts of flea dirt off her neck!
We're already sorting out 'FOUND' posters and I'm sure there was a website where you could list lost and found pets - I'll have a look. At first blush I'd say keeping her would be difficult - it wouldn't be fair on her to have to put up with the dogs, and Dudley didn't seem very impressed at all by her (though that could have been he'd been ousted from my bedroom so the little one could stay with me!)
We can and will frontline ASAP, providing she isn't too young. We'll also be treating the house! 
I'll be going out and getting kitten food in the morning, but we do have a bowl of fresh water available for her... she's also got a warm bed to sleep on courtesy of me


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

All sounds good to me! :2thumb: Dudley's biscuits will be fine for her in the meantime, but kitten food is best if you're planning on keeping her til you find her owners or a new home.

Does the fact that you're saying "she" mean that you have sexed her as a she, or are you just referring to her as a "she"? 

I'm sure it would take a little bit longer than one night for Dudley to be happy to have another critter around, whether it be a cat or not, but i'm sure he'd come around to having another cat around fairly quickly - boys are incredibly easygoing.


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

awwww! She's cute!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

After working in rescue Im the pessimist and if the kitten was found in a country lane its been dumped:bash: Did your brother check that there was no more? A kitten that age shouldnt be out alone so even if it has an owner they dont deserve it:bash:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Apologies for the late reply, we got into a flea-combing session! I am 90% certain she's a she... but the vet can tell us for sure tomorrow.
My mum is positive the kitten has been dumped, but Philip now wants to find the rest and...sell them.
She is pretty pale as far as gums go, but hopefully with the masses of fleas we pulled off, she'll feel a bit better.
We will endeavour to find the owner if they're out there, but if not, we know someone who will be happy to have her, as it's not fair on the cat to stay with us and be pestered by dogs, and be at risk of Philip's temper.


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## Rackie (Jan 30, 2011)

She's gorgeous. I really hope if someone is missing her, you can find them!
Hope the vet trip goes well


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

If you've got most of the fleas off her and you treat her I'm sure she'll get over the anaemia, but thank goodness he found her when he did, because that many fleas and the anaemia would have killed her, poor wee soul! :sad:

Keep us updated with her progress! :2thumb:


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

Awww she looks like a lovely kitty, well done on you for taking the poor girl in.

I found a black kitten a few months back, he was tiny, wiskers cut and covered in poo. I kept him.


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

Can I add, get some frontline from the vet, and get her treated for fleas incase she has loads and infests the house, also worm her, she looks very skinny this could be due to worms, cats can hunt really well and she will probs have had some grubs or little mice etc, which are full of worms, even if shes not yours you dont want the fleas in the house for a start. Call your local vet and see if anyone has called to say they are missing a kitten, she seems very tame so isnt wild so she is more likely someones pet who has sneaked out.


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

Also her ears look a bit messy she might need some drops.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

dizzylynn said:


> Can I add, get some frontline from the vet, and get her treated for fleas incase she has loads and infests the house, also worm her, she looks very skinny this could be due to worms, cats can hunt really well and she will probs have had some grubs or little mice etc, which are full of worms, even if shes not yours you dont want the fleas in the house for a start. Call your local vet and see if anyone has called to say they are missing a kitten, she seems very tame so isnt wild so she is more likely someones pet who has sneaked out.


We've got a vet appointment book for 4:30 today, and we Frontlined her last night... I woke up to plenty of dead fleas on my bed this morning! Any that were still moving were squished. She is indeed very tame... we're going to try and find an owner first, but if we can't locate one, then depending on what my dad wants to do, we will either give her a chance, or we know my aunt would love to have her. 
Got some kitten food as well today to keep her going on 
I'm going to have a right job de-fleaing my bedroom! The lizards are going to have to go on holiday for a few days... my brother just didn't understand why the cat had to be confined to my bedroom, he became extremely angry and started accusing us of making the cat hate him and prefer us... autism, eh :bash:

She's got a bit of a scabby nose as well as dirty ears... but all this will be covered at the vets! We may ask about a vaccination as well, as we don't know her history, and better to be safe than sorry!


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

Ophexis said:


> We've got a vet appointment book for 4:30 today, and we Frontlined her last night... I woke up to plenty of dead fleas on my bed this morning! Any that were still moving were squished. She is indeed very tame... we're going to try and find an owner first, but if we can't locate one, then depending on what my dad wants to do, we will either give her a chance, or we know my aunt would love to have her.
> Got some kitten food as well today to keep her going on
> I'm going to have a right job de-fleaing my bedroom! The lizards are going to have to go on holiday for a few days... my brother just didn't understand why the cat had to be confined to my bedroom, he became extremely angry and started accusing us of making the cat hate him and prefer us... autism, eh :bash:
> 
> She's got a bit of a scabby nose as well as dirty ears... but all this will be covered at the vets! We may ask about a vaccination as well, as we don't know her history, and better to be safe than sorry!


If you post a found add, dont post a pic or discription, someone might want a free pet so claim shes theres, ask any one to discribe her to you. That way your more sure she is theirs.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> We've got a vet appointment book for 4:30 today, and we Frontlined her last night... I woke up to plenty of dead fleas on my bed this morning! Any that were still moving were squished. She is indeed very tame... we're going to try and find an owner first, but if we can't locate one, then depending on what my dad wants to do, we will either give her a chance, or we know my aunt would love to have her.
> Got some kitten food as well today to keep her going on
> I'm going to have a right job de-fleaing my bedroom! The lizards are going to have to go on holiday for a few days... my brother just didn't understand why the cat had to be confined to my bedroom, he became extremely angry and started accusing us of making the cat hate him and prefer us... autism, eh :bash:
> 
> She's got a bit of a scabby nose as well as dirty ears... but all this will be covered at the vets! We may ask about a vaccination as well, as we don't know her history, and better to be safe than sorry!


 
If you can get some Skoosh the reps can stay in your bedroom while you deflea it as its a silicone based products that isnt toxic to anything, it works by coating the fleas etc which kills them
Poor kitty hasnt had a very good start in life has she


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

dizzylynn said:


> If you post a found add, dont post a pic or discription, someone might want a free pet so claim shes theres, ask any one to discribe her to you. That way your more sure she is theirs.


At some point today we're going to have a wander around the place we found her, there are a couple of farms and houses we're going to visit... just ask if they're missing a cat!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Shell's right - Skoosh is your answer! :2thumb:

Looking at the size of her I would say it's very unlikely she's had her vaccinations.


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## sooty (Dec 31, 2009)

i think skoosh would be a good name for her: victory:
good luck and find out where she came from,if not then hope you find a lovely home for her:flrt: lovely little thing:flrt:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

We're not allowed to name her yet - naming is a one-way street to owning her and mum wants to keep our options open at the moment :lol2: Philip wanted to name her Leigh (apparently it's his cat because he found it, screw finding an owner) and I'm flat out refusing as I think it's a horrid name for a cat. If it was male, my dad wanted Peter (as in Peter Cook and Dudley Moore?) but we'd want it more 'kittified' so would have gone with Petrie  
I'll have a look at getting some Skoosh if it's lizard safe... and also break out the vacuum! But for now, she remains confined to my bedroom until we can get a hold on the flea outbreak.

Upon my return from the vets, I have come away with this:

- My suspicions were confirmed - the kit is female. Go me, amateur kitten sexer!
- As long as we go through her with the flea comb every day then we've at least broken the back of the infestation, and should eventually eradicate it providing she's Frontlined again in 4 weeks and the house and other animals are treated.
- The vet estimates she's between 8-10 weeks... so not an ideal time to have left mum!
- She has now been de-wormed.
- The anaemia should be combated with the eradication of the fleas.
- The scabby bits on her nose could have come from a fall, or her catching something that decided to fight back. We haven't been given anything to treat it, but have been advised to keep it clean and keep an eye on it.
- She has been scanned - no microchip.
- We've been advised to contact local rescues, the radio, and the RSPCA, so we'll get on that ASAP.

Well, at least she travels in a cat carrier nicely!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That's all good news - I figured around about that age, which was why I said it would be doubtful that she was vaccinated, as vaccinations start at 9 weeks.

Good luck with getting her sorted, but I'm sure you will! :2thumb:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> That's all good news - I figured around about that age, which was why I said it would be doubtful that she was vaccinated, as vaccinations start at 9 weeks.
> 
> Good luck with getting her sorted, but I'm sure you will! :2thumb:


Yeah, we definitely knew she was too young to be out alone! 
We'll make sure she finds a good home, whatever the case :2thumb:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

This is the best size comparison I can come up with :lol2:









Also a good excuse to see how placid she is :whistling2:









I'm liking Gypsy for a name :whistling2: She's a traveller, isn't she!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> This is the best size comparison I can come up with :lol2:
> image
> 
> Also a good excuse to see how placid she is :whistling2:
> ...


 
She looks at home already:whistling2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Bless her, she looks incredibly cute! :flrt:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

*Just thought I'd offer you guys a quick update...*

We've advertised wherever possible about the little lost kitten, and are giving it a couple of weeks for someone to come forward. If no one claims her, my cousin is very eager to give her a trial period with her 2 cats, so I may be driving her down to Gainsborough next week to say hello to Nina and Mojo 
In the event of us possibly keeping her, we introduced her to Dudley and the dogs yesterday... starting with her in the dog crate and introducing them one by one... and then sticking the dogs in the crate and letting her investigate them. She was much calmer around the dogs once she realised they weren't going to hurt her - but Dudley was not impressed at all with her! :lol2:


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

My OH excitedly just went ''awwwww... playstation kitty'' hehe...
She is very cute!! I like Gypsy as a name too  
Good luck with any introductions


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

em_40 said:


> My OH excitedly just went ''awwwww... playstation kitty'' hehe...
> She is very cute!! I like Gypsy as a name too
> Good luck with any introductions


:lol2: It's better than her trying to suckle on the analog sticks! And my eyes, for that matter!
We tried more introductions today, she settled very quickly with the dogs in the crate, she occasionally got a bit bottle-brushed if they moved too quickly, but on the whole was much calmer than yesterday. 
We brought Dudley inside and let them roam around the house freely... he is still not very happy with her at all, there was a bit of hissing and grumbling, but they did touch noses a couple of times for sniffs  We think it's just a case of them getting used to one another. It was only when kitten decided she wanted to play with Dudley and launched herself at him, did he swipe at her!
Also took her into the garden on the kitty harness, just to stretch her legs a bit, for 10 mins. She took to the harness much better than Dudley did (he freaked and got loose the first time he went on so we never tried it again, and just rely on him coming back of his own will now lol). She's such a little spitfire!


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## angelgirls29 (Jul 10, 2010)

Screen name SYXEPGY? :flrt:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

methinks someones getting comfy and might not be leaving.......


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

angelgirls29 said:


> Screen name SYXEPGY? :flrt:


:lol2: I was wondering where you'd pulled that name out from... and then I looked closer! My nerd phases come and go 
Brother's still intent on naming her Leigh  (though he doesn't know we are planning on rehoming her!) I've said at the very least, call her Leeya so it doesn't sound so chavvy. But officially, she still has no name... if my cousin's adopting her, we may leave her to name her 
My mum really is loathed to let her go, but we've weighed up the pros and cons, and we really don't want yet another animal that is frightened of Philip because of his atrocious behaviour and attitude - it's just not fair. Even Jazzy is frightened of him! She bolted under the kitchen table this morning when he came downstairs :devil: If he moves out soon, then we may re-assess the situation  And Karen is always more than welcome to bring the kitten back if things don't work out!



pigglywiggly said:


> methinks someones getting comfy and might not be leaving.......


She's up for being claimed for the next 2 weeks :whistling2: After that, we'll see! If Karen can't take her, then yeah, we'll probably be having her, circumstances permitting :lol2: I'll probably look after her, seeing as she's very comfortable in my bedroom.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

My cousin came to introduce herself to the kitten this afternoon - instant love (as if there'd be anything else lol). Kitty was quite taken with Karen's husband as well, as much as he said he didn't like her as he was cuddling her :lol2: She was going to take her home there and then but dad thought it'd be a bad idea... brother would have thrown an unfathomable tantrum.
So, we have constructed a clever mini-fib. When he came home for lunch, we said that Karen wanted the kitten as a playmate for her own cats - which is actually true, but the proper reason, that he can't look after a cat to save his life and we don't want another one, would have upset him. So, he's said he'll think about giving the cat away (obviously at the end of the day he has no choice - we are acting in the kitten's best interests as he is currently not).
Regardless, I am taking her down to Gainsborough on Tuesday for an introduction to my cousin's cats, and if all goes well I will be leaving her there for a trial period... she's only 30 minutes away if there are any problems  
I must admit, she's driving me a bit barmy, locked in my bedroom all day! :lol2: But she's a lovely little cuddle-bug


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Don't be put off if first introductions don't go too well - cats don't make friends as easily as dogs and they tend to be suspicious and frightened of new cats they meet, so there'll be lots of growling and spitting, so it could take a few weeks for them her to settle.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> Don't be put off if first introductions don't go too well - cats don't make friends as easily as dogs and they tend to be suspicious and frightened of new cats they meet, so there'll be lots of growling and spitting, so it could take a few weeks for them her to settle.


Yes, we were planning on giving it a few weeks, see how she goes :2thumb: As long as no-one gets wounded then we're fully prepared to give them some time  It's the best place for her, really - we know she'll be well looked after and spoiled rotten with my cousin!
Would you suggest the 2 established cats go in a cat box while the kitten investigates them, or the other way around? Or, let everyone loose straight away in one room (supervised of course)? Never had to introduce cats before! :lol2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

May have hit a snag. Kitten is limping really quite badly - we're taking her to the vet ASAP to see what the problem is, but if she needs treatment then we'll be holding onto her for a bit longer... we don't want to be giving my cousin an injured kitty!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

I really think she might be staying - you will just have to take care of her. Good that she is getting on with your dogs, that is usually a sticking point. Dudley will come around. 

Your brother is old enough to move out but not look after a cat?

Re introducing. The cats can be separated by a door for a day so they can smell each other but not get close and then you can try the rub talc into all their coats so they have similar smell (not sure if this actually works but something I heard along the way). 

We put ours in dog crates side by side and luckily they were friends very quickly. Personally though I am a bit of a worrier and it might be easier just to bung them all in together on neutral ground.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Nix said:


> Your brother is old enough to move out but not look after a cat?


Without going into too much detail, as it does wind me up to a ridiculous degree...
He is autistic. He doesn't understand how much it costs to look after an animal. He says he would pay for her as she is his, but he doesn't know how much we have already paid in vet costs, and he can't handle his money to save his life. Seriously, he gets paid a month's wages and it's gone in a week on booze, paying back mates and cigarettes. Cat food would not be a priority for him - the kitten would be lucky if he even thought about it without being reminded. He doesn't understand that they need regular care - they are not a 'play with it for a couple of days, get bored and pick up where you left off a week later'. He could kill a pet rock. 
He is hardly ever home, so it would be down to us to look after and feed this cat - and I'm sure I've mentioned before in the past that he is very spiteful. If the kitten scratched him or bit him in play, he would at the very least be verbally abusive to her; God forbid strike at her. He has already said that he will beat _us_ if this kitten comes to love me or my parents more than him; he is convinced that we turn the animals against him.

My cousin is very optimistic about taking her at the moment, but we will have to see. I'm sure if she does end up staying with us then it wouldn't be a huge problem - we'd just have to arrange more introductions, and convince Philip that the cat does not belong to him. I've said to my mum I'd be prepared to take on her care and pay for food, vets, spaying, etc. (despite my pitiful wage lol), on the grounds he doesn't become possessive and aggressive if I do.


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Ah I see the situation now. Can you tell your brother that her owners came to rehome him? Probably best at your cousin's place for sure. 


Sounds like you need your own place hun! Hard on a lean wage though! I remember it well. I am on a decent wage now and it is still a struggle!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Nix said:


> Ah I see the situation now. Can you tell your brother that her owners came to rehome him? Probably best at your cousin's place for sure.
> 
> 
> Sounds like you need your own place hun! Hard on a lean wage though! I remember it well. I am on a decent wage now and it is still a struggle!


Well he turned up while my cousin was meeting the kitten, my dad ended up telling him that Karen and Liam would like the kitten as a playmate for their own cat... so he's said he'll think about giving her to them. I was going to take her down regardless and tell him that she was very taken with their cats and seemed very happy! I originally told my mum to tell him the kitty got claimed, but she's adamant she wants to stop the lying in the house - Philip's terrible for it and she doesn't want anyone else to start. 

I do need my own place :lol2: I'm saving up like crazy! But it's difficult on £60 a week  When I get a decent job and wage I can look into it! For now though, it's a waiting game for when Philip either gets kicked out again, or leaves of his own accord. One of the 2 will happen pretty soon, I'm sure, and then everyone can breathe easy again :whistling2:
Though I did tell my mum the other day I am very close to just living out of my car somewhere, and only coming home to feed and clean the lizards :lol2:


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Ah yeah £60 a week won't cut it.

I have a spare room in York if you ever need a break!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Nix said:


> Ah yeah £60 a week won't cut it.
> 
> I have a spare room in York if you ever need a break!


:lol2: Yeah £60 won't get me far!
I may hold you to that :whistling2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> May have hit a snag. Kitten is limping really quite badly - we're taking her to the vet ASAP to see what the problem is, but if she needs treatment then we'll be holding onto her for a bit longer... we don't want to be giving my cousin an injured kitty!


Have you checked inside the kitten's mouth??

'Limping Syndrome' is a clinical sign of Calicivirus - one of the cat flu viruses. If you can look inside her mouth, check her tongue and throat and if you see ulcers, then it's calici - sadly very common in stray cats, most of which will carry it and pass it over to kittens across the placenta. There's no treatment for it, but your vet will likely prescribe a course of anti-biotics to prevent a secondary bacterial infection while the immune system is weakened from fighting the virus.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> Have you checked inside the kitten's mouth??
> 
> 'Limping Syndrome' is a clinical sign of Calicivirus - one of the cat flu viruses. If you can look inside her mouth, check her tongue and throat and if you see ulcers, then it's calici - sadly very common in stray cats, most of which will carry it and pass it over to kittens across the placenta. There's no treatment for it, but your vet will likely prescribe a course of anti-biotics to prevent a secondary bacterial infection while the immune system is weakened from fighting the virus.


At first blush I'd say there are no signs of ulcers in the mouth, but now you've mentioned it I will bring it up at the vets for them to make sure tomorrow morning!
Is it possible she could have maybe just sprained it playing too vigorously? I put this suggestion forward to my mum and she said there's no way, kittens are like babies; they bounce! Tough as nails and all that jazz!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I do still get a distinct impression she may be staying :whistling2:










This is where she finds herself every evening - she is insanely jealous of the laptop; both the space it takes up on my lap, and how much of my time is dedicated to it rather than to her :lol2:

Please excuse the horrendous state of my bedside table :blush:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> At first blush I'd say there are no signs of ulcers in the mouth, but now you've mentioned it I will bring it up at the vets for them to make sure tomorrow morning!
> Is it possible she could have maybe just sprained it playing too vigorously? I put this suggestion forward to my mum and she said there's no way, kittens are like babies; they bounce! Tough as nails and all that jazz!


To be honest, if you present a kitten of that age with a limp I'd be more than surprised if the vet didn't check the mouth immediately after checking the leg, even if they feel any crepitus in the leg, just to rule out calici.

It is possible that she has hurt the leg, though.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

She's staying in for the morning to have X-rays - here's hoping she's okay! The vet thinks it's more the hip/pelvis area.
My bank account is going to cry :lol2: Worth it to make sure she's alright


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

:gasp: Not so good then! :sad:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Just got back from the vets. Bottom line, it's not great. The vet couldn't tell us whether it was an old injury, or a birth defect, but her hip joint is irregular, which is basically causing early arthritis in her back left leg - and putting her in a bit of pain! She _may_ grow out of it, because her bones are still growing and changing, but she may still get a bit old and frail before her time. If the problem persists, there is a surgical option to help correct it, but the vet wouldn't want to operate on her until she was at least 9 months old. 
So she's now on painkillers and we need to take her back for a check-up in a week. Poor little mite


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Oh dear - that's bad news! :sad:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Thought I'd post here to save making another thread...
Despite our best efforts to keep her quiet, calm and rested, we couldn't stop the kitty being a kitten all of the time, so during a particularly mad moment this afternoon she seems to have hurt herself pretty badly. She can no longer put any weight on her back left leg and is crying in pain when she stands or tries to move too much. We'll be rushing her to the vets ASAP  It's so horrid seeing her hurting! She doesn't even want to eat, she's just sleeping next to her scratching post... I feel so sorry for her!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Oh dear, you must be worried sick. She's definitely causing some problems, poor wee thing.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Back from the vets (again!)... the vet did not like the distinct lack of improvement. She was rather concerned. We have discussed with her and the head vet about our next course of action; and that is, for now, to take it a week at a time. They really don't want to operate on a kitten her age but if she doesn't improve, they could be wanting to do it in the next couple of weeks. That's 6 months earlier than what they thought was ideal, but nobody wants to see her in pain until she's 9 months old. 
So, she's on Metacam and Seraquin for the next 2 weeks, here's hoping there is some turnaround for her, she deserves a pain-free life!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Oh dear - poor girl, she's really having a bad start to life!

Do please keep updating this thread with her progress!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Just keeps coming with this kit! She has started vomiting today - no reason we can fathom as she hasn't been fed anything different, hasn't been fed any more/less than usual, and I was due to up her Metacam dosage tonight so it's not the drugs upsetting her stomach. She has so far done it twice; once early this morning (so I didn't give her early morning feed) and again about 10 minutes ago, so I am wondering whether I want to risk giving her 9:30pm feed...
With vomiting our household tends to work in threes - so if she does it one more time, she's off to the vets again! She seems perfectly alert as usual, and can frolic about my room for England, so we'll see what the next couple of hours bring!


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## cloggers (Mar 13, 2010)

Ophexis said:


> Just keeps coming with this kit! She has started vomiting today - no reason we can fathom as she hasn't been fed anything different, hasn't been fed any more/less than usual, and I was due to up her Metacam dosage tonight so it's not the drugs upsetting her stomach. She has so far done it twice; once early this morning (so I didn't give her early morning feed) and again about 10 minutes ago, so I am wondering whether I want to risk giving her 9:30pm feed...
> With vomiting our household tends to work in threes - so if she does it one more time, she's off to the vets again! She seems perfectly alert as usual, and can frolic about my room for England, so we'll see what the next couple of hours bring!


Was the vomit like bile? I don't know about the morning vomit, but the afternoon could have been due to no food in her stomach? Maybe give her a small amount of food a bit earlier than usual and see how she goes?
Good luck and I really hope it isn't another trip to the vets


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

cloggers said:


> Was the vomit like bile? I don't know about the morning vomit, but the afternoon could have been due to no food in her stomach? Maybe give her a small amount of food a bit earlier than usual and see how she goes?
> Good luck and I really hope it isn't another trip to the vets


No, it wasn't bile-y, it was definitely food-vomit, both times 
She's still pooping and peeing fine as far as I'm aware, and I check her litter tray several times a day!


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## cloggers (Mar 13, 2010)

Ophexis said:


> No, it wasn't bile-y, it was definitely food-vomit, both times
> She's still pooping and peeing fine as far as I'm aware, and I check her litter tray several times a day!


oh  Then I don't know what to suggest


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

cloggers said:


> oh  Then I don't know what to suggest


Thanks for the input hun, we haven't had a kitten in nearly 20 years, it's a bit of a learning curve for all of us!


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## kirstie rose (Mar 8, 2009)

Blimey ive been glued to reading this thread. I do hope she pulls through bless her. Keep us updated x


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> Thanks for the input hun, we haven't had a kitten in nearly 20 years, it's a bit of a learning curve for all of us!


To be honest with this kitten even if you had kittens for the last 20 years you would still be on a learning curve! :gasp:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Haha, she's certainly kept us on our toes! 
There's been no vomiting today, so that's a plus... I'm surprised she hasn't been sore today though! She was throwing herself around my bedroom last night and this morning, dragging the scratching post everywhere, tearing ass across my bed and over my vivs... basically being absolutely determined to keep me awake when I'm halfway through working an 11-day week :lol2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

She vomited again this afternoon  I don't understand!
Unfortunately I had to work this evening until the vets closed, but I will be taking her to the walk-in clinic tomorrow when I'm on my lunch break... She still seems perfectly fine in herself, climbing up my dressing gown and whatnot... but we really need to find out what has suddenly upset her stomach! 
My mum's asked me to keep her updated while she's away dog-sitting for her sister, so I'll be going it alone tomorrow! :gasp: Sod's law my crestie's unwell too! 
I've had a right day today!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> She vomited again this afternoon  I don't understand!
> Unfortunately I had to work this evening until the vets closed, but I will be taking her to the walk-in clinic tomorrow when I'm on my lunch break... She still seems perfectly fine in herself, climbing up my dressing gown and whatnot... but we really need to find out what has suddenly upset her stomach!
> My mum's asked me to keep her updated while she's away dog-sitting for her sister, so I'll be going it alone tomorrow! :gasp: Sod's law my crestie's unwell too!
> I've had a right day today!


 
Could it be shes eating to fast? Sorry to hear about your poorly crestie


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Shell195 said:


> Could it be shes eating to fast? Sorry to hear about your poorly crestie


It's possible... but I do try and watch her when she eats! Shall I try putting it on a plate rather than a bowl, spread it out a little? I just wonder why she's started doing it now; she was a right little gannet when she first came to us but seems to have slowed down a little since then!
The crestie's just going to have faecal tests starting from his next poop


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Try putting something like a ping pong ball or something similar inside the bowl of food (obviously too big to swallow! :lol, so she has to eat around the ball, which prevents her from 'gulping' it down.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> Try putting something like a ping pong ball or something similar inside the bowl of food (obviously too big to swallow! :lol, so she has to eat around the ball, which prevents her from 'gulping' it down.


Excellent! We just bought some ping pong balls for her the other day since she loves batting them around! Just need to find where she's hidden it... 
What a time to be left alone with the animals - things are going a bit pear-shaped!


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

i would say have you checked around all the farms as people often nick cats from the farm were i work cause they dont relise they already have a home and dont get me wrong i know your just trying to help lol. 
but anyway if you returned her to a farm in the condition she is in there is a good chance with most farmers that they would just kill her so she didn't suffer.
ive seen my boss kill a few kittens before so i know it happens


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

123dragon said:


> i would say have you checked around all the farms as people often nick cats from the farm were i work cause they dont relise they already have a home and dont get me wrong i know your just trying to help lol.
> but anyway if you returned her to a farm in the condition she is in there is a good chance with most farmers that they would just kill her so she didn't suffer.
> ive seen my boss kill a few kittens before so i know it happens


There are only 2 farms near me, and neither are missing any kittens. We've advertised her on the radio, RSPCA, local papers... and no one has claimed her. We are positive she'd been dumped. We are now working on getting her into good health so she can go to a nice home.


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

Ophexis said:


> There are only 2 farms near me, and neither are missing any kittens. We've advertised her on the radio, RSPCA, local papers... and no one has claimed her. We are positive she'd been dumped. We are now working on getting her into good health so she can go to a nice home.


i just dont understand why someone would want to dump such a cute little kitten lol 
but then with some people in this world they would dump a kitten if it didnt use the litter tray one time


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Back from the vets again! 
We are to stop the Metacam for at least the next 48 hours, to save further upsetting her stomach, and to ring the vets mid-week to see if she's alright to go back on it. 
She's had an antibiotic injection as well... evil little mare managed to get her own back on me and the nurse... we both tried restraining her and got bitten and scratched for our troubles, little spitfire she is :lol2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

She's already grown a bit since being with us :flrt: Starting look a little more adult now!


















Please excuse the random black dots on the pictures... there's something wrong with my camera... though I do think it has worked in this pic's favour (she was chasing a hoverfly):








"OMG! Wazzat?!"

Just a closer shot of her face, when it was still a bit scabby, obviously things are better now


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Shes beautiful:flrt: I forgot she was on Metacm, it can indeed upset stomachs. She sounds like she certainly has an attitude:lol2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Shell195 said:


> Shes beautiful:flrt: I forgot she was on Metacm, it can indeed upset stomachs. She sounds like she certainly has an attitude:lol2:


We thought it only upset stomachs if it was overdosed on? Whatever the case, she's getting a break from it for a bit  
She's got plenty of attitude and character :lol2: She's definitely left her mark on me!


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> We thought it only upset stomachs if it was overdosed on? Whatever the case, she's getting a break from it for a bit
> She's got plenty of attitude and character :lol2: She's definitely left her mark on me!


 
*Are there any side effects?*

Metacam is a very safe drug as long it is used with care, but Metacam is a powerful drug and several side effects are known to occur on occasions. These are: 

Damage to the gut lining, possibly leading to ulceration, even perforation.
Kidney damage
Reduced blood clotting
Very rarely serious liver damage
The first signs of side effects are usually loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhoea (possibly with blood). If these are seen it is important to stop the medication immediately and for a vet to check the animal. Usually everything will settle down quite quickly, with or without specific treatment, but occasionally these signs can progress to serious illness and even death, so they must not be ignored. Metacam can be regarded as a safe and effective treatment which brings enormous relief and dramatically improves quality of life in suitable patients, but it must be used carefully and under veterinary supervision.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Shell195 said:


> *Are there any side effects?*
> 
> Metacam is a very safe drug as long it is used with care, but Metacam is a powerful drug and several side effects are known to occur on occasions. These are:
> 
> ...


Ouch  I should've remembered reading that in the leaflet :blush: I've got 2 bloomin' boxes of the stuff!
I suppose it's difficult really... she could be in pain for a while if her hip doesn't improve, hence the Metacam... but if it's going to make her sick, we're going to need something else! We'll have to see what the vet says next week. She can still have her Seraquin though, so I guess that could provide some relief... I just hate to see her hurting


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Aw, she's growing up all right and I can see a bit of 'attitude'.

Hope her tummy's settling down now she's off the metacam.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> Aw, she's growing up all right and I can see a bit of 'attitude'.
> 
> Hope her tummy's settling down now she's off the metacam.


I hope so too! She vomited again early this morning, but I wasn't expecting an overnight change if it was due to the Metacam. I don't like waking up at 6am to hear that horrid retching/gagging noise! And then 2 minutes later having her face shoved into mine while I'm still half-asleep in bed, trying to lick my eyes... don't think I didn't hear what had just come out of your mouth!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

:lol2:


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## puppyluv774 (Dec 26, 2009)

awwwwwwwwww!:flrt: He/She does look like he is old enough to leave mummy though.:whistling2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

puppyluv774 said:


> awwwwwwwwww!:flrt: He/She does look like he is old enough to leave mummy though.:whistling2:


She is now... but originally the vet estimated her at 8 weeks old when she first came to us. That is too young in my opinion, from an emotional/psychological state, at least. This was evident in her behaviour as she tries to suckle things still occasionally.

EDIT: No vomiting this morning


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Oh cripes, just had a read back. Fingers crossed for you on the kitten front.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> She is now... but originally the vet estimated her at 8 weeks old when she first came to us. That is too young in my opinion, from an emotional/psychological state, at least. This was evident in her behaviour as she tries to suckle things still occasionally.
> 
> EDIT: No vomiting this morning


Definitely too young! :2thumb:

And even more so too young to be out alone! :bash:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I thought there had been improvement... clearly I was wrong... 6am, same old story. 
And this morning, she left her breakfast. That is concerning... I think it'll be another vet trip!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Ophexis said:


> I thought there had been improvement... clearly I was wrong... 6am, same old story.
> And this morning, she left her breakfast. That is concerning... I think it'll be another vet trip!


 
So sorry to hear this!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm pretty torn here, it has to be said. If I feed her, I can guarantee at some point, she's going to be sick. This is clearly not helping her as it must be dehydrating her and certainly isn't going to make her feel very good! 
But at the same time, I can't starve her!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Have you tried blending up some plain boiled rice with a little water to make a sloppy paste? Give her just a teaspoon and see if it stays down.

I think you need the kitten equivalent of critical care formula (that is the reptile version).


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Nix said:


> Have you tried blending up some plain boiled rice with a little water to make a sloppy paste? Give her just a teaspoon and see if it stays down.
> 
> I think you need the kitten equivalent of critical care formula (that is the reptile version).


I can give that a go, thanks for the suggestion. I'll try that for her next feed!
I'm ringing the vets in a minute to see what they say as well.

EDIT: She's going back for another appointment 4pm today. Every vet in the surgery is already pretty familiar with her and her case :lol2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

She's now on a sensitivity controlled diet for the next week. If no improvement, back we'll go again! She was also sick in her carrier on the way home  That's twice today!
Something good has come from today's visit though... she seems to be walking better! She's in much less pain than she was a couple of weeks ago  She may not need the operation the way her bones are growing! Also, she's putting on a decent amount of weight


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

*Battle For My Attention!*

We're still insanely jealous of the laptop that takes up all the space on my knee 

"Can you move this heavy thing? Surely I'm more important!"









"Fine! I'll just sleep here!"









I think she won this battle against the laptop :whistling2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis said:


> She's now on a sensitivity controlled diet for the next week. If no improvement, back we'll go again! She was also sick in her carrier on the way home  That's twice today!
> Something good has come from today's visit though... she seems to be walking better! She's in much less pain than she was a couple of weeks ago  She may not need the operation the way her bones are growing! Also, she's putting on a decent amount of weight


Well that's a bit of good news!! :2thumb:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I thought her stomach had settled down now but she was unwell again this morning. For the past couple of days I've heard the gagging/retching noises, but it appears she hadn't been bringing anything up.
However, I believe she may have gotten into some of Dudley's food yesterday while she had some time out of my bedroom, so that could have been what had upset her stomach. All food is now hidden from her when she's roaming about the house! I need some respite from her being in my room all the time :lol2: She is, admittedly, driving me absolutely barmy! Especially at night when I'm trying to sleep, and she's catapulting around, bouncing off the walls, trashing my room, scaling the door! Not to mention it sets the dogs off :gasp: And she's started breaking things with her antics... she must be stopped :lol2:
Speaking of which, we have decided it would be for the best if she is rehomed with my cousin as originally planned, when she is healthy. The dogs are just far too excitable around her and she does not help by teasing them. She needs to go to a quieter household where she has more freedom to be a kitten. She's lovely, but it's unfair keeping her locked up in a room all day.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I found out what the gagging/retching was bringing up... As I caught her at it 10 minutes ago. She's bringing up a clear liquid, totally odourless. Probably the reason why I never found anything was because it had dried! 
She's still eating, drinking urinating and defecating as normal. Is there any reason for the clear liquid, do you think?


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

No advances on what the clear liquid is? 
Never mind then ... the vet has advised keeping her on the sensitivity diet for another couple of weeks if she's still a bit delicate, and has still been vomiting. She has also been put on a three-day course of Panacur. The vet wants to avoid more tests at the moment as the kitten seems perfectly fine in herself despite the upset stomach, but if we're still experiencing issues next week, blood tests may become an option. 
My mum wants to call her Radley... Expensive!! :lol2:
My cousin still wants her and is coming up to see us this weekend to discuss it with us... she's prepared to take her as early as 2 weeks time, health permitting. 

She's found a new routine at night lol... as soon as the lights go out for bed, she's up on the bed and burrowing under my blanket:








Then we get our head out a little bit to watch some TV...








Then by morning she's under the covers with me :lol2:


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## EButler (Aug 21, 2011)

Sounds like that little girl really fell on her feet when she found you x


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

*Good News, Everyone!*

We have decided to keep the kitten I believe, unless my cousin provides some uber amazing reason why she wants her tomorrow :lol2: 
She has been let out into the wider confines of the house (admittedly because I couldn't stand my room being the only place in the house getting destroyed by her  ) and everyone has fallen for her! 
So, at the moment, Radley appears to be the name we've chosen for her - as she's been a very expensive little cat! :lol2: We'll be keeping her inside the house until she is old enough to be spayed :2thumb:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

What wonderful news and I love the name! :2thumb:

So have all her problems sorted themselves out and is she now a sick-free cat?


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

feorag said:


> What wonderful news and I love the name! :2thumb:
> 
> So have all her problems sorted themselves out and is she now a sick-free cat?


No incidents of sickness for about a week now - and she's back on regular kitten food which she is keeping down! And you can hardly see she had anything wrong with her hips at all; she's using the leg extremely well, like there was never a problem  She is still getting half a Seraquin tablet a day, just to keep on top of things for now. She's just a regular manic kit!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Even better news then! :2thumb:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

She's going to fit right in...










Everyone's mad here :lol2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I can see that! :lol2:


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