Kitten Help - Urgent Please

[Beanie]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the advice. I've included an extract from my friend's email:

Just a quick hello tell you about the moggies  ..  as you will see from the attached photo,  mum and kittens doing great. 

I think that instinct just got the better of her for the first three days, she’s now coming out for her food and a little walkabout.

Shall keep you posted'.

I will try to post the photo separately.

Hi Dawn,

I'm waiting to hear from him about volunteering opportunities in Greece and will let you know asap.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

That would be great Pete, as I said we haven't decided when or where yet so we're pretty much open to offers or wherever we can help really.  I need to get my numbers down obviously and I'm just hoping I don't get an onslought during the summer but would appreciate some ideas.

[Beanie]

Hi Dawn,

he doesn't run the rescue but volunteers where he can. I'll get you some more deatils.

He is based in Volos- a sea port halfway between Athens and Thessaloniki.

I think he will know about other rescues, so i will check with him later and come back to you.

If you go to Cyprus I can put you in touch with a rescue there through a friend of mind. It is just outside Pathos.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

Pete, does your friend actually help in a rescue or run one himself?  Lainey and I are after going on a Trapping holiday but we haven't sorted anywhere out as yet.  Would your friend have any ideas of rescues that need this sort of help ie TNR?

[Beanie]

Thanks to you all. 

Keep it coming.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

The worse thing with the ferals is the only check you can do on them really is visually from a distance which doesn't really help matters    The only other way is knocking her out which isn't ideal with feeding young..........he needs to write ALL the symptoms down and explain in detail to the vet.

[Beccles]

Could well be hypocalcaemic... which vet can sort easily but she does need to see a vet, I think.

Could also be all sorts of other things of varying severity.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

If she's stressed out with being caught and confined, she may be too scared to move.  Normally with feral mums and babies, I part cover the cage so they have some privacy.......some cats get extremely protective of their young.  Is she in a secluded spot where she can be quiet and left alone? 

Food wise, I would check that he's giving her enough food, they tend to eat 4 times more than normal when feeding young.  Make sure it's a good quality food and it may be an idea to get some kmr for her to keep her strength up.  If she seems obviously weak, a trip to the vet needs to be done but ideally, if he can explain the symptoms and hopefully the vet will give him something to try her on.....she may have an infection but the vet isn't going to be able check her anyway and it will totally stress her out taking her.........she may need some antibiotics by the sounds of things.

[CurlyCatz]

sounds quite bad to me so i'd say vets as soon as he can.

Maybe she is getting up through the night though ??

[Beanie]

Hi Ela,

To the best of my knowledge he is taking the food right up to the cat. I am not sure if he is waiting to watch her actually eat, so i will check.

[Ela]

Once you had told me yes I was then going to say that the cat therefore could easily be got into a carry cage and I think to that it should be taken to a vet along with the kittens as soon as possible Certainly no later than tomorrow.

[tammy]

Hello Beanie

Ive had some experience of 'new mum' cats and this seems ver odd to me.  It is normal for her not to want to wander too far or for too long being semi feral and worrying about her little ones, but having said that after 4 days she should be getting up and about a little. There are several things that could cause these symptoms, such as an infection caused by the birth or shortly afterwards or internal bleeding. It may not be anything as serious as that but I think she may need proffesional looking at and advice. Let us know how she gets on.

[Ela]

Do you mean he is putting the food right up to her then?

[Beanie]

The one area where I have no experience is kittens.

My oldest friend lives in Northern Greece where he helps with animal rescue. He has been helping a semi feral mother who has just given birth to 3 kittens last wednesday. He got the mother a special basket where she had her kittens and seems to be comfortable.

He says that the mother appears to eating OK but has not got up to stretch her legs since giving birth.

Could I ask expreienced folk who have reared kittens whether this is normal behaviour?

She is feeding the kittens but seems to have little or no energy. This must be normal after birth but how long would this normally go on for before a mother cat starts trying to move. She doesn't appear to have gone to the toilet either which, if she is eating, would possibly point to some blockage.

Any advice would be welcome. I will be talking to him tonight.