Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: burstingbug on November 22, 2008, 20:44:35 PM
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My new kitten came to me today a little earlier than expected as mum cat was ignoring her litter.
Mischief my 18wk male is very playful and chatty and obviously lil kitty is very shy and quiet.
They have separate litter trays and separate food & water bowls. They are choosing to use the same litter tray at the moment.
There is a lot of hissing and growling between them and mischief pounces on lil kitty and bats her, bites and does that kicking thing with his back legs.
How normal is this between new kittens? Do I need to separate them sooner rather than later incase one gets hurt? or is this them sorting out who's the boss?
:scared:
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partly it is them sorting out who is in charge, but the younger one is not able to defend itself so you will need to make sure they are not left alone together in case it gets nasty. I suggest that while you are with them you leave them to it unless it looks really threatening, and when you can not be there, you keep them apart. They will get along fine once the dust has settled, but right now the younger one is in shock from leaving its family and now being pounced on by someone much bigger than it is. So not a good scene ...
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Thanks, I've put lil kitty in the bathroom for the night, it looks like she now has diarrhoea :sick: :( and has already had an accident in the lounge :doh:
I'll introduce them again slowly for an hour or so each time tomorrow.
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If she still has a runny tum this morning then it is straight off to the emergency vet for you. Kittens can dehydrate and die within hours!! Are you feeding her the same food she had at the home she came from? Make sure she also has plenty of water available to her. Do not give her milk - this is a common mistake and one that leads to diarrhoea in most cats. Make sure she is kept warm and clean. Hope she is OK ... :hug:
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I am afraid that it is way to early to be introducing a new cat to your exisiting cat and apart from which if the new baby has come from a dubious home she needs to be isolated first to ensure that she does not have anything nasty. Runny tummys are not uncommon in cats that have been moved and stress is a cause. :sick: She has been moved from mum and the litter and had to cope with a strange cat and a strange home all within 24 hours.
She needs to be isolated till she has seen a vet, kittens from dubious backgrounds can bring in enteritis which is a godawful disease that can be wipe out for the rest of the feline family. Hopefully it is just stress, get her better first and then slowly on the introductions.
Hope the wee one gets better soon.
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Oh and I forgot to add 24 hours is no time at all to assess whether they will get on or not. ;)
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Yes she is still runny :( 3 times during the night, so thats 5 or 6 runny poos altogether.
She's still away from my other cat. She has a cat tepee in the bathroom with a blanket and a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket too. Fast asleep at the moment.
She's on the same food as before, but not interested in that this morning. Not given her milk, but I have seen her drinking her water this morning.
Will give vet a call and see what they advise.
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Well, we are here for you if you need us! Purrs is good in providing support in times like this! ;D
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Answer phone on at vets, called the number they said and it doesn't dial anywhere :-:
I don't trust the other vets which are closer to us.
Er eek!
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The answerphone at the other vet may have an emergency number on it. That is unlikely to be the actual veterinary service, but an animal emergency clinic. Give it a try. I would definitely not leave her overnight again if she is off her food, so you need to sort something out ... Sorry, trying not to sound like a panic merchant ...
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Our vet is supposed to be 24hrs.
Will try calling the other vet surgery.
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Is your new kitten vac? I wouldnt be mixing them if not..?
BTW where did this little kitten come from? I do hope it was a rescue, but i am not sure a rescue would of beenkeen to let a younger kitten go even if the mother didnt take much notice of it.. It would of been fostered until old enough to be vac..?
I hope the little one is okay.. What i should do is contact the people you got hte kitten from and see if any of the other kittens are showing signs of upset tummy...! But it could all be done to stress!
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I agree that if she is going to the toilet that much, she is probably seriously dehydrated and needs fluids pronto. Poor baby :(
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She's new to the rescuing thing, people are taking her unwanted animals and then she tries to rehome them :-:.
No vaccinations yet as still so small, but has been wormed. Other kittens and mum have diarrhoea too but her other cats don't :shify:
I can't help but think that I have stumbled on a big mess :(
Mischief isn't allowed in the bathroom where kitty is.
Receptionist at the vet's said as long as she is eating a little and drinking kept warm then to monitor her, if she gets any worse then to take her in. gah!
i'll be taking her in with me regardless tomorrow as chiefy is getting wormed.
<kicks self>
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An easy way to tell if the kitten is dehydrated is to take a pinch of the loose skin at the back of its neck. A fully hydrated cat, the skin will immediately settle back into place when you release the pinch. A dehydrated cat, it will stay in the shape you made for a short while. The longer it stays folded, the more dehydrated the animal. Give it a go and decide from there ...
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Umm i worry somewhat with good intentions... whether not vac etc kittens or at least not getting them vet checked, is a sensible thing to do if you are involved in rescue.. This may be a slight case of stress etc... but not knowing anything about the kitties or getting them checked out before rehoming is not a good prospect for a rescue in future years...
If the kitten was too young to be vac then i have to say that perhaps it would of been better to of stayed with the lady until then, if mum has a dodgy tummy then its highly likely she passed it onto the kittens. So with that in mind why didnt this little kitty get sorted before rehoming, as the stress of a new home surely would make matters worse...at least these are my thoughts... and hence my "worry" about the dubious rescue person... Anyhow i am sure its nothing.. but if you speak to this lady maybe you can pass on our (or my ) concerns...You see thats why rescues org are always skint!! because of the vets bills and general MOT that we do before rehoming!
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I agree that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and that the person who supplied the kitten might have done a better job. However the point of this thread is to provide positive support to BB and to help her get her kitten back on the road to health. After that we can have a debate about the whys and wherefores of people who seek to do the right thing. It was not that long ago that a long-standing member of our forum found herself in difficulty when she stepped in to sort out some ferals, and it is too soon to judge the situation of the person who supplied BB's kitten. After the kitten is well, perhaps we can start another thread in which we discuss the issues Sharon has raised.
I am sure if BB's friend is interested in doing the right thing, and friendly invitation to this forum would provide her with the advice and information needed to do what she hopes to do, as effectively and well as she can. In the mean time, can we limit ourselves to advice to BB to get her poor sick kittie sorted?
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Umm you are quite right BlackCat.. I hope that little kitten improves as the day goes on.. I did some what go off thread.. Sorry about that.. But good issue to discuss later on..
All the best for this little puss cat!
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I read Petal is unwell on the other thread, poor little thing. :hug:
Hope Mischief is doing well. I guess intros will wait now until Petal is fully recovered - I'm sure one of us had a good link about introducing cats to one another.
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Absolutely, intros are going to be a long way off.
Mischief is fine :Luv: :Luv:
will post about Petal's progress on her thread :Luv2: