Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi

My cat has been missing for almost a week now and she had 4 kittens only 2 weeks ago. I have been feeding them by bottle but 1 has died and another is very weak as I work long hours and unable to feed every 3 hours as needed.

Does anyone has a nursing mum who may be able to nurse these little babies for me ? Or know of anyone I can contact.

This is quite urgent as I don;t want anymore to die and 1 of them is already rather weak.

Any help appreciated

Thanks

Sarah

Hi Sarah, this is awful. Very sorry to hear.

Please can you give the area where you live in case someone on here lives near you and can help.

Also in the rescue and rehoming section there is a list of cat rescues who may be able to help too.

Also please check out the lost and found section as there is good advice on there regarding tracing a lost cat.

I do hope your girl returns soon, but yes, regardless, you need to get those kittens to either a surrogate or someone who can be on hand for feeds, and all the very best to you and the kits, good luck x

Thank you so much for your kind words. It's awful, my kids miss her terribly and and distraught as the babies are constantly crying, it's heartbreaking.

We are in Langley, Berkshire. I have put an ad in the Facebook page for the area too so hopefully we can find someone to help these beautiful little bubbas
xx

You're welcome - just wish I could help more.

Another couple of things I've thought of -

Your vet may be able to put you in touch with someone.

And - after a feed, sorry if you know this already, you need to swab the kittens' backsides gently with damp cottonwool to stimulate their bowels/bladders. This is why you'll see a mother cat washing her kittens while they feed; her tongue stimulates them to 'go' and then she eats the result - who'd be a mother cat eh? Without this stimulus they may have problems.

I do hope you find somewhere and fast - please let us know how you get on, all the very best x

Thank you, yes that's the first thing I did, my vet just said to hand rear them. I've tried but it's not working. I have been helping them to 'go', I thought my bottle feeding and bottom cleaning days were over ! xx

I wish I lived closer to you. I'd take them on. I've done it successfully before, twice. Perhaps if you put the word out there might be another old fxxt like me with the time to raise your kittens. Good luck in finding a 'mum' for them feline OR human.

Just a thought and a bit of a long shot - do you know anyone with a young female cat or even a soppy bitch (I'm not being personal! ) My Rosie dog helped me raise Willow, teaching me in her doggy way that kittens needed to be toileted (I hadn't a clue until she showed me). Also when we found Bob we had a cat we called Lily. She turned up a few months before Bob. We took her in and had her neutered. The vet said she had been 'just' pregnant. The hormones must have still been active because she took to Bob and even suckled him. We have it on film, unbelieveable!

Hi again Sarah, glad you knew already re toileting, that's great. Just thought I'd mention in case. I can't remember how I learned this myself but it came in handy once when I had a girl recovering from a C section.

Bobbys Girl, that is just gorgeous - amazing the parenting instinct. I once had a young lad dumped on me; he was a sweet laid back lad; when he was about a year old, neutered, I got a little rescue kitten, and she was little, eyes still blue (over 30 years ago) and she fell in love with her big brother Timus - or should I say Papa Timus. He curled up with her, washed her...and let her suckle! When she was older she haunted the bathroom when I was bathing and tried to fasten on me She wasn't the only kitten I knew who tried this on either!

Again good luck, Sarah, do hope you find some help soon for these kitties x

Hi there, I am so sorry to read this. Please ring your local rescues, there’s a list here and I would try Cats Protection as they are usually helpful, or any on this list:
http://www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-re ... -berkshire

As Lilith says, contacting your vet would be really helpful too, I am sure they will advise you what to do.

Hi,

Thank you for all your help and support. Sadly I lost all of the babies over the weekend. They had fading cat syndrome apparently. I stayed up through the night Friday feeding and nursing them, I am so sad about it as I though the alt one was actually going to make it. The vet thinks this is why their mummy hasn't come home, he thinks she took herself off to die. So I have lost my cat and the babies ........

Oh I am so very sorry to hear that.

Must admit I have not heard of fading cat syndrome.

So sad. (hugs) to you for trying so hard for them. x

So very sorry to hear.

I'm not sure I agree with your vet; I've known a mother ignore a newborn that wasn't going to make it and concentrate on the healthy kittens, and I've heard of 'fading kitten syndrome' but to my knowledge the mother never abandoned the litter or died herself.

However, you don't need to hear that; it's just that it's possible your girl may still come back; hope she does as it would be a comfort for you and your children after this tragic episode. Also would be very good to find out if she is safe - please do update if you manage to find out more. But again very very sorry to hear, hugs, Lil x

So desperately sad for you, I'm so very sorry. xx

I can’t understand why a mother would go to die either, very sorry to read this. So sad