lump in new kitten!

[Tambrey]

I am not sure about age either, so I googled and came up with this

Catnip - Fun or Dangerous

Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) is an herb belonging to the mint family which has been used by man since the days of Ancient Egypt and by cats for even longer. It has a remarkable effect on many cats, stimulating them and relaxing them at the same time. The plant is a perennial, common throughout Europe and Asia, as well as in North America where it was introduced many years ago. Its feline appeal lies in a chemical called nepetalactone which is present in its stem and leaves. Although the plant exudes its characteristic odor all the time, it is much more attractive to cats when the shoots are damaged or withered.

Nepetalactone is an unsaturated lactone that does for some cats what marijuana does for some people. Cats take off on a ten minute "trip" during which they appear to be in a state of ecstasy, rubbing and rolling on the plant. All species of cats react in this way, even lions, but not every individual reacts to it. The deciding factor is genetic. Fifty to sixty percent of adult cats show a reaction to catnip. For the first two months of life kittens are repelled by catnip. The positive or neutral response does not appear until they are three months old.

Scientists have not determined how or why the chemical substance in catnip affects cats. They assert that it does no lasting damage and that after the catnip "trip" the cat is back to normal with no ill effects. Valerian and Canadian Honeysuckle are plants that produce similar behaviors in cats.

While cat owners may have reservations about offering their cats loose catnip, they will find that catnip stuffed in toys heightens the cat's interest in stationary toys that would otherwise be considered "dead prey", lifeless and boring. Toys that have pouches for catnip offer an advantage in that they can be emptied and refilled with fresh catnip. SmartCat has designed several of these toys. A new alternative to loose catnip, which can be messy, is catnip-infused plastic discs. These discs give off the smell of catnip for up to three months. Catnip toys should be stored in an airtight container with a pinch of catnip and brought out for twenty minutes play at a time. Like any herb, it looses its essential oils if left exposed to the air.

URL

[Cleo]

Thanks Tambrey, good to know.

Loopy I PM'd you about your avatar but also wanted to let you know that images for avatars can't be over 80x80 pixels, at the most 100x100 pixels, and file size no larger than 4K...anything else slows up the forum considerably, since ALL the avatars used have to load. Large avatars also stretch post pages, making it impossible to read.

Yours wasn't that large, but I did clean it up for you and it should work.

[Tina B and crew]

Cleo...it has always been my understanding that cats don't have an attraction to catnip until they become adults....at least that's they way I've always "read" it. I don't recall any of my kittens ever having an interest but man my adult cats all have just about!!!

Loopy...glad things are getting worked out with your little one. I have seen kittens develop a somewhat swollen spot with their spays...I think as long as it doesn't turn ugly it will be OK...glad your vet is keeping an eye on it though. It's always better to be safe and not worry. Cute cats!!

[Loopyhw1]

so back to the vet last night with the 2... for check in ....
Vet is convinced that the lump is either a pulled inner suture, which there's nothing to do about it, or a hernia which will heal itself ... muscles etc are all fine.. and he's confidant that within a week we'll see a much smaller lump and by the month it will be all gone

as for the big boy... well apparently he's neurotic and is licking his hair off in patches due to being compulsive.. he wants to see if once he settles into the new place etc he stops or is still doing it as frequently in the month in which case he wants to give him some hormone injections.... LOL

[mamabear]

As for kitty with lump....Keep a CLOSE eye on this, if lump has not receded in one more week, full re-evaluation. Make sure you check it everyday to see if there is redness,swelling,tenderness,or oozing at all.

As for the other kitty, did vet rule out mites,fleas,food allergies, and what about the stress level in the home? Not sure its about the move at this point. Please make sure they check for mites,fleas,allergies and such.

[Tambrey]

the vet should have at least done a skin scrape to rule out the mites or allergies on the skin...
I would go request one...

[Loopyhw1]

he tested for allergies the first time we took the cats in... this was the return check up visit.... said that the tests were neg... and he's a compulsive licker... hopefully it's just due to the stress. of changin environments and being with a kitten
... he's licked 2 patches on his front paws and his entire belly....

[mamabear]

Loop is this kitten new to him? Did it start after you got the kitten?

[Loopyhw1]

we got them the same day, but the kitten was new to the shelter ... he was in the kitty cat room for about a year.. kittens are housed separately until they reach 6 months... she's 10 weeks... vet is fairly confidant that he's doing it for adjusting issues

[Tambrey]

If you have not had a chance to yet....read through this thread and see if there is some ideas you can try

Feline Introductions

it takes time and persistence on all living beings for them to learn to get along...

you are doing good so far!