Mom Brought Me A Kitten

[Tambrey]

Make that 12 in our house right now...because a couple of weeks ago a woman called asking about a kitten, so DS15 went outside and just scooped one up (one that DH and I had been trying to catch forever!) and she is now a member of our household...however, DS15 did not think to get her name or phone number so hopefully she will call back...in the meantime, I do not want to put her back outside, and besides, she is on a round of Clavamox for URI...

So today, my mom came in after church carrying this little skinny black kitten...she found it under the hood of her car she had gotten all the way to church, a 20 mile drive along a highway, and as soon as she got out, she heard meowing...she looked all around the parking lot, she parks right by the cemetery, and no kitty...under the car...no kitty...so she slowly lifted the hood and there he was curled up along the back wall with his eyes closed...

She scooped him up and he began to purrrrr and snuggle into her neck...he was very warm of course, but no injuries at all...he must have been in that back corner for quite a while, because he had to have been there before she left home...and her lab mix dog will not allow cats onto the farm...so mom is thinking that he climbed into her car LASTNIGHT while she was at the country club for a class reunion, and the poor thing spent the night in her engine because Abby would not let him escape...and then he had to ride there on the highway because Mom did not know he was there...

So he is settled into our bathroom...his eyes are looking better, as I said, no visible markings, except he has a stub of a tail, but that is completely healed over...he is all black and has HUGE sharply pointed ears...his coat is shiny, and he went right into the litter box, so I am thinking that he is someone's pet that escaped...he is too little to be let out on his own and too tame to be a feral...but he is very skinny....I could feel ribs and backbone and he was starving, but I am feeding in small increments so he does not make himself sick...

Tomorrow I will take him to the vet and hopefully someone has reported him missing and he will get to go back home...elsewise, the vet's wife seems to have a liking to cats without tails, or injured tails that have had to be removed...

If I could find the USB cable, I could upload the pics to show you...it is here somewhere...probably behind the desk where a cat knocked it off!!

[Tambrey]

here ya go...I did not find the cable, but DH told me that his printer will do the same since it is a photo printer that we can put the memory card from the camera right into it

(please ignore the bathroom mess...it will be completed this week!!)







that last photo is kind of dark, but you can see how huge his ears are!!

[Ash]

He does look skinny, especially on the first picture! How old? Three, four months?

God, you always find these kids in the most unusual circumstances, don't you. Or rather your mom this time. Must be running in your family. (I'm thinking of the two dachshounds recently. - There were dachshounds, right? How are they?)

You could put up flyers in the area where your mom found him. Maybe someone is looking for him.

[Traci]

Tambrey, if you have a digital rectal thermometer, please try to take his temp and try to determine his hydration status (pinch test)...he could be slightly hyperthermic, in which he may need immediate sub-q fluids. If the temp is over 103, I wouldn't wait until tomorrow, if you can possibly get him seen today.

Only going by your pics, it appears his thrid eyelids are showing as well, this could be a sign of dehydration as well, but could also be a sign of any number of things.

When you get him to your vet, be sure to get a hydration check, temp check, and dewormed (your vet will determine the dose based on his weight), and feed a high quality kitten food with added nutrients, he looks malnourished for sure. Also be sure to mention he was found under the hood of the car so that your vet can examine him for any signs of wounds, etc that you may have missed.

Poor little guy, thanks for taking him in....keep us updated....

[Tambrey]

Traci...yes, his third eyelid was very pronounced at first, but as he is eating and drinking, he is looking better, his eyes are brighter and that third eyelid has been shrinking back...he was not too thirsty at first, but more interested in the food...I put dry kibble out for him, but I have some canned that I am going to give him and that will get some moisture into him as well...
I do not have a rectal thermometer, but just feeling his body, he has also cooled down since I brought him into the bathroom...he is laying in the window with a breeze, and is drinking water now...but if he shows signs of gettign worse rather than better, I will not hesitate to get him in right away...

Yes, when we go in tomorrow, I will have the vet check for dehydration and give fluids if neede...

Ash...I would venture to say 3 or 4 months at the most...he is about the same size as our ferals outside...but then, he also could be a bit older and just not properly fed...this is the third cat/kitten that my mother has brought to us...Tiglet and Cuddles somehow ended up on her farm and she managed to find them before Abby and Sheba (sine gone over the Bridge) did...

I have a sign on our front porch that has "Stray Cats Rescued Here"

[Tambrey]

Well, "Stubby" is home from the vet...he is overall a healthy kitten, born with just a stub of a tail, and no visible or noticeable injuries from his car ride...

He does have runny, slightly *beep* eyes, but not a snotty nose or cough, but he is on Clavamox for a week to nip anything in the bud...he also got wormed...
But we are going to hold off on any shots until he is over the icky eyes and in case someone calls to claim him, they may have gotten his shots already...but the vet who was on duty this morning, the small animal vet, did not recognize him...

They took note of his overall appearance and added his records to my expanding file and will call me if anyone calls in looking for him, or a kitten in general, as he is very tame and loveable and playful and litterbox trained and the whole bit...

[Ash]

Glad to hear he's alright. I get the feeling he belongs somewhere, maybe ran off a bit too far and didn't find his way back for a couple of days and that's why he's so skinny. You think that is possible? Or does he appear neglected?

[Tambrey]

He does not really seem to be neglected...he is very friendly and snuggly and lovey...uses the litter box and does not try to run out the bathroom door when I open it...so I am thinking he somehow escaped, or was let out...and did not find his way back, it got cold Saturday night as a front moved through, and he found a warm place to sleep in my mothers car engine...

Hopefully someone will call the vet and ask about him...or place missing posters up...I was going to make up some flyers, but the black ink for our printer is clogged or something...new cartridge but it will not flow through, and DH even tried everything short of taking the thing apart...which he is going to do when he gets back from training in Ohio!

[Cleo]

He's really sweet Tambrey and lucky to have stumbled upon your mom! Good luck.

[TheSkeptic]

Sounds like you accumulate kittens like we accumulated dogs. Make sure that you don't take on too much. Good luck.