Took in a stray

gazzer

Just looking for some advice in regards looking after a little kitten. I found one this morning in the car park in work. Its a tiny little thing and it was shivering and all its back hair was matted. I gave her some milk which she gulped down and left her to her own devices for a couple of hours hoping that her mother or father would come for her. The kitten was still outside on her own so I decided to bring her to my house (I only live up the road from work) and have put her in the utility room with some more milk.

The thing is I have a dog (A Cocker Spaniel cross). Now the dog didnt bat an eyelid when I brought the cat in. She just sniffed her and walked away but if I have the kitten for the next few days (until I can find somebody to take her) have you any tips etc on what is best to feed her and how to have a harmonious relationship between dog and cat? Thanks

anniehoo

My advice would be:
1. Dont feed cows milk to it. They dont digest it very well and can result in digestive problems. Whiskas kitten milk or a milk substitute from the pet shop mixed with a small amount of kitten food 3-4 times daily would be ideal.
2. Put a little hot water bottle wrapped in a towel in a box or basket.The kitten sounds young so a little bit of comfort would do it good.
3. Your dog doesnt seem too interested in the kitten on first meeting it so the transition may be quite smooth. Dont leave them on their own until you know the dog has no interest. Introduce the kitten in short bursts throughout the day and he should be used to him in no time.
4. A kitten wormer would also be ideal at this stage too.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well if your just keeping her for a few days, a few packets of kitty food and you can buy kitty milk from Tescos and keep her warm & comfy and she should be good to go.

If you have room would you consider keeping her?.

There's hardly any work in keeping a cat and they bring bags of fun when you eventually settle it into your home.

Cats are the funniest things.

anniehoo

gazzer wrote: »

or father would come for her.

Have yet to see a tom cat take any interest in their offspring. Theyre there for the fun bit and move on!;)

MsFifers

Aw the poor thing - well done on taking it in.

How big is the kitten? Are her eyes blue or a different colour? After about 6 weeks the eye colour changes from blue and it can eat solids. There is tons of good info here:

http://www.kittenadoption.org/kittenCare.htm

If the kitten is old enough for solids, get some good quality kitten food from a vet or good pet shop - Hills or Royal Canin or something like that. You can get small quanitites of the Royal Canin which might suit you if you aren't going to keep kitten for long.

Milk isn't very nutritious for cats and some have a problem digesting it, so its better to get proper kitten food.

You'll need a litter tray and litter material or your utility room will start to get a bit stinky! Put her in the litter tray and scratch at the sand and she'll probably figure out what its for.

Its best to keep your dog seperate from the kitten when you are not there. And keep doggy on a lead so you can stop him getting too close when you are there.

gazzer

Thanks everybody for the info. @ MsFifers I reckon teh cat is very young as its eyes are indeed blue.

I actually have to bring my dog to the vets tonight for a check up so I will bring the kitten also just to get her checked over and then get some proper food and litter tray etc. I dont know if I want to keep her as I am not really a cat person but I will see how it goes. I will at the very least hold on to her until I can find a good home for her.

MsFifers

gazzer wrote: »

Thanks everybody for the info. @ MsFifers I reckon teh cat is very young as its eyes are indeed blue.

I actually have to bring my dog to the vets tonight for a check up so I will bring the kitten also just to get her checked over and then get some proper food and litter tray etc. I dont know if I want to keep her as I am not really a cat person but I will see how it goes. I will at the very least hold on to her until I can find a good home for her.

Fair play to you. The vet might give her some flea/worm treatments if she is healthy enough for them - you don't want your dog catching anything from her, the poor mite!

I bet she'll worm her way into your heart! Kittens are so cute & funny - they are irresistable.


Good luck with it and post back here if you need any more advice.

cotton

Well done for taking the little mite in.
I wouldn't worry about giving her any sort of milk, just water is fine.
With food, try some boiled chicken & rice mashed up well until you go to the vets this evening. You say her back hair is matted - do you mean the hair on her back end? If so, she might have diarrhoea which is definately a vet visit, kittens dehydrate & go downhill very quickly.
If you're going to use a hot water bottle, make sure it's not too hot, even when wrapped as they can unwrap them & burn themselves. You can get snugglesafe heatpads that heat up in the microwave & stay warm for hours - great for kittens.

Kittens are not cute, funny or irresistable. They are horrible little things.

gazzer

Here is a photo of the new lodger. I know it looks like I am strangling her but I swear Im not. I am thinking of names for her. At the moment it is between Willow and Cordelia.

Glowing

She is GORGEOUS!

Edit: She looks like a Cordelia-cat

kerrysgold

She's gorgeous, she looks like a little Lynx with those ears! Cordelia is a nice name

Well done for taking her in, probably best to get her some special cats milk like the Whiskas one or just give her water as cats are naturally lactose intolerant and it can give them an upset stomach.

It sounds like your dog didn't really care, your lucky to have such a laid back dog! You should keep her, she looks like she's settled in already and doesn't it seem nice to have one of each, a dog and cat?

sorella

Sympathy here... I have always had cats - until two years ago when one dog came into my life, in much the same circumstances as your kitten.

I still "prefer" cats, and still sometimes struggle with the differences, but gradually they grow on you, and now we have the two rescued dogs.

Whose adoration all but overwhelms sometimes.



. I dont know if I want to keep her as I am not really a cat person but I will see how it goes. I will at the very least hold on to her until I can find a good home for her.[/quote]

anniehoo

Yeh Cordelia suits her...shes very cute! Hope its actually a girl :P Awww once you've named her theres no giving her up wait till ya see you'll be attached in no time

BlackCat2008

Glad to hear you rescued her, good on you, you don't have to be a lover of any animal to give assistants to one in need.

Lactose free milk is better than whiskers which is full of sugar, you'll pick it up in tesco/dunnes milk department, if you are giving her good food she doesn't need milk at all.

If she is matted at the rear end then you need to get the hair cut away as this can stop them from going and cause untold problems, it's messy but the vet or one of the nurses might give you a hand.

She looks like she's coming up on the six weeks this is why mammy never came to get her they are on their own at that age.

The vet will advise you on wormer/flea stuff go with what he says as it's not every thing that can be used on young animals.

Once you name them you've given them a place in your heart and you may as well face it she's staying.

Oh looking at her rear end if she has two holes close together it a girl, if it's two hole far apart it's a boy.

Enjoy her you'll be surprised how many people say they don't like cats or dogs only to find them falling in love with them.