Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Update on Mammacat + 5 Kittens





A long update on our Mammacat and five kittens rescued from a backyard:

Today the kittens got vaccines for panleukopenia (feline distemper), rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus. The official word is that we have 4 boys and 1 girl (Pierrot). Everybody was pretty freaked except for Runty, who was such a curious little trooper. So the feline herpes is still rearing its goopy, crusty head, so we have more eye drops to administer, and he recommended an over the counter pill that we can crush up in food for them that will help keep it under control.

So everybody but Pierrot is at the ideal age and stage of development to be adopted out, said the vet.

As for Pierrot - she is, as the vet put it so kindly, "well this one's pretty feral." She needs to be taken to a separate home from the other guys ASAP and worked on individually (hand feeding, special attention, etc) for another couple weeks, then she can be adopted, but she's always going to be pretty iffy, and with special socialization needs. If anybody out there wants to take on this beautiful girl as a project, please let us know -- done! Pierrot is the tiger cat with a white blaze in the third photo down.

As for Runty - this is really sad. The heart murmur they thought they heard the last time he was in there is apparently really serious, and he should have surgery. Apparently this surgery costs thousands of dollars. The doctor was really concerned about this ... poor Runty is the happiest and most energetic of the bunch but, as the vet put it, could apparently drop dead at any second.

As for Mammacat, she went home yesterday -- to Evanston. She is going to be with a family who used to have a very similar-looking tuxedo semi-feral who died. We hope to have a photograph of Mammacat in situ soon.

2 comments:

margaret said...

I'm so sorry about poor Runty! I rescued a kitten this summer that had a heart murmur, but it turned out to be harmless. Poor baby Runty. :o( :o( But maybe he'll be all right. I'm so sad for him.

That's very good news about Mammacat, though. I hope she and her new people will love each other forever. She looks like such a sweetheart, I'm sure they will.

Ah--Pierrot! I will cross my fingers that someone will offer to take her in and socialize her.

Thank you for caring for this beautiful bunch of felines so well.

lilolady said...

Kudos to Pierrots new purrson! As purrson to many a feral, I can say, if the cat is successfully brought in, there is a fair chance of socializing at least to some extent. I have two that are as domestic and appreciative as any more fortunate kitty.