Topic: Katie's Quest (Read 52042 times)

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #27 on:** December 01, 2015, 00:43:41 AM »

Quote from: DaveD on December 01, 2015, 00:13:41 AM

...............if you get one, and she's spayed before a male is introduced, that would be safe.

or alternatively get the male neutered first then he isn't interested.

Seriously, As Liz has said, time of spay/neuter depends on maturity of ktten so in terms of when to get them 'done' the answer is as soon as the vet thinks they're ready for it.

I wouldn't say that 2 females was necessarily any easier than a male and a female ( or indeed 2 males but that clearly isn't going to happen if you have already reserved a tortie

). It all depends on the personality of the cats, and while males can be more boisterous, females can be more devious, so they can usually hold their own. I would hesitate to put a very boisterous, confident cat from one litter with a quiet, fairy timid one from another litter, but apart from glaring differences like that I wouldn't worry too much. As Susanne has said, it's the introductions that matter, but most kittens will accept a newcomer pretty quickly. Good luck.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #26 on:** December 01, 2015, 00:40:39 AM »

My goodness, thanks the alarm bell sounded.

I agree with what the others have said but if you could get two girls from the same litter I think that would the best option

Also no more searching while one grew older .

however if you can only get one then no choice.

Hope that you get good news and can sort out the details about vets and stuff.

It maybe different in Scotland but here I dont know any vets who will neuter before 4 months.

DaveD · « **Reply #25 on:** December 01, 2015, 00:13:41 AM »

Two females would be easiest, but if you get one, and she's spayed before a male is introduced, that would be safe.
Males do tend to spray when they mature, until they're neutered, so that might be a consideration too!
Fingers crossed you have good news soon.

Liz · « **Reply #24 on:** December 01, 2015, 00:11:59 AM »

As early as 4 months spaying is usually at 2kgs most vets will do this all my current girls including my 2 nortie tortie kittens Nutmeg and Izzy-bidet and Pepsi were done at 2kgs and ID chipped at the same time and were bounding around with no issues

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #23 on:** November 30, 2015, 23:53:13 PM »

what a roller coaster! Sounds exciting and keeping everything crossed it works out. 2 torties? That sounds like a sure recipe for trouble, lol!

Yes it should be ok to introduce a 2nd kitten from a different litter. You would have to be a little careful with intros at first but kittens usually accept other kittens fairly readily. As to how soon they can get pregnant - as early as 4 months!

McKitties (Katie) · « **Reply #22 on:** November 30, 2015, 23:34:15 PM »

Oh boy folks, what a day! Another epic Katie drama. You'd better sit down!

I was ready to leave to go see the kitties and was just putting my shoes on and I get a message from litter owner to say really sorry but all 4 cats are reserved. She was very apologetic and explained that she was taking 'the runt', her son is taking one and a couple came this morning and put money down to reserve the last two. Gutted.
So moped about a bit, well actually went in the huff.

Did some paperwork and then another message from her came through. "Think the kittens will be for rehoming again as I've had a complaint about the couple who reserved them. Will keep you updated"
So I was totally confused and didn't know whether we were going to see them next day or not! Alarm bells starting.
The next message tells me that the couple who reserved the last two kittens were baiters and the police and the SSPCA were involved. So we arrange to see the litter tomorrow but with no guarantees that we would reserve one. Then she tells us she has another pregnant cat due this week! Alarm bells.
Was feeling in a right quandary then and was discussing it with OH when a message comes through on my phone from an old school friend saying how sorry she was about us losing Indie. She also said that maybe it was too early but her friend had three tortie kittens that were three weeks old! I phoned straight away thinking not a hope, but the girl said that they were waiting to see who had the best circumstances and then they would decide. Unbeknown to us my school friend had already described where we lived and the girl said we could have one!!!

She mentioned that they were keeping one themselves, leaving one girl. So I asked if we could have her as well. But it turns out she had promised a kitten to a girl when they were born but has since found out she stays near a busy road so she now doesn't know what to do. So she's thinking about it over night and will let me know. So keep your fingers crossed!
I'm so excited. One of the kittens is scarily like Indie and one is just dark and splodgy and one has gorgeous markings above her eyes. They have already mentioned worming and it just feels different, they obviously are interested in their welfare. They have sent me photos and a video.

Wow, what a day eh?

We really have decided to get two kittens, I think a couple of you have said that to me along the way. Reading about Chester and Beau playing and we saw when Indie was here a playmate would have been better.

A question. If we just get one torte girl, is it possible to introduce a kitten from a different litter of a similar age and if so should you get the same sex. How early can cats get pregnant?

Nothing is simple is it?!

Nicola (RockysMum) · « **Reply #21 on:** November 30, 2015, 21:39:04 PM »

Me too Gill!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #20 on:** November 30, 2015, 20:52:13 PM »

The suspense is killing me!

Tigerlily (Allison) · « **Reply #19 on:** November 30, 2015, 20:40:20 PM »

And me

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #18 on:** November 30, 2015, 18:49:30 PM »

... and me.

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #17 on:** November 30, 2015, 18:41:55 PM »

An me!!!!

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #16 on:** November 30, 2015, 18:34:43 PM »

Snap! Me three!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #15 on:** November 30, 2015, 18:33:51 PM »

Meeeeeeeeeeeeeee too.

Nicola (RockysMum) · « **Reply #14 on:** November 30, 2015, 18:32:34 PM »

Well? Any news Katie?

Dying to know how you got on! x

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #13 on:** November 30, 2015, 13:18:19 PM »

Thats really interesting about Cat Chat Nicola and know this is totally irrelevant to this thread but I always try and warn people about the rescues on there.

I used to volunteer and help with the rescue side electronically but kept finding rescues that were so bad in what they were doing. No checks are made.................would be impossible...........and my concience would not let me do it any more.

Good luck Katie and hope that Indie has guided you to the right place and cats

Yes as Nicola.................is it one or two??????????????? or are you just waiting to see

''here comes Katie with 6 kittens''

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2015, 13:17:26 PM »

Oh my goodness, just look at the time. You're probably already on your way there Katie and will have missed my post. No problem though, if your gut hasn't already warned you off then I'm sure you'll be going again.

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #11 on:** November 30, 2015, 13:15:43 PM »

Lots of good advice on here but the trouble with going to see kittens is that you will fall in love them whatever their circumstances so I’m glad your OH is going with you.

There are all sorts of specific things you could look for and you could drive yourself mad with them but as many have already said, trusting your gut instinct is very good starting point.

Asking how mum got pregnant is a very naiive question but put the right way (you don’t want the lady to think you’re an idiot who knows nothing and is therefore an unsuitable kitten meowmy and nor do you want to get her back up by appearing judgemental) it’s one worth asking. What you are on the lookout for is whether there is a strong possibily that dad cat may be a close relative of mum which increases the chances of inherited diseases. It has to be said that kittens from a private breeder (accidental or otherwise) are no more and no less likely to have problems with their lineage than those from a rescue, as generaly nothing is known about the history of mum cat (or a litter of abandoned kittens) when they arrive at the rescue. However, an experienced rescuer might be quicker to spot early signs of trouble and know how to deal with it.

I don’t know how old the kittens are but if they have not yet been weaned I would be very wary if you encountered the same situation you did with Indie where mum is not feeding them properly. This invariably means that either mum knows there is something wrong with her kitten and has rejected it or she herself is having health issues. Generally if it’s only one kitten she isn’t feeding then the problem is with the kitten, although you do need to be able to distinguish between actual rejection by the mum and just the fact that one particular kitten repeatedly gets pushed aside by its stronger, greedier siblings. In the latter case judicious placing of the kitten on one of the mum’s teats is generally all that’s needed. If it’s all of them then mum (and kittens) need vet checking. It may just be a case that mum doesn’t have enough milk for a big litter, in which case the kittens may need topping up with a proper formula in the right amount. On the other hand mum may have a more serious condition that requires medical treatment and separation from her kittens in which case they will need bottle feeding. I suppose what I’m saying here is that the human needs to observe at least some of the feeding sessions and not just trust that mum is getting on with it.

The issue of worming is fraught with problems. As Liz has said, kittens ought to be wormed at 4,6 and 8 weeks but it must be the right wormer and I think I’m right in saying that only Panacur, a prescription-only 3 day treatment, is suitable for kittens under 8 weeks. There are other products available once they reach 8 weeks but again they ned a vet’s prescrition. Personally I would rather my kitten hadn’t been wormed at all than had been wormed incorrectly. That said, a kitten with a heavy load of worms often fails to thrive and to the inexperienced eye it can be difficult to tell a wormy belly from a belly that is full of food.

Good luck.

Nicola (RockysMum) · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2015, 10:23:42 AM »

Is it today at 2pm you're going Katie? Are they ready to be homed just now? Are you thinking of one kitten or two? Can you tell I'm a bit excited?

As Sue says, my frantic searching led me to a woman who was listed on Catchat as a rescue. She was 15 minutes from where I live with a litter of kittens.

But when I contacted her, she didn't ask me any of the questions I've come to expect from a decent rescue and was happy for me just to come and pick 2 kittens. That in itself made me a bit wary.
She then texted me to say the whole litter had bad diarrhoea and that she was feeding them chicken to try and settle it.

I asked a few questions and she couldn't even tell what sex they were. She said they'd been wormed but then admitted they hadn't seen a vet.

When I asked more questions, she got a bit nippy with me.

My gut just told me she was a bit dodgy and at that point I found a local branch of CAT with kittens and got my boys.

My advice is go with your gut. As you say, if the kittens look healthy and bright and if they've had worm and flea treatment, I'd be happy.

You want them to have the best treatment possible before you get them, but then look at my experience with my wee mite Chester, his fosterer was amazing and very eperienced. he'd seen the vet a few times for checks and had everything he should've. And yet he still got poorly.

But the bottom line is, I wouldn't change it for the world becasue he's so precious to me and I'd do whatever it takes to get him healthy.

However, after what you've just been through, the last thing you need is a poorly kitten. You'll know though, your instinct will tell you if it's right for you.

Fingers crossed you visit and find a bunch of healthy, fluffy little monsters

JenGeorgieBob · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2015, 10:18:44 AM »

Gill is right, it is Billy we have such problems with. Had I done more research, had I thought things through I probably wouldn't have Billy and Zarny, but I went with my heart. He has very bad anxiety and is struggling to adapt to a home, we have good days and bad. We have a long term plan with the vets, so whilst I can say 'do what I say, not what I do', likewise I go with my heart, and certainly with Billy, who else would have the patience? (Excepting purrs peeps)

Good luck with the search, and have faith that Indie will send the patter of paws your way.

Edited to add, I did have the most amazing Billy cuddle his morning, complete with purring and kneading, for 5 whole minutes!

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2015, 09:18:54 AM »

Just for the record Katie, if I ended up going to a BSB and found a sick kitten, I'd have my cheque book out and the kitten in my basket before you could say Unzipped Banana

That's why I always go to rescues but of course we have a good number of rescues in Birmingham.

Best of luck

McKitties (Katie) · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2015, 09:09:12 AM »

Thanks for sound advice as usual ladies, I'll go with my level head on and my gut instinct.

Katie x

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2015, 07:47:36 AM »

I agree with being very cautious about private sellers, whether backstreet breeder or someone who didn't bother to get their cat spayed. Not only is there a greater risk of health issues (if the cat was out roaming and mated with any random tom that means a much increased risk of disease transmission e.g FIV) but these people will continue to do what they do so long as they can find buyers. Very difficult to turn your back on a kitten needing a home though, I know. Kittens may be in short supply this time of year and as you've found out there is a long waiting list as everyone wants a small kitten. This sometimes means that older kittens are overlooked (many people will consider 4 months too old - they want a tiny kitten) so it's worth looking for kittens age between 5 and 12 months. Still babies but probably less demand for them.

Good luck with your search. It's very exciting!

Sue P (Paddysmum) · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2015, 07:19:52 AM »

Some great advice already, and you're heading in the right direction Katie, using your instincts to guide you.

I've bought from a back street breeder before, and most of them are horrendous, frankly. However, it wasn't the cat's fault, and he needed a home as badly as any others - if he hadn't been sold to us, he'd probably have ended up on the streets anyway, but I think you have to be prepared and know what you risk taking on in those circumstances.

As Gill said, none of us want you to go through another heartbreak like Indie's loss unless its because your cat has died of old age after living a long and happy life with you and your OH.

With the exception of Westgate Ark, where we've had Moray from and the girls, I haven't had very good experiences with shelters either when it comes to cats - I've had some cracking dogs from rescues, but with regard to cats, have found rescues very hit and miss. Like everything, there are good and less good rescues operating out there.

One point to bear in mind is that the current owner may not be willing to let a kitten be taken for a vet check unless you leave a deposit, or pay in full upfront. That may make it less easy for you to get your money back if there is anything wrong. That's less likely to be a problem with a rescue, but you never know. Ask what their policy is on vet-checks, and that way you not only show that you're responsible, but you can flush out any potential hostility prior to going to look at any litters

Nic had a near miss when she was looking for Chester and Beau - she'd been looking at getting a cat from a woman who was very off with her when she began asking relevant questions, and Nic realized - like you - that something didn't feel right about the woman's set up, so she looked elsewhere.

My advice would be, wherever you get your next cat or cats from, check them out first, then make your decision.

Pedigree breeders come in for a lot of stick, and like everything else, there are good uns and bad uns. I do think however - and same applies to dogs, horses, cattle etc that if all pedigree breeders are tarred with the same brush and hounded out of the picture, we'd lose most of the world's unique and magnificent breeds of dog or cat, and that would be tragic.

The beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat almost died out before careful breeding plans were revived. On the flip side, the modern Siamese is almost unrecognisable from the Siamese of 40 or 50 years ago.

Misa · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2015, 04:47:27 AM »

This is gill in disguise lol

Yes sure you are right and hope everything goes OK.

Sorry didn't want to sound like I was lecturing you.

Please the dog is OK now........the joys of animals!

I currently have two cats in my bed and I don't think I ever get a chance to sleep! Both are washing themselves which I guess is better than what your dog was doing lol.

McKitties (Katie) · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2015, 04:15:55 AM »

Joy of joy I have just woken up with the dog trying to be sick on the bed, he's got something stuck in his throat. I've given him a drink and a few biscuits to try and encourage it down. He's such a waste disposal unit.

A lot of the points that you have made Gill are very valid and I'll use these to ask more questions when I'm there.
I got the impression that this was simply a dozy

who never got her cat spayed and now she has a litter. I have no reason to suspect she's an organised back st breeder. Our visit tomorrow should give us more answers.

Nothing is simple is it? Well not with me anyway! One good thing, the dog has stopped retching and has gone to sleep!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2015, 03:16:28 AM »

I too have a worry about private litters.

The question is why have they got it?

Are they breeding deliberately to sell? If so its not good and are backstreet breeders.

Who is the father of these kittens and how is the breeding happening, how old is the mother and how many litters has she had and how far apart.

Jens two cats came from a pedigree breeder and the boy, thinks its Billy but not sure is scared and having some probs adjusting to being free in a house as he was kept in the place where the queens were brought to him..............its all he knew for about 7 years.

There are much better way for breeders to act!

Basically from my point of view its an ethical point of view but unless things are very hunky dory at that house................you also need to see the mother and if posible the father and all the kittens...............and all kittens look clean and healthy, please dont even think about one.

I think that if every thing seems Ok then your idea of taking the kitten/kittens to a vet is a very good one and if the owner does not agree, get out of there quick. But make sure she understands that any problem the vet identifies will mean you will not take a kitten.

Why is this so flaming difficult with potholes to negotiate at every turn!!

On the whole its the wrong time of the year for kittens and as someone else said, in the lead up to Christmas rehoming usually stops................a cat/dog is not for Christmas but for life, and thats the reason why.

sorry if this sounds like a lecture but its not meant to be but I would hate for you to get hurt again because of this that illegal breeders do.

If they are not pedigrees the person cannot be a legal breeder, could be their cat got out and was caught by a tom and if so the mother would be very very young as by 6 months at the latest the cat should have been spayed.

Please take care and you are wise to be overcareful even.

McKitties (Katie) · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2015, 02:04:46 AM »

This new thread is a continuation of some posts from another less appropriate thread.

It is basically about my quest to find a new kitten(s)

REPLY TO LIZ

Well bless you and your special gang Liz. The Angus Rescue by the way is quite far away, not impossible but there are several centre closer. We are up on the Moray coast towards Inverness.
The frustrating thing is Moray Cat Protection have a litter of six gorgeous kittens right now (go onto Facebook the video is so cute) but unfortunately they have 30 people on their waiting list!

I think as it appears very difficult to find kittens up here, I'm going to go with the cautious approach, particularly when it comes to private litters. Unfortunately or fortunately, the Indie experience has made me more wary and certainly given me things to look for. I am going to ask if I can take the kitten to my vet to be checked at my expense. The vaccination and neutering later is our responsibility, I just need to make sure the whole litter is wormed, flead and the eyes are bright and clean. The house is in a very nice area so let's hope that's a good start, it's not always, but here's hoping.

Author Topic: Katie's Quest (Read 52042 times)