Fostering 11 cats between 2 weeks – 2 years – all advice appreciated!

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  • #843697
    Venetia
    Participant

    Dearest kitten aficionados:

    I am looking for advice relating to my kitty situation. I’m living in Hanoi, Vietnam in an old house with my boyfriend. Apart from us, we also have:

    THE KITTIES
    * Mr Kitty, our beloved resident kitten, who’s mother (a stray) never came back to her 3 kittens, about 3 weeks after giving birth on our roof.
    * Bob, Zoro & Tiny, each 8 weeks old, who we are fostering for a local shelter.
    * Mia, a female cat we are fostering from the same local shelter + her 6 kittens who are now 2 weeks old.

    MY SETUP

    * Mr Kitty, Bob, Zoro and Tiny are free to roam around upstairs (our bedroom and adjoining empty room, no door separating and a wrap around balcony)

    * Mia and her kittens live in a large cardboard box (actually 2 joined with an entryway between so Mia can jump in and out) which serves as the ‘nest’. The ‘room’ the kittens sleep in is dark 99% of the day, except for when I lift the heavy fabric to take a look and check in on them. Mia spends maybe 50% or a little less of her day in here for feeding the kittens.

    * There are 2 different sets of litter boxes, food and water bowls in a common area for all the cats (except Mia’s kittens, who are restricted to the cardboard ‘nest’) but they all seem very happy to share and use all.

    * All the cats get along well, in fact the 8-week old kittens suckle Mr Kitty’s fur (like a mother cat) and we often find Zoro attached to one of Mia’s nipples when she’s out of the nest. Neither Mr Kitty nor Mia seem to mind so I haven’t interfered.

    MY QUESTION
    What are my next steps with Mia’s kittens? Should I leave the top of their ‘nest’ uncovered so they are exposed to natural daylight? Should I create an opening at the bottom of the box (Mia currently jumps in and out) so that the kittens can follow Mia when they are ready? My main concerns are with the other kittens (Mr Kitty, Bob, Zoro and Tiny) jumping into the kittens ‘nest’ and traumatising Mia and/or her kittens.

    I understand that this situation is not a) normal, or b) ideal, for fostering and raising kittens, however I decided to accept them all as the shelter was already over-capacity and struggling with a sickness spreading around the existing cats. They were at the point of needing to turn cats to the street (please note, the cat meat trade in north Vietnam is booming and cats are commonly taken off the streets) in the dead of winter, SO…. I figured I’d take it day by day and ask people with more experience than me (that’d be you guys!) for advice as needed.

    A big thank you in advance for all your advice, I really appreciate it!!!

    #843700
    CatWScotia
    Participant

    For a start, I would uncover the box for at least part of each day, to let Mia’s babies get used to daylight. Ideally I would keep them separated from the bigger kittens for a little longer, just in case the others decide that they want the box for themselves!

    If Mia is used to the others and happy to mix with them, she would probably be able to keep an eye on them all and ensure the safety of her own family, but it would be best if you could be there when they do begin to meet each other, until you can see how they’re all going to get on. You may find you have a large box full of a rather mixed family!

    I’m sure other TDKers will be able to give you more definite hints and tips. You obviously care about your furry family, and I wish you all the best of luck for a happy, healthy future for them all.

    😀

    #843722
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Hi Venetia! CWS (we use initial a lot here) gave you good advice. I too, would remove the cover off the kittens, they don’t need to be in the dark at all really. I am going to post some links for you that will help you with questions that may arise. Of course, feel free to come back with specific ones if you need to.
    It’s ideal for the mother cat to raise her young as they have the best start with less problems if she can do it. Just keep an eye on them and make sure all are getting fed. If you have to intervene and give milk, goat’s milk is the best substitute for cat milk. I agree with you, getting the cats off the streets and away from danger, be it people running over them or looking for a meal 👿 makes sense to me. Thanks and bless you for helping these cats and kittens be healthy and live better lives!
    http://www.safehavenforcats.com/newborn.htm
    http://messybeast.com/handrear.htm

    Chaos’ Guide to Constipation


    http://petcha.com/pet_care/dealing-with-kitten-diarrhea/

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