New nuggy kitten in da house! I don’t have many details yet, all I know is he was trapped last night and he may have other siblings. I’m guessing he’s around 5 weeks. Oh, and he’s a hissy feral baby which are my fave 😍
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He’s in quarantine so will be kept separate from Quinn for now 🐱 @whiskersnpurrs said.
Hissy kittens are like toddlers having tantrums – they really want to be taken seriously, but they’re just so cute you have to laugh 😂 @whiskersnpurrs said.
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Me and the new nugget are getting along swimmingly 😍 #feralkitten #kittyroo .
It’s possible that he may have siblings. The trapper is working on it. I’m going to wait to name him until we know for sure. @whiskersnpurrs said.
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I’ve got a pocketful of sunshine ☀️ #feralkitten @kittyroo_ #kittyroo #sunshinekittens @whiskersnpurrs said.
My li’l ginger sidekick 😍
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The #kittyroo sweatshirt is so perfect for orphan kittens. Most of the day he sleeps, but when he’s awake he cries and doesn’t want to be alone. And I can’t spend hours sitting on the bathroom floor with him. So he gets to ride in the pouch while I go about my business. The only rule is he has to stay inside, and foster mom can’t touch him. Otherwise I would be washing my hands every minute! He’s getting the hang of it and usually ends up falling asleep right away @whiskersnpurrs said.
Greetings from the pouch 😍 #orphankitten #fosterkitten @kittyroo_ #kittyroo #sunshinekittens @whiskersnpurrs said.
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Looks like I have two finicky eaters! Ginger baby will take a few bites then walk away, but he will eat more if I hand feed him. I think I will need to handfeed more often as he’s losing weight, quite a concerning amount. I don’t believe there’s anything wrong, I just think he’s adjusting to having solid food. He was probably still just nursing when he came to me 🐱 @whiskersnpurrs said.
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Orphan baby has been with us five days now, so I think it’s time to give him a proper name. Ginger nugget shall now be called Ray, cuz he’s a little ray of sunshine ☀️
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A few days ago I posted a photo of him in the kittyroo with a caption “I’ve got a pocketful of sunshine”. Auntie Beverly @suryawellness texted me suggesting the name Ray. I think it’s perfect 😍
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It is known that he has siblings and the trapper is trying to get them, and their mom. If siblings show up I have a good list of sunshine related names to go with Ray ❤ @whiskersnpurrs said.
Foster dad is away, and I’m sick. So this is pretty much what my weekend is looking like 😕 @whiskersnpurrs said.
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It’s a challenge to get a good photo of Ray – he is usually tucked up under my ear 😍
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I’m struggling to get him to gain weight, so you can see he’s looking a bit scrawny. And his grooming skills need some help too. Babies this age really do need their mothers. It’s such a contrast to have him and Quinn to compare. They couldn’t be more different @whiskersnpurrs said.
Ray was upset that I said he looked scruffy, so he wanted to show you how clever he is by grooming while balancing on my foot 😂 @whiskersnpurrs said.
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New toy! 😍
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I’ve received many messages and comments asking why I don’t put Ray in with Chloe & Quinn, so I’d like to respond here as everyone can benefit.
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There are many contagious diseases that kittens are susceptible to, so when we bring feral kittens in from outside precautions must be taken. Kittens are kept quarantined until their state of health can be ascertained.
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Many issues are contagious but treatable such as respiratory infections, parasites and ringworm. However, the biggest concern are two viruses that are untreatable and life threatening – panleukopenia and feline leukemia.
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FPV is every fosterer’s worst nightmare. Not just because it most often results in kitten death, but because the virus survives on surfaces for extended periods of time. It’s transferred by bodily fluids, and anything that comes into contact with them – including the caregiver. So that is why I have a separate set of clothes and slippers that I use when visiting Ray. And of course I practice vigilant hand washing, keep all dishes separate, and disinfect everything I touch while in his room (like my phone!).
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FPV has a fairly short incubation time (less than 10 days) so kittens normally start to show symptoms soon after coming into care if they’ve been exposed. I’m happy to say that Ray is healthy and today is his one week rescueversary!
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Feline leukemia is somewhat less scary for a caregiver as it is transferred by direct contact between cats (grooming, sharing dishes and litter boxes), the virus does not survive very long outside of the host. So keeping a new kitten isolated is enough.
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The trouble with FeLV is that it’s challenging to test for in very young kittens. The best option for us to get an accurate result is to trap his adult mom and SNAP test her. Which is what we are trying to do!
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So, until we get confirmation that Ray is healthy, I am not going to put Quinn and Chloe at risk. It would be great for both boys to have eachother for company, and for Ray to have a mom. And it would certainly be easier for me to have them all together. But it’s not worth risking Chloe & Quinn’s good health 🐱 @whiskersnpurrs said.
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Ray gained 7 grams! Foster mom is SO relieved ❤ @whiskersnpurrs said.
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Nite nite kitten lovers ❤ @whiskersnpurrs said.
