# Wanted to offer a Carly/kitten update



## Persimom (Apr 11, 2010)

I thought I'd start a new thread since we went to the vet today. I got tired of worrying about all the things that she needed like worming and ear mite treatment and is she pregnant and how far along. So we made the trip to the vet and risked upsetting her for her health. I felt the risk was worth it. We got the FeLv/FIV test done, she was negative. We got her wormed because I was very concerned about her being pregnant and having worms since she was so flea infested I knew she had to at least have tapeworms. He wanted to give a rabies vaccine so I took his advice and let him give her that. He wasn't sure if she was pregnant at first but he eventually felt them and said that she was early pregnant and had about 4 weeks to go. Oh and he feels 3 kittens which is what I felt also. So that's why I've been so up and down with her pregnancy, she's not near ready to birth. 

I'm happy that she's healthy and she's not underweight. She's been given worm medicine and we will get rid of the ear mites that are bothering her with treatment. I am hoping she will be in top condition when the babies come so that she's able to nurse well and the kittens don't develop any complications. We were all very happy that she was negative on all blood tests (it included heartworm).

So now the countdown begins for mid May!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Yay! Sounds like good news all the way around and you've got plenty of time to feed-her-up so she can produce the most milk and give her some body-reserves to drain ... because nursing kittens can drag even the best fed mom-cat down.


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## Persimom (Apr 11, 2010)

Heidi n Q said:


> Yay! Sounds like good news all the way around and you've got plenty of time to feed-her-up so she can produce the most milk and give her some body-reserves to drain ... because nursing kittens can drag even the best fed mom-cat down.


Thanks for responding. I thought his might have gotten lost in the shuffle. Yes, she will get to gain some weight now to have some reserves for nursing. She weighed 7 pounds at the vet's office but that is at 5 weeks pregnant so I'm assuming she will need to continue to eat well to keep putting on extra fat to get her through nursing. I know when I nursed my own kids it took a lot out of you if you weren't fed well.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Oooooooh, she sounds like a tiny kitteh. 8O I hope-hope-hope the vet was right about only having 3 kitts inside. Nursing large litters really takes it out of the little kitties.

Our kitty Shadow's normal weight is consistently 9.5#, but when I first found her she was not full-grown, underweight and very preggers. 10dys after I brought her inside, she had 5 kittens and they *really* dragged her down. I wish I'd had as much time as you do to help your kitty get built up for birthing and nursing. In addition, Shadow let me put an orphaned litter of 5 on her about 3-4 times a day for about 2-3 days, as I tried to transition them to bottle feeding. I could *not* let Shadow have the responsibilities of raising 10 kittens when her 5 had already taken a lot out of her.

_I think Shadow is a hero for letting me put the orphans (11dys old) on her for comfort and a little milk. She refused to even acknowledge them, no sniffing or cleaning, but she would let them nurse for about 10min, which was long enough for each to get a litte something in between we picking them up for a bottle feed._


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## Persimom (Apr 11, 2010)

That is amazing that Shadow was able to do that for those kittens! I remember when I was a young girl finding a very small kitten that the mother had abandoned in an alley. My mom's friend raised and bred Himalayans at the time and had a mother that had a litter. She offered to take the kitten to her to see if it would nurse it. She did. She raised the kitten with her own litter and it was adopted out to someone. I was really proud of myself at the time for rescuing that teeny thing.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Kikkispoos said:


> I was really proud of myself at the time for rescuing that teeny thing.


 :luv What a sweet, _sweet_ story! :luv 

Yeah, between Shadow, the orphans and then another Mom-cat 'adopting me' by bringing me her two kittens in a rain-storm, I was busy-busy-busy with fostering that year! It was boom-boom-boom-boom-boom! without a break. Everyone found homes and we kept Shadow.


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