x434343 said:
lol! I likes.
Greetings! We're up in your area, Naperville, actually. We also saved two kittens recently. They are orange tabbies named Dusty and Sparta, both boys. (Sparta is having trouble with "The Box.") >X0
How old is she? I hope feeding is going well. You can get kittens darn young and they turn out okay. Ours were eyes-just-opening old (a little over two weeks) and while neither one would take a bottle, they both lapped out of dishes okay. We fed them kitten formula, then we mixed the formula with kitten kibble and made a paste, and now they're up to dry food and water, and they're about six weeks old, give or take. You need to feed them according to weight, so get them weighed at the vet. Dusty is having a little trouble with the weaning and begs for milk and suckles my fingers sometimes, but he's eating. IAMS is a good brand.
Does she have fleas? I hope not. Omg, ours had FLEAS. You know, fleas on a cat look small and pesky. Fleas on a kitten look GINORMOUS. And after two flea baths, much nit-picking, and a flea spray for them and our carpet, the fleas-b-gone. Most flea products are not safe for tiny kittens.
Vet appointments are in order. She needs to be tested for Feline Leukemia and parasites, being originally an outdoor cat. Those come at about eight weeks. Get her spayed as soon as she's old enough. Also, the mother should be trapped in a safe trap and taken to be spayed. Those kittens are out of season. If you can get the kittens as well, they should also be taken to a shelter. Also, have your vet show you how to clip their claws. Whether you declaw or not, getting started early means she'll get used to it.
Is she skittish? We've blocked off our under-the-bed so they can't hide there (because it's DARN hard to remove them alone). A main worry with feral cats is getting them used to people. Yours sounds like she's doing okay, but try to have friends over to get her used to being around people and unafraid of strangers. You also probably are bigger than a family of two, so that helps. We're just two over here, so I know they'll have issues with groups and kids.
Regular baths are good to get them used to it. Every two weeks is about right, but never be afraid to take a washcloth to her if she gets into something. Regular, normal shampoo or baby shampoo is okay, just nothing really weird. When they're small, make sure the water is warm, and wrap them tightly when it's over in a small towel, like a hand towel (you can roll them up like a burito and peel the side down to expose the head...it means much less wiggling for escape) and fluff the fur back as you slowly let more of it out of the towel. They need to be kept warm.
You might also fashion a "cave" in a dark, warm, quiet place for her to chill in if she gets overloaded. We have a box with mismatched socks that they adopted, and the ironing hangs over it so they feel sheltered and safe. It's also right next to the register. Figures. Try and keep the litter box away from the main flow of traffic but also easy to reach - they can stop using it if they feel threatened every time they try to potty. You may invest in a covered one later one, but skip the door or take it off if it causes problems.
Is she short-haired or long-haired? Long-haired cats need to be brushed a LOT. Short haired ones still need it, just not as often, but you'll want to get her used to the feel of the brush when the kitten fluff starts to go. Don't get one of those prickly metal ones, either - I've never known a cat that liked it. Some of them come with little plastic tips, like people-brushes. (lol, people-brushes...) Those are good.
Kittens chew on stuff, and are curious about their world. Don't let them chew on cords - wrap them up or spray them with apple bitter (get from Petsmart) if it gets troublesome. Metal is bad for those tiny mouths. (A good example is bottle caps - not a toy!) Hard plastic can hurt them too, but it's hard to hide everything, right? Just do your best. Cats will also swallow coins, so be careful about your spare change. Don't spank your kitty either, a tap on the nose/head generally gets their attention. Kinda think like how a mother lion cuffs her cubs.
Oh, and you really shouldn't feed them people-food, ESPECIALLY from the table. After about a year old, if you want to treat her with meat scraps every once in awhile, put it in her bowl after the meal. Also, tuna is like crack to cats. It sounds like a good idea, but it's not. Cats can be picky eaters. Be careful if you switch brands later on when she's bigger - I had a cat when I was younger that stopped eating rather than eat a food he didn't like. As in, almost starved himself. Just keep an eye on it.
Names. Without a description, specialized names are hard. I like Alexa, Bailey, Cricket, Deliah, Eva, Fizzle, Greta, Haley, Izzy, Jessie, Kindle, Liana, Maggie, Nula, Oreo (I can't help it.), Punkin, Queen, Regina, Sheba, Tickles, Undine, Vida, Whirl, Xena, Yasmin, and Zelda. Just a few. But Cuddles was good, too. And Cinamon Buns. =D
