Recovery for our ill kittens

A litter of 6 kittens in Penrose were separated from their mother at just 10 days old.  After being unable to find the mother cat for over 12 hours and with the kittens needing nourishment, a member of the public contacted Lonely Miaow and they were transported by Cat Rescue Manager Sabine to our Foster Home Manager Jo on the night of Sunday 22nd February.  Four boys and two girls, and all of them hungry!

Being short-notice and late on a Sunday night, a bottle was unavailable to offer the kittens, so they were syringe-fed a veterinary milk powder formula and after some gentle encouragement, the kittens figured out that this was their new meal routine.  After each meal Jo stimulated the kittens to toilet and let them crawl, climb, mouth and wriggle over her for comfort until they fell asleep.  It wasn't long before they recognised her by smell and the sound of her voice, and while some of their eyes were open their vision had not fully developed yet.

The next day the mother of the kittens was caught in a trap Lonely Miaow had set, so she was picked up by Jo and set up in an enclosure in a dark, quiet space to settle in before Jo tried introducing her kittens back to her. Despite attempts over the next 2 days to reunite the kittens with mum - she was a wild girl, and with the new experience of being contained in a strange house, in addition to Jo's smell being on her babies, she was too stressed to notice her babies. Mummy cat was taken to one of our supporting vet clinics and was desexed and returned to Tony who reported her and the kittens to us - thank you very much Tony for your kind donation to Lonely Miaow, it is very much appreciated and desperately needed to enable our efforts.

On the morning of the 9th March, 2 weeks after the kittens came into Jo's care, she noticed one kitten didn't want to feed.  He was bright and alert so she wasn't too worried, and went to work as usual, expecting him to have a bigger appetite at their next feeding time.  However a few hours later he was flat and droopy lying on the floor of their cage, so she took him up to her local vet clinic.  While handing him over to the clinic staff Jo could see his condition worsening, and was not surprised when a vet nurse called soon after to say that he was having difficulty breathing and that they recommended he be put to sleep.  Sadly, 'Brandon' the cuddle-loving black and white kitten passed away moments later.  As all of the kittens had been bright and energetic before this day, Brandon was thought to be the victim of Fading Kitten Syndrome and despite a deep sadness Jo focused her energy on the remaining five kittens.

The next day one other kitten had low energy, and at the next feed it was clear she was worsening and other kittens were starting to look flat, so Jo took all five kittens up to the vet for supportive care and and a fecal sample test.  Little calico girl 'Gem' did not recover - she developed difficulty breathing while in the clinic, and was put to sleep.  The other female tabby/torti and white kitten 'Nala' looked shaky for a while before perking up, and male tabby and white kitten 'Bug' took a turn for the worse but was able to pull through with the support of the clinic staff.  Tabby boy 'Amo' and black male 'Speedy' did not seem to decline and must have enjoyed all the extra attention!

The kittens were all prescribed an antibiotic, given an early re-dose of worming treatment, and their feeding intervals were bumped up to every 2 hours with hourly feeds for little Bug and the introduction of a soft kitten food.  Jo was given a heat pad and feeding tube, and instructed how to insert and use the tube in case any of them stopped drinking and needed to be fed directly into their stomach.  Jo took them to rescue volunteer Mel for care that night and the next few days so she could get some much-needed sleep, and they continued to improve under Mel's care.  The kittens put on weight, continued to eat a soft food as well as their formula, started using a baby-sized litter tray, and grew in strength. When Jo picked them up, the other three kittens had caught up to little 'Speedy' in terms of speed and steadiness when walking!

The next day, after losing Gem and sending off a fecal sample, the test results came back.  The kittens tested positive for Coccidiosis, a parasitic infection that can cause damage to the lining of the intestinal tract if not treated.  The kittens were prescribed a new medication to treat the Coccidiosis, and are currently on a 5-day course of treatment along with feeds every 2 hours round the clock - they appear to be responding well.

Caring for these kittens takes a lot of time and energy from our volunteers who often work full time as well, and veterinary treatment to save the lives of the cats and kittens in our care drains our financial resources.  We need the support of volunteers, donated products and monetary donations to be able to exist and carry out the work that we do, and any contribution is greatly appreciated.  Please consider us for any charitable contribution.

Lonely Miaow would like to thank Tony, Sabine, Jo, Mel and the fantastic team at VetCare Grey Lynn for your contributions towards the rescue and care of these kittens, and your support of Lonely Miaow and our efforts.

If you would like to meet Nala, Bug, Speedy and Amo once they have recovered fully, or if you have any questions about them and their progress, you can contact Jo directly on 021 586 338 or fostering@lonelymiaow.co.nz (initial contact by email preferred please as she is both working and a slave to the itty bitty kitties so spare time is found as and when she can find it!).