Kitten Advice

[Sally_liz]

I am getting a kitten from my neighbours, which is great as I am able to go around and handle her reguarly.
I have been a little worry about the way they are being treated. They are just over 5 weeks old and have had fleas since one week of age. The neighbours have a three year old who has been picking them up by the tails since day one and I saw her kick once last week. They are also being fed an incorect diet, (They were eating left over battered fish when I was there yesterday and have been also few chicken nuggets). I watched my one go to use the litter tray also yesterday and found it to not have enough litter in to cover the bottom and it was soaked through.
I have asked to pick up the kitten this friday when she is six weeks old as I personally think it will be better for her, & have made a vet appointment so she can be wormed and de-fleaed before she comes into the new house, but from what I have been reading they should stay with their mother longer. Am I right to take her considering the circumstances? I have all the correct food including kitten milk ready.
I would apreciate any advice given.

Many Thanks
Sx

[Sally_liz]

Oh, yeah, forgot to add the neighbours are being evicted a week this Wednesday (17th) and they may end up in a hostel for the time being so wouldn't be able to take the kittens I think anyway.

[anna m]

I'm not an expert on cats but I think 6 weeks is ok to take from the mother.
Conditions she has come from sound desperate, it's a pity they had the kittens at all. Let's hope they don't want any more babies

[Sally_liz]

I've just had a text off the neighbour saying that their kid has stepped on my kitten and although she seems ok and is walking & eating ok, she's meaowing lots. I think unless anyone can think of a major reason for me to leave her there past 6 weeks I will take her on Friday.
Please can someone reassure me I'm doing the right thing. Everywhere says 6 weeks is too early, but surely it can't be good for the Kitten to stay there?

Many thanks from a very worried Sarah X

[Helen M]

Could you take all the kittens and the mother? Your neighbours sound like idiots! If they don't let you take them all i suggest you report them to the RSPCA and see if they do anything about it. I don't keep cats but even i can tell they are doing everything wrong.
It would be best if you could get the mother and then have her neutered to stop her having more kittens.
Helen xx

[Sylvia1]

I have just read this thread and I am very worried about the poor kittens. How many are there? The child has clearly not been taught to be gentle with them - they should NEVER be picked up by their tails, poor little mites. I would normally say 7 weeks is about right but in this case, the sooner the better. My advice would be to certainly go straight to the vet with your kitten to get it checked over and treated. My concern is for the rest. Are they charging for the kitten? I don't know where in Somerset you live but can you please pm me as I am anxious that they are rescued asap.

[freakinmental]

I agree with helen you should take all of them right away to somewhere safe, if they are moving to a hostel they wont be able to take any of them so please take them all and get them some help!

[Sally_liz]

I am in Bridgwater, the annoying thing is I get along with my neighbour, but disagree with the way she is treating them obviously. She has asked me to come over tonight as she has a favour to ask, so I don't know if that is for me to take all the kittens until they have homes, but it's unlikley, more likely to be to borrow something.
There are five kittens in total, one of which has something wrong with it's back legs, they both turn out, although it's walking and running on them, and doesn't appear to be in any distress. They are charging £20 per kitten, although I am getting my one for free as they have free use of my lawnmover.

I don't know if you'll be able to view this, but it's my facebook album of my since the day she was born:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/a...9936386&ref=nf

[Sylvia1]

I have seen the pics and your kitten looks adorable. Maybe when you see your neighbour tonight, you could find out what she is going to do with the rest of the kittens when she moves. If she hasn't found homes for them, maybe suggest that the Cats Protection League would be only too willing to taken them off her hands. I understand how difficult it must be, especially as you get on with her. Certainly, gentle suggestion would go down better than getting angry. Good luck & let us know how you get on.

[Sally_liz]

I'll let you know what she needs to talk to me about tomorrow. One of the kittens is going to a friend of mine, and I'm trying to convince the other half that we need two, but I had to let him get a playstation 3 and promise not to bug him for kids for at least 5 years to get this one, I can't think of anymore bribes!
On a more serious note, I will definatly talk to her tonight, this is the second lot of kittens her 2 year old cat has had, my only problem would be getting them all fleaed before bringing them into my house if I end up taking them all on a temp basis, when we moved in the house was infested with fleas, and we had to get it fumigated so am not willing to go through it again, and paying for five kittens at the vet would be a bit costly. I think a local rescue centre or the cats protection league would be the best bet really and I will try and sway her that way.
I am definatly convinced that taking My one (Willow) away on Friday (her 6 week brithday) is the correct thing to do, I just hope her being stepped on today hasn't done any damage!