Help Needed

[lizzydrippin]

Is there anyone in the Bradford area that could possibly take on 5 orphaned kittens. They're 3 days old. The mother cat is a missing stray. Help needed badly. Someone experienced in bottle feeding.

[gelda]

Get in touch with the Cats Protection League, they'll probably come and get them.

[lizzydrippin]

Oh Zelda, thanks for that but if only it was that easy! Ive been in touch with every CPL branch in West Yorkshire and they are absolutely dead on their feet they have so much work on. Apparently its been one of the worst years in a while for abandoned cats, kittens, pregnant cats, orphaned kittens and every cat carer/fosterer and kitten rearer have already got more than they can cope with. Ive been in touch with every organization and rescue centre that I know and none of them can help (in fact it was one of them that passed my number on and I took them on because it was eventually either I took them or the RSPCA would take them for euthanasia) I knew I could manage a day or two (before leaving for London) and thought I'd take them and then find an alternative but there doesn't seem to be one as yet.

[lizzydrippin]

By the way, Ive re-valued their age and I think they're more like a week old at least. I Thought they were only 3 days old because their eyes are not open yet but the CPL say that could take between a week and 10 days. They reckon they're sleeping too long between feeds to be 3 days old (thank God)

[lankeela]

May sound daft, but try a dog rescue centre - most would take them as they are obviously animal lovers to do that sort of work anyway.

[lizzydrippin]

Thanks alot for both answers, much appreciated. Im pleased to say that the panic is over and it was the good old Cat Protection League that did come to the rescue in the end. It was actually the keighley branch who said if I could deliver them they'd take them on, (funnily enough it was the only local branch I didn't try because one of the other branches said there was nobody running that branch anymore. It was only the efforts of someone else that I'd rung who then decided they'd have a ring around as well and got lucky when they tried keighley. Alls well thats ends well.
Within half hour of the kittens leaving another 3 turned up but thankfully these ones are 4 weeks old and are ready for weaning. I can handle that, and so can hubbie while Im away for a week from Tuesday! Good idea about the dog rescue centres, I'll keep that in mind for the next dilemma. Its all worth a try.

[gelda]

What are you going to do with the latest 3 ?

[lizzydrippin]

The latest 3 arent a problem Zelda, they'll stay here until they're 8 weeks old and then they'll either be re-homed from here or they'll go to Cat Watch which is a very good re-homing centre in Allerton. They're doing really well at the moment and have taken to lapping up their milk from a saucer no problem. They're also enjoying the slushy kitten food (though it took awhile for them to suss that its to eat not to bathe in). We've hand-reared literally hundreds of orphaned kittens that have been from 2 weeks old upwards but the first 5 being so young really needed to be somewhere with abit more support than there would be here (especially once Ive gone and hubbie was having to feed them every 2 hrs as well as look after everything else). I got a call this morning saying that all 5 were doing extremely well which is great news. How's your young fox cubs doing Zelda?

[lizzydrippin]

The latest 3 arent a problem Gelda, they'll stay here until they're 8 weeks old and then they'll either be re-homed from here or they'll go to Cat Watch which is a very good re-homing centre in Allerton. They're doing really well at the moment and have taken to lapping up their milk from a saucer no problem. They're also enjoying the slushy kitten food (though it took awhile for them to suss that its to eat not to bathe in). We've hand-reared literally hundreds of orphaned kittens that have been from 2 weeks old upwards but the first 5 being so young really needed to be somewhere with abit more support than there would be here (especially once Ive gone and hubbie was having to feed them every 2 hrs as well as look after everything else). I got a call this morning saying that all 5 were doing extremely well which is great news. How's your young fox cubs doing Gelda?

[gelda]

The fox cubs are doing fine thanks, there are 10 of them, healthy looking lot, they should be with all the good food they get!! I'd post a picture but am not sure how to do it. Thanks for asking, keep up the good work with the kittens there should be more caring people like you around! Gelda.

[lizzydrippin]

And like you too Gelda! If you suss out how to send photos I'd love to see them, my e mail address is [email protected]
I also feed quite a few foxes (mostly on all the cat food my own cats leave daily (after they've licked the jelly off) plus chicken scraps (no bones) and peanut butter and marmite sandwiches. Any advice about feeding foxes would be gratefully received Gelda.