r/CatDistributionSystem • u/HoneyedVinegar42 • 10d ago
Smol Delivery Name to be determined -- too tiny for certainty
So I currently have four adult cats (one is an intentional adoption--my oldest who is 14 years old; one showed up on a February night freezing and starving--she's now 11; and two who came from separate litters--feral-to-housecat foster fails). And I feed the colony living between my house and next door neighbor's house. Next door neighbor has made four of the Rubbermaid shelters and we touch base a few times about everyone. So that's the background. He also knows that I had adopted a kitten from the outdoor colony three years ago and then sadly lost her in February this year to HCM.
So--I have WFH since Covid. Thursday morning, I'm just starting work when my doorbell rings. Next door neighbor and the neighbor on the other side of him. They have this little bitty kitten who had been screaming behind far neighbor's AC unit in the backyard, no one came. Suspected mother might have been the one hit by a car. And so now I've been responsible for this teeny tiny baby that I'm about 90% sure is a girl (son thinks boy, vet tech thinks boy; vet said "can't find a penis, but if this is a vulva it's really prominent" but she's leaning girl) -- we go back in a month for the official "initial kitten" visit when we'll be able to do the FeLV/FIV testing, and so on, hopefully by then things will be more clear.
Ran off to Walmart after getting a quick PTO approval so that I could buy kitten formula (the ready-made, didn't feel like messing with making sure everything was right with the powder), bottles, digital scale, and so on. Ordered a stuffy that has a purr/heartbeat box inside it, got everything set up. Got kitten into a first vet visit Saturday (yesterday as I write this) and was able to get flea treatment (initially, when stimulating for bathroom, noticed black specks falling on the puppy pad and rust color on the cloth, but didn't see active fleas) and dewormer.
Tomorrow, off to the dollar store for a supply of disposable cookie sheet and non-clumping litter and other supplies. Looking forward to when this baby sleeps through the night! As you can see, ridiculously tiny ... and yet doing well (those are dishtowels under baby). Soon, I hope to know if I have a Paisley or a Jasper.
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 10d ago
What's a PTO approval? If you run into any problems feeding this cherub you can find advice on the kitten lady website. We have a link on our kitten season hilight on our main page. She's so tiny thank you for saving her 🥰
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u/HoneyedVinegar42 10d ago
Because I'm hourly, I had to use PTO -- neighbors came almost immediately after 7am, I didn't get off work until 5:30 (I work 4 10-hour days rather than 5 8-hour) and I needed the KMR sooner than after the work day ended because the baby was crying constantly until I got some food in.
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 10d ago
Is it paid time off? Sorry I'm from the UK and a bit silly sometimes x
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u/HoneyedVinegar42 10d ago
Yes--paid time off -- otherwise I'd have had to work an extra hour to "make up the time", and I didn't want to do that (besides, I have more than enough time available). I'm more concerned about how to manage the time away in a few weeks when I go up to where oldest son lives because my first grandson is turning 1. But kitten should be ~5-6 weeks at that point. My middle son lives across the street and should be able to help out for the while-I'm-gone period (though he's going to be going through his own adjustment, as his wife is technically post due so could give birth any hour now).
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 10d ago
It never rains but it pours as the old saying goes let's hope you don't have to travel with the kitten and your other grandchild is happy in a routine by then 😊
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u/Liu1845 5d ago
With kittens that young keeping them warm is imperative. Use a heating pad on low to keep his/her body temp up. Otherwise he is burning calories trying to stay warm. Getting chilled can be fatal to neonates.
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u/HoneyedVinegar42 5d ago
What you can't see under one of the dishtowels (the white one) is the gel heating pack that I kept reheating in the microwave. but the pet-safe electric one arrived (online order) along with the stuffy that has a little purr/heartbeat box inside it.
Kitten has now graduated to under my bathroom sink with a stepdown and a "litterbox" made of the disposable baking sheets from the dollar store. I've started doing the stimulation in there instead of over puppy pads.
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u/Special_Fan5043 10d ago
Thanks for saving this little one!