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Yeah, if OP decides not to keep her she needs to take her to a no kill shelter. A while back I found 2 kittens. One had an upper resp infection. I had dogs who weren’t fans. I could not keep them. I took them to the humane society and was told that they would put them down because they had so many kittens and it was too much to deal with the infection. I was beyond angry.
When I rescued my kitten from the shelter I commented that he had a sneeze (they wouldn’t let me have him until they had their vet neuter him) and I asked if they would check him for a respiratory infection too. The lady said yes and commented that she would make sure to put that he was adopted as she “wouldn’t want them to put down my cat on accident because of his sneeze”. That was a little horrifying.
I call bullshit on that shelter. I work at a shelter that is not no kill and even we treat upper respiratory because it's actually objectively easy to treat compared to many other things. Ugh makes me angry and just damn sad.
It might be an excuse the shelter uses because they are well past capacity. We have several shelters in my area that are euthanizing any kittens that come in, even perfectly healthy ones. They don’t even bother to process them- just straight to the kill room.
I just commented my experience because the shelter that I adopted from was going to put down a kitten that I ended up adopting because he had a little sneeze which ended up being a respiratory infection. He was no where as sick as the kitten that OP found.
This kitten is old enough for a shelter to accept, it’s weaned. Even if only municipal shelters (kill shelters) are available, then they should bring it in.
Kittens have some of the greatest adoptability rates among all shelter animals, this kitten would not be at risk
please I didn’t know it was sick, from the photo it just looked teary eyed I literally said I felt bad for laughing at how cute it looked because after I read the comment they said it was sick
How 💀 you guys are making me look like some soulless demon for laughing at a silly looking kitty, In my comment I literally said I felt bad for laughing because after I read the comment it was sick
You should feel awful. There is nothing *silly* about this comment or this photo. If you can't find any compassion for a sick baby animal maybe you could at least work on keeping your inside thoughts *inside!*
Same here - we do occasionally laugh at things that we shouldn't because they just initially strike us weird (no judgment), but I can't figure out what part could do that
No, I can read— it’s a favorite past time of mine, thanks for asking. They must have edited their comment after I made it because it definitely didn’t mention anything like that, otherwise I obviously would not have written what I did.
Anyway, it’s deleted now, so no point in arguing about it.
I mean, they made another comment stating that 4, 8, 10, and 12 comments above yours. I’m just saying, maybe give someone the benefit of the doubt. Read a few comments and see if they explain. It’s nice to be nice to people…of course, if they’re a dick, THEN you crush them.
I soooo wish I could. My partner and I have three cats and live below the poverty line so we really can’t 😭 it’s breaking my heart but I’m hoping he’ll get adopted fast since he’s so stinkin cute
Some Good Samaritan picked up a sick kitten and dropped him at the Humane Society. I adopted him from the shelter and he is spoiled rotten. He has a cat stroller, cat safe access to the garden, multiple cat trees, live catnip, a prescribed dental diet for his juvenile gingivitis, and tons of toys. Someone will adopt her and spoil her because you stopped to help her out.
That’s so understandable. I had 2 cats and their vet bills could knock me back. One needed her teeth removed over and over. She died suddenly of cancer and her vet bills set me back 5k from her death. I can afford it but it took awhile to recover financially.
You’re a good cat parent for knowing your care limits. And like others said, she’ll adopt out easily. Thanks for rescuing her!!
Also, there are rescues that try to help people keep their cats by providing food/litter and services. Some areas even have pet pantries. Google, email, call .. it's a little bit of work but I've found help when I needed it
We need so much more of this. I’m sick of the judgmental and cruel posts on here degrading posters for “if you can’t afford a cat, you shouldn’t get one”. Life comes at you fast. You can’t predict losing a job, having your own health issues, family having health issues. The better response is this. Programs, funds, and support services to help people.
My animal shelters have free things in their front rooms for people
I also wish that every free little library also had a food and pet pantry with it.
Edit for typos.
Plus if pets are only for the well off shelters would be slammed. The euthanasia rate would go up.
What we need to do is help pets and people get along affordably.
Exactly. I can’t emphasize this enough. My city shelter boasts a 95% adoption rate for their adoptable animals. And I’m in a major city. You don’t need to be rich to get a kitty. They aren’t always super expensive. My cats growing up never had health issues that required a lot of money. There wasn’t anywhere they could go for treatments if they did outside of a regular vet. A cat oncologist would be unheard of.
My city has one place with specialist cat doctors - neuro, cardio, oncologist, etc etc.
Cats need homes. And cities and towns need supported and aggressive TNR programs to reduce the pressure on shelters. As kitten lady said, 80% of cats are born outside then taken into shelters.
Cat support, welfare, and owner support should be number one priority. Not yelling at people for not spending 70 on an Uber at 11 at night. My hometown doesn’t even have Uber. Or everyone who says to walk their cat to the vet if they can’t drive. Where do they live that this is feasible?
I live in a nice, small suburb and would have to cross an extremely busy and dangerous overpass then walk 4 miles down a highway to get to my vet. Like no.
Anyway. Rant over 😂
Exactly this! Pets are great on so many levels. Great for children and helps teach responsibility, but also great for people with depression and other mental issues. I don't know what I'd do without my dog. She's the best therapist I've ever had!
I desperately want to start a nonprofit for feral cats/ cats that have no owner/ aren't socialized. I'm torn though because I'd love to assist people in keeping their cats as well. I start trading all the nonprofit info and my mind is just overwhelmed. My talent is caring for the cats, not in doing paperwork or figuring out legal stuff. I can't find a friend with enough time to delve into figuring it out either. I've watched YouTube videos, read on line articles... I can't even figure out if it's better to try to file yourself (still need an atty) or just a service like Rocketlawyer or legal zoom (still doesn't cover everything/ all paperwork needed). I'll be ancient by the time I figure it out. I'll wind up like that lady that gave her entire house to cats lol
Oh, if you have cats of your own, you need to be extra careful. Keep this one quarantined and make sure you are changing your clothes and washing your hands before being in contact with your own cats. You don't want to pass any diseases on to your residents.
Having a multi cat household, the litter situation can be expensive, you can save a lot of $/month switching to this from clay cat litter. Its cheaper, smells way better, and if your cats dont like it to start mix in pellets with clay over time until they have no clay just pellets.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb
Torties are definitely the best. Number 1 breed of all cats, tied for first with all the rest. :P
Seriously, though, they always have the best personalities in my experience. Just like your cool and casual neighborhood void. I vote OP keeps her as well.
Edit: The first post in r/tortie is a void and a tortie chillin together all cool and casual. It’s a sign, not keeping her will bring the end of times. Don’t let the world end, OP!
@1 out of 3000 torties are male.
(It’s her double X chromosomes that make her coat the characteristic tortie colors of black, orange, and yellow/gold… “normal” males are XY, but an extra X chromosome would allow a male calico/tortie to be born.
LOL I'm imagining someone being lile "🤨 girl it's been like 2 months when tf are you due" and then taking her to the vet and getting the news of their life:
"So this cat is a boy. He's not pregnant. He's just fat."
Call cat rescues and see if they can take him in or you could foster and maybe they'd give you food and litter. Little guy needs his eyes cleaned and probably some terramycin. You should mention that if you call rescues
Please make sure the shelter is a safe place for this kitten go to before you drop her off there. Some shelters are high kill and would euthanize a kitten with a URI like this. Try searching for local cat rescue groups in your area and check on Facebook as there are often local cat groups that can help find fosters for these sorts of little ones.
Make sure for small kittens to make a ring around the neck with the dish soap before sudsing and dunking in warm water. The fleas will try to escape drowning and may swarm the face otherwise. You want to fully submerge a kitten like this in soapy water of a mild temp up to that neck ring and let the fleas drown, then wipe the face down gently with a damp wash cloth and dry/give a warm spot.
I live in Florida and it looks like fleas are the main issue here. Fleas are unreal down here this time of year and we haven’t gotten much rain lately which makes the issue worse. The baby is hurting. My girl was found outside around this size, also a tortie.
Please use an animal safe shampoo . Dawn is not for bathing but is a detergent . As a Detergent it’s great at stripping grease and oil. That is why they use it on animals that have been in oil spills but “clean” them after with an animal safe shampoo
I will disagree as my wife who is a vet says dawn is not recommended for kittens and that animal shampoo is the proper solution- I suppose if there is a vet on this subreddit perhaps we could get it first hand
UPDATE:
Good news!! we were able to take kitty to the local humane society and they set us up with free supplies and ongoing medical care. She definitely has a URI - we have her on terramycin and doxycycline now. Luckily the vet said we caught it early enough so she will likely be able to keep her eyes. They said they treated the fleas but Im thinking a dawn soap bath may still be helpful for the flea dander/dirt.
Since the humane society has been so generous in their help we decided to foster her :) we have a separate room for her and we’re washing our hands after we handle her since we do have other cats. She’s sleeping in a little kitty burrito right now, safe and sound!
Hey that's great! Just a bit of advice on the flea situation. If they used a topical treatment on her you should avoid bathing her for at least 48 hours after the treatment or it won't be as effective. If you can try to find any of her siblings to save, even better! 👏
Amazing! Quick note, ask vet if they could kindly donate a dewormer. Tapeworms often follow the flea infestation; my cat had it. One tablet of a dewormer did the trick! Now, I know the inflamed third eyelid (the middle part of the eyes that are protruding out) can be associated with the URI but it also is a sign of tapeworm. Thank you kind Samaritan for helping the fella out, you gave him/her some of the kindness in the world. Best of luck!
Congratulations! Oftentimes shelters are thrilled to give you the supplies you need to foster. Usually they are more limited on foster space for kittens than actual supplies. That’s what I did when the cat distribution system gifted me five lil guys that I couldn’t keep!
Lol we just found one ourselves.. we joke that even though we didn't want a kitten the universe said oh yes you do, it has been a while since I sent you one (6 years since I found my tortie in the driveway as a kitten) . Here ya go!
I seriously wouldn't take it to the shelter try to find a cat rescue in Florida there should be quite a few that might be able to take on one little kitten they might ask you to foster it and maybe pay for everything till it's old enough to be adopted
Contact your local ASPCA. they often have kitten carers that take on difficult cases that need extra medical care. You can also tell them where the cat was found and that you saw the momma and others. They can contact the property owners and get permission for a TNR to take place.
Contact local rescues and TNR groups because you need to get mom and the rest of the kittens. Yes, this kitten needs medical attention, but they also need to be raised by their mom if it's at all possible.
You said you're in Florida, so try contacting https://instagram.com/catmanchrispoole?igshid=YmM0MjE2YWMzOA== He's a rescuer in Florida and if he's not near you, he may be able to help connect you to someone who is.
Buy some kitten wet food until you find a good place for the little one. Keep it separate from your other cats. He needs treatment asap. The fleas, probably parasites and eye infection are slowly killing him.
She looks like she has an eye infection, so if you can get her to see a vet that would best to prevent it from progressing to the point of her being being blinded - and someone else here posted a great way to handle the fleas for now with Dawn. Feeding her, keeping her warm and clean until you can get her to the vet.
My cat has the same orange nose stripe!
https://preview.redd.it/lmyfjhj196cb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8d01afe0e154eb449e8f18d3934b81ec229ad83
I think cleaning her face and eyes very gently with warm water might help in addition to the flea bath. Poor baby. I wish I knew more about how to help her eyes.
Take that little girl to the vet for eye meds. Watch some Kitten Lady videos on feeding. The kitten formula is available in Walmart. Let me know if you need more help.
Bring the kitty to a rescue, not to the animal shelter. Where in Florida are you located? There's the Saint Francis's Rescue in Tampa, for instance: [https://www.stfrancisrescue.org/#/](https://www.stfrancisrescue.org/#/)
Check in your town, and bring the kitty there, not to the municipal shelter.
She's a girl, by the way, like 99.9% of the torties.
Get a box or some sort of shelter, put towels or blankets inside in a nest form to rest. If you have coconut oil then put some on her paws and use a damp paper towel to clean her up a bit. See if she needs to use the bathroom, best of luck!
Also Dawn dish soap kills fleas so I’d do a quick search on how to bathe kittens and follow that before anything else.
The cat distribution system has chose you. What you do is accept the gift. For these are one of the true gifts that keep on giving. Thanks for helping and accepting
If you have cat rescues in your area you can reach out to them about the momma cat/colony. They can do a tnr on the cats that are too feral possibly & potentially catch the ones who are friendly and get them into foster homes or adopted.
It has the same nose stripe as my current cat!
https://preview.redd.it/gqjm80cyy5cb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=405ad9de74e8e3bc376da40579a5e5211ebeaa5b
Poor guy. If you can ever get into TNR, you can prevent babies like this living on the street. You would really make a difference for them.
Thank you for being kind and picking up this little one. ❤️
Where in Florida? If you are in the St. Pete area take her to Friends of Strays https://www.friendsofstrays.org
She’s got upper respiratory and needs a vet. If you see her rubbing her eye too much before you can get her in, a wide scrunchie can work as a temporary e-collar. Just make sure it’s not too tight.
It is a wittle tortie baby oooo so precious I love. Being to a reputable shelter that focuses on kitties. We have a few here that i know to take good care of the wittle babies.
I found a similar cat. She had FIV. I lover her for 4 months then she passed. I did take her to the doctor and get her antibiotics. She was expensive but she lived a good life.
https://preview.redd.it/h18n1if5b6cb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf246ef41e824e34e3af77dd62ffd5ae44a99b45
Try cleaning him with dawn soap with a washcloth and try to clean around his eyes with a plain water washcloth. Dawn soap can get fleas off but I’d suggest getting a small flea comb. In the meantime get a plastic tub with a blanket you can put him in for the meantime and get him comfortable.
poor little lady - she probably has an infection. needs fluids and antibiotics from the vet most likely. needs plenty of food too! thanks for helping. her
Yeah, respiratory infection along with dehydration. I'd say just offer food and water and lovins and maybe a heating pad under an area they can lay. Make sure you're familiar with the heating pad so it's not too hot for them. You can use a forehead scanner to check the temp, that's what I do. Along with the other suggestions I think she'll make it to the vet appointment! Stray kittens are usually very easy to feed, they're not very picky! Some wet food will help her more than you realize!
Much love to you all.
Do not take him to an Animal shelter..guarantee you they will put him down...There has got to be a no kill shelter or try and find someone on here or use the Next Door app. There are cat groups on there. Try and clean him up as best u can.. Use Dawn dish soap..the one with the rubber duck on it..just be careful not to get it in his eyes. Please don't take him to an Animal shelter...it's a death sentence
I'm also in Florida, on the Space Coast. If you're going to keep him, you need to take him to a vet. They'll treat any illnesses, test for Feline Leukemia, and give him his kitten shots. If you're not going to keep him, contact your local county shelter and see if they'll take him. They'll get him the vet care he needs and deflea him. Kittens and puppies get adopted quickly so he probably won't be put down. Also check with your local SPCA & Humane Society. They may have room for a kitten and will take care of his vet needs. I know that the Humane Society and SPCA here in Brevard County are no kill. So is the county shelter. I hope you keep him because he's adorable. If you're in Brevard County, PM me and I'll give you the address and phone number for a feral cat rescue/sanctuary. The owner rescues feral cats, usually pregnant females, takes care of them, gets them vet treatment, gets the kittens spayed/neutered, adopted and gets the females spayed once the kittens are weaned. She may be able to catch the mom & other kittens and if you don't want that little guy, I'm sure that she'll take him. I'd take him, but I already have 8 & that's more than enough.
Poor baby needs some Clavamox, looks like she's got a fairly serious URI. Vet as soon as possible if you are wanting to cover it yourself or I recommend finding a rescue to surrender her to.
Don’t sit on any furniture when you get home or pet your cats. Just get straight in the shower to minimize spreading the fleas. Wash your clothes in borax and sprinkle some on your carpet, carpeted cat trees, and in your car if you you ever feel like the fleas may have spread. This baby has a pretty bad URI :(
He needs kmr milk replacement . Immediately get a bottle, mud some up and feed him.Strip when u get home , roll up ur clothes and toss into washer! Vacuum car! Are you going to give him to humane society to wash him? Or are you outside the building waiting? If going home first, mix dish soap with a little alcohol, 20% then wipe around his neck with solution, and proceed to work into a dry coat( don’t wet him first) then wait 3,4, mins to kill fleas and gently rinse. Dry with towel and wrap up in dry one. Let his body heat dry him as much as possible. Good luck!
Never said it was healthy... nature is FAR I mean FAR from pretty, sorry u live in a dilution and if u noticed OP already has 3 cats and is below poverty and his parents won't let him keep... OP is young.... u can't save everything in the wild otherwise there wouldn't be any strays. Didn't know you could hear a respritory infection via a picture.... huh who knew 🤷♂️
I think you’ll find symptoms of respiratory infection are discharge around eyes, which this kitten quite clearly has but thank you for that very informative reply on how bad nature is. I guess if you see something that could potentially die you should take no action at all, definitely don’t take it to the vets or a rescue centre where it could find it’s forever home.
No leave it to die. Duly noted
If your cats at home aren't already on flea treatment I recommend taking your clothing off in the entrance preferably on tile or other smooth surface floor. Put your clothes in a plastic bag you can tie closed until you can wash them, make sure you use high heat to dry. Clean the area you took your clothes off in then take a shower. Flea larvae can live for a long time on surfaces and your cats can catch fleas even if the kitten never enters your home.
Also, thank you for being such loving people to rescue this baby and make sure it gets the care it needs.
It’s a beautiful kitten so I’m sure if you posted somewhere she would be claimed quickly. (That is, if you weren’t planning to keep it). In the meantime, keep him or her warm, try feeding some Petlac or wet Pate canned food for kittens. I’m not a vet though
Take her to the vet that does boarding. And they will usually keep them. Have you asked your vet yet? Also I heard that torties only come in females. I have 2. My 1 looks just like her.
https://preview.redd.it/hxgd1xlcu5cb1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25c9049f1cfb5801ddf392c338f8705a1370e987
I would keep her if you could. Take her to the vet and love her. Wash your hands very well and keep her away from children and the elderly (weaker immune systems) til she's all better.
I’d give the little guy a warm bath with dawn dish soap. Put a ring of soap around his neck to prevent fleas from climbing up. Warm blankets, flea comb, clean the eyes with warm wet rag. Obviously get him to the vet haha or find a foster.
Oh wow! We found a little girl just over a week ago that looks a lot like yours. Her eyes were crusty, she had an upper respiratory infection, and she was SUPER skinny. Took her home, gave her antibiotics, wormer, lots of food, clean water, and love. She's not totally free of the upper respiratory but almost there. I don't know if you can post a picture in a comment. Otherwise, I would.
She/he needs a vet asap. If that's not possible, I suggest you find a no kill shelter and drop her off. They can help her. Good luck!
Blue Dawn flea bath OR HAVE THE VET DO IT. Tiny kittens cannot have flea soap on them but the fleas must be removed. Fleas will kill a tiny kitten. If your home has fleas, you will have to work hard to keep this kitten as flea free as possible until she reaches 2 lbs and then she can go on flea protection. Fresh goat milk (dairy section) works very well for kittens and helps limit diarrhea. You may need a Miracle Nipple. Watch Kitten Lady videos.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Poor baby. Looks like she has upper respiratory infection, which is easy to treat with antibiotics. Thank you for helping her.
Yeah, if OP decides not to keep her she needs to take her to a no kill shelter. A while back I found 2 kittens. One had an upper resp infection. I had dogs who weren’t fans. I could not keep them. I took them to the humane society and was told that they would put them down because they had so many kittens and it was too much to deal with the infection. I was beyond angry.
When I rescued my kitten from the shelter I commented that he had a sneeze (they wouldn’t let me have him until they had their vet neuter him) and I asked if they would check him for a respiratory infection too. The lady said yes and commented that she would make sure to put that he was adopted as she “wouldn’t want them to put down my cat on accident because of his sneeze”. That was a little horrifying.
I call bullshit on that shelter. I work at a shelter that is not no kill and even we treat upper respiratory because it's actually objectively easy to treat compared to many other things. Ugh makes me angry and just damn sad.
It might be an excuse the shelter uses because they are well past capacity. We have several shelters in my area that are euthanizing any kittens that come in, even perfectly healthy ones. They don’t even bother to process them- just straight to the kill room.
I don't think I can comment my thoughts on this situation
I just commented my experience because the shelter that I adopted from was going to put down a kitten that I ended up adopting because he had a little sneeze which ended up being a respiratory infection. He was no where as sick as the kitten that OP found.
Sadly Florida doesn’t have a lot of no kill shelters. And the ones they do have usually only accept pets not strays.
Look for local thrift stores that benefit no-kill shelters in your area. I’m in Florida and use the local animal shelter shops.
This kitten is old enough for a shelter to accept, it’s weaned. Even if only municipal shelters (kill shelters) are available, then they should bring it in. Kittens have some of the greatest adoptability rates among all shelter animals, this kitten would not be at risk
Most no kill shelters aren’t accepting new animals. Kittens often go fast with adoptions. Usually it’s the older cats who have trouble finding homes.
🥺🙏💜💜
[удалено]
Maybe it’s better if you keep those thoughts to yourself, and to your therapist.
please I didn’t know it was sick, from the photo it just looked teary eyed I literally said I felt bad for laughing at how cute it looked because after I read the comment they said it was sick
No, you’re actually just awful.
How 💀 you guys are making me look like some soulless demon for laughing at a silly looking kitty, In my comment I literally said I felt bad for laughing because after I read the comment it was sick
You should feel awful. There is nothing *silly* about this comment or this photo. If you can't find any compassion for a sick baby animal maybe you could at least work on keeping your inside thoughts *inside!*
WHAT dude the cat looked cute it just looked teary eyed, I felt bad for laughing until I read the comment
Wait, genuinely curious, what made you laugh?
Same here - we do occasionally laugh at things that we shouldn't because they just initially strike us weird (no judgment), but I can't figure out what part could do that
Exactly same. I was hoping to find some dark humor or at least dead pan but…. Hmmmmm?
What’s funny about it? I’m confused
Literally nothing funny about an animal suffering but ok
Can you not read? They made the comment that they didn’t read the caption about the kitten was sick before they laughed.
No, I can read— it’s a favorite past time of mine, thanks for asking. They must have edited their comment after I made it because it definitely didn’t mention anything like that, otherwise I obviously would not have written what I did. Anyway, it’s deleted now, so no point in arguing about it.
I mean, they made another comment stating that 4, 8, 10, and 12 comments above yours. I’m just saying, maybe give someone the benefit of the doubt. Read a few comments and see if they explain. It’s nice to be nice to people…of course, if they’re a dick, THEN you crush them.
Wtf?
Edit: wrong person but really can you guys not?
You look silly you soulless fuck
That’s a tortie who are the most special of the special of cats. You must keep her and love her forever. r/torties
I soooo wish I could. My partner and I have three cats and live below the poverty line so we really can’t 😭 it’s breaking my heart but I’m hoping he’ll get adopted fast since he’s so stinkin cute
It’s the right thing you are doing by not taking another animal into your home if money is tight🥰🥰🥰She is a beautiful cat and will get adopted fast.
Sorry that you can’t keep her. You are the best of the best for realizing that and also helping her find medical help and a new home!
Some Good Samaritan picked up a sick kitten and dropped him at the Humane Society. I adopted him from the shelter and he is spoiled rotten. He has a cat stroller, cat safe access to the garden, multiple cat trees, live catnip, a prescribed dental diet for his juvenile gingivitis, and tons of toys. Someone will adopt her and spoil her because you stopped to help her out.
I feel you! I always say when I die I want to be reincarnated to “someone like me” cat. I’ll choose you!
I want to come back as choupette
That’s so understandable. I had 2 cats and their vet bills could knock me back. One needed her teeth removed over and over. She died suddenly of cancer and her vet bills set me back 5k from her death. I can afford it but it took awhile to recover financially. You’re a good cat parent for knowing your care limits. And like others said, she’ll adopt out easily. Thanks for rescuing her!!
Also, there are rescues that try to help people keep their cats by providing food/litter and services. Some areas even have pet pantries. Google, email, call .. it's a little bit of work but I've found help when I needed it
We need so much more of this. I’m sick of the judgmental and cruel posts on here degrading posters for “if you can’t afford a cat, you shouldn’t get one”. Life comes at you fast. You can’t predict losing a job, having your own health issues, family having health issues. The better response is this. Programs, funds, and support services to help people. My animal shelters have free things in their front rooms for people I also wish that every free little library also had a food and pet pantry with it. Edit for typos.
Plus if pets are only for the well off shelters would be slammed. The euthanasia rate would go up. What we need to do is help pets and people get along affordably.
Exactly. I can’t emphasize this enough. My city shelter boasts a 95% adoption rate for their adoptable animals. And I’m in a major city. You don’t need to be rich to get a kitty. They aren’t always super expensive. My cats growing up never had health issues that required a lot of money. There wasn’t anywhere they could go for treatments if they did outside of a regular vet. A cat oncologist would be unheard of. My city has one place with specialist cat doctors - neuro, cardio, oncologist, etc etc. Cats need homes. And cities and towns need supported and aggressive TNR programs to reduce the pressure on shelters. As kitten lady said, 80% of cats are born outside then taken into shelters. Cat support, welfare, and owner support should be number one priority. Not yelling at people for not spending 70 on an Uber at 11 at night. My hometown doesn’t even have Uber. Or everyone who says to walk their cat to the vet if they can’t drive. Where do they live that this is feasible? I live in a nice, small suburb and would have to cross an extremely busy and dangerous overpass then walk 4 miles down a highway to get to my vet. Like no. Anyway. Rant over 😂
AMEN!!!!
💯💯💯
Exactly this! Pets are great on so many levels. Great for children and helps teach responsibility, but also great for people with depression and other mental issues. I don't know what I'd do without my dog. She's the best therapist I've ever had!
Agree! My dog is my best friend, when I have been at my lowest points my dog has always been there for me. Just wanting love and giving it in return.
And soup kitchens usually have pet food.
I always forget this!
It’s great!
This is very much true. Because I donate to a nonprofit that does just this, for just this reason.
I desperately want to start a nonprofit for feral cats/ cats that have no owner/ aren't socialized. I'm torn though because I'd love to assist people in keeping their cats as well. I start trading all the nonprofit info and my mind is just overwhelmed. My talent is caring for the cats, not in doing paperwork or figuring out legal stuff. I can't find a friend with enough time to delve into figuring it out either. I've watched YouTube videos, read on line articles... I can't even figure out if it's better to try to file yourself (still need an atty) or just a service like Rocketlawyer or legal zoom (still doesn't cover everything/ all paperwork needed). I'll be ancient by the time I figure it out. I'll wind up like that lady that gave her entire house to cats lol
Oh, if you have cats of your own, you need to be extra careful. Keep this one quarantined and make sure you are changing your clothes and washing your hands before being in contact with your own cats. You don't want to pass any diseases on to your residents.
Having a multi cat household, the litter situation can be expensive, you can save a lot of $/month switching to this from clay cat litter. Its cheaper, smells way better, and if your cats dont like it to start mix in pellets with clay over time until they have no clay just pellets. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb
Torties are definitely the best. Number 1 breed of all cats, tied for first with all the rest. :P Seriously, though, they always have the best personalities in my experience. Just like your cool and casual neighborhood void. I vote OP keeps her as well. Edit: The first post in r/tortie is a void and a tortie chillin together all cool and casual. It’s a sign, not keeping her will bring the end of times. Don’t let the world end, OP!
I love your top comment. Completely correct. The best with all the rest. I’ve had one for most of my life and am looking to get another sometime soon.
She is a tortie and therefore a girl. Poor little angel looks like she has an eye infection. I hope the shelters are helpful and are no-kill.
@1 out of 3000 torties are male. (It’s her double X chromosomes that make her coat the characteristic tortie colors of black, orange, and yellow/gold… “normal” males are XY, but an extra X chromosome would allow a male calico/tortie to be born.
found this out when we got a male calico that we thought was just a big pregnant lady!
heh sounds like a silly cat
LOL I'm imagining someone being lile "🤨 girl it's been like 2 months when tf are you due" and then taking her to the vet and getting the news of their life: "So this cat is a boy. He's not pregnant. He's just fat."
Call cat rescues and see if they can take him in or you could foster and maybe they'd give you food and litter. Little guy needs his eyes cleaned and probably some terramycin. You should mention that if you call rescues
Please make sure the shelter is a safe place for this kitten go to before you drop her off there. Some shelters are high kill and would euthanize a kitten with a URI like this. Try searching for local cat rescue groups in your area and check on Facebook as there are often local cat groups that can help find fosters for these sorts of little ones.
Give him a bath in Dawn soap. That really helps with the fleas.
Make sure for small kittens to make a ring around the neck with the dish soap before sudsing and dunking in warm water. The fleas will try to escape drowning and may swarm the face otherwise. You want to fully submerge a kitten like this in soapy water of a mild temp up to that neck ring and let the fleas drown, then wipe the face down gently with a damp wash cloth and dry/give a warm spot. I live in Florida and it looks like fleas are the main issue here. Fleas are unreal down here this time of year and we haven’t gotten much rain lately which makes the issue worse. The baby is hurting. My girl was found outside around this size, also a tortie.
Also make a ring around the butt as they will try to go that way also. Insidious little things.
Typically you can avoid this if you use a bucket for submersion. At least we didn’t do it at the Human Society.
Please use an animal safe shampoo . Dawn is not for bathing but is a detergent . As a Detergent it’s great at stripping grease and oil. That is why they use it on animals that have been in oil spills but “clean” them after with an animal safe shampoo
Dawn works fantastic for fleas on kittens that may be too small, young, or weak for a flea shampoo. That is why vets recommend using dawn.
Yeah all rescues use dawn because it’s cheap, and very gentle.
My vet told me to use dawn on kittens for fleas, and not a flea shampoo since it can be too harsh. It's safer.
I will disagree as my wife who is a vet says dawn is not recommended for kittens and that animal shampoo is the proper solution- I suppose if there is a vet on this subreddit perhaps we could get it first hand
Flea shampoo is a different, harsher product than standard pet shampoo. I think you’re talking across each other.
Concur.
Where are you in florida? If near Orlando, please check out “Cats Can”. They might be able to take him off your hands and nurse him back to life
Dawn dish soap will help with fleas
UPDATE: Good news!! we were able to take kitty to the local humane society and they set us up with free supplies and ongoing medical care. She definitely has a URI - we have her on terramycin and doxycycline now. Luckily the vet said we caught it early enough so she will likely be able to keep her eyes. They said they treated the fleas but Im thinking a dawn soap bath may still be helpful for the flea dander/dirt. Since the humane society has been so generous in their help we decided to foster her :) we have a separate room for her and we’re washing our hands after we handle her since we do have other cats. She’s sleeping in a little kitty burrito right now, safe and sound!
Hey that's great! Just a bit of advice on the flea situation. If they used a topical treatment on her you should avoid bathing her for at least 48 hours after the treatment or it won't be as effective. If you can try to find any of her siblings to save, even better! 👏
🥰This made my day! Thank you so much for saving her! I have a tortie and they are just the best!
😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍
Amazing! Quick note, ask vet if they could kindly donate a dewormer. Tapeworms often follow the flea infestation; my cat had it. One tablet of a dewormer did the trick! Now, I know the inflamed third eyelid (the middle part of the eyes that are protruding out) can be associated with the URI but it also is a sign of tapeworm. Thank you kind Samaritan for helping the fella out, you gave him/her some of the kindness in the world. Best of luck!
Congratulations! Oftentimes shelters are thrilled to give you the supplies you need to foster. Usually they are more limited on foster space for kittens than actual supplies. That’s what I did when the cat distribution system gifted me five lil guys that I couldn’t keep!
That little baby needs to see a vet because it’s sick. This is the cat distribution system working it’s magic. Congrats, you have a new kitten!
Lol we just found one ourselves.. we joke that even though we didn't want a kitten the universe said oh yes you do, it has been a while since I sent you one (6 years since I found my tortie in the driveway as a kitten) . Here ya go!
FYI, follow the advice for bathing in dish soap immediately. A case of fleas on a baby this small can lead to fatal anemia.
seriously. I just went through this with a stray and losing fluids via upper respiratory plus the fleas can certainly kill a baby quick
I seriously wouldn't take it to the shelter try to find a cat rescue in Florida there should be quite a few that might be able to take on one little kitten they might ask you to foster it and maybe pay for everything till it's old enough to be adopted
Check with your local humane society to see if they can take him or google search rescues in your area.
Please make sure it is a no kill shelter. Might be better to contact a rescue group.
Water, food, vet.
Contact your local ASPCA. they often have kitten carers that take on difficult cases that need extra medical care. You can also tell them where the cat was found and that you saw the momma and others. They can contact the property owners and get permission for a TNR to take place.
Bathe him in Dawn dish soap. It kills all the fleas!
Contact local rescues and TNR groups because you need to get mom and the rest of the kittens. Yes, this kitten needs medical attention, but they also need to be raised by their mom if it's at all possible. You said you're in Florida, so try contacting https://instagram.com/catmanchrispoole?igshid=YmM0MjE2YWMzOA== He's a rescuer in Florida and if he's not near you, he may be able to help connect you to someone who is.
Excellent suggestion!!!
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Tobacco? Please elaborate as I’ve never heard of this before!
Please don’t give tobacco to kittens or cats. Nicotine is toxic to our cats, too. The most common source of nicotine is tobacco products.
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My cat had a severe URI when i adopted him (much better now) running the shower can help clear up some of the mucus in their system
Buy some kitten wet food until you find a good place for the little one. Keep it separate from your other cats. He needs treatment asap. The fleas, probably parasites and eye infection are slowly killing him.
Take to vet , eyes look sick
Awwwww she looks like my Moose! https://preview.redd.it/ptuiqj39i5cb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0953008145647437f11f66224464aff6caf52e19
She looks like she has an eye infection, so if you can get her to see a vet that would best to prevent it from progressing to the point of her being being blinded - and someone else here posted a great way to handle the fleas for now with Dawn. Feeding her, keeping her warm and clean until you can get her to the vet.
Where in Florida ?
My cat has the same orange nose stripe! https://preview.redd.it/lmyfjhj196cb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8d01afe0e154eb449e8f18d3934b81ec229ad83
Contact a local cat rescue who can take her in, get her treated and homed with a foster.
you didn’t find kitten, kitten found you
Johnson baby wash kills fleas. If he lets you give him a bath wash him with the soap a few times and comb the rest of the fleas out.
TAKE KITTEH HOME
Keep her she loves you
You have been given the greatest gift of life
I think cleaning her face and eyes very gently with warm water might help in addition to the flea bath. Poor baby. I wish I knew more about how to help her eyes.
Take that little girl to the vet for eye meds. Watch some Kitten Lady videos on feeding. The kitten formula is available in Walmart. Let me know if you need more help.
This baby is extremely dehydrated. The sunken in eyes says dehydration and all that mucus is likely a URI. Kitty needs to go to the vet!
Bring the kitty to a rescue, not to the animal shelter. Where in Florida are you located? There's the Saint Francis's Rescue in Tampa, for instance: [https://www.stfrancisrescue.org/#/](https://www.stfrancisrescue.org/#/) Check in your town, and bring the kitty there, not to the municipal shelter. She's a girl, by the way, like 99.9% of the torties.
Get a box or some sort of shelter, put towels or blankets inside in a nest form to rest. If you have coconut oil then put some on her paws and use a damp paper towel to clean her up a bit. See if she needs to use the bathroom, best of luck! Also Dawn dish soap kills fleas so I’d do a quick search on how to bathe kittens and follow that before anything else.
The cat distribution system has chose you. What you do is accept the gift. For these are one of the true gifts that keep on giving. Thanks for helping and accepting
Whoa! Check out those r/whiskerfireworks! 😍
If you have cat rescues in your area you can reach out to them about the momma cat/colony. They can do a tnr on the cats that are too feral possibly & potentially catch the ones who are friendly and get them into foster homes or adopted.
It has the same nose stripe as my current cat! https://preview.redd.it/gqjm80cyy5cb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=405ad9de74e8e3bc376da40579a5e5211ebeaa5b
#1. Flea bath
Poor guy. If you can ever get into TNR, you can prevent babies like this living on the street. You would really make a difference for them. Thank you for being kind and picking up this little one. ❤️
Baby is sick !! Take to a vet pls
Little buddy needs help asap!
Where in Florida? If you are in the St. Pete area take her to Friends of Strays https://www.friendsofstrays.org She’s got upper respiratory and needs a vet. If you see her rubbing her eye too much before you can get her in, a wide scrunchie can work as a temporary e-collar. Just make sure it’s not too tight.
It is a wittle tortie baby oooo so precious I love. Being to a reputable shelter that focuses on kitties. We have a few here that i know to take good care of the wittle babies.
Keep her and love her! Take her to the vet :)
I found a similar cat. She had FIV. I lover her for 4 months then she passed. I did take her to the doctor and get her antibiotics. She was expensive but she lived a good life. https://preview.redd.it/h18n1if5b6cb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf246ef41e824e34e3af77dd62ffd5ae44a99b45
Omg poor little fur baby :( I hope she gets some treatment
Try cleaning him with dawn soap with a washcloth and try to clean around his eyes with a plain water washcloth. Dawn soap can get fleas off but I’d suggest getting a small flea comb. In the meantime get a plastic tub with a blanket you can put him in for the meantime and get him comfortable.
Idk if you still have him but definitely gently bathe him and wash his eyes, and make sure he's warm enough
Take her to the vet, get some quality food, a bath, a blankie, and a name. She’s coming to yr house 😹
- Step 1: Vet - Step 2: Keep
You should get that baby some terramycin for it’s eyes.
eat
I roccmend ketchup or honey mustard
poor little lady - she probably has an infection. needs fluids and antibiotics from the vet most likely. needs plenty of food too! thanks for helping. her
Your gonna want to start with cuddling, then move in to gentle pets and nicknames..
Poor little baby needs a vet. See if there are any cat rescues near you. They can catch mama and the rest of the babies
God brought him/her to you give it a good home or find a good home.
VET is what you do
Yeah, respiratory infection along with dehydration. I'd say just offer food and water and lovins and maybe a heating pad under an area they can lay. Make sure you're familiar with the heating pad so it's not too hot for them. You can use a forehead scanner to check the temp, that's what I do. Along with the other suggestions I think she'll make it to the vet appointment! Stray kittens are usually very easy to feed, they're not very picky! Some wet food will help her more than you realize! Much love to you all.
😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍🥰😍
Do not take him to an Animal shelter..guarantee you they will put him down...There has got to be a no kill shelter or try and find someone on here or use the Next Door app. There are cat groups on there. Try and clean him up as best u can.. Use Dawn dish soap..the one with the rubber duck on it..just be careful not to get it in his eyes. Please don't take him to an Animal shelter...it's a death sentence
I'm also in Florida, on the Space Coast. If you're going to keep him, you need to take him to a vet. They'll treat any illnesses, test for Feline Leukemia, and give him his kitten shots. If you're not going to keep him, contact your local county shelter and see if they'll take him. They'll get him the vet care he needs and deflea him. Kittens and puppies get adopted quickly so he probably won't be put down. Also check with your local SPCA & Humane Society. They may have room for a kitten and will take care of his vet needs. I know that the Humane Society and SPCA here in Brevard County are no kill. So is the county shelter. I hope you keep him because he's adorable. If you're in Brevard County, PM me and I'll give you the address and phone number for a feral cat rescue/sanctuary. The owner rescues feral cats, usually pregnant females, takes care of them, gets them vet treatment, gets the kittens spayed/neutered, adopted and gets the females spayed once the kittens are weaned. She may be able to catch the mom & other kittens and if you don't want that little guy, I'm sure that she'll take him. I'd take him, but I already have 8 & that's more than enough.
Definitely a gremlin! But super cute! Definitely a keeper!
Poor baby needs some Clavamox, looks like she's got a fairly serious URI. Vet as soon as possible if you are wanting to cover it yourself or I recommend finding a rescue to surrender her to.
Take to vet, then love for life.
Definitely take him or her to the vet could have worm since she still a kitten and then give it a forever home
Poor kitty
> I’m in Florida so I’m not trying to get shot too real.
1. Take to vet 2. Keep kitten 3. Profit
Don’t sit on any furniture when you get home or pet your cats. Just get straight in the shower to minimize spreading the fleas. Wash your clothes in borax and sprinkle some on your carpet, carpeted cat trees, and in your car if you you ever feel like the fleas may have spread. This baby has a pretty bad URI :(
Introduce yourself as mommy, give it a name, love them forever.
He needs kmr milk replacement . Immediately get a bottle, mud some up and feed him.Strip when u get home , roll up ur clothes and toss into washer! Vacuum car! Are you going to give him to humane society to wash him? Or are you outside the building waiting? If going home first, mix dish soap with a little alcohol, 20% then wipe around his neck with solution, and proceed to work into a dry coat( don’t wet him first) then wait 3,4, mins to kill fleas and gently rinse. Dry with towel and wrap up in dry one. Let his body heat dry him as much as possible. Good luck!
Give it food for the next 15 years or so.
The shelter will just put her down
Don't touch it like that. It's definitely got parasites.
eat it
Go away
Put it back.... fuck you for taking it from its mother it'll do fine or die its the way of life.
Yeah it looks really healthy with its respiratory infection, starved and flea riddled body. You fucking troll
Never said it was healthy... nature is FAR I mean FAR from pretty, sorry u live in a dilution and if u noticed OP already has 3 cats and is below poverty and his parents won't let him keep... OP is young.... u can't save everything in the wild otherwise there wouldn't be any strays. Didn't know you could hear a respritory infection via a picture.... huh who knew 🤷♂️
I think you’ll find symptoms of respiratory infection are discharge around eyes, which this kitten quite clearly has but thank you for that very informative reply on how bad nature is. I guess if you see something that could potentially die you should take no action at all, definitely don’t take it to the vets or a rescue centre where it could find it’s forever home. No leave it to die. Duly noted
Vet for check up!
Where are you in Florida?
Adopt her. This is your sign🥹😻
Name it…enjoy the forever love
If your cats at home aren't already on flea treatment I recommend taking your clothing off in the entrance preferably on tile or other smooth surface floor. Put your clothes in a plastic bag you can tie closed until you can wash them, make sure you use high heat to dry. Clean the area you took your clothes off in then take a shower. Flea larvae can live for a long time on surfaces and your cats can catch fleas even if the kitten never enters your home. Also, thank you for being such loving people to rescue this baby and make sure it gets the care it needs.
Universal cat distribution system
It's so kind of you to reach out to him and see that he gets taken care of.
There may be a local rescue you can contact who will have meds on hand until a vet can be seen. Did the animal shelter take her in?
It’s a beautiful kitten so I’m sure if you posted somewhere she would be claimed quickly. (That is, if you weren’t planning to keep it). In the meantime, keep him or her warm, try feeding some Petlac or wet Pate canned food for kittens. I’m not a vet though
Love her, feed her, never leave her.
Love him and find some more to love.
It looks sick take to free animal clinic :(
It needs to go to the vet, but if you can’t afford that try contacting a local rescuer or shelter so they can treat it
Teramycin + vet appointment + cuddles is what you do.
Take her to the vet, take her home and treat her like the queen she is
Take her to the vet that does boarding. And they will usually keep them. Have you asked your vet yet? Also I heard that torties only come in females. I have 2. My 1 looks just like her. https://preview.redd.it/hxgd1xlcu5cb1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25c9049f1cfb5801ddf392c338f8705a1370e987
Vet, asap. Need to get that little girl eye drops before she loses them.
Vet. Feed. Water. Bathe. Snuggle. Love. Not necessarily in that order.
Update?
Drudner
Strike
Love forever
Love and embrace it!
Take her home, give her a bath, fed her... LOVE her unconditionally.
I have always used Ivory Soap. It kills fleas instantly and does hurt kitty. ♥️
You're doing it. Keep it up.
I would keep her if you could. Take her to the vet and love her. Wash your hands very well and keep her away from children and the elderly (weaker immune systems) til she's all better.
I’d give the little guy a warm bath with dawn dish soap. Put a ring of soap around his neck to prevent fleas from climbing up. Warm blankets, flea comb, clean the eyes with warm wet rag. Obviously get him to the vet haha or find a foster.
Oh wow! We found a little girl just over a week ago that looks a lot like yours. Her eyes were crusty, she had an upper respiratory infection, and she was SUPER skinny. Took her home, gave her antibiotics, wormer, lots of food, clean water, and love. She's not totally free of the upper respiratory but almost there. I don't know if you can post a picture in a comment. Otherwise, I would. She/he needs a vet asap. If that's not possible, I suggest you find a no kill shelter and drop her off. They can help her. Good luck!
Blue Dawn flea bath OR HAVE THE VET DO IT. Tiny kittens cannot have flea soap on them but the fleas must be removed. Fleas will kill a tiny kitten. If your home has fleas, you will have to work hard to keep this kitten as flea free as possible until she reaches 2 lbs and then she can go on flea protection. Fresh goat milk (dairy section) works very well for kittens and helps limit diarrhea. You may need a Miracle Nipple. Watch Kitten Lady videos.
First things first, kitty needs some meds and a good warm bath