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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / September 2004Hubert and TED - Questions
This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also re-affirmed his Giant Kitten status - 4.75 pounds! He's only 9 weeks old! TED said he's the biggest kitten he's ever seen - he's bigger than lots of six month old kittens he sees. I made the vet appointment because on Saturday and Sunday we'd noticed that Hubert's left eye droops sometimes. It's not red or watering or otherwise unusual-looking, and it doesn't seem to bother him, but there's a definite droop, quite pronounced when he's tired. TED looked at his eye and said it looked perfectly normal, and suggested that it might be a behavioral quirk. I am not entirely happy with this answer. Does anyone have any ideas about this? I am hoping the collective wisdom of this group will know just what this is and that it's nothing to worry about; certainly nothing to go whisking him off to a feline neurologist about. Right? (I am trying to talk myself out of said whisking, at least without waiting to see if it keeps happening.) Also, I mentioned in the context of Hubert's enormousness that he's still nursing, and it looks hilarious because he's so big. TED said, "Separate them." I said "Do we *need* to?" TED said "Yes." I said "For how long? I'd thought that Lula might cut him off when she was spayed, but she didn't." TED said "For two to three weeks, until she dries up." Noooooo!!! I don't want to do this! They will both be *very* distressed by this! Is there any harm in his still nursing at 9 weeks? Lula's put on some weight, so even though he's a huge kitten she's getting plenty of nutrition for herself. We're still feeding them both kitten formula dry food, available all the time; their canned food is adult formula for Lula and kitten formula for Hube. He doesn't nurse as much as he used to; just once or twice a day as best I can tell. Is there any harm in giving them more time for Lula to wean him herself? *sigh* Help me Obi-Wan-RPCA, you're my only hope. ;-) ------ Krista < Is there any harm in his still nursing at 9 weeks? Lula's put on some weight, so even though he's a huge kitten she's getting plenty of nutrition for herself. > Hi Krista, I have a 7 month old kitten who still nurses her (spayed) mom, and I have seen even older kits do this. As long as Lula is gaining weight and she isn't bothered by it, then I would let them do it. He will stop eventually, either on his own or Lula will stop him. Kitty kisses and Purrs to you all! Patti >< Is there any harm in his still nursing at 9 weeks? Lula's put on some >weight, so even though he's a huge kitten she's getting plenty of nutrition [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Kitty kisses and Purrs to you all! >Patti Personally, I believe in weaning at some point before the kitten can actually knock the mom down. ;) This goes for people, too. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com LOL! Christine > >< Is there any harm in his still nursing at 9 weeks? Lula's put on some > >weight, so even though he's a huge kitten she's getting plenty of nutrition [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > < Is there any harm in his still nursing at 9 weeks? Lula's put on some > weight, so even though he's a huge kitten she's getting plenty of nutrition [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > isn't bothered by it, then I would let them do it. He will stop eventually, > either on his own or Lula will stop him. That's what my instinct says, too. As long as they're both alright with it, let them do it. I once knew a cat who still nursed off and on when she was one year old! She only did it once a week or so. Neither mother nor 'kitten' seemed to mind. No ill effects seemed to come of it. The mother was hardly lactating at that stage any more. It continued long after they where both spayed.  SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had Krista, I don't know about the droopy eye - but I wouldn't worry just yet. Kittens sometimes exhibit quirks like that. I *would* keep an eye on it and watch for any other symptoms he may exhibit, but if it would make you feel better, and you can afford it without hurting, an exam by a kitty neurologist wouldn't hurt either. About the nursing - I would *NOT* listen to the vet's advice about this. Moms of all species nurse for different, sometimes very long, periods of time with no harm done to either mom or baby. As long as Talullah is healthy and happy and Hubert is healthy and happy, why, *WHY* would the vet want to distress them like that??!! As I've said to some worried human parents about both continued nursing *and* potty training, I've never seen a teenager in diapers and still nursing. This is something that will wane naturally and at their own pace. When Lula feels it's time for Hubert to stop nursing she will make sure he stops nursing! Hugs, CatNipped > I've never seen a teenager (snippage) still > nursing. Ahem... would you like to explain the nursing thing to my 57 year old boyfriend? Actually, it doesn't bother me a bit as long as he doesn't do it in public LOL Jill >> I've never seen a teenager (snippage) still >> nursing. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Jill ROTFLMAO!!! OK, I didn't take the male of the (human) species into account!! ;> Hugs, CatNipped "CatNipped" <lcrews@houston.rr.com> wrote in message news:<2rt5l5F1e17q0U1@uni- > Krista, I don't know about the droopy eye - but I wouldn't worry just yet. > Kittens sometimes exhibit quirks like that. I *would* keep an eye on it and > watch for any other symptoms he may exhibit, but if it would make you feel > better, and you can afford it without hurting, an exam by a kitty > neurologist wouldn't hurt either. (snippage in here) > CatNipped Well, I'm trying to talk myself out of worrying us into a neuro appointment because I'd have to argue our regular vet into a referral, take Hubert on a two-hour-plus car ride, and pay I'd guess at least $1,000 (my estimate based on when we were taking Mikey to the referral clinic) for tests, so it would be a big production all the way around. I think we'll wait and see. ;-) As for the nursing, I do intend to wait and see for that too. Maybe our TED suggested this because he is mainly used to large animals? I have no idea if that would make a difference, really, but though I like our TED very much and he is the only vet in town, the fact is that this is a farm town and he has a mostly live animal practice. Plus and also, I am getting madder at my ISP by the minute because I can't stay connected for longer than a few minutes at a time; I am typing this in a hurry. I appreciate everyone's responses, but can't reply myself because I can't stay online, grrrr. ------ Krista >Well, I'm trying to talk myself out of worrying us into a neuro >appointment because I'd have to argue our regular vet into a referral, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >like our TED very much and he is the only vet in town, the fact is >that this is a farm town and he has a mostly live animal practice. Well, I DO hope it's a "live" animal practice. Do you purhaps mean "large" ;-) SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > Well, I DO hope it's a "live" animal practice. Do you purhaps mean > "large" ;-) Heh. Well, I did say I was typing in a hurry. And yes, I did mean large; though I don't agree with him on the nursing thing, he is a better vet than *that*. :-P ------ Krista > This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had > his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > ------ > Krista Don't know about the eye, but our cat Meow would NOT wean her kittens. They were Hubert's age and the doctor finally just spayed her. Kept her separated for a bit after the spay but she dried up fine and continued to groom and nuzzle her kittens until they all died at ripe old ages. >> This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had >> his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >for a bit after the spay but she dried up fine and continued to groom and >nuzzle her kittens until they all died at ripe old ages. Reminds me of the joke about the eternally squabbling couple-- "We're staying together until the children die." ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had > his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > that it might be a behavioral quirk. I am not entirely happy with > this answer. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Persia has a slightly droopy eye... when she is tired it tends to get that way. Frankly, so does one of mine so I never considered it to be a problem. As others have said, as long as Hubert doesn't exhibit any other symptoms (runny or weepy eye, etc.) I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'm sorry I can't help with the nursing question but it seems to me they Lula will stop him when she's ready. I can't see the point in stressing them out unnecessarily. Jill > Also, I mentioned in the context of Hubert's enormousness that he's > still nursing, and it looks hilarious because he's so big. TED said, > "Separate them." I said "Do we *need* to?" TED said "Yes." I said > "For how long? I'd thought that Lula might cut him off when she was > spayed, but she didn't." TED said "For two to three weeks, until she > dries up." Every mother cat I've had here who was spayed while still nursing her kittens (always over 8-9 weeks), hasn't minded them nursing afterwards at all. They will use a perfectly good way of stopping the kittens getting there if they want to - lie down on them :-)) (the teats, not the kittens, that is) Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield I wouldn't separate them, you could be in for more trouble than what it's worth when you try to re-introduce them. Lois Signaturehttp://zeotropeburmese.kiwiwebhost.net.nz -- Burmese are like potato chips, you can't just have one . > This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had > his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > ------ > Krista I don't know about Hube's eyelid except to say that I have chronic thyroiditis and when my "dopey gland"(as the endocrinologist calls it) comes in with oddball readings my left eyelid droops, especially when I'm tired! Has he had any bloodwork done at all? As far as the nursing kitty goes, see if you can up his intake of regular kitten food and maybe he'll slow down ...one can hope! Christine > This afternoon I took Hubert to TED; as long as we were there, he had > his second round of shots, which were due later in the week; we also [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > ------ > Krista |
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