Lost and don`t know what to do

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Confusedkitty - 07 Jul 2006 03:20 GMT

Well i was walking down to my basement, minding my own buisness (the door to
the outside had been opened, and we never touch it). Well to my surprise i
heard little mews coming from under the stairs. I turned my flash-light under
it, to see big pale green eyes looking back at me. I know she/he didn't make
that noise...so i knew SHE had babies.

I found them on Thursday. She has 6 kittens in all. I`ve been feeding her and
giving her food, i don`t want her to die in my basement cause she can't leave
her kittens and what-not. They're between 1-10 days old, and their eyes arn`t
open yet. I`m scared to get close, because i do not want her to scratch me
(if she has something). But i have been feeding her, and her kittens all look
well. Should i just leave them till they get of age? then do the vaccines.
Will she leave them after awhile...and won`t she get used to me, and
hopefully be friendly? This is my first dealing with cats, EVER and i`m 16
years of age. I`m so confused, can someone help me?

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Karin Gillette - 07 Jul 2006 03:37 GMT

Continue to provide her with food and water.

Since the kittens are nursing and look like they are doing well I would not
bother her just yet. She may not be dangerous but it would be best to leave
her for a little while yet.

Over the next few weeks when you take food and water to her if you can sit
for a while each time she will probably come to you when she feels
comfortable around you.

If you do need move them be sure to have an extra set of hands (Preferably
an adult) with you and wear long sleeves and gloves to help protect
yourself. Should she bite you, you might have to get shots since there
would be no way of knowing if she had rabies or not. You might also try
to get a picture of her, see if someone is missing their cat and also if you
do get bit you will have a picture to help locate the cat.

Karin

> Well i was walking down to my basement, minding my own buisness (the door to
> the outside had been opened, and we never touch it). Well to my surprise i
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> hopefully be friendly? This is my first dealing with cats, EVER and i`m 16
> years of age. I`m so confused, can someone help me?

Reply to this Message

eagle61 - 11 Jul 2006 11:14 GMT

> Continue to provide her with food and water.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> yourself. Should she bite you, you might have to get shots since there
> would be no way of knowing if she had rabies or not.

rabies? shots? r u crazy?

here are some facts - there is <5 cases of rabies in the USA per year. She
has bigger chance of building collapsing on her during the kitten-removal
process than catching rabies from the cat bite

shots by the way are painful and not harmless - they cause meningitus
sometimes and some other side effects

another misconseption that you cannot know if the cat has rabies or not. to
begin with a rabid cat doesn't look healthy and you can spot it visually, it
cannot drink water and dies within a week. and if you have a suspicion then
you can have that cat's blood analyzed and then you'll know if it has rabies
or not (but very unlikely since what are the odds that the cat would have
rabies that are not manifesting itself yet, and at that very moment you met
her?)

less than 10% of all the rabies cases come from domestic animals, and 90% of
those are from stray dogs.

BTW - rabid foxes are dangerous. they display very strange behaviour - when
they are rabid they go to people, play friendly, and through a chance can
just scratch you etc. so my recommendation - never ever play with a fox in a
park etc.

on the opposite, rabid dogs are not friendly, they hide and want people to
leave them alone, and if people insist then i guess they deserve to get
rabies and painful shots

You might also try

> to get a picture of her, see if someone is missing their cat and also if
> you
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>> 16
>> years of age. I`m so confused, can someone help me?

Reply to this Message

Matthew - 11 Jul 2006 17:03 GMT

UHHH 5 cases a year in the US there a 5 cases a Month in Florida every
week there is a rabies alert

>> Continue to provide her with food and water.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 86 lines]
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
> =----

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Matthew - 11 Jul 2006 19:19 GMT

Some correct information read below

>> If you do need move them be sure to have an extra set of hands
>> (Preferably
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> has bigger chance of building collapsing on her during the kitten-removal
> process than catching rabies from the cat bite

Wrong the have been 20 confirmed cases just in Florida Every month
there has been rabies alert here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/

this is the most information considering it is National Center for
Infectious Diseases

> shots by the way are painful and not harmless - they cause meningitus
> sometimes and some other side effects

Q: Will the rabies vaccine make me sick?

A: Adverse reactions to rabies vaccine and immune globulin are not common.
Newer vaccines in use today cause fewer adverse reactions than previously
available vaccines. Mild, local reactions to the rabies vaccine, such as
pain, redness, swelling, or itching at the injection site, have been
reported. Rarely, symptoms such as headache, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle
aches, and dizziness have been reported. Local pain and low-grade fever may
follow injection of rabies immune globulin

> another misconseption that you cannot know if the cat has rabies or not.
> to begin with a rabid cat doesn't look healthy and you can spot it
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> less than 10% of all the rabies cases come from domestic animals, and 90%
> of those are from stray dogs.

Rabies is primarily a disease of animals. Infected dogs account for less
than 5% of all rabies cases. However in other countries where canine rabies
has not been controlled, it accounts for 90% or more of cases of rabies. In
North America, especially on the east coast, an increasing number of
infected raccoons are being seen. In the Midwest, skunks and bats more
commonly carry rabies.
Wild animals generally account for about 93% of rabies; raccoons about 40%
of that, skunks 30%, and foxes 6%.
It should be noted that the following animals have rarely been found to
carry rabies, and almost never require post-exposure prophylaxis injections.
These are squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice,
domesticated rabbits and other small rodents

> BTW - rabid foxes are dangerous. they display very strange behaviour -
> when they are rabid they go to people, play friendly, and through a chance
> can just scratch you etc. so my recommendation - never ever play with a
> fox in a park etc.

Rabies symptoms may be expressed in two different ways: dumb rabies or
furious rabies.
Dumb Rabies
Animal may become depressed and retreat to isolated places.
Animal may lose fear of humans.
An animal which is normally active at night may be active during the day.
Signs of paralysis. Head and neck paralysis may result in abnormal facial
expressions, drooling, drooping head, sagging jaw, or strange sounds. Body
paralysis usually begins in the hind limbs and spreads to the rest of the
body.
Furious Rabies
Animal displays extreme excitement and aggression.
Animal gnaws and bites its own limbs.
Animal attacks objects or other animals.
Bouts of furious rabies usually alternate with periods of depression.

> on the opposite, rabid dogs are not friendly, they hide and want people to
> leave them alone, and if people insist then i guess they deserve to get
> rabies and painful shots

Not always true
Pet owners should be cautious if pets lose their appetites or change their
behaviour, especially if the pet becomes aggressive or sluggish. Other
diseases may cause similar behaviours. Contact your vet immediately.
Often, the first sign of the disease is when the pet has become quiet and
sluggish. This is called 'dumb' rabies.
Some pets will display 'furious' rabies, becoming more aggressive. They may
bite other animals, their owners, or familiar people. A rabid pet may begin
to randomly bite the wound site where the rabies virus was originally
introduced and any inanimate objects.
The sound of a dog's bark changes with the onset of paralysis of the throat
nerves. Excessive drooling occurs because the dog or cat cannot swallow its
own saliva. Following paralysis, death occurs generally from respiratory or
cardiac arrest

Reply to this Message

eagle61 - 14 Jul 2006 14:15 GMT

> Some correct information read below
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Wrong the have been 20 confirmed cases just in Florida Every month
> there has been rabies alert here

i was talking about rabies in humans - and i was genereous with <5 -
actually it's more close to 1 real case per year

and compare it to 18,000 people getting shots every year. you know how many
of them actually have rabies? my guess is ZERO

in re side effects here is from the
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/hdcv.htm

Possible side effects from the vaccine

a.. Local reactions include pain, redness, swelling, or itching at the
injection site. Mild local reactions are reported by 30-74 % of vaccine
recipients.
b.. Systemic reactions, including headache, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle
aches, and dizziness, have been reported by 5-40% of people who received the
vaccine.
c.. Six percent have an allergic reaction 2 to 21 days after vaccination.
a.. Signs and symptoms include a generalized pruritic rash, angioedema,
arthritis, arthralgias, nausea, vomiting, and malaise.
b.. Less common reactions are fever and difficulty breathing.
a.. Three cases of neurologic illness resembling Guillain-Barre syndrome
have occurred, but the illness went away within 12 weeks.
b.. Most of these side effects can be treated with the use of
antihistamine, and fever/pain reducing medications.

i guess it's not as bad as i decribed, but it's neither as harmless as you
are suggesting

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies
>
[quoted text clipped - 79 lines]
> swallow its own saliva. Following paralysis, death occurs generally from
> respiratory or cardiac arrest

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Karin Gillette - 11 Jul 2006 18:52 GMT

We have had at least 3 confirmed cases in the last month.

True she probably is healthy but I was seriously bit by my sister in laws
cat and my arm was looking pretty nasty. So I had to go to the doctor.

If I had not known the cat or been able to get proof of shots I would have
had to have gotten shots.

Just wanted her to be careful.

> Continue to provide her with food and water.
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> leave
> > her kittens and what-not. They're between 1-10 days old, and their eyes

> arn`t
> > open yet. I`m scared to get close, because i do not want her to scratch me
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> > hopefully be friendly? This is my first dealing with cats, EVER and i`m 16
> > years of age. I`m so confused, can someone help me?

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wester@laway.net - 07 Jul 2006 10:07 GMT

>Well i was walking down to my basement, minding my own buisness (the door to
>the outside had been opened, and we never touch it). Well to my surprise i
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>hopefully be friendly? This is my first dealing with cats, EVER and i`m 16
>years of age. I`m so confused, can someone help me?

Give food and make sure she has enough water. At 12 weeks, pick the
ones you want. Take the rest to an animal recue or ask around if
anyone wants a new kitten. Good luck.

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