[bludejavu]

Thank you Summerhorse and vxf111 - I'll certainly keep that in mind. My appt. with the vet is late this afternoon so I will get back on here in the evening. Work is going to consume my time today - UGH! Hope ate her warm food with a bit of gusto this morning, so her appetite is picking up. I think that's encouraging for sure!

[Zu Zu]

Kitten Jingles & AO ~ Hang in there ~ (hugs) for both of you ~

[tikihorse2]

She's beautiful! I love her name, too. I'm glad that she's perked up-- it gives me "hope" that it may be just a kitty cold or something not too serious.

Still jingling and anxiously awaiting that evening update!

[alto]

What an uplifting thread
Don't worry about the goopy eyes too much - it is very common in "street babies" & usually clears up just fine with treatment (sure there are some heartbreak stories but most do well).

Jingles for you & Hope

[bludejavu]

Thank you tikihorse2 and alto. I appreciate the words of encouragement for her. Unfortunately I did not make my vet appt. due to work. I rescheduled for 10:30 tomorrow morning and that one I will make. Will post when I know more. She is eating about a tablespoon at a time but it still can't be the same thing twice and it has to be warm no matter what it is. I think I should have named her Diva.

[onelanerode]

Hang in there Diva Hope!

Bless you, bluedejavu, for taking her in. I wish our inn weren't full ... she is adorable.

[StGermain]

bludejavu - It is encouraging that she's still alive, though. And she'll have to get over being Ms. Picky when she comes to me - with 4 horses, 6 dogs and 4 cats, we can't afford filet mignon.

StG

[incentive]

Jingles for a positive report from the vet tomorrow!! Please let us know how it goes.

[Calamber]

Thank you tikihorse2 and alto. I appreciate the words of encouragement for her. Unfortunately I did not make my vet appt. due to work. I rescheduled for 10:30 tomorrow morning and that one I will make. Will post when I know more. She is eating about a tablespoon at a time but it still can't be the same thing twice and it has to be warm no matter what it is. I think I should have named her Diva.

She can probably smell and taste the warm through her respiratory problems. Go little kitty. The worst sickest kitten I ever saved had herpes virus in both eyes, we had to remove both and he was still very happy and became quite healthy, he had been infected in the birth canal. Most of those Shenandoah race track kitties had something, anemia caused by flea infestation was the only one I lost. I also got kittens from some place in the outer slobovia of Virginia which had respiratory infection which I was treating with Clavamox. One baby developed pneumonia, I took him to the clinic, the vet put him in the incubator after treating him, very pessimistic and the next morning the techs were yelling at him because why did he not leave any food, etc in the incubator! They are tough and can fight when given a chance. Thanks for giving Hope hope.

[tikihorse2]

Checking in before bed-- glad to hear little Hope is hanging in there! As was already posted, the fact that she's eating is a good sign. My vet always says, if they're eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping, there's hope! (No pun intended.)

Jingles continue!

[Macimage]

Jingles for Hope from S. Calif.!!!

[bludejavu]

The jingles are working!! I believe she has turned the corner as she is eating willingly and with no prompting. She greeted me this morning with some very loud meows and they sounded strong and not hoarse like they have been. All plumbing is working and now I only have to worry about the things that only bloodwork and a vet can detect at this point. She's living up to her name for sure.

StGermain - things are looking good and you may end up with the sweetest kitty I've seen in a long time.

[JackandMo]

S, you should see our kitten - she was brought to the barn and left with her litter mates to become barn cats, but she was so stinkin' cute we had to take her home.

She goes insane over the Whiskas cat milk - Lex calls it Kitty Juice Box. She will claw your eyes out to get to it; it's her absolute favorite!!

[StGermain]

YAY!!!!Another mouth to feed for the next 15 years!

StG

[JumpQH]

Jingling for a good vet report today!

[bludejavu]

Well, Hope is free of Feline Leukemia and Distemper. She is very, very malnourished and according to my vet, it's a real miracle she's even alive, much less functioning. She is approx. a year old determined by tartar build-up and permanent teeth in place, but has the weight of a 4 month old kitten. She has a tape worm which she was dewormed for while we were there. Her poop does not appear normal, but it could very well be caused by the malnourishment. He feels there may be another underlying cause to produce the severe stunting and malnourishment she has. She does have a cold which is the likely cause of her weepy eyes, and for now, we are going to put her on Clavamox which I just went ahead and purchased to get her on it quickly.

I'm to continue feeding no more than 1.5 tablespoons of food at a time for this week, increasing to 2 tablespoons next week if all goes well. He could not give her a rabies shot because of her condition and it's possible a parasite could be causing this, but looking for the exact parasite can become pretty involved/costly. So for now, we're going to proceed with what we have and see what the Clavamox does for her. My vet commented on what a lady she was, even through the butt swabbing and temp taking - she purred through everything.

StGermain - Hope may just have to be an inside kitty for the rest of her life. He said when they're this malnourished early on, they tend to remain fragile the rest of their lives. As much as I want you to have her as a barn kitty, it might not be in her best interest. If she survives in the coming weeks and you hear of anyone interested in a tiny little house kitty, let me know. I can't imagine how I could make it work with three cats but the longer she's here, the harder it is to let her go.

P.S. - JackandMo - I asked my vet about the Whiskas Kitty milk for her, and he said although you normally should use it as a treat, it might be the best thing for her right now, so I'm getting some today for her.

[StGermain]

bludejavu - If you love her and want to keep her, that's fine by me. Three kitties isn't really that much harder than two. Really.Especially a runt If you do decide to rehome her, she can join my inside cats. I keep trying for a barn cat, and they keep preferring the waterbed. WUWT?

I actually have two neutered boys who will sometimes go out to the barn for a couple weeks, then come back up to the house to recuperate from the oh so exhausting life of lounging in the loft and eating from the feeder.

It's amazing she's still going and still fighting. Please let me know if I can paypal the promised dollars. Clavamox isn't cheap.

StG

[alto]

Sorry for the lateness of my suggestion (as you're not at the vets any longer) - did vet say anything about fluids? IV is $$$ but you can also do Sub-cutaneous fluids at home; you inject a moderate volume just under the skin & it's absorbed through the day: she sounds as if she would tolerate it well & your friend (vet tech, I think) can help you with the first ones.
This will usually get them feeling better again quickly - not sure how often you're able to feed her ...

She sounds as if she has an amazing will to live & that will get her through alot

Hope is free of Feline Leukemia and Distemper

The Fel Leuk will need to be repeated at 6mo & 1-2 years to be certain, but it's definitely good news!

[Falconfree]

I've been lurking on this thread and just wanted to say that I'm glad her health bill came back as clean as it did (relatively)! Jingling for her and you.

[sk_pacer]

WOW!!! A year and so tiny!! Poor girl.

It will take time to get her to eat a proper amount and I agree with the vet about Cat Milk being the best thing to add to her diet right now. It will not only give her much needed calories, vitamins and minerals but will go a long way to rehydrating her. For a normal cat, there are 4-5 feedings in that tetra-pak and while you can't eliminate a feeding, if she likes it, it is a great addition

FWIW, I raised Da Lip on that and tinned food with gravy because he came to me as a kitten too young to be away from momma AND the victim of either a leap from a vehicle or being tossed from one - his bottom lip was cleaned right off and all he had was a huge scab where the lip used to be. He still cannot manage pate style food or large kibble but he is now 12 and doing very well on senior food, still the stuff with gravy though.