barn kittens with eye goop-HELP!

rockstarmom · 06-17-2009, 12:41 PM

I am not a cat person-or I should say i've never had a cat so I don't know beans about them. Anyway, here's my problem(s) two of the barn cats where I board had kittens and 4 of them have been having there eyes glued shut with pus/goop. I'm assuming infected with bacteria or virus. Anyway, I can't really take 4 cats that aren't mine to the vet, so any suggestions on something I could get over the counter to help them? Here's my other questions since I might just have to adopt two of them...1. when can you neuter/declaw? 2.how do you litter train? 3. I have 4 dogs so should I keep the kitties in the basement until they would get older?

ANY ADVICE is appreciated! The Cat Virgin

Paminky · 06-17-2009, 12:56 PM

I use to buy the Catsip milk with taurine for my kittens that had goopy eyes. It used be available at Kroger, but it's been a long time since I've had kittens.

livinthedream · 06-17-2009, 01:31 PM

feed store get some Teramicyn ointment...works wonders,

KateG · 06-17-2009, 01:50 PM

Cats are generally neutered at about 6 mos. Time to mature, but unless you want more kittens, you need to spay the females before their first heat - or isolate them during it. I'm not a fan of declawing, since it involves amputating the first joint of each toe. Toenail trimming is not a big deal - much easier than dogs. I started my current cat slowly, doing only one or two toes and stopping the moment she started to wiggle. No pressure, no trauma, minimal restraint, and I can now do all of them with no problem. As for litter boxes, that's the best part - Mama/Mother Nature does it all. Whenever I've brought a new cat or kitten home I took them out of the carrier and put them in the litterbox so that it became the "home base" for future explorations. Never had a problem. Cats and dogs get along fine, but I would be a bit cautious about introducing small kittens, or even adult cats, to four dogs at once. Pack dynamics and prey drive could combine with unfortunate results. All interactions will need strict supervision. I've used a large dog crate with a litter box and hiding box as a temporary holding pen for new animals with some success. The newcomer and old-timers can interact through the bars without getting into trouble. If the dogs are medium sized, baby gates set a few inches above the floor can also be used to create cat-safety zones. It took about four months before we were comfortable leaving our rottie and our new cat at home alone together with no barriers, but they're fine now.

I would not advise keeping the kittens in the basement. They need to be socialized -- plus kittenhood is when they're the most fun to watch! Kittens are full-time comedians and you don't want to miss the belly laughs.

Jen&Jack · 06-17-2009, 01:58 PM

I just dealt with this actually. A lot of the time, especially with first time mothers, they don't clean the face like they should. My vet told me to get some sterile saline(stuff for contacts is fine) and just wet the crustys down very well. DO NOT rub or try and open their eyes, it will just cause inflammation and make the problem worse.(That's what I was doing before I took them in) The saline will soften the crustys and encourage the mothers to clean their faces better.

They need to be at least 4 months old and weigh 4 lbs to get them fixed. I highly recommend getting the declaw done at the same time, if you do it later they don't heal as quickly as when young and that's just more risk from the anesthesia. I worked at a vet for a few years and one thing that I always recommend is don't get the back feet done. When declawing a cat it's essentially like amputating your fingers from the last knuckle up w/a guillotine type tool. It's very painful and when you do all 4 feet they don't have a good foot to stand on. There are new methods of declawing that aren't nearly as painful, make sure to talk to the vet about all your options.

You can litter train as soon as they start going on their own rather than mom stimulating them. I would keep them in a smaller room, and put a very small box w/only about an inch of litter in the bottom. Put them in it so they know where it is. If you find any little turdlets put them in the litter box and show it to them. They should start using it pretty quickly, it's pretty amazing really. Once they start using it well you can let them roam more, but if you have several floors to your house you should have a box for each floor.

rockstarmom · 06-18-2009, 12:00 PM

Thanks for all the advice! I found some antibiotic ointment that I had leftover from my horse's eye problem a few months ago. I checked online and it's the same stuff they sell for cats at petmeds.com, so i used some of that last evening. Actually, now there is only one kitty with eye junk-I checked the others and they looked great. I haven't made my final decision on ownership yet, but if I do take two, i'm gonna skip the declawing and try to cut the nails (hopefully with more success than I have with the dogs

). I'll try the large crate, so the dogs can investigate but not get to them and then let them out when I can supervise. When they get older i'll put the baby gate up at the cellar steps so they can bolt down there if they need to hide. Our basement is actually a game room/office/den and my hubby spends most of his time down there, so they wouldn't be secluded. Oh heck-it sounds like i've made my decision

. Now I just need to get a crate and litter boxes etc.

I guess 4 horses and 4 dogs weren't enough! I'll just tell hubby "at least it's not another horse"

06-18-2009, 07:28 PM

Also just dealt with this exact thing my vet will sell amoxicillin over the counter for only $10.00 per bottle. It dosed 3 kitties twice a day for 10 days, problem solved! LOL!

Shiloveshorses · 06-18-2009, 07:33 PM

So you have 4 dogs, 4 horses..... I see a pattern of 4's here. If you take all 4 kittens then you will be keeping with your streak of 4's.

I call that lucky.

rockstarmom · 06-18-2009, 10:09 PM

No, actually 4 kittens would probably be unlucky for me..my husband works offshore and is gone 28 days then home 28 days. He is gone now and when he comes home in mid-July, the kitties will be a "surprise". Two I think he can handle, 4.... I'd probably be living in the garage. Poor guy, every time he goes to work he comes home to another animal! At least this time it won't be a 1800 lb horse! I went to PETSMART and got a crate, small litter box, cat bed, food and water bowls, kitten food, dewormer, toys, litter, litter scoop and a tube of antibiotic ointment from TSC. Am I missing anything?

farmergal · 06-19-2009, 12:02 AM

vaccinations for distemper and a milk goat.

You can get that at TSC the vac that is. And don't forget pics. We want to see your new kitties.

rockstarmom · 06-19-2009, 10:53 AM

OH YEAH! The pics! I gotta figure out how to get pics on here. I'm kinda technologically challenged

I'm going to make an appt for hopefully Mon or Tue to take them in for a checkup and vaccinations. Since i'm bringing them in my home I don't want to bring in anything my dogs can get. Plus I might as well get a history for them with my vet. Between all the animals I have, i'd say the vets could put a kid through college with how much I spend! Lately I've been stimulating the economy (vet, farrier, tack shops, saddle makers, trainers) quite a bit

sundancer maiden · 06-20-2009, 01:05 AM

Sounds like you're ready to go! It is best to keep kittens with Mom and any siblings until they are, at least 10 weeks. Mom may be finished feeding them, but she teaches them cat manners.
What kind of dogs do you have and have they ever been around cats?? Little kittens can't defend themselves very well! I am sooooo glad you won't be declawing!! Amputating part of the toes just never felt right to me!!
BTW you need at least 2, watching kittens play is entertainment you could never buy!!
Pics are needed!!!!

rockstarmom · 06-20-2009, 02:33 PM

My dogs are all on the med/large size, so that's why I got the crate for the kitties . None of them have had cat experience either. I don't think they are 10 weeks yet, but I might have to take them anyway. I just got back from the barn (went over to put the antibiotic in the eyes) and I couldn't find the one with the eye boogers. The other 3 were there. Now i'm all worried that the little one is sick somewhere or worse! They DO like to hide all over the place, so i'm not going to assume the worst YET, but if I don't see him/her tomorrow, the other 3 (i can't take two and leave one behind!) are coming home with me. I couldn't get a vet appt til July 8, but they said they'd call if they had a cancellation earlier.

farmergal · 06-20-2009, 08:38 PM

Hope the little one is just hiding somewhere. Your such a good person for not leaving a little one behind.

rockstarmom · 06-22-2009, 06:39 PM

Good news... goober kitty (I guess her name now) has reappeared! She must've just been hiding somewhere i couldn't see her. Her eyes were looking a little better. I'm in the middle of a 7 day stretch working nightshift

, so i've decided to take the two of them home this weekend when i'm off. I kinda hate to take them away from their family, but I think I need to clean and medicate her eyes more than once a day. I probably would take all 4 kittens if I didn;'t think my husband would shoot me or have me committed!

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06-17-2009, 12:41 PM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	barn kittens with eye goop-HELP! I am not a cat person-or I should say i've never had a cat so I don't know beans about them. Anyway, here's my problem(s) two of the barn cats where I board had kittens and 4 of them have been having there eyes glued shut with pus/goop. I'm assuming infected with bacteria or virus. Anyway, I can't really take 4 cats that aren't mine to the vet, so any suggestions on something I could get over the counter to help them? Here's my other questions since I might just have to adopt two of them...1. when can you neuter/declaw? 2.how do you litter train? 3. I have 4 dogs so should I keep the kitties in the basement until they would get older? ANY ADVICE is appreciated! The Cat Virgin

06-17-2009, 12:56 PM
Paminky Weanling Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 327	I use to buy the Catsip milk with taurine for my kittens that had goopy eyes. It used be available at Kroger, but it's been a long time since I've had kittens.

06-17-2009, 01:31 PM
livinthedream Long Yearling Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,201	feed store get some Teramicyn ointment...works wonders,

06-17-2009, 01:50 PM
KateG Newborn Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 13	Cats are generally neutered at about 6 mos. Time to mature, but unless you want more kittens, you need to spay the females before their first heat - or isolate them during it. I'm not a fan of declawing, since it involves amputating the first joint of each toe. Toenail trimming is not a big deal - much easier than dogs. I started my current cat slowly, doing only one or two toes and stopping the moment she started to wiggle. No pressure, no trauma, minimal restraint, and I can now do all of them with no problem. As for litter boxes, that's the best part - Mama/Mother Nature does it all. Whenever I've brought a new cat or kitten home I took them out of the carrier and put them in the litterbox so that it became the "home base" for future explorations. Never had a problem. Cats and dogs get along fine, but I would be a bit cautious about introducing small kittens, or even adult cats, to four dogs at once. Pack dynamics and prey drive could combine with unfortunate results. All interactions will need strict supervision. I've used a large dog crate with a litter box and hiding box as a temporary holding pen for new animals with some success. The newcomer and old-timers can interact through the bars without getting into trouble. If the dogs are medium sized, baby gates set a few inches above the floor can also be used to create cat-safety zones. It took about four months before we were comfortable leaving our rottie and our new cat at home alone together with no barriers, but they're fine now. I would not advise keeping the kittens in the basement. They need to be socialized -- plus kittenhood is when they're the most fun to watch! Kittens are full-time comedians and you don't want to miss the belly laughs.

06-17-2009, 01:58 PM
Jen&Jack Halter broke Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 170	I just dealt with this actually. A lot of the time, especially with first time mothers, they don't clean the face like they should. My vet told me to get some sterile saline(stuff for contacts is fine) and just wet the crustys down very well. DO NOT rub or try and open their eyes, it will just cause inflammation and make the problem worse.(That's what I was doing before I took them in) The saline will soften the crustys and encourage the mothers to clean their faces better. They need to be at least 4 months old and weigh 4 lbs to get them fixed. I highly recommend getting the declaw done at the same time, if you do it later they don't heal as quickly as when young and that's just more risk from the anesthesia. I worked at a vet for a few years and one thing that I always recommend is don't get the back feet done. When declawing a cat it's essentially like amputating your fingers from the last knuckle up w/a guillotine type tool. It's very painful and when you do all 4 feet they don't have a good foot to stand on. There are new methods of declawing that aren't nearly as painful, make sure to talk to the vet about all your options. You can litter train as soon as they start going on their own rather than mom stimulating them. I would keep them in a smaller room, and put a very small box w/only about an inch of litter in the bottom. Put them in it so they know where it is. If you find any little turdlets put them in the litter box and show it to them. They should start using it pretty quickly, it's pretty amazing really. Once they start using it well you can let them roam more, but if you have several floors to your house you should have a box for each floor.

06-18-2009, 12:00 PM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	Thanks for all the advice! I found some antibiotic ointment that I had leftover from my horse's eye problem a few months ago. I checked online and it's the same stuff they sell for cats at petmeds.com, so i used some of that last evening. Actually, now there is only one kitty with eye junk-I checked the others and they looked great. I haven't made my final decision on ownership yet, but if I do take two, i'm gonna skip the declawing and try to cut the nails (hopefully with more success than I have with the dogs). I'll try the large crate, so the dogs can investigate but not get to them and then let them out when I can supervise. When they get older i'll put the baby gate up at the cellar steps so they can bolt down there if they need to hide. Our basement is actually a game room/office/den and my hubby spends most of his time down there, so they wouldn't be secluded. Oh heck-it sounds like i've made my decision . Now I just need to get a crate and litter boxes etc. I guess 4 horses and 4 dogs weren't enough! I'll just tell hubby "at least it's not another horse"

06-18-2009, 07:28 PM
Carter77 Posts: n/a	Also just dealt with this exact thing my vet will sell amoxicillin over the counter for only $10.00 per bottle. It dosed 3 kitties twice a day for 10 days, problem solved! LOL!

06-18-2009, 07:33 PM
Shiloveshorses Started Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,369	So you have 4 dogs, 4 horses..... I see a pattern of 4's here. If you take all 4 kittens then you will be keeping with your streak of 4's. I call that lucky. __________________ Don't give up on today's dreams as they could be tomorrow's reality......... http://theadventuresofkarendeniseandshianne.blogspot.com/

06-18-2009, 10:09 PM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	No, actually 4 kittens would probably be unlucky for me..my husband works offshore and is gone 28 days then home 28 days. He is gone now and when he comes home in mid-July, the kitties will be a "surprise". Two I think he can handle, 4.... I'd probably be living in the garage. Poor guy, every time he goes to work he comes home to another animal! At least this time it won't be a 1800 lb horse! I went to PETSMART and got a crate, small litter box, cat bed, food and water bowls, kitten food, dewormer, toys, litter, litter scoop and a tube of antibiotic ointment from TSC. Am I missing anything?

06-19-2009, 12:02 AM
farmergal Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 6,334	vaccinations for distemper and a milk goat. You can get that at TSC the vac that is. And don't forget pics. We want to see your new kitties. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiHKOLiCG4

06-19-2009, 10:53 AM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	OH YEAH! The pics! I gotta figure out how to get pics on here. I'm kinda technologically challenged I'm going to make an appt for hopefully Mon or Tue to take them in for a checkup and vaccinations. Since i'm bringing them in my home I don't want to bring in anything my dogs can get. Plus I might as well get a history for them with my vet. Between all the animals I have, i'd say the vets could put a kid through college with how much I spend! Lately I've been stimulating the economy (vet, farrier, tack shops, saddle makers, trainers) quite a bit

06-20-2009, 01:05 AM
sundancer maiden Coming two Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 1,711	Sounds like you're ready to go! It is best to keep kittens with Mom and any siblings until they are, at least 10 weeks. Mom may be finished feeding them, but she teaches them cat manners. What kind of dogs do you have and have they ever been around cats?? Little kittens can't defend themselves very well! I am sooooo glad you won't be declawing!! Amputating part of the toes just never felt right to me!! BTW you need at least 2, watching kittens play is entertainment you could never buy!! Pics are needed!!!! __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!

06-20-2009, 02:33 PM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	My dogs are all on the med/large size, so that's why I got the crate for the kitties . None of them have had cat experience either. I don't think they are 10 weeks yet, but I might have to take them anyway. I just got back from the barn (went over to put the antibiotic in the eyes) and I couldn't find the one with the eye boogers. The other 3 were there. Now i'm all worried that the little one is sick somewhere or worse! They DO like to hide all over the place, so i'm not going to assume the worst YET, but if I don't see him/her tomorrow, the other 3 (i can't take two and leave one behind!) are coming home with me. I couldn't get a vet appt til July 8, but they said they'd call if they had a cancellation earlier.

06-20-2009, 08:38 PM
farmergal Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 6,334	Hope the little one is just hiding somewhere. Your such a good person for not leaving a little one behind. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiHKOLiCG4

06-22-2009, 06:39 PM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 109	Good news... goober kitty (I guess her name now) has reappeared! She must've just been hiding somewhere i couldn't see her. Her eyes were looking a little better. I'm in the middle of a 7 day stretch working nightshift , so i've decided to take the two of them home this weekend when i'm off. I kinda hate to take them away from their family, but I think I need to clean and medicate her eyes more than once a day. I probably would take all 4 kittens if I didn;'t think my husband would shoot me or have me committed!