Meet Blueberry

Lady_MCSE · 07-24-2008, 05:50 PM

Hello everyone,

Meet "Blueberry." I tried hard not to name her, but my dad served up blueberry pancakes this morning before I went out to the barn, and I just couldn't help thinking of her baby blue eyes and her little ball-like stature.
I went out to the barn to trim my horse's hooves, and while I was fussing with all my tools and whatnot, I heard this terrible noise from a stall across the aisle from the washrack where I was. It was loud banging, thumping, kitten screeching, mewing, silence, and a very guilty-looking horse poking his head out of the stall. Other cats from around dthe barn had gathered to see what the noise was all about.

So I went over to the stall and opened the door. There were no lights on, so I couldn't see a thing, but calling and calling I felt my way to this poor little thing underneath the automatic water feeder. I don't know if she was bitten, stepped on, or kicked, or all of the above. If she was inside the stall with no parent cat around, then she was probably in the stall all night long, I'm guessing.

She definitely has no use of one leg. And in the one photo here you can see how she was all wet on one side, almost about hoof-print sized too, but I dunno.

She has been in my care since 10am, and it's now almost 6pm. I'm guessing she's about 6-8 weeks, and that's what my dad thought too. I got her KMR (Kitten Replacement Milk), even though the barn worker said she has been eating some solid foods. She has taken in maybe about 4 ounces of KMR, and her belly is very very full.

What's concerning me is that there's been no urine or feces that I can see. I'm worried that there may be internal injuries that she won't survive. She's been either sleeping or well alert, and purring and responsive, even showing signs of wanting to play. So I don't want to be all gloom and doom, but that belly is all swollen and nothing coming out. I have been massaging it very very gently like a momma cat would. My next trick after we have dinner is to try a moist towel right at the rear-end, to see if I can stimulate anything coming out.

Fingers crossed that she makes it through the night. If she makes it to Saturday, she's going back to the barn to live with her feline family. I just thought I could nurse her over the next couple of days without risk of further injury from horse or dog.

knpaints · 07-24-2008, 05:55 PM

Kittens are tough..SHe is really cute though! Hope she makes it..
If she isnt going to the potty it could be because of stress..
she is probably more scared than anything!
If she is showing signs of wanting to play thats a good thing! and that she is eating
Good luck with her

BarnBum · 07-24-2008, 06:00 PM

Blueberry is a cute name......matches those gorgeous eyes !!

Sassy · 07-24-2008, 06:10 PM

Is she ever sweet. Umm this might sound yucky but if she is uninclinded to go potty try whipping her back side with a nice warm wet cloth! She may need incouraging like her moma would have done?! we had to do that a young stray we picked up off the road. Poor mit, it was a freak weatehr system passing threw in Januaury was pouring raining and so cold.... We found this poor lost kitty who was maybe 4-5 weeks old. Soaked threw darn near frozen. Anyway we had to do that for her to get her to go wee and poo! After a few days she got the idea to do it on her own! Good luck keep us posted on her...

blueberry · 07-24-2008, 08:05 PM

How nice of you to name your kitty after me

Seriously, give her a bit more time to try and go potty. Like someone said, fear makes them hold it in. I hope she recovers. We had a little 4 week old black kitten we found a few years ago that we named Blueberry too, for the same reason. She was so tiny with those blue babies eyes and my daughter said they looked liked tiny little blueberries in her head.

tuffsmom · 07-24-2008, 08:09 PM

She is a very cute kitty. Prayers that she will be okay.

**seerfarm** · 07-24-2008, 08:19 PM

Poor sweet thing. My concern knowing that she may have been stepped on, swollen tummy and no use of a leg would be something perforated and or broken, such as bowel or kidneys, her little leg and she cannot go to the bathroom. Anyway she can be looked at by the Vet?

breburtch · 07-24-2008, 08:51 PM

Aww poor little thing but aslong as theres no internal damage she'll pull through and be a bouncy rambunction kitten in no time.
I had one that was probably around the same age as that one I took in have no clue what had happened to her but her one hind leg was completely useless it just hung there limply tey after several weeks of me massaging it and standing her on it she slowly started to use it for about 5 months she walked with a limp about by the time she was just over a year you would never have known she had a problem there was no limp or anything.

Chances are with that little guy with it being in a dark stall he probably moved fast or tried climbing the horses leg etc and started the horse and in turn the horse kicked out, nipped whatever when he was startled and then when the cat screeched scared him even more. But cats are tough little boggers and as long as theres nothing internally wrong he'll pull through just fine

breburtch · 07-24-2008, 08:54 PM

deffinatly try a warm damp cloth to simulate the mother cat when they clean there bums. If you've ever cared for newborn kitties this is pretty much a must to do because it will generally make them poo or pee. good luck and best wishs to the little muffin

Lady_MCSE · 07-24-2008, 10:02 PM

Yeah, I knew about the massaging with a moist towel trick, and did try it after dinner. No such luck. We even took her out to the garden to see if she wanted something to dig and squat in. No luck on either count. She's in a muck bucket (a clean one), that's 1/2 hay and 1/2 towels, so if she decides to go, she has her choice.

She spent an hour or so on the couch with me, and I think she liked that because now she's crying for me all the time.

When we took her out to the garden, she made a fast getaway on 3 legs. So I'm taking that as the most positive sign of all.

The swollen tummy is not black & blue, which is a sign of internal bleeding. So I also take that as a good sign.

12 hours and nothing "out" that I can tell, I'm still a little worried.

We're planning to be away for 12-14 hours tomorrow, and I can't make up my mind if she'll be better at home on carpet wandering an enclosed room, with a saucer of milk handy, or if I should just take her on back to her feline family at the barn and hope for the best.

Mom and Dad are voting for leaving her here at the house. I'm voting for taking her back to her mom. Any other votes out there?

Shiloveshorses · 07-24-2008, 11:20 PM

I vote leave her home. At least till you know if she is ok. One of my cats from a few years ago got attacked by a dog and had a really swollen belly after. But a few days later the swelling went down and she was fine. So heres hoping Blueberry turns out fine.

sundancer maiden · 07-24-2008, 11:35 PM

Well, darn it, my vote would be that you fall in love, deside to make her part of the family and take her to the vet for the day.
She would be safe and under observation to make sure she will be ok.
Of course I am a serious softy, and that is why I have 19 cats!!!

Lady_MCSE · 07-25-2008, 06:57 AM

Morning Update:

Got up to feed her around 2am, and she had something to eat. I don't know if it was just gas or poo, but there was a major green cloud of smelliness emanating from her home. So she's getting rid of SOMETHING at least! I still haven't discovered solid poo anywhere, but her white towels are grimy looking, so maybe she did go. Her belly was more normal-looking (until she had so much to eat).

At 6:30am she took more milk than she has the entire time she's been here.

The leg is still not getting used. I have tried to palpate it and see if I can find a single "pain point," but she doesn't even cry when I palpate it. Plus she sits on that side a lot. So here's to hoping she's not even in much pain.

I definitely hear you on the vet thing . . . unfortunately I'm out of a job, my parents are both retired (fixed income), and I have 3 cats already. They are three old men pretty set in their ways. AND I'm trying to sell a house so I can move - I'm very fearful I may end up having to rent the house out, which means I won't have a downpayment to buy another, and will have to rent wherever I live, which means 3 cats is already a challenge. 4 would be even harder.

Normally I'm a huge fan of running to the vet, and if I still had the job I had six months ago, I would've been there already without question. My philosophy right now is that she would have gotten zero care at the barn, much less veterinary care, so she's getting better than she would have gotten otherwise. And I just didn't want to take her straight to the vet if she wasn't going to even survive 24 hours. She's made it to 20 hrs now, so I'm thinking she'll probably do just fine.

I still think that she's going to end back up at the barn tomorrow. But if my parents decide to adopt her (not very likely), they would take her to the vet on Monday.

VickiE · 07-25-2008, 07:35 AM

Poor baby.

IMO- she looks younger then 6-8 weeks of age. My kittens are around that age and their eyes are no longer the blue color. Their eyes are changing colors. She looks more 4-5 weeks old to me. Which could explain why she hasn't really gone potty on her own. Our kittens would take forever to eliminate waste.

Good luck with her. I hope she comes through it all!

OSUJillyBean · 07-25-2008, 08:16 AM

Missed this thread last night. I hope the kitty is doing okay this morning!!

cleo-bo-beo · 07-25-2008, 08:24 AM

I just saw this thread. Blueberry looks EXACTLY like my cat Lily did when she was little! I hope she turns out just fine, she's a doll.

oveywon · 07-25-2008, 08:32 AM

I know this is silly, but maybe a cat rescue? Barn cat life is so tough, and an injury will make it hard for her.

In my area, most rescues would take her before other cats because of the injured leg. I live in a big populated area though, so I'm sure you don't have the same options if you're in the country.

Not trying to make you feel bad...I think it's great you gave her a few days to heal. She'll probably do fine back at the barn and grow up to be a very tough cat.

Lady_MCSE · 07-25-2008, 08:35 AM

Did I forget to mention ...

The short nicknamey type name is just "Blueberry." The longer, more official name is, of course "Blueberry Pancake." (Get it, she was squished by horse . . . )

Lady_MCSE · 07-25-2008, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oveywon

I know this is silly, but maybe a cat rescue? Barn cat life is so tough, and an injury will make it hard for her.

In my area, most rescues would take her before other cats because of the injured leg. I live in a big populated area though, so I'm sure you don't have the same options if you're in the country.

Not trying to make you feel bad...I think it's great you gave her a few days to heal. She'll probably do fine back at the barn and grow up to be a very tough cat.

My mom actually volunteers at the animal shelter which is just down the road . . . she's pretty certain they would put this one down. There are several "no kill" shelters around though. I guess maybe I could look into doing that.

However, she really belongs to the barn, and does have a momma to go back to, so that's why I was planning to just take her back. Ironically, her mom has a very crooked leg that looks like she met with an acccident at some point too.

sundancer maiden · 07-25-2008, 09:00 AM

What are you feeding her, other than the mik?
Just thinking about "what goes in one end, effects what comes out the other end"!

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07-24-2008, 05:50 PM
Lady_MCSE Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Shytown, IL Posts: 3,459	Meet Blueberry Hello everyone, Meet "Blueberry." I tried hard not to name her, but my dad served up blueberry pancakes this morning before I went out to the barn, and I just couldn't help thinking of her baby blue eyes and her little ball-like stature. I went out to the barn to trim my horse's hooves, and while I was fussing with all my tools and whatnot, I heard this terrible noise from a stall across the aisle from the washrack where I was. It was loud banging, thumping, kitten screeching, mewing, silence, and a very guilty-looking horse poking his head out of the stall. Other cats from around dthe barn had gathered to see what the noise was all about. So I went over to the stall and opened the door. There were no lights on, so I couldn't see a thing, but calling and calling I felt my way to this poor little thing underneath the automatic water feeder. I don't know if she was bitten, stepped on, or kicked, or all of the above. If she was inside the stall with no parent cat around, then she was probably in the stall all night long, I'm guessing. She definitely has no use of one leg. And in the one photo here you can see how she was all wet on one side, almost about hoof-print sized too, but I dunno. She has been in my care since 10am, and it's now almost 6pm. I'm guessing she's about 6-8 weeks, and that's what my dad thought too. I got her KMR (Kitten Replacement Milk), even though the barn worker said she has been eating some solid foods. She has taken in maybe about 4 ounces of KMR, and her belly is very very full. What's concerning me is that there's been no urine or feces that I can see. I'm worried that there may be internal injuries that she won't survive. She's been either sleeping or well alert, and purring and responsive, even showing signs of wanting to play. So I don't want to be all gloom and doom, but that belly is all swollen and nothing coming out. I have been massaging it very very gently like a momma cat would. My next trick after we have dinner is to try a moist towel right at the rear-end, to see if I can stimulate anything coming out. Fingers crossed that she makes it through the night. If she makes it to Saturday, she's going back to the barn to live with her feline family. I just thought I could nurse her over the next couple of days without risk of further injury from horse or dog. __________________ Yes I can spell the way Webster tells me to. But why? I might spell correctly Tuesday thru Wensday tho.

07-24-2008, 05:55 PM
knpaints Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 941	Kittens are tough..SHe is really cute though! Hope she makes it.. If she isnt going to the potty it could be because of stress.. she is probably more scared than anything! If she is showing signs of wanting to play thats a good thing! and that she is eating Good luck with her __________________ Kris~

07-24-2008, 06:00 PM
BarnBum Greenbroke Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 3,542	Blueberry is a cute name......matches those gorgeous eyes !! __________________ Murphys Horse Law - A horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching !!

07-24-2008, 06:10 PM
Sassy Started Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Northern Alberta, Canada Posts: 2,331	Is she ever sweet. Umm this might sound yucky but if she is uninclinded to go potty try whipping her back side with a nice warm wet cloth! She may need incouraging like her moma would have done?! we had to do that a young stray we picked up off the road. Poor mit, it was a freak weatehr system passing threw in Januaury was pouring raining and so cold.... We found this poor lost kitty who was maybe 4-5 weeks old. Soaked threw darn near frozen. Anyway we had to do that for her to get her to go wee and poo! After a few days she got the idea to do it on her own! Good luck keep us posted on her... __________________ A horse which stops dead just before a jump and thus propels its rider into a graceful arc provides a splendid excuse for general merriment. ~ DUKE OF ENDINBURGH ~

07-24-2008, 08:05 PM
blueberry Yearling Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: great lakes area Posts: 748	How nice of you to name your kitty after me Seriously, give her a bit more time to try and go potty. Like someone said, fear makes them hold it in. I hope she recovers. We had a little 4 week old black kitten we found a few years ago that we named Blueberry too, for the same reason. She was so tiny with those blue babies eyes and my daughter said they looked liked tiny little blueberries in her head. __________________ Proud horse mom to: Genie the beauty queenie (3yo QH) Tess the best (5yo QH) "To err is human, to forgive is equine"

07-24-2008, 08:09 PM
tuffsmom Seasoned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Nebraska Posts: 4,012	She is a very cute kitty. Prayers that she will be okay. __________________

07-24-2008, 08:19 PM
seerfarm Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Portal, Ga Posts: 7,730	Poor sweet thing. My concern knowing that she may have been stepped on, swollen tummy and no use of a leg would be something perforated and or broken, such as bowel or kidneys, her little leg and she cannot go to the bathroom. Anyway she can be looked at by the Vet? __________________ "To know the road ahead, ask those coming back".

07-24-2008, 08:51 PM
breburtch Coming two Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ennismore, Ontario Posts: 1,863	Aww poor little thing but aslong as theres no internal damage she'll pull through and be a bouncy rambunction kitten in no time. I had one that was probably around the same age as that one I took in have no clue what had happened to her but her one hind leg was completely useless it just hung there limply tey after several weeks of me massaging it and standing her on it she slowly started to use it for about 5 months she walked with a limp about by the time she was just over a year you would never have known she had a problem there was no limp or anything. Chances are with that little guy with it being in a dark stall he probably moved fast or tried climbing the horses leg etc and started the horse and in turn the horse kicked out, nipped whatever when he was startled and then when the cat screeched scared him even more. But cats are tough little boggers and as long as theres nothing internally wrong he'll pull through just fine

07-24-2008, 08:54 PM
breburtch Coming two Join Date: May 2008 Location: Ennismore, Ontario Posts: 1,863	deffinatly try a warm damp cloth to simulate the mother cat when they clean there bums. If you've ever cared for newborn kitties this is pretty much a must to do because it will generally make them poo or pee. good luck and best wishs to the little muffin

07-24-2008, 10:02 PM
Lady_MCSE Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Shytown, IL Posts: 3,459	Yeah, I knew about the massaging with a moist towel trick, and did try it after dinner. No such luck. We even took her out to the garden to see if she wanted something to dig and squat in. No luck on either count. She's in a muck bucket (a clean one), that's 1/2 hay and 1/2 towels, so if she decides to go, she has her choice. She spent an hour or so on the couch with me, and I think she liked that because now she's crying for me all the time. When we took her out to the garden, she made a fast getaway on 3 legs. So I'm taking that as the most positive sign of all. The swollen tummy is not black & blue, which is a sign of internal bleeding. So I also take that as a good sign. 12 hours and nothing "out" that I can tell, I'm still a little worried. We're planning to be away for 12-14 hours tomorrow, and I can't make up my mind if she'll be better at home on carpet wandering an enclosed room, with a saucer of milk handy, or if I should just take her on back to her feline family at the barn and hope for the best. Mom and Dad are voting for leaving her here at the house. I'm voting for taking her back to her mom. Any other votes out there? __________________ Yes I can spell the way Webster tells me to. But why? I might spell correctly Tuesday thru Wensday tho.

07-24-2008, 11:20 PM
Shiloveshorses Yearling Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 608	I vote leave her home. At least till you know if she is ok. One of my cats from a few years ago got attacked by a dog and had a really swollen belly after. But a few days later the swelling went down and she was fine. So heres hoping Blueberry turns out fine. __________________ Life is full of ups and downs.....twists and turns......stay on the path.......hang on tight....remember who your friends are.....remember where the shoulders are.

07-24-2008, 11:35 PM
sundancer maiden Long Yearling Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 1,130	Well, darn it, my vote would be that you fall in love, deside to make her part of the family and take her to the vet for the day. She would be safe and under observation to make sure she will be ok. Of course I am a serious softy, and that is why I have 19 cats!!! __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!

07-25-2008, 06:57 AM
Lady_MCSE Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Shytown, IL Posts: 3,459	Morning Update: Got up to feed her around 2am, and she had something to eat. I don't know if it was just gas or poo, but there was a major green cloud of smelliness emanating from her home. So she's getting rid of SOMETHING at least! I still haven't discovered solid poo anywhere, but her white towels are grimy looking, so maybe she did go. Her belly was more normal-looking (until she had so much to eat). At 6:30am she took more milk than she has the entire time she's been here. The leg is still not getting used. I have tried to palpate it and see if I can find a single "pain point," but she doesn't even cry when I palpate it. Plus she sits on that side a lot. So here's to hoping she's not even in much pain. I definitely hear you on the vet thing . . . unfortunately I'm out of a job, my parents are both retired (fixed income), and I have 3 cats already. They are three old men pretty set in their ways. AND I'm trying to sell a house so I can move - I'm very fearful I may end up having to rent the house out, which means I won't have a downpayment to buy another, and will have to rent wherever I live, which means 3 cats is already a challenge. 4 would be even harder. Normally I'm a huge fan of running to the vet, and if I still had the job I had six months ago, I would've been there already without question. My philosophy right now is that she would have gotten zero care at the barn, much less veterinary care, so she's getting better than she would have gotten otherwise. And I just didn't want to take her straight to the vet if she wasn't going to even survive 24 hours. She's made it to 20 hrs now, so I'm thinking she'll probably do just fine. I still think that she's going to end back up at the barn tomorrow. But if my parents decide to adopt her (not very likely), they would take her to the vet on Monday. __________________ Yes I can spell the way Webster tells me to. But why? I might spell correctly Tuesday thru Wensday tho.

07-25-2008, 07:35 AM
VickiE Conformation Clinic / Product Reviews Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 3,079	Poor baby. IMO- she looks younger then 6-8 weeks of age. My kittens are around that age and their eyes are no longer the blue color. Their eyes are changing colors. She looks more 4-5 weeks old to me. Which could explain why she hasn't really gone potty on her own. Our kittens would take forever to eliminate waste. Good luck with her. I hope she comes through it all! __________________ It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it. George W. Bush

07-25-2008, 08:16 AM
OSUJillyBean Started Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,979	Missed this thread last night. I hope the kitty is doing okay this morning!! __________________ "And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche." — Alice Cullen

07-25-2008, 08:24 AM
cleo-bo-beo Weanling Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New York Posts: 293	I just saw this thread. Blueberry looks EXACTLY like my cat Lily did when she was little! I hope she turns out just fine, she's a doll. __________________ It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall. -Mexican Proverb

07-25-2008, 08:32 AM
oveywon Started Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,005	I know this is silly, but maybe a cat rescue? Barn cat life is so tough, and an injury will make it hard for her. In my area, most rescues would take her before other cats because of the injured leg. I live in a big populated area though, so I'm sure you don't have the same options if you're in the country. Not trying to make you feel bad...I think it's great you gave her a few days to heal. She'll probably do fine back at the barn and grow up to be a very tough cat. __________________ This Holiday Season remember ... That the place God chose for the birth of His only son was not a church, or a palace, but the home of animals - a stable.

07-25-2008, 08:35 AM
Lady_MCSE Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Shytown, IL Posts: 3,459	Did I forget to mention ... The short nicknamey type name is just "Blueberry." The longer, more official name is, of course "Blueberry Pancake." (Get it, she was squished by horse . . . ) __________________ Yes I can spell the way Webster tells me to. But why? I might spell correctly Tuesday thru Wensday tho.

07-25-2008, 09:00 AM
sundancer maiden Long Yearling Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Udall, KS Posts: 1,130	What are you feeding her, other than the mik? Just thinking about "what goes in one end, effects what comes out the other end"! __________________ You don't have to be crazy to be my friend, but it helps!!!