Shelly helps exhausted feral cat during birth

APR 19: Feral mama Scotia went into labor, and let me help her get kittens latched when she became too exhausted to continue. When kittens nurse, they stimulate hormones that help with contractions and milk production, so getting them nursing was one way to help her finish giving birth successfully. She gave birth for the last time to five beautiful, healthy kittens, plus two kittens she had sadly miscarried earlier in the pregnancy. Watch mom and babies grow up on our rescue livestream: https://TinyKittens.com/live

APR 17, 2023: We lost Waggy this morning, despite our best efforts. We believe he suffered hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) during birth which caused damage to his organs that was not survivable. His life mattered.

Glorietta began to fade today as well. We suspect she is battling sepsis, and are doing everything possible to help her fight. Her temp has come down since starting treatment, but she remains in critical condition.

Wilder, Alice and Knickerbocker are looking good, but we are micro-monitoring them for any signs of trouble and are prepared to take immediate action.

It has been an extremely difficult 5 days for our team, the mods, and you - our wonderful #TinyVillage. Please know how much we appreciate each of you, as we experience the uncensored reality of our rescue work together.

UPDATE APR 15, 2023: Orinda gave birth for the last time on April 12th. Today we did an ultrasound and an exam to make sure she is doing ok, plus we ultrasounded her pregnant roommate, Scotia.

We've just unlocked a whole new level in cat rescue: Not only are our new mama cats very pregnant... they are also feral... and Orinda is blood type B... highly fearful... AND SHE HAS RINGWORM.

Her adorable friend Scotia is also very pregnant, feral, type A (whew!), missing an eye, and infested with LICE.

So, if we seem anxious and terrified for what's coming, it's because we are...

Why this is scary:
Type B blood means Orinda's kittens will be at risk for a fatal condition called Neonatal Isoerythrolysis. This happens when a type B mom gives birth to type A kittens. Mom passes her anti-A antibodies to the kittens in her colostrum, and those antibodies kill the kittens' red blood cells. Thankfully, we have had a LOT of experience with this and have been able to save 100% of the kittens born in our care who would have died from NI. The protocol required to save them is definitely worth it, but it gets pretty tough when we're working with stressed feral mamas.

Ringworm is not medically life threatening, but it is a big concern because it is a highly contagious zoonotic fungus. Kittens born to a mama with ringworm will certainly get ringworm, which requires strict treatment and isolation protocols, a lot of expense, and extra time to treat. The medications we would normally use aren't safe for pregnancy, nursing or young kittens, so we will have to do our best using other methods.

Meet the 133+ cats at Orinda and Scotia's feral colony: https://TinyKittens.com/bramble

Kitten weights: https://bit.ly/43rJwpm

How Nano saved his family:    • Nano, the tiniest kitten - TinyKitten...  

We broadcast the stories of our rescued cats, live and uncensored, to raise awareness about the realities of cat overpopulation in a way that inspires compassion.

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