Loreley Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I was told that a mumma cat and kittens stinks the house out, is this the case? I have never known cats to smell bad (well our cat when she was an actual kitten and was on whiskers was pretty bad from memory). If they are on good food, how bad is the smell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 A rescue cat I had many years ago had her kittens in my bedroom cupboard, no particular smell that I can remember? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 great thanks kelpiecuddles I might need a cupboard for a mummy that might be coming home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I don't recall a smell either. We have a Cat Section on here with a few breeders so they will have more experience. Unless you mean when they're older and on solids? Sure, then they will smell a bit IMO. Lots of indoor cats can be difficult to keep the litter smell down - it can be done but you need to be really clean and have them on a top notch diet. A friend of mine bred cats. The first time I went to her house to collect a rehomer I was bracing myself for the smell. I'd only ever been to breeders houses that were something out of a horror movie - stenchy, dirty etc. I prepped my daughter not to comment on the stink, we wore old clothes and braced ourselves. Not one whiff of cat! She is very clean though, and always seems to be cleaning out trays etc so it's proved to me that it can be done. She will need a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the household. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I took in some four week old kittens without a mum once and they did stink - because they had just started eating solids and they would absolutely cover themselves in it. You'd wash them down but with feeding like 3-4 times a day it just gets soaked in to their fur. Plus wee and poo from 5 little beasts. The room stunk like fishy cat food and poo. But once they were gone it was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I used to breed Persians and never had any problems with smell. Feed a good quality food and change the litter regularly and clean the tray in hot water and bleach. Kittens are naturally clean and will start to use the litter tray from 3-4 weeks old and up until then their mother will keep them spotless. If mum is a little slow in getting the knack of cleaning her kittens then spread a little bit of butter or margarine at the base of the kittens' tails and she will be on to it in no time. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 I've only had fosters - some born at my home and others a week old with Mum - I have a very sensitive sense of smell and I've never known a problem. As jem said change litter regularly and feed good quality food and I can't see it being a problem - also a little fresh air through the window doesn't hurt either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 that is the next question, what is a good quality food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 I like Royal Canin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 that is the next question, what is a good quality food? One thing about cats is that they form food preferences very early in life (i.e. 6-8 weeks as well as in utero and maternal influences) so I feed a real mix - if my fosters are from a shelter they give me the dry food (usually Hills kitten) plus some Hills wet/Whiskas kitten pouches (surprisingly the latter are quite good - a lot better than Whiskas adult cat food), a bit of raw beef/lamb/chicken (minced to start with and then moving onto chunks) and chicken wing tips. By the time they leave they can demolish a larger chicken wing joint and have tasted (and often it's just a taste not part of their diet) cheese, kitten milk, raw egg, sardines....whatever I have on hand. I feed Mum the same as the kittens (and let her clean up their leftovers) - all my Mums arrive hating raw and leave demanding chicken wings. Raw is not for everyone though - but the more variety you can introduce earlier, the more it can help protect against finicky eating down the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 that is the next question, what is a good quality food? One thing about cats is that they form food preferences very early in life (i.e. 6-8 weeks as well as in utero and maternal influences) so I feed a real mix - if my fosters are from a shelter they give me the dry food (usually Hills kitten) plus some Hills wet/Whiskas kitten pouches (surprisingly the latter are quite good - a lot better than Whiskas adult cat food), a bit of raw beef/lamb/chicken (minced to start with and then moving onto chunks) and chicken wing tips. By the time they leave they can demolish a larger chicken wing joint and have tasted (and often it's just a taste not part of their diet) cheese, kitten milk, raw egg, sardines....whatever I have on hand. I feed Mum the same as the kittens (and let her clean up their leftovers) - all my Mums arrive hating raw and leave demanding chicken wings. Raw is not for everyone though - but the more variety you can introduce earlier, the more it can help protect against finicky eating down the track. great thanks for that, I have noticed with my daughters cat that even though she started out on whiskers kitten (which was all we could get at the time), she will only eat the hills lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 (edited) Yes, kitties can be like that! I have one of my cats recovering from major surgery and getting her to eat (she is normally a little piggie) has required a bit of creativity. When her Mama came to live with us she would only eat 2-3 pieces of dry food at a time. Now she has 3 meals a day - eats chicken necks, raw, tinned, dry and basically anything you throw at her - it can be quite challenging but it's something I work on with both my dogs and cats. Edited October 13, 2013 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Not true. I breed cats & have had many litters. if you keep on top of the litter trays there is no reason for there to be any smell at all from cats & kittens. I also feed a mixed variety of foods so they are not fussy eaters. The only time it may be a problem is when entire males spray or sometimes females can do it too when on heat. So they need to be put in outside run for those times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 great that gives me enough info to approach LSH (Long Suffering Hubby) about this local girl in need of assistance :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 great that gives me enough info to approach LSH (Long Suffering Hubby) about this local girl in need of assistance :laugh: You are very kind. So many cats & kittens PTS in the shelters & pounds. Do be aware that mummy cat can come back on heat when the kittens are only a few days old. It may be longer but my breed are known for it. So do not let her go outside at all. Start to wean the kitten at about 3 weeks old & take mum away for about 15 minutes or she will just eat up all their food before they realise what it is. Then bring her back in & if they haven't eaten it she will & they will try & copy her. She can't be desexed until she stops feeding the kittens & then do it asap or she will get pregnant again instantly if given the opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Also, you can pick up a really cheap scratching tower for them and Mum - the cheap ones are not very stable - I just lay it down so they can climb all over it and scratch it when they are old enough. I keep Mum and kits confined to one room as I have other cats that don't really want to know that I'm harbouring a fugitive :) I put all the curtains out of the way and kitten proof it so they can only climb and scratch what I want them too - good training for rehoming. Once Mum has gone for rehoming I introduce the kittens to my Dalmatian - he and Dizzy the one eyed foster failure kitten lie outside the door - Dizzy playing footsies with the kittens and Zig just waiting for the first chance at meeting them...they freak out at first of course but end up climbing all over him and playing with his tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy82 Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 When I was a kid our moggies had kittens all the time. There was never any bad smell. But stick your face into kitten fur and you will experience the best smell in the universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 It will be interesting to see if: a. hubby agrees to this venture after 2 failed foster dogs and b. the isolation room in question is his 'gym room' which of course he uses every day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loreley Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 we did however manage to rehome another foster but I think it broke his heart when I did, even though she went to a wonderful home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wildthing Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I have been in cat rescue for 19 years. In the heat of summer, kitten poo stinks if left in the tray. I always remove it ASAP. I use chicken layer pellets for litter - cheaper than commercial litter and does not smell. 25kg costs about $20. Feed a mix of dry, wet and fresh so they are not fussy eaters. Use Lactose free milk human variety as it is cheaper than Kitten milk. Sometimes add a raw egg yolk (no white they cannot digest it raw). Mum and bubs must be isolated from any other animals or mum may attack to protect her bubs. Have several litter trays available for them to use so that their feet stay cleaner and do not leave poo stained paw prints on anything! Some female cats are silent callers, so you will not realise she is calling! Others will yell the house down! If you have a vet who does a flank incision, mum cats can be desexed when the kittens are weaning. I do not do it, but know some people will. Good luck with hubby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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