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Posted: 19th December 2023

Five kittens with cat flu rescued from under shed
The whole litter was sneezing and suffering from severe conjunctivitis.
The litter was suffering from conjunctivitis and eye ulcers.

A litter of kittens has received urgent care for cat flu after being discovered sheltering under a shed.

The kittens were spotted by a member of the public in Helston, who reported them to the local branch of Cats Protection.

The welfare charity found that the kittens’ mother was feral, and would need to be humanely trapped, neutered and released to her home at a later date. However the kittens, aged about five weeks old, were brought into the branch for a check-up.

On arrival, it was soon diagnosed that they were suffering from severe cat flu, and so required urgent veterinary care. The kittens, four males now named Elf, Gnome, Imp and Sprite and a female named Pixie, were taken a local veterinary clinic within the hour.

A check-up revealed that the kittens were underweight, and very unwell.

Although kittens should weigh approximately 600g at five weeks old, and be cared for by their mother a further four weeks, each kitten weighed less than this. Elf weighed the most at 530g, and Pixie was the lightest and sickest at 385g.

The whole litter was sneezing and suffering from severe conjunctivitis. Pixie and Sprite were suffering from painful eye ulcers, and Pixie had already ruptured her eye.

Pixie needed immediate surgery to remove the eye, which was a risky operation for a small kitten. Her right eye was removed on the same day she arrived, and she recovered well from the procedure.

Now aged 11 weeks old, the kittens are being cared for by a fosterer who bathes their eyes and noses and administers antibiotic eye drops. Their fosterer also gives Pixie and Sprite the oral antibiotics and pain relief they need to manage their eye ulcers.

Cats Protection is sharing the kittens’ story to urge cat owners to keep their cats vaccinated against illnesses such as cat flu.

Cat flu, which affects the upper respiratory tract, is mainly caused by feline herpes virus and feline calcivirus. It can be life-threatening for cats which are older, have a damaged immune system or are very young, such as this litter of kittens.

The veterinary care of the litter has already cost Cats Protection £1416, with more treatment required in the future. The charity is appealing for donations to support their recovery.

Branch co-ordinator Paula Rosewarne said: “The boys purr all the time and ask to be picked up for a cuddle. Like kittens their age should, they all love to play and run around.

“It took Pixie a little longer to come out of her shell after her operation, but despite her limited vision she now plays happily with crinkly balls and balls with bells as well as catnip mice.”

Image © Cats Protection



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