I adopted two kittens in december. Sadly, one of them got FIP and we had to put him to sleep yesterday due to fluid in his tiny lungs :( It was very sad for me and everyone involved.
However, his adopted brother seems to be fine, a bit confused, but fine over all. I'm scared though now because now he's all alone during the day. he has plenty of toys, but he loves attention and playing. Has anyone ever dealt with this and can offer suggestions to keep baby entertained during the day? I keep the radio on for him and the blinds ups, but I still worry. I may get a new play mate for him in a couple months, definitely not until after I get his brother's necropsy results back and can blood test him for viral activity. I just want to feel more comfortable leaving him here all alone!
?2011-02-10T22:01:40Z
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first of all, sorry for the loss, especially if kitten are involved which were expected to live long. Even if it's sad, you did the very best to help the little kitten since especially the fluid in lungs version seems to be not very funny, he definite would have suffered a lot later on with this condition.
I would suggest to get your other kitten checked on FIP as well. So far there are two theories on how cats get it, the most common is by infection and lately I also red in a German cat owner community that there are also genetic reasons. Whatever it would be, it's very likely that your other kitten also carries it and if it does not outbreak he also could have a good life for several years. (own experience with a FIP cat who developed symptoms in the age of 6 and her long time feline buddy reached an age of 19 before she died) Plus, if it’s known that he has FIP the vet has better chances to treat first symptoms to slow down the progress.
If you think about adopting a new play buddy for your kitten, I also would suggest to ask the vet for his opinion. To wait or if it’s also OK to adopt a play buddy for him within the next days or at least weeks and what to pay attention on if you adopt. Simply because younger cats are much more easy to socialize than adult cats.
In the meanwhile I would suggest tons of playtime, and toys which keeps him busy while alone. Best if the toy is rewarding with treats or his most favorite dry food which will keep him interested in playing. My cats love e.g. the slimcat ball > http://www.amazon.com/MultiVet-SlimCat-Food-Distributor-Ball/dp/B0018CG40O
I was also asking amazon for interactive cat toys ... here are the results: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_20?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=interactive+cat+toys&sprefix=interactive+cat+toys
If you don't have already and if you have place in your home, I also would recommend to get him an at least medium sized cat tree, he has the possibility to climb and play around - plus you have the chance to hide treats on it which he could discover. Here some examples of available versions: http://www.allpetfurniture.com/Cat-Trees-and-Condos-C142691.html
hope that helps out for the moment.
Best regards and the very best for you and your kitten :)
Additional info: It's not said that a cat who had a play buddy would be more happy if the buddy will disappear. Had an equal experience as Courtney with my first cats (I was 10 at that time), with the difference that I was able to find back my missing cat after 8 weeks. First day lost and found back cat got a lot of smacks by the other cat, she hissed and yelled - we already thought to give the found back cat away. The very next day they stuck together almost like Siamese twins. As soon as one cat lost the other out of sight, MEOOOOW ? ... if no Meow followed by the "missing", the calling cat started searching immediately. It took over 3 months until they showed "normal" behavior again without freaking out as soon as the other cat went "out of sight" by e.g. just walking into an other room.
If he was used to live with other cats I also would give him the possibility to have a buddy again - at least that's what I would do.
My friend lives on a farm and her cats have kittens too. They are always dying within a week of birth. This can be from misscarrige. If the mother was moved around alot during her pregnancy- the last couple days is usually when this happens. Other then that it's when the kittens are exposed to cold climates- Like my friend's kittens crawled away from the mother and onto the cold concrete floors. They're eyes weren't open so they couldn't find their ways back. Good luck to the rest and be careful!
One of my cats went outside one night like always but this time he didnt come back. My other cat Looked for him for a couple days then he stopped. He almost seems happier by himself even though he loved his brother. Your cat will be fine alone but leaving the radio on is a good idea and i leave the t v on for my cat. he loves it. Plus cats sleep when they get bored so he will always get lots of rest which means a happier cat! yay!
Sometimes a stuffed animal helps. One that you hug & play with. One that has his own scent on it. Rubbing catnip on it might help. 1 of my cats are not a fan of stuffed animals, another will cuddle with 'em to keep from getting lonely.
Getting another kitten once he's all checked out will help immensly. I"m sorry for your loss. I do understand. Losing a loved 1 is hard. :*(