If she hasnt improved now, 6 hours later, I would call my vet or take to er vet. If you have any karo syrup rub some on her gums.
That said, how is she now? I hope better!
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How is Cupcake now? If she’s still unresponsive, I’d contact my vet tonight.
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Oh poor little girl! I am jingling for her. Also second what @Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom said.
One of my cats some years ago got her spayed and she was in so much pain she refused to poop. She just lay there looking half dead and I wound up taking her in. They gave her some painkiller and said that some kittens just don’t do well for a few days. She finally pooped and after that perked up a bit every day. It was scary to see her laying on the floor with her eyes wide open and making little crying noises.
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Thank you everyone, your jingles paid off.
We had the ER # on standby all night. When I called them they were slammed and said to only bring her in if she was throwing up or took a turn for the worse - they said some kittens just don’t handle the anesthesia well and can be out of it for 24 hours. I tried checking her gums last night but they are so tiny - not as easy to do a capillary refill check on a kitten as it is on a horse! We moved her to the bedroom for quiet observation and kept her in a carrier with fleece and extra soupy wet food. Around 7PM she ate and peed, and then passed out for a few hours again. Around 10 PM she was interested in playing but still very sore. This morning she ate, drank, and peed - no poo yet though.
I moved her and the other spayed kitten into the dog kennel while I am at work, so I can continue to monitor their eating/drinking/peeing. Fingers crossed she continues to improve!! Thank you everyone for chiming in.
I did not realize that most people/vets wait until five/six months. I feel awful for putting her and the other kitten through that now that I know. 
When I spoke to my original vet they said they can be spayed as early as 6 weeks and to bring them in ASAP. I’ve actually never had a kitten proper before, all my cats have come to me at least several months old.
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Glad she’s doing better
Pediatric spay/neuter is a hot topic. I used to be against it. But I’m firmly in the yes corner now. I think 8 weeks is young enough. The shelter I used to foster for, they had to be at least 2 lbs, and at least 8 weeks. Some didn’t make weight until 10 weeks.
My girls both came into heat twice at 5 months. Had they been outside, they’d be 8 month old mamas. They drove us crazy. I can see why people throw them outside….the yowling! Their mama was an 8 month old too.
So, pediatric spays work. I had 2 sisters that were spayed at 8 weeks. They made it to 16 and 19.5 and were very healthy cats.
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Aww poor little Cupcake, hope she continues to improve!
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Some big animal shelters only adopt out spayed/neutered animals, no matter what their age, because some adopters will never spay or neuter.
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This is true. The shelter I foster for now charges $45 for a kitten, usually 2 for $50. This includes altering, all their kitten shots, including rabies. But they won’t alter until 4 months. Even though altering is free for the owner, they only have about a 50% rate.
I firmly believe they should alter prior to adopting out. The risk of lifetime complications of pediatric altering is low. Risk of unwanted pregnancy is very, very high.
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Regarding vet costs for strays/ferals that are rescued… I have had luck befriending local rescues and TNR groups who have been happy to connect me with low cost vets and even put me under their “account” to get discounts - although I have had to foster and pay the low cost fees. To forge these relationships, I called and emailed over 25 groups (NYC area), and posted in neighborhood and cat-rescue FB groups and on my own social media page.
I have also had luck googling “spay/neuter assistance” and “low cost spay/neuter” and by speaking with my then vet (who connected me with a not-for-profit who funded the majority of my first rescue’s spay.)
The rescues/TNR groups have also on occasion helped me find more long-term fosters and adopters with their networks and ability to screen people. That was harder, though, and took a lot longer. In one case, for a tough placement (CKD kitty with ringworm that I fostered for months), I had to drive two states to a family contact to find a home. It was worth it, but it was a LOT of work!
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25 groups! 
I was feeling stressed out emailing five… One woman got back to me almost ASAP about a not-so-local rescue Org that does TNR/low cost spay clinics once a month. We drove out there and dropped them off at 9:30 and they were ready for pickup at 11:30. The recommended donation per cat was $15 - I don’t know how on earth they can defray costs with such a low fee. I gave them $200 which is still less than I would have had to pay to spay one at a regular clinic.
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It’s called desperation! I live in a shoebox and already had two cats… both rescues I had “foster failed” with. I couldn’t take on a third. I had a spreadsheet of every group I could find - even some on Long Island and in New Jersey! Most never replied… probably because they were so overwhelmed. Some even suggested ACC (who told me they would likely euth the cat because it had ringworm).
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My vet won’t spay/neuter until they are I think 5lbs - I think that’s a bit late, I think 3lbs is probably fine, but I don’t like to do them as early as some rescues do. Still, I get it. You either spay at 8 weeks and adopt them out, or you risk them never getting spayed at all.
I’ve got two that I’m hoping are 5lbs - as soon as they get caught, they are going to the vet. Bless my vet, he’s agreed to board them a couple of days until he has a chance to get to them, because they’re booking spay/neuter appointments 2 months out right now. But as these are ferals, he’s willing to help me out.
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Don’t feel bad, you had no way of knowing Cupcake would have a hard time with the anesthesia. I’m so glad she’s better now!!
When I fostered, they were spayed/ neutered at 2 lbs, usually 8 weeks. Our group didn’t let them leave the fosters until they were altered. I’ve seen two many people put it off or just not do it.
FWIW, I think you did the right thing. Give Miss Cupcake a little hug and kiss when she feels better.
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How is our girl doing this evening?
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whew! I’m glad little Cupcake is doing better. If she does not poo pretty soon, give her a bit of laxative. That might help. My poor little girl - I wish I had thought of that when she did not want to go because it hurt her little tummy too much.
Continuing to jingle for improvement! And add a smooch, too.
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Good morning COTH crew 
Yesterday Cupcake was feeling a little better but still not 100%. I think she’s still very sore. Her spayed sister was so crazy active we’ve had to put her in “kitten jail” (a cat carrier) a few times to keep her from popping out her stitches.
There’s been some changes in dynamics in the house. Momma cat has decided she is done with children and hissed and swatted at her own kittens (the two tuxes). Now the two tuxes (unspayed) are hissing at the two spayed girls. The two spayed girls are both sore and defensive because they’re sore, and no one is getting along. 
I wonder if I contributed to this by isolating Momma from everyone, and isolating the spayed kittens overnight. The tuxes are just so rowdy I didn’t want them hurting the two spayed girls.
We kept Cupcake and Big Tabby in our bedroom overnight with some food, water, and temporary litter box to keep them quiet and easy to watch. They were quiet until 2 am… so I guess Cupcake is feeling a bit better. She was still the slightest bit wobbly behind this morning but I saw the first glimpse of normal Cupcake this AM since her spay - she likes to pounce on the back of your leg as you walk away, and she did that this AM before I left for work. I’ll know she’s back to 100% when she climbs on my back while I’m doing the litter box 
The tuxes look bigger than both Cupcake and B.T now. I’m trying to convince myself it is just me overanalyzing everything but B.T was the biggest kitten up until now. Cupcake has always been small but I think they kind of look like crap. I’m hoping it is just normal for spays but if I don’t see an improvement soon I’m going to bring them in.
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I’m so happy to hear they’re on the mend!
BT sounds typical of a young spayed kitten. I do think Cupcake’s reaction was a bit of a freak thing, and you shouldn’t blame yourself. I had four kittens – a litter of my sister’s, of which I kept 2 — spayed at a nearby humane society just before four months while I was cat sitting for her. They were all running around the next day. I didn’t have unspayed siblings to compare to, but it makes sense that there would be a brief blip in their growth when they’re off food for a day - and they’re growing so fast I’d believe a sibling could catch up tin that time.
My sister had the mom spayed later (she couldn’t bring herself to force an early weaning, and a barn window didn’t latch so mom was getting out, so there was a 2nd litter). I remember how she worried about how over kittens the mom was when they were weaned/she was spayed. How downright nasty she would be to them. But now they’re all getting along - mom and the three babies (now 4yo) that my sister kept. She’s not unfailingly affectionate but who is with grown children?
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Beowolf,
Love all your posts.
There’s just one thing…
You gotta post Franklin the kitty engine and the kitty train before you send the kittens to their new homes.
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Don’t beat yourself up - the kitties were going to have issues sooner or later. The dynamics always change. Just keep the little girls away from the others for a little longer - once the vet smell wears off and they smell like themselves again, I’m sure the others will come around. Maybe you can wipe them off with a damp rag and wrap them up in some of your clothes, to make them smell ‘normal’ again?
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Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement. 
I haven’t been keeping up with kitten spam lately but I do have this photo snapped last night of Cupcake and B.T in my lap.
I will try the damp rag and housing them on a shirt, though I think I may keep them separated a few more days. And I will try to get a video of the Franklin train ASAP!! They are so fast that by the time I whip out my phone they’re already around the corner.
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