Hi there,
My cat is not quite a year old and hasn't had any vaccinations or vet visits. We had financial crisis and this was low priority. Just before getting her spayed we realized she was pregnant. The kittens were born a week ago tomorrow morning. I have not really picked them up and examined them until thismorning. I noticed one kitten has a bulging or swollen up eye. The eyes of all the kittens are still closed, including the one in question. I initially thought perhaps this is from an intrusion or infection resulting from birth or afterbirth issues. I've searched online and had many topics come close, but nothing that really seemed to be the same situation with any useful conclusion or advice. I still don't have the money to go to the vet with this newborn kitten and I'm not sure that this is considered an emergency case yet. There appears to be no redness around the swollen or affected area. There is no weeping or puss. Everything looks normal except for the bulging eye. It appears to be nearly double the size of the normal eye. The lid is not open and I wasn't hugely alarmed by it, only thinking of the kids I've had and how the delivery dr would put an eye ointment on human newborns to prevent infection. I wonder if this could be the same type of thing? Should I try warm/cold compress or perhaps some triple antibiotic ointment (neosporin?)? How long should I wait for this to resolve itself before considering it to be an emergency... or should I NOW consider this to be an emergency?
Any advice or similar experience would be welcome.
I can't just let the kitten die but I also don't want to be unreasonable about realizing the limitations of finances and determining the point at which it is frivolous or too much money to be worth the fight. Would I then be right in deciding to frivolous the kitten or allow it to die in due course? What is my appropriate role in this dilemma... what does society condone?
etc.etc.
Thank you for your input!
Chyblee

>Moved from Intros<

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Originally Posted by chyblee

Hi there,
My cat is not quite a year old and hasn't had any vaccinations or vet visits. We had financial crisis and this was low priority. Just before getting her spayed we realized she was pregnant. The kittens were born a week ago tomorrow morning. I have not really picked them up and examined them until thismorning. I noticed one kitten has a bulging or swollen up eye. The eyes of all the kittens are still closed, including the one in question. I initially thought perhaps this is from an intrusion or infection resulting from birth or afterbirth issues. I've searched online and had many topics come close, but nothing that really seemed to be the same situation with any useful conclusion or advice. I still don't have the money to go to the vet with this newborn kitten and I'm not sure that this is considered an emergency case yet. There appears to be no redness around the swollen or affected area. There is no weeping or puss. Everything looks normal except for the bulging eye. It appears to be nearly double the size of the normal eye. The lid is not open and I wasn't hugely alarmed by it, only thinking of the kids I've had and how the delivery dr would put an eye ointment on human newborns to prevent infection. I wonder if this could be the same type of thing? Should I try warm/cold compress or perhaps some triple antibiotic ointment (neosporin?)? How long should I wait for this to resolve itself before considering it to be an emergency... or should I NOW consider this to be an emergency?
Any advice or similar experience would be welcome.
I can't just let the kitten die but I also don't want to be unreasonable about realizing the limitations of finances and determining the point at which it is frivolous or too much money to be worth the fight. Would I then be right in deciding to frivolous the kitten or allow it to die in due course? What is my appropriate role in this dilemma... what does society condone?
etc.etc.
Thank you for your input!
Chyblee

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I think this says a lot:

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this was low priority

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This is a life you are talking about. A living breathing thing, not a table that needs repair. It was irresponsible not to get the cat spayed, particularly since most municipalities have resources available to absorb the cost. It was irresponsible to allow an unspayed female outside where she could get pregnant or injured (if you haven't the money to get her fixed, I'm guessing you haven't the money to get her proper care in the event of injury). It is irresponsible to let any cat roam around outside unattended, particularly absent the proper vaccinations.

I think you need to make your cat, and now her litter, a higher priority in your life. Life should not be regarded so cavalierly. I certainly hope each of these kittens will be found a good and loving home and not dumped outside or at a shelter where they'll likely live their remaining days in terror before being put to death.

I cannot say what is wrong with the kitten. I very much doubt anyone can say, other than a vet who has examined the eye.

I won't claim to speak for society. But I am more than happy to gesture at the ethical implications of your priorities to date. They don't paint a pretty picture. If money is tight, as it is for a great many people with cats, I urge you to do everything in your power to get these animals the care they deserve and have been lacking for far too long. Call vets in your area, explain your situation, and ask them to work with you on payment options. Call local shelters to see if they will help with the cost of getting the mother spayed. Call the Humane Society. Call your local government offices. Do whatever you can to keep these new lives from being wasted and cut short. Do everything you can to ensure that the kittens have better care than their mother has received. Do everything you can to ensure that they will find homes with people who will make them a high priority.

Your first priority is that your family be kept healthy and safe as possible. I get the impression that is what you have been trying to do. Sadly you have neglected the cat due to being distracted. Not good, but if that's the worst thing you ever do in your life, you will be up for sainthood. Just don't let it happen again. Lesson learned. OK?

Having said that, I would consider the options Akuoe suggests. If they are not feasible for you then you meed to take the animals to a shelter and leave them there.

Thank You for your posts. I appreciate your time and your trying to give me some advice however off topic it may be.
I think people are quick to criticize when the whole story isn't unveiled. I'm sure if I wrote the full 3 page story you wouldn't have been so quick to give me the lecture of a parental nature, but I deserve it as I opened myself up when posting here.
The kitten as of yesterday evening when I rechecked them all, has remedied itself. The swelling is down and she is back to a normal appearance.
I do have available to me the voucher from Friends of Felines to spay or neuter 2 cats per year at the cost of 15.00 per cat, which is very affordable and reasonable. I did get that voucher and had an appointment to get her spayed as I did my last two females. I had a crisis and despite my doing everything according to the letter of what I was told to do, I was still caught up in an unfortunate place which was out of my hands. Files were lost, employee in car crash causing her cases to be distributed amongst the rest of the office. 30 days was the assured turn around time for a move request packet with housing, which turned into 90 plus. I was nearly homeless even though I had section 8 for 4 years and complied to the nines with their policies, etc. Sometimes you end up caught up in red tape of which you have absolutely no control. I am a full time college student and have 3 kids and my only oither income is child support which is not stable. I had to take an additional 3 months off school to get the move completed, thereby forfeiting the financial aid money for the term (4500). I had to pay the full rent plus deposit on the new home (over 2 grand) not to mention your usual heat and trash and water sewer costs. I can go through the whole list of what I did to just survive and trust me, if I could've put out 15.00 I would have. But my total months income for November was 133.10, December was 209.00. And January was 145.00. I am still waiting on financial aid to process as I answered one question on my fafsa with confusion and no one told me until beginning of Feb. to fix it. I had no christmas for the kids and stood in line at Salvation Army for 8 hours total to get assistance with presents, which was all the kids ended up receiving. They were grateful for our family's just being together and never once complained. Sometimes the kids remember that we are simply happy to be safe and out of domestic violence harm. I am doing all I can to improve my life as well as my children's and sometimes no matter how hard you try, you get to take a step back and it helps you appreciate what you have.
The vet will spay her as soon as she stops nursing. Kids are not always so quick to mind, and don't understand when two cats can go outside and one can't. Cats are sneaky little creatures that can slip out a small opening left by a child in a bedroom window. I searched for my kitty for two days and nights in snow covered conditions and finally found her under our new home. She just hid herself away, scared to emerge. I suppose that a boy kitty must have made her acquaintance during that time, unfortunately. Perhaps her being in her first heat simultaneously had something to do with her strange behavior. I had the appointment for her spay when I realized she was pregnant. I didn't want the kittens to be aborted and I absolutely will find them the BEST homes. She's certain to be kept indoors until her spay and this won't happen again.
We are keeping one kitten, since I can get one more spay certificate this year. I've never dumped an animal nor taken one to the humane society for surrender, but if it came down to it I would''ve found them another home vs doing that.
Thank you for your input, but ease up on folks. You don't always get the whole story and everyone out there is not the neglectful animal owner that it appears. The worst my cats ever endured was no advantage flea treatment for 3 months. I can only wish that same fate upon every animal whose owner goes through the struggles my family and I have gone through. I never negotiated even the food brand, always providing despite lifes overwhelming challenges.
I hope that you could be a little more careful with your crass and brutal judgemental ways in the future and realize not everyone fits into this neat little package of neglectful pet owner which you seem to see them in.
Respectfully,
Chyblee

I have the same problem, I don't want anything to happen to the poor baby, what should I do?

I know this is an old thread, but I have been searching for answers for days because my cat had a litter of 6; 4 of them had either one or both eyes that were very swollen, to the point where they looked like soft, squishy marbles stuck to their heads. The eyes are NOT open, but they're very puffy and you can't see the slit in the eyelids yet.
I had no luck finding answers online that did NOT include the vet (I can't afford a vet; I just lost my job and I'm about to lose everything else- so save your 'if that was your child... ' comments please) so I was at a loss, very frustrated and worried.
2 of the babies passed away (they were premies); but 4 of them are still alive and kicking it! I was very worried for our smallest baby because it wasn't able to nurse (despite having suction, had to feed it with a dropper) and BOTH of it's eyes were HUGE and looked painful. I worried that its littermates might scratch it open, I worried that Mom might hurt it... I left her in with the litter and tried my best to keep her with her brothers and sisters, but still tucked away in a little warm pocket in the blankets to protect her.
They were born on Friday, July 20th, today is July 24th and I'm happy to report that our littlest baby's eyes are 'normal' and it has taken to the nipple (with a lot of help and trickery lol). It seems that the huge balloon looking eyelids were filled with fluid and they just sort of burst today and the fluid came out. The baby didn't cry when it happened, it was passed out after a long feeding and then mom just came and cleaned her up.
She's doing great!
If you're having the same issue, stay positive!