I am very familiar with taking care of and raising cats of all kind, but yesterday ran into a problem I'm unsure of. One of the strays I've been taking to find a home for had a single kitten. Yesterday she brought it to my porch an won't take it back now.
I brought him to the vet and she said he's five weeks old. It is very underweight, and though it does drink milk from a bowl, it's not alot. I tried him on science diet moist kitten food (1/4 teaspoon) which he ate, but about 2 hours later was shitting and puking at the same time. His poop is liquid and though I try to wipe him, he screams bloody murder when I do, as if I was trying to kill him. in a sense, he's almost always got poop on him and I'm afraid to bath him too often so he won't get sick.
Can anyone give me any tips on taking care of my new little wafe. I really intend to keep this one as I feel a male in the house may help the dispute between the two alpha females.
I brought him to the vet and she said he's five weeks old. It is very underweight, and though it does drink milk from a bowl, it's not alot. I tried him on science diet moist kitten food (1/4 teaspoon) which he ate, but about 2 hours later was shitting and puking at the same time. His poop is liquid and though I try to wipe him, he screams bloody murder when I do, as if I was trying to kill him. in a sense, he's almost always got poop on him and I'm afraid to bath him too often so he won't get sick.
Can anyone give me any tips on taking care of my new little wafe. I really intend to keep this one as I feel a male in the house may help the dispute between the two alpha females.
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 1:43 PMdid he get tested for diseases by the vet, did the vet give any meds? -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 1:47 PMHe was wormed, just in case, but they said they didn't want to give him his first shots for at least another 3 weeks. Said he was too young. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 1:59 PM
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 2:12 PMoh yeah, don't do cow's milk. Many cats have intolerance to cow's milk which can also cause diarrhea.
use KMR
www.petvetsupply.com/kimire.html -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 3:21 PMIt is not known yet if he has any parisites or such. They told me he was too youg to test and get a correct reslts with at this time. As for te milk, I was using the parmalot but I will have to switch to the kitten milk.
I've spent the whole day cleaning shit and pee. Everytime he wakes up or gets startled by my movements, he goes to the bathroom.
Unfortunately he also hasn't eaten more than 3 tablespoons of milk. Won't touch the science diet at all today. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 3:25 PMyeah, I guess thats the thing--the vet won't prescribe albon unless the vet tests?
at the rescue a kitten like that would most likely already be on albon without a test? I am not sure why the vet won't just use an educated guess and give you albon. Albon is not that big a deal, really. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 3:31 PM<at the rescue a kitten like that would most likely already be on albon without a test?>
That shouldn't have had a question mark.
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 3:27 PMoh you may have to syringe feed if he won't feed on his own--what Science Diet are you using?
I feel like forwarding this on to some other people? Do you mind? -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 3:51 PMNo, I don't mind if you pass this on. I'm a little over my head here. As I said, never had one this young before.
The science diet I'm using is soft kitten formular. The vet sold me a couple cans just in case.
As for why they won't treat him for anything else, they just said he was about 5 weeks old underweight (you can see his ribs and backbone) and an outdoor stray also. He weighs .73lbs.
what about bathing him. How often is safe and what kind of soap is safe. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 4:20 PMI will, I know a couple people from the rescue I would turn to in the same situation. I would hold off bathing him for now. But, he has to eat and get fluids so you will have to syringe feed. A/D is good--see if your vet will give you some of that
www.hillspet.com/hillspet/...tails.hjsp
good advice:
www.assistfeed.com/FelineAnorexia.htm
www.mv.com/users/louise...ding_cat.html
(yes tell your vet your kitten is not eating--is this your regular vet? not eating is serious and I am betting it's not because your kitten is finicky).
also meat baby purees NO ONION in the the ingredients.
The danger in not eating is fatty liver or your kitten wasting away from lack of nutrients and calories. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 4:24 PMOMG I apologize--I just saw 5 weeks--I was thinking for some reason he was a 5 month old runt. Sorry for the misread. Yeah, not eating is even more serious and so is the diarrhea.
Does he have signs any respiratory infection that could prevent him from smelling the food? -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 4:43 PMok one person I know just confirmed this is dire emergency, your kitten needs immediate treatment for it's life, and that she doesn't think that the age with poundage is too young at all to be on albon or even amoxicillin. She thinks the vet is not acting proactively (I don't know your vet but that was my feeling also).
You need to get a hold of someone (your current vet, a cat or animal rescue or another vet or animal emergency) who will work with this kitten immediately and with you as to what to do for it, and not tell you it's too small or underweight to treat. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 4:58 PMBeen heading out the door past couple hours so I am distracted and thinking in pieces, sorry for so many extra posts to you.
I assume your other 2 cats have all their shots current and that you are keeping this baby seperated from them and disinfecting hands and dishes etc between him and them...
If not, please start. :-S
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 5:00 PMit is possible that the wormer has made him nauseated and caused the diarrhea. It's possible he has some disease as well. It's possible that the cow's milk caused the diarrhea. But the main thing right now, given his young age, is to keep him hydrated and warm and calm and feeling safe -- oh, and segregated from your other cats. And you should wash your hands between handling him and them. I've had to deal with this and though it looked like I'd never succeed, hello! that little runty sick kitten is now almost 13. Now in mine, his digestive system was ruined because some kids fed the litter canned cat food at only a couple days of age. He still has IBD from that. What saved him was syringe feeding with a formula my old country vet recommended: of milk (yes, regular milk), egg yolk, a bit of corn syrup, a squeeze of Felovite cat vitamins, and most importantly, some gelatin powder mixed up in it. It was the gelatin that seemed to do the trick and I've used this umpteen times in other cases since then. I'm sorry I don't recall the exact amounts off the top of my head. The canned food is too rich in this situation, too hard to digest. Most small kittens should be able to handle cow's milk. If he's this skinny and is only one kitten (he should be big and fat), the other kittens have died (why, we don't know) and he's been sick awhile. Good luck with this one, I'll be thinking of you guys, but gone from computer as of now till Monday. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 5:02 PMbathe him with a warm washcloth like his mom would - and don't use a hair dryer on him yet, not till he's healthy - rub him dry with a towel and if you've got a heating pad, get that under him on low with plenty of padding above or, even better, a wire grid to lift the kitten up a half-inch or so above it -- cake cooling rack or something like that works great.
For the dehydration, just syringe-feed -- if his skin peaks and stays peaked when you pinch it at the nape of his neck, get him to a vet for subcutaneous fluids, and the vet should teach you how to do them more at home if needed - easier than you think. Big lifesaver, subQs.
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 5:22 PMRescues and shelters use a 10% bleach to water to disinfect for parasites and viral/bacterial/fungal diseases, rinse objects afterward (and of course your hands). Don't use other things like phenols (lysols and pine products) as they can harm them.
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 6:33 PMI was so concerned about the little one,I had completely forgotten to protect myself and the girls. Tiny I'm not too worried about as she's decided she doesn't want anything to do with this pint-sized invader, but I will have to watch Bessie. She's had all her shots, but every once in a while will slip up on the kitten when he's asleep and lick his head once or twice. Thanks. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:42 PMquick note as I come back from Animal Talk to head out to pub quiz
Missy at AT thirds the coccidia (sp?) in a rush to check and says have the vet stool sample and that would be the albon cure. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 2, 2008 - 7:43 PMAND HYDRATE
A kitten like you have will dehyrdrate very quickly and could crash. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 7:17 PMI hope your baby is ok.
Hugs
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sat, May 3, 2008 - 10:17 PMGoat's milk is much more tolerated by kittens than cow's milk. KMR is a better alternative though.
We fostered a couple of 6 week old kittens awhile back (that's how we ended up with Jack), and Jack's brother wouldn't eat one day. Turned out he had gotten hypoglycemic. My vet had us feed him chicken baby food (made sure it was plain with no added spices/seasoning/ingredients) mixed with light corn syrup through a syringe until he perked up. It really did help and was easily digestible. Might be worth a try. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 6:53 PMI want to thank everyone here who's checked in to help me with my little one. Your help will be remembered. Unfortunately he must have been sicker than I thought. With no vets open during the weekend I was unable to bring him back to someone and he has passed today.
My only comfort is that it was in his sleep on my lap and I pray he was comfortable.
Once again, thank you, all of you.
Debbie -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 7:35 PMOh I'm so very sorry. =( But at least he was loved when he passed, even if his life was cut so short.
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 7:43 PMI am so sorry. He didn't leave the world feeling cold and abandonned, you gave him something special in his last days. Consider helping out more kittens by fostering some (and you might happen upon another sweet boy to adopt in the process). I was hoping for a miracle in this, sad at the news.
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Sun, May 4, 2008 - 10:04 PMAsleep on a loving lap sounds like a great way to die. I'm sorry that was the result, but you did everything that you could. -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 8:30 AMI'm so sorry too - just got to computer now since Fri. and checked in at once - his mom must have known this was happening, it's why she left him, as they do - she herself is probably not in good shape. This has been a really intense experience for you. Blessings on you - and on your cats. Keep an extra careful eye on them for a couple of weeks, especially the one that licked him. But healthy cats can resist many things that a kitten can't.
If this rescue experience has happened to you once, it's highly likely to happen again, so if you have a little kit together and print out the info. you've been given, you'll be able to start first aid at once. ((((Chrysanthe)))) -
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Mon, May 5, 2008 - 2:45 PMWell the little one's life was blessed by you and your heart, like others here have said you have him a good place to pass from and he felt your love so good for you...
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Re: The littlest Kitten
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 6:17 AMSorry to hear that.
:(
I was afraid that was why the momma left him the way she did, because she knew.
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