Kitten tips Anyone have any?
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Kitten tips Anyone have any?
We got a new 3 week old kitten. (She was already removed from the mother)
She is about 4 weeks old now. I think she was the runt of the litter. Took her to the vet already. Had eye infection and upper respiratory infection. Litter was checked for other diseases by store clerk who took the rest of the kittens.
We are keeping her in the bathroom at night and when we are out.
Why was she taken away from her mother so early? Kittens aren't weened until they are 8 weeks old. Are you giving her kitten formula? You can get a special kitten bottle and formula at stores like Petco. I hope her infections clear up soon. Poor baby.
The people who took her and her siblings in didn't take in the stray mother too. We are giving her the kitty formula. She is still sneezing alittle even after being on the antibodic for 6 days.
Do you have another room you could keep her in, bathrooms tend to stay moist and that will irritate her infection. She needs a nice dry place to be and warm. We have had kittens that were too young too but the mother was hit by a car. If she is too small also adding just a little regular milk (maybe a few teaspoons) to her formula will help.
Don't give her cow's milk!!! It can cause digestive problems and diarrhea in cats. Your little kitty is sick already and doesn't need additional complications. The kitty formula sounds good. Hope she's better soon.
Watch that respiratory infection. They can be very dangerous to kittens. Also they are very contaigous so if you have other cats keep them away.
My oldest cat was about 3-4 weeks when we got her. She was also a stray that was found on a snowbank, she was very sick, but she's fine now and she's 11.
Did they show you how to feed her? The upper respitatory might be caused by the milk going into her lungs? Did you buy this kitten or was it given to you. Also, three weeks old is WAY to young to maintain her body temp. They use their siblings and momma for that. Do you have a heating pad you can set on low and keep in a corner where she lays? Make sure that she can get away from the heat if she gets too hot. Also, what kind of formula are you giving her?
Goat's milk is an alternative to the kitten formula if you run out. One of our cats was found just a few days old. Mother and littermates died of heatstroke last summer. She is fine now. Very small for an adult cat but we like her that way. She wouldn't suck from the bottle the vet gave us but an eyedropper worked really well. The heating pad by itself may be too warm, I would suggest several towels on top too. Our's didn't have the infection but she sneezed alot. The vet said it was just a natural thing to keep everything clear.
H'lo, I'm 'Ginny's son Scott, a 'vet tech and lab animal technologist with lots of experience managing neonate cats. I was asked for my advice, so here it is:
Better pet shops and your local 'vet can give you liquid cat's milk replacer. (Not the stuff you get at your local supermarket!) It goes flat after a few days, so watch the storage temps. Serve at 100 deg F (about your body temperature, use a pediatric thermometer to verify). Kittens that young will need to be nursed a few times a day. When I had to bottle-feed kittens, they got fed every 6 hours, day and night. Don't force-feed the kitten; it'll stop drinking when it's topped off.
I do not recommend goat's milk or cow's, or that of any ruminant, for that matter. Totally different milk for totally different metabolism. No ruminant milk for carnivores, please.
An hour or so after feeding the kit, you'll have to wipe its butt gently with a damp, warm towel. On doing this, you can expect the kit to poop a bit. (Mama cats do this, but not with towels. It stimulates defecation. Be glad you have a towel for the job.)
Re environment: not keeping the kitten in the bathroom is a good idea. High humidity will not help any infections. Talk to a 'vet about managing that aspect of its health.
I recommend keeping the kitten warm and dry in a snuggly pet bed kept at a good temperature (at least 75 deg F) out of direct sunlight. I also recommend putting in a fluffy terrycloth towel or a lamb's-wool plush toy for comfort. (I'm not kidding. Kittens need a snuggle-buddy when they're that young.)
Also, lastly but crucially: I'm not a DVM, so talk to someone who is.
My two bits,
--
Scott
I rescued a litter of 5 kittens during a storm. They were 1 to 1 1/2 weeks old according to the vet.
He told me to use KMR (kitten meal replacement) which worked well for them. I needed to feed them with tiny bottles and frequently - 4 -6 hours day and night!
They kept warm together, and I basically used old towels as bedding, because they would pee on each other. You do need to stimulate them to go, however, as per Scott's post.
Two got resp. infections and died within two weeks. One died at six months - unknown cause.
I finally adopted out the other two.
Boy oh boy, was that good preparation for being a mommy!
Thank for the advice. I have to read this a few times and digest the advice.
The kitten is drinking the milk from the bowl this morning. She keeps biting off the nibble tops to the bottles and swollowing them tops, I think. She went through 4 tops in 8 days.
I think that is it for bottle feeding. She isn't sneezing today , but as you say it might be causing the sneezing. (Due to the formula getting in the lungs.) She isn't eatting food yet. I mixed the milk up with some kitten food as a pet store owner said to do.
I don't know now she is crying for the bottle even with the plate of milk in front of her.
We got the kitten free at the nursery school. There was a litter from a stray in the back bathroom. They didn't take the stray mother in. They were worried about her so they gave me her. She is the runt. One of her siblings died already.
The nursery school gave the rest to the pet store. I saw the other kittens and mine is the runt. Friendly friendly litter. The whole bunch of them.
The kitten peed on the bathroom rug. Should I be concerned? I will keep the bathroom clear of rugs.
Lucky it is pretty warm in New York lately so I don't think we have to worry about the temperature.
If the kitten nipples aren't working try a medicine dropper. She is still young, and it takes awhile for them to get the hang of drinking from a bowl.
That is a good idea.
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