I need help with some kittens please! (eating, feline, canned food)
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I am fostering a litter of five kittens and do not know enough about kitten care, apparently. The runt, who weighed half what the biggest one did when I got them at 7 weeks about 4 weeks ago, has ringworm. I stupidly put her in a little used bathroom and worked on disinfecting the bedroom they have been hanging out in. I also wormed them about this time and lots of disgusting worms came out in their poop. :| I did not pay enough attention to her for 2 days. I kept fresh canned food, water, and dry in their for her. She apparently did not eat at all. I realized she would die if I did not get her out - she had remained thinner and smaller than the others but after two foodless days was very thin. Had to force feed her via syringe. Force fed her for two days and on the way home from the vet, went to McDonalds drivethru and she decided hamburger looked pretty tasty. She had several bites of my mother's hamburger so I bought her a bacon cheeseburger at 7-11 and fed her as much as she would eat yesterday, force fed a little more, and she had some this morning too though still needs a syringe feed I think KMR mixed with Hills A/D).
So, my question is, what is a surefire method of fattening her up? Something she will want to eat that will build muscle as well as add fat? She's not interested in the Hills. Or baby food. Should I just cook some hamburger for her? Is there a feline version of satin balls? Help please. She has gained 2 oz from 1 lb 6 oz to 1 lb 8 oz in 2 days so is making progress but would like her gain to continue without having to shove a syringe in her mouth through the day.
I am fattening up a feral that was orphaned. Yours will start eating without a syringe again once she's stronger and feels more secure that you're going to take care of her. Start with the syringe, then try to let her lick food from the outside of the syringe, then while she's licking the syringe put a small lid with food on it in front of her face so she accidently licks the lid. When she's going strong at what's on the lid, put her down on the floor with it at the same time and continue petting and talking to her while she eats it. You have to keep petting her and talking to her while she's feeding. I've fed mine holding her in my arm with a small lid so she feels close.
Since you left this kitten alone for sooooooooooo long, you need to reestablish a nurturing relationship for her own psychological well being. You can't just expect her to eat on her own and not need loving. She's wanting the syringe because it reminds her of her mother. You need to replace that with lots of talking, petting, holding and loving. She didn't eat because she was lonely. You have a lot of making up to do for your mistake.
Call the vet to ask the best way to fatten her up. I'm sure they want you to feed her as normal and see her fattening up as she is now. You are just being impatient because it's a PITA that she needs more attention. It's a problem you created and you're going to have to do what it takes to make it better.
You don't still have her separated from the litter do you? I don't see a good reason to do that since they all have worms, not just her. She will find emotional comfort being with them.
Your feeding her people food is going to contribute to her being a picky eater. I would NOT feed her a fast food burger. You have NO IDEA what's in that burger. For example, onions are dangerous for cats. There could be onion powder in the burger. If you insist on feeding her people food, buy some chicken and cook it at home. Stop giving her fast food!
I had no idea she would not eat. I just wanted her to stay isolated in there long enough to get the room decontaminated (I think you missed the word "ringworm") and get some lime sulfur dip for her. Unfortunately I was also tending to an anemic 3/4 week old who needed syringe feeding at the time. And being a single mother to my kids. I thought she would eat if she had fresh food. My mother has been holding her quite a bit through the day for me. The plan was to clean the room as well as I possibly could and at least keep her separated till her first dip but that is simply not possible. I decided we were just going to all have to risk ringworm for her not to die. Lime sulfur arrives today so should help - I'll be dipping all five now. She's in the room with her litter mates at night so they too are risking ringworm. Am hoping my other cats are healthy enough not to contract it. As you can see, there was a legitimate reason to separate her but I am not letting her die for ringworm.
I am NOT being impatient because it is a PITA and she needs more attention. Until she started eating again, I even got up at 4am to syringe feed her. I care about her. As I said above, we were on our way home from the vet when we got the hamburger. She said to continue on our current path and told me what our goal was to feed her. She's up 2 oz in the last 2 days. I do actually know what is in the hamburger from McDonalds because I ordered it with no onions and their meat contains no onion flavor. Nor did the 7-11 burger contain any onion. Feeding her people food may not be ideal but you have to understand that having her interested in ANY species appropriate food whether ideally suited or not is a great relief after force feeding her for two days.
Anyway, does someone have an answer to my question? If neither Hills nor baby food does the trick, what have you found will? I am thinking of cooking some eggs and cheese for her.
Also I am giving her some extra coconut oil, lysine and probiotics for immune support...anything else that might be helpful?
I had no idea she would not eat. I just wanted her to stay isolated in there long enough to get the room decontaminated (I think you missed the word "ringworm") and get some lime sulfur dip for her. Unfortunately I was also tending to an anemic 3/4 week old who needed syringe feeding at the time. And being a single mother to my kids. I thought she would eat if she had fresh food. My mother has been holding her quite a bit through the day for me. The plan was to clean the room as well as I possibly could and at least keep her separated till her first dip but that is simply not possible. I decided we were just going to all have to risk ringworm for her not to die. Lime sulfur arrives today so should help - I'll be dipping all five now. She's in the room with her litter mates at night so they too are risking ringworm. Am hoping my other cats are healthy enough not to contract it. As you can see, there was a legitimate reason to separate her but I am not letting her die for ringworm.
I did miss ringworm. I understand you thought she would eat, but 2 days is too long to go without discovering that she had not eaten. If she was receiving attention over that two days, you or your mother should have been noticed that she wasn't eating. Plus, you didn't take her to the vet for 2 days when you knew she had ringworm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MobiusStrip
I am NOT being impatient because it is a PITA and she needs more attention. Until she started eating again, I even got up at 4am to syringe feed her. I care about her. As I said above, we were on our way home from the vet when we got the hamburger. She said to continue on our current path and told me what our goal was to feed her. She's up 2 oz in the last 2 days. I do actually know what is in the hamburger from McDonalds because I ordered it with no onions and their meat contains no onion flavor. Nor did the 7-11 burger contain any onion. Feeding her people food may not be ideal but you have to understand that having her interested in ANY species appropriate food whether ideally suited or not is a great relief after force feeding her for two days.
Quit thinking about what's easier for you and start doing what's healthiest for her. That's all I'm saying.
Anyway, does someone have an answer to my question? If neither Hills nor baby food does the trick, what have you found will? I am thinking of cooking some eggs and cheese for her.
Also I am giving her some extra coconut oil, lysine and probiotics for immune support...anything else that might be helpful?
Mix some cat milk replacement formula with her moist cat food to give her extra calories and nutrients.
She will start eating again without the syringe if you bother to TRY to do it the way I explained.
She needs kitten food because she needs an amino acid called taurine, which is added to cat food. Cats cannot manufacture it on their own the way humans can.
You certainly can supplement the cat food, though, with cooked chicken or turkey or a little egg. Avoid dairy and fish.
And you have to feed her frequently -- three or four times a day.
Really Hopes. The cat was going to die if she would not eventually start willingly eating again. Why on earth are you casting the most jaundiced eye possible on everything I type? Of course it was a relief when she chose to eat. Sweet mother of pearl.
....I do actually know what is in the hamburger from McDonalds because I ordered it with no onions and their meat contains no onion flavor. Nor did the 7-11 burger contain any onion. Feeding her people food may not be ideal but you have to understand that having her interested in ANY species appropriate food whether ideally suited or not is a great relief after force feeding her for two days.
Getting her to eat anything under the circumstances is a good idea. Try and get her to eat canned cat food as soon as possible. My cat's favorite is Little Friskies. Hamburger is deficient in everything but protein and not good for more than a day or two. You can try mixing the burger in the canned food, lessening the amount of burger at each feeding.
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