Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you think you are way over your head on this, call around and see if any vet clinics will take him. Some of them have connections with a local cat rescue and may hold and care for the kitten until space is available at a foster or rescue. When I rescued my first kitten, I had no idea what to do. Never had a cat before in my life. I was in college and did not have time or the knowledge to properly care for it, so I gave him to a local vet clinic who offered to care for him until he is old enough to be adopted.
I'll bet that kitten would lap up some kitten milk..
If kitties ****ting kitties doing ok....making a slurry like you said sounds good...put it on a plate though, not in a bowl...kittens have a hard time not getting food in their noses when it's in a bowl.
worse comes to worse...just feed in with a dropper through the side of it's mouth. Be careful though, you don't want to drown him/her.
good luck
I agree with your mom...vets are a ripp off....you can do it...just takes a little vigilance and extra tlc.
my mom told me not to take it to the vet because she thinks it would be a waste of money since the kitten is still quite young
With all due respect to your Mom, that is totally not true. Aside from all the excellent feeding advice others have given, a check-up by a vet would be a smart thing to do. Kittens at this age are very fragile, and can go south on you very quickly. That's why an exam is so important at that age.
Good luck to you and your new furkid.
You also might try some baby food-plain chicken/beef /or lamb to get her to lick off your finger and then add the KMR milk to it once she gets the idea and then the Kitten wet food. Important that she eats something fairly frequently one way or another. There is also that stuff that comes in a tube -think it is nutracal or something like that that is used for cats that won't eat. Can't keep using the babyfood since it isn't nutritionally complete but it is pretty lappable to get her started. Make sure it is just the strained meat with no additives. Do not give her dry food. She needs to stay hydrated and can't chew it anyhow.
Status:
"Just livin' day by day"
(set 18 days ago)
Location: USA
3,166 posts, read 3,356,252 times
Reputation: 5382
Kitty update....
First I tried Fancy Feast canned formula, she wasn't too crazy about it. Then I used the Royal Canin babycat canned food, she seem to be liking it better. Because she's seems small for her age, I still feed her every 2hrs. or whenever she acts hungry. Her weight has stayed the same the last few days.
She won't take the bottle anymore since I introduced her to solids. Not even in a bowl or on a plate either. Kitty does have access to water at all times.
I would look into getting her dewormed and her kitten shots.
6 weeks of age - First Visit
Panleukopenia+ Rhinotracheitis+ Calicivirus = FVRCP #1
General de-worming (Strongid) for round & hookworms = Deworm #1
9 weeks of age - (3-4 weeks later) - Second Visit
Panleukopenia+ Rhinotracheitis+ Calicivirus = FVRCP #2
General*de-worming (Strongid) for round & hookworms = Deworm #2
12 weeks of age - (3-4 weeks later) - Third Visit
Panleukopenia+ Rhinotracheitis+ Calicivirus = FVRCP #3
General*de-worming (Strongid) for round & hookworms = Deworm #3
Test for FELV/FIV (which can be carried by mother cat - if negative than FELV #1
15 Weeks of age - (3-4 weeks later) - Fourth Visit
Rabies vaccine
Panleukopenia+ Rhinotracheitis+ Calicivirus = FVRCP*#4
General*de-worming (Strongid) for round & hookworms = Deworm*#4
FELV #2
We fostered a cat at four weeks and ended up adopting her. My daughter bottle fed her at first and now she eats both wet and dry food. In a couple of weeks we will get her third set of shots. When she is a about five months old, we will have her spayed.
Glad you posted back with update- sounds like she's on her way!!! Let her eat as much as she wants. Next on the agenda is the Vet visit. I know earlier your Mom thought she was too young. Not sure how old you are and if Mom will be the one paying for visit. Maybe your Mom didn't think the kit had a chance of living but she sure does now due to your care.
First I tried Fancy Feast canned formula, she wasn't too crazy about it. Then I used the Royal Canin babycat canned food, she seem to be liking it better. Because she's seems small for her age, I still feed her every 2hrs. or whenever she acts hungry. Her weight has stayed the same the last few days.
She won't take the bottle anymore since I introduced her to solids. Not even in a bowl or on a plate either. Kitty does have access to water at all times.
Almost every kitten born in the wild will have some type of worm, and It's likely yours does as well. She won't thrive till she's rid of them. Again, a vet visit would take care of that.
Also, Eduringwone's post is pretty much standard routines for young kittens, and very close to what we always did when we took in a new kitten. If you try to get by without the vaccinations, you'll be rolling the dice for her long-term health. At the very least, she should be examined and de-wormed by a vet now.
Almost every kitten born in the wild will have some type of worm, and It's likely yours does as well. She won't thrive till she's rid of them. Again, a vet visit would take care of that.
Never mind paying for an unnecessary vet bill.
Mix a little diotamacious earth in with her wet food. That'll take care of intestinal parasites and worms....easy...sprinkle some on her to take care of her fleas as well...it MUST be food grade, usually easily bought at most places that sell large animal foods, and very, very inexpensive.
All my cats and kittens have been rescues..found...some so tiny that their eyes weren't open, and their ears just little flaps.
Great to hear your kitten is eating solids...don't worry about milk then.
Don't bother with vaccines if you want a cat that'll live a long healthy life.
None of my 7 cats ever have...one of them is now 25 years old...never been to a vet...never will.
If you haven't done so yet, take it to the vet. I would keep feeding it from the bottle as much as it wants. One of our cats was found in the exact same condition as yours, except she was malnourished. We kept her separated from the other cats and fed her from the bottle until she started to really gain weight and strength. I think the vet prescribed a high calorie supplement at the time. She eventually weaned from the bottle and started to eat regular kitten food. She is a healthy yet small 13 year old lady.
Just getting ready to say the same thing. The vet can confirm the kitten's age, and advise you about how to go about weaning, but it sounds like this baby is much too young at this point.
Four teeth? Those are probably the incisors, and they start emerging when a kitten is three weeks old. I believe this kitten may be younger than you think, OP.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
