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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 15:04:49 GMT -5
This is Amara: a two-and-a-half week old kitten (judging by what I read online). Stray cats around my house had a litter in my neighbors shed, but they didn't know and shut it up. Amara was the only survivor out of a litter of three.
I opened the door yesterday morning to this ball of fluff curled up on my porch, surrounded by the a circle of other ferals. (We feed the colony. It's a bad habit, one I've actively tried to get my family to stop doing, or at least to start doing TNR, but it never works).
We didn't touch it (human scent = big no-no, or at least that's what I was taught), but when we come outside about half an hour later, the Momma cat had it in her mouth and the pour thing was screaming. So my cousin picked it up and we took her in. We've got her on KMR, fed every 6 hours. She's made it through the night and has peed pretty routinely, though I haven't gotten her to poop yet.
She's got a nice home out of a cat carrier with a thick blanket to curl up in, but at night she sleeps on my chest because it's cold at night in the house and kittens this young can't regulate their body heat very well. I've set a vet appointment for Saturday, since I work on weekdays and they're closed on Sundays.
So here's my questions: 1) I've been told two different things; if they don't poop, they can die and need to be taken to the vet. If this is true, how long should I wait before taking them? I've been trying to stimulate their parts, and I've gotten her to pee, but that's it.
2) Is it possible that maybe she just doesn't have to go poop?
3) Amara will suck on my fingers, my lip, my neck, a blanket...but she doesn't nurse on the bottle I have been feeding her from. Rather, she chews on it, like she's teething? No teeth yet, though they seem like they're tying to pass through her gums. I think she should be getting them in soon. She's still drinking, but she's not actually sucking on the nipple. Should I invest in a different bottle or is this just something that happens?
4) At what age do I take her in for shots/spaying/microchipping? When should I start her on solid foods?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 15:09:50 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 21:16:45 GMT -5
I would be feeding the kitten more than every 6 hours. I would do more like every 4 hours.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 21:17:21 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Oct 31, 2016 11:44:41 GMT -5
At that age 4 hours is the very least to feed her. You will likely have to use a warm wash cloth on her bottom like mum's tum to allow her to poop.
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Post by maja01 on Oct 31, 2016 12:33:45 GMT -5
They will pee at every feeding and poop 1-2 daily. You can wait without poop for like 36 hours, i would not recomend more.
It depends on a bottle, how big is the hole for drinking. Try to move the bottle in her mouth ... it is hard to describe but pull the nipple a bit out of her mouth and then push in ... They also chew if they are hungry.
Start with deworming - I don't know what is available over there for kittens (we have caniverm paste which can be used from their 2nd week on), so you will have to talk to your vet about what to use. First vaccination would be at 8 weeks and than at 12 and at 16 weeks. Spaying & miccrochipping - talk to your vet. Lots of people do early neuters in cats ... well I am not a fan of doing so. If she will be inside cat only, you can wait until she starts with her first heat. If she will also go outside ... than not later than at 3 months.
Solid food can be introduced at about 4 weeks. Start with the same recipe as for ferret raw soup.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2016 12:32:38 GMT -5
Thank you for the advice! Sorry I haven't posted lately, I've been super busy! So, let me summarize what's happened since I've taken Amara in: Day One: (Oct. 30th) ~Found Amara ~Weight: 9.8 oz ~Fed on 6-hour blocks ~Pee, no poop. Day Two: (Oct. 31st) ~Weight: 9.3 oz ~*After noticing she lost a whole 1.2 an ounce in 24 hours, I put her on 4-hour feeding blocks (4 am, 8 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, 8 pm) ~Pee, no poop, though the amount of pee increased. Day Three: (Nov. 1st) ~Weight: 10.6 oz (yay!!) ~Fed on 4 hour blocks ~pee, no poop. **Note: I talked to a vet; as long as she's peeing frequently, she should be fine. Even so, I have an appointment set on Saturday to look her over and make sure she doesn't have worms/fleas. When I go in, I'll ask just to be sure. I widened the hole in the bottle, and that did seem to help her with nursing. She doesn't chew as much, but now she's taken to swatting at the bottle (those tiny little claws still pack a punch!). She's moving around a lot more than she did when I first found her. If I wasn't so afraid of it being too cold for her, I'd set up a play pen for her to walk around in so she can improve those motor skills. As it is now, I'm letting her roam around on my bed for a little while at a time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 2:38:27 GMT -5
I've hand fed a lot of different mammals of various species. Three days without poop is not normal, I would be starting to get concerned. 24-48 hours is generally the normal window with some delay expected if the kitten fasted in between being abandoned and the start of fasting. Blockages and abnormalities like imperforate anus would be on my mind at this point. These need to be addressed quickly. Don't panic, but keep in touch with this veterinarian and be ready to act if any other signs of trouble present.
When you stimulate her, use a paper towel or something else that mimics the slight roughness of her momma's tongue and wet it with warm water. I've had the best luck gently tapping the urogenital area - rubbing can cause irritation - and it can sometimes take a few minutes for an animal to defecate. If she's not forming much feces she may be underfed, but if she's simply not able to void her bowels she can eventually become septic from the buildup of waste. Have you tested her gums (capillary refill) and tented her scruff (skin on her neck between her shoulder blades) to make sure she is hydrated and not anemic? These are quick health checks you can perform on her yourself.
Keep track of how much formula she is eating and weigh her at every feeding to track growth. These little ones are extremely delicate and easy to lose. If she is not taking enough by suckling the bottle, you can also use a small syringe without the needle and very carefully put formula on her tongue. Do not shoot it down her throat or go too quickly as you can cause aspiration pneumonia. It takes some kittens awhile to adapt to suckling on a bottle.
Is she crying even after eating her fill? Does her abdomen seem swollen at all? Does she strain like she is attempting to defecate but is unable to? Any of these could be a sign that something is going wrong with her digestive tract. She also needs to be kept warm to have proper bowel movements, so make sure she - and the formula you feed her - is not cold.
When you do go to the veterinarian, remember that this kitten is an infant and does not have a strong immune system. I would insist on keeping her on a towel or in a carrier - not allowing her to touch the exam table or floor of the clinic. Vet care is important for all animals, but remember that a vet's office sees all sorts of illnesses and an exam room is not a perfectly sterile environment. At this age she is very susceptible to illness. I keep this routine with vet visits until the animal is fully vaccinated.
The veterinarian will likely want to deworm her as long as she is strong enough to handle the dewormer. Animals that carry worms are not constantly shedding the worms/eggs, so some infected animals will test negative on fecals. And that's assuming you have feces to collect! Many young puppies and kittens carry worms from their parents, especially feral animals whose parents likely have not been dewormed. Vaccines usually start at 8 weeks of age, but this depends on your vet's preferred vaccine schedule.
Last thing - at this point I would not worry too much about her motor skills. Your job until she is pooping and reliably eating and gaining weight is to keep her safe, clean, well fed and rested. Think of her as an infant in urgent care. At this age she should be spending most of her time sleeping. As she gets a little older, your job will revolve around socialization, play and manners. Bottle-fed kittens are notoriously "rude" because they don't get the benefits of being raised around adult cats and littermates, so it falls to the foster mom to teach these lessons. But all of that is still in the future for this little one, focus on getting her healthy first!
I know it's a lot to take in and some of my advice was echoed by people above me. I wish you the best, and I'm thankful you are taking the time to help this little one!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 16:14:32 GMT -5
I've hand fed a lot of different mammals of various species. Three days without poop is not normal, I would be starting to get concerned. 24-48 hours is generally the normal window with some delay expected if the kitten fasted in between being abandoned and the start of fasting. Blockages and abnormalities like imperforate anus would be on my mind at this point. These need to be addressed quickly. Don't panic, but keep in touch with this veterinarian and be ready to act if any other signs of trouble present. When you stimulate her, use a paper towel or something else that mimics the slight roughness of her momma's tongue and wet it with warm water. I've had the best luck gently tapping the urogenital area - rubbing can cause irritation - and it can sometimes take a few minutes for an animal to defecate. If she's not forming much feces she may be underfed, but if she's simply not able to void her bowels she can eventually become septic from the buildup of waste. Have you tested her gums (capillary refill) and tented her scruff (skin on her neck between her shoulder blades) to make sure she is hydrated and not anemic? These are quick health checks you can perform on her yourself. Keep track of how much formula she is eating and weigh her at every feeding to track growth. These little ones are extremely delicate and easy to lose. If she is not taking enough by suckling the bottle, you can also use a small syringe without the needle and very carefully put formula on her tongue. Do not shoot it down her throat or go too quickly as you can cause aspiration pneumonia. It takes some kittens awhile to adapt to suckling on a bottle. Is she crying even after eating her fill? Does her abdomen seem swollen at all? Does she strain like she is attempting to defecate but is unable to? Any of these could be a sign that something is going wrong with her digestive tract. She also needs to be kept warm to have proper bowel movements, so make sure she - and the formula you feed her - is not cold. When you do go to the veterinarian, remember that this kitten is an infant and does not have a strong immune system. I would insist on keeping her on a towel or in a carrier - not allowing her to touch the exam table or floor of the clinic. Vet care is important for all animals, but remember that a vet's office sees all sorts of illnesses and an exam room is not a perfectly sterile environment. At this age she is very susceptible to illness. I keep this routine with vet visits until the animal is fully vaccinated. The veterinarian will likely want to deworm her as long as she is strong enough to handle the dewormer. Animals that carry worms are not constantly shedding the worms/eggs, so some infected animals will test negative on fecals. And that's assuming you have feces to collect! Many young puppies and kittens carry worms from their parents, especially feral animals whose parents likely have not been dewormed. Vaccines usually start at 8 weeks of age, but this depends on your vet's preferred vaccine schedule. Last thing - at this point I would not worry too much about her motor skills. Your job until she is pooping and reliably eating and gaining weight is to keep her safe, clean, well fed and rested. Think of her as an infant in urgent care. At this age she should be spending most of her time sleeping. As she gets a little older, your job will revolve around socialization, play and manners. Bottle-fed kittens are notoriously "rude" because they don't get the benefits of being raised around adult cats and littermates, so it falls to the foster mom to teach these lessons. But all of that is still in the future for this little one, focus on getting her healthy first! I know it's a lot to take in and some of my advice was echoed by people above me. I wish you the best, and I'm thankful you are taking the time to help this little one! It is a lot to take in, but the more I know the more I can be prepared, so thank you for all of this information! Amara actually pooped this morning right before I took her to the vet. We still took her to the appointment, just in case and for peace of mind. They said she's fine, but her temperature was a little low (99.1° F). He did deworm her like yoy said he would and then told us that she might be a he instead but that it's too early to tell. We set up an appointment for her 8 week vaccines. Hopefully by then we'll know the gender . But other than that, she's just fine.
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Post by maja01 on Nov 3, 2016 16:05:21 GMT -5
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Post by maja01 on Nov 3, 2016 16:06:49 GMT -5
Sorry it is a messy link, but i can not edit it in my phone.
I am happy (s)he pooped finaly!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 16:25:50 GMT -5
No worries about the link, I have the same problem ^.^ Looking at those pictures, and back at the kitten...His new name is Sax; maybe I should edit the thread title so people don't get confused?
I'm so relieved that he finally pooped too. It's so much easier to breathe now that it's finally happened, haha.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 4, 2016 11:11:59 GMT -5
Oh so glad he finally pooped! That IS good news
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 13:10:20 GMT -5
It's great news that he's pooping! Does it seem fairly healthy or more like diarrhea? Kitten stool can be a bit runny when they're that young but you'll know if it's abnormal.
If possible, you can post a picture of the kitten's urogenital area so we can help you confirm his sex. It's tough but not impossible on young kittens. I've seen vets struggle with it before too!! Not all vets see a lot of extremely young kittens, they are usually kept at home with mom until their first shots around 8 weeks unless something goes wrong.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 13:24:35 GMT -5
I don't have much to add about kitten rearing, but it can be a good idea(with any species) to wait until they're fully grown before neutering them; spaying or castrating before their growth plates close can effect their growth and have an impact on their limbs. veterinarytechnicianguide.com/spaying-and-neutering-a-dog/Most "wait to neuter" information out there is specifically for dogs, but there's a pretty clear correlation between the age a dog is neutered and how their body develops and what goes on inside, so I feel it's safe to assume the same for cats and other animals.
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