5 Day Old Kitten Not Pooping No Matter What

[Qu9ke]

Please help! I desperately need help, and I desperately need it ASAP. A friend of ours found a lifeless abandoned kitten on her property. It was there for hours because she originally left it to deal with it later. She came back from errands to bury it, then it miraculously started breathing again. Luckily, she had supplies already on hand to deal with the situation, however she couldn’t help it long term, so she gave it to us. I have done extensive research on how to care for a kitten, and I made it to day 5. The kitten originally started out peeing up a storm with very yellow urine when we first got her, but since we started caring for her it has turned more clear. Our friend sent Whiskas Catmilk to start us off on, but after night 1 I switched to KMR. She has pooped a total of twice since we got her though during these five days. Our friend said when the kitten was first revived that she got the kitten to poop three times that one day. The last time she pooped was at midnight yesterday. If I don’t get her to go today, this will be day 2. I need advice badly. Her hydration seems fine, and I feed her as much as she seems to want, 4-6 ml of KMR every two hours. I try to shoot for 5 or 6 tops, but she often settles for around 4 (look, I know what the instructions for KMR says, but I also know from research that in the world of kitten care taking there is a ton of contradicting information). Some say do this, others say do that. It is maddening. Anyways, I have cried several times over this because I do not want to lose her. I have tried stimulating every feeding in multiple ways… on her back, on her belly, with her laying upright on my chest, lightly rubbing with moistened tissues for 60 seconds, and if that doesn’t work, I resort to applying slight pressure with a warm cloth across her abdomen and butt, sometimes moving it around slightly without actually rubbing to avoid irritation while massaging her sides and belly. Nothing is working! I even take a thermometer with lube for the sole purpose of putting it inside her butt about half an inch from time to time to see if anything at all is coming. We went to the vet today, and when they did that there, there was soft stool on the tip of the thermometer, but nothing anymore when I did it twice. We are planning on either going somewhere for this tomorrow or the day after. I say the day after because I was offered help from a contact of mine to visit this vet on Monday, but Idk how that will work out considering they are booked until Friday. I am scared. I don’t know what to do anymore. I cannot tell if this is even constipation or just the cat not producing as much poop as I originally thought she should.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, good on you for switching to kmr! I'd take the three poops by the other person as a bit of an exaggeration, particularly since catmilk is bad to give to kittens.

I'm wondering if the lack of poop is because there wasn't much in the kittens system to even create poop. Hang in there, you're keeping baby warm, I assume?

Keep doing what you're doing, don't give up there's food going in the front end, which is an excellent thing, and my guess is that when the little ones systems start working with your good care you should start to see output at the other end

 

[Qu9ke]

Hi, good on you for switching to kmr! I'd take the three poops by the other person as a bit of an exaggeration, particularly since catmilk is bad to give to kittens.

I'm wondering if the lack of poop is because there wasn't much in the kittens system to even create poop. Hang in there, you're keeping baby warm, I assume?

Keep doing what you're doing, don't give up there's food going in the front end, which is an excellent thing, and my guess is that when the little ones systems start working with your good care you should start to see output at the other end

Thank you. My mom brought to my attention how this kitten might actually eat more after being burped, which I do every time she is fed. My mom was right. The kitten ended up eating twice as much. Maybe she just wasn’t getting enough, but at least she seems hydrated.

 

[Qu9ke]

Hi, good on you for switching to kmr! I'd take the three poops by the other person as a bit of an exaggeration, particularly since catmilk is bad to give to kittens.

I'm wondering if the lack of poop is because there wasn't much in the kittens system to even create poop. Hang in there, you're keeping baby warm, I assume?

Keep doing what you're doing, don't give up there's food going in the front end, which is an excellent thing, and my guess is that when the little ones systems start working with your good care you should start to see output at the other end

And yes she is kept warm inside a carrier with a heating pad on low and a blanket.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm sending all sorts of good thoughts and prayers for this baby .

 

[jcat]

Try stimulating her anal region with a paper towel moistened with warm water, rather than a tissue. The coarser texture is more like a mother cat's tongue.

 

[StefanZ]

And yes she is kept warm inside a carrier with a heating pad on low and a blanket.

Additional tips aside of the more texture paper towel:

1. Add 2-3 drops of coldpressed food oil into each meal. Feks olive oil. Minerale oil or liquid paraffine oil are even more potent, but you must find food grade.

1. Poo her in warm running water! Hold in your left, butt out. Tap with forefinger of your other hand on butt and belly so it feels as moms tongue.
Be sure there is no draugh, dry off afterwards...

 

[Qu9ke]

Additional tips aside of the more texture paper towel:

1. Add 2-3 drops of coldpressed food oil into each meal. Feks olive oil. Minerale oil or liquid paraffine oil are even more potent, but you must find food grade.

1. Poo her in warm running water! Hold in your left, butt out. Tap with forefinger of your other hand on butt and belly so it feels as moms tongue.
Be sure there is no draugh, dry off afterwards...

Will Wesson canola oil work? That’s all we have at the moment, but we can get something else if need be. Also she pooped last night! About an inch or so of healthy looking stool came out.

 

[StefanZ]

Yes should be as good begin with this. Even if I dont know this Wesson brand but canola is ok.

 

[Qu9ke]

Yes should be as good begin with this. Even if I dont know this Wesson brand but canola is ok.

Is there a recommended time I should persist in adding oil to her meals, or can I do it indefinitely? Also some others on a different site (I went here and somewhere else hoping for the fastest response) recommended goat’s milk. Some swear by it, others avoid it. Do you have insight? I know it technically contains lactose, but I read it does not contain near as much as cow’s milk, does not have casein either which is good, and it is good for the gut and has probiotics and stuff.

 

[StefanZ]

Goats milk is good. Usually hasnt nothing to do with consstipation but a good alternative if you think the constipation is caused by kmr.

Also goats milk is always an ok alternative.

You can add oil till she begins to poo. After it you give 1-2 drops insted of 2-3.

 

[Qu9ke]

Yes should be as good begin with this. Even if I dont know this Wesson brand but canola is ok.

And aside from the goat’s milk question, is there a good way to be sure I am getting those 2-3 drops in her meals? I have a dropper, but I dunno how to make sure she has those drops in proportion to her average meal size aside from dropping that oil into a dish and hope the syringe can suck it up.

 

[StefanZ]

Drop and mix in the kmr you are having into the syringe.

Or simply drop in a couple drops in her mouths, as usually in the corner.

 

[Mamakitty&me]

Try stimulating her anal region with a paper towel moistened with warm water, rather than a tissue. The coarser texture is more like a mother cat's tongue.

I second this!! I was having the same problem and found being less gentle and using a rough paper towel did the trick! I also start on the anus and end at the start of his tummy

 

[Qu9ke]

I have read from sources about the possible benefits of olive oil and such for getting things moving in one’s kitten if they are constipated. I personally have canola oil which I was told is also acceptable. How mych should I be giving my kitten? I started out giving 2-3 drops, per feeding, but I dunno if that is enough anymore. One site I read, Carol’s Ferals, said 3 drops per ounce of body weight, but isn’t that a lot? Even if it is a one time serving and not a per feeding basis. My kitten is currently 11 days old and is 7.2 ounces from the time I weighed her last night. I also switched from KMR powder which I have heard can cause constipation over to goat’s milk last night in hopes of balancing out her possible gut problems. I have heard great thing from goat’s milk... as well as not so great things from those opposed, however the pros to me outweigh the cons in most cases as I currently see it.

 

[Qu9ke]

And just to clarify I was mainly wondering in my post here if there was a mathematical way to figure how much is a good amount to give per feeding so that I can use that for the future and not have to ask should my kitten continue to show signs of potential constipation as she grows. Anyways thank you for the help!

 

[StefanZ]

I myself dont have any mathematical former, I try to play it by ear...
2-3 drops a feeding at such a kitten is normal, but you can surely increase to 3-4 drops too, without problems, if it doesnt helps. Perhaps even 6??. Coldpressed canola oil is good nourishment by itself.* Observe I count with feeding every other hour. If you feed more seldom, ie more milk each feeding, you may add more drops each time. Together it will be same or less.
But once the kitten begins to produce, you cut down the dose by half.

Minerale oil, or fluid paraffine oil, is even more potent, but its seldom we need to use it. You must of course find some of food grade or equivalent. There is veterinary liquid paraffine oil - but a good quality paraffine oil for using for horse leather gears should be OK. At least, the swedish brand is - I mailed them and asked: they said, they have two different bottles, but its the same product....

*The european variant of canola, the rapeseed, 70 years ago, wasnt entirely good. It contained an oil which wasnt entirely healthy... But since then, they managed to better up the rapeseed oil by intensive work on selection of rapeseed plants... And nowadays its just traces of this oil left, making the modern coldpressed rapeseed oil one of the healthiest oils there is.
I presume its the same story with canola oil, canadians and americans folloing suit: What was done once, is easy to repeat elsewhere when the principle becomes wellknown.

 

[Qu9ke]

I myself dont have any mathematical former, I try to play it by ear...
2-3 drops a feeding at such a kitten is normal, but you can surely increase to 3-4 drops too, without problems, if it doesnt helps. Perhaps even 6??. Coldpressed canola oil is good nourishment by itself.* Observe I count with feeding every other hour. If you feed more seldom, ie more milk each feeding, you may add more drops each time. Together it will be same or less.
But once the kitten begins to produce, you cut down the dose by half.

Minerale oil, or fluid paraffine oil, is even more potent, but its seldom we need to use it. You must of course find some of food grade or equivalent. There is veterinary liquid paraffine oil - but a good quality paraffine oil for using for horse leather gears should be OK. At least, the swedish brand is - I mailed them and asked: they said, they have two different bottles, but its the same product....

*The european variant of canola, the rapeseed, 70 years ago, wasnt entirely good. It contained an oil which wasnt entirely healthy... But since then, they managed to better up the rapeseed oil by intensive work on selection of rapeseed plants... And nowadays its just traces of this oil left, making the modern coldpressed rapeseed oil one of the healthiest oils there is.
I presume its the same story with canola oil, canadians and americans folloing suit: What was done once, is easy to repeat elsewhere when the principle becomes wellknown.

Thank you for the response. Yeah I knew even before that thread I created that you told me how much to give my kitten. I was just wondering if there was a math formula backing up your advice on how much you give, because I love math haha. I guess not though. But my kitten has pooped the past week maybe 2-3 times, but her stool is rather firm. Kind of like that you’d expect from an adult cat in a litter box. She may be having a hard time passing it. Anyways thanks again. Sorry if I made an unnecessary separate thread for my question. I didn’t know it should have been a part of this thread I already made, but I know ignorance isn’t always an excuse either. I’ll try to be more careful in the future.

 

[StefanZ]

Adult firm poop in a kitten is too fast, toothpaste consistence is perfect. So yeah she is somewhat constipaded. Not that much you need to add the cleansing paraffine oil, but enough to hive the loosening food oils.

 

[Mamakitty&me]

OP: I started the oil last night after getting my kitten (born 4/20) dewormed. We are having adult-firm poos that are painful to pass, not enough, and we’re causing what looked like hemorrhoids/protruding rectum (that has stopped, but the area still swells at each elimination)

I’m curious how the oil is working for you?