I am so happy to have found this site. We took in stray pregnant cat 3 weeks ago before an ice storm that someone had found behind their shed. We know that this is her second litter because they found her initially in the fall with 2 kittens and they found homes for the kittens. They were looking for a home for the mama when she disappeared but then she showed back up and was pregnant again. After we got her mama was checked by the vet and appears healthy and she tested negative for FLV, FIV, and heart worms. The vet just recommended a dewormer. She went into labor 2 weeks and 2 days ago (Feb. 26th) and had five kittens. I haven't seen kitten being born since I was a child but the first kitten was the runt and she didn't look good to me. She seemed lethargic and slower to nurse but she started responding more and started nursing. The rest of the kittens nurse fairly immediately and seemed much more robust. We have been weighing them twice a day and everyone is gaining weight, including the little one until the middle of this past week. We started supplementing two days ago (using a syringe and KMR, couldn't get her to take a bottle) but she really doesn't seem to like it. She cries a lot and doesn't seem to readily swallow and seems to have little interest in eating. I'm getting less than 6mL in her at a time every 3 hours. She has started losing weight and is now 182 grams. Two days ago she was 198 grams. Also, prior to this we were concentrating on getting her to nurse by rotating the bigger kitties out (she seemed to be getting pushed out of the way) and she was still nursing and gaining just slower until this past week. She doesn't seem interested in nursing anymore and I am quite concerned. The vet was here on Friday and thought she looked healthy and that maybe she was just small. She had only lost a few grams at that point. She doesn't look skinny at all and has a little belly. Even in the last two days, the other kittens are looking huge beside her, weighing between 314-365 grams. My questions: Am I feeding her enough? How do I get more in her if she won't readily take it? What else might be going on with her? Any guidance is much appreciated.
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2 week old kitten not gaining weight
- Thread starter Medwards
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We raised 4 kittens from 4/5 weeks old (the mother was gone). They all did well on Enfamil baby formula. We did use a dropper. We gave them as much as they would take. So, you may need to feed with pauses in between. We had the kittens in a very large crate in our home. When they were old enough to eat out of a bowl we still used Enfamil in the bowl.
"Newborn kittens, up to 1 week old, should be fed every 2-3 hours; by 2 weeks old, every 4-6 hours. Once they are 3 weeks old, they can be fed every 4 to 6 hours. Continue to follow the rule of 8 mls of formula per ounce of body weight per day, as described above, to determine the amount of food the kitten should be eating.
If you are feeding multiple kittens, feed the first kitten until he stops nursing, then begin feeding the next kitten, and so on. Once you have fed all the kittens, feed the first kitten again and repeat with all the kittens. Usually one to three nursing turns will suffice. When a kitten stops nursing, he/she has had enough. Do not overfeed the kittens because it can cause loose stools and diarrhea. A well-fed kitten’s belly should be round, but not hard and distended. Smaller or weaker kittens may eat less per feeding and will need to be fed more often." (Best Friends Animal Society)
You may have a case of Fading Kitten Syndrome on your hands. Usually, if you can get them over this hump they will thrive. This is one of the best recommendations for working through it that I’ve ever read. It is from a cat rescue that I follow:
(Open then click the description under the photo.)
M Medwards
(Open then click the description under the photo.)
M Medwards
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- #5
Thanks! I was just googling FKS when you sent this. Very helpful.
At this moment, 6x8 = 48ml is OK, but it will be too little as soon she grows more... 8x6 ounces gives almost 180 grammes. So what you give is almost OK but slightly too little at this moment. It was too little when she was 198g.
You can try to give her more often - a little less each time but more often. Are you giving her also in night? Its almost a must.
You can give her some glucose sugar or white caro syrup for extra strengh. Say, a tiny droplet under the lip on her gum. Shortly before the feeding.
Can you get raw goats milk? If so, blend it with the KMR powder. 1 KMR +3 raw goats milk.
If not, mix the KMR powder 1:1:1; instead of the usual 1:2 - 1 part KMR powder, 1 part clean water, 1 part pedialyte. Take flavorless clear pedialyte for human babies. The advantage is mainly, pedialyte does contain some glucose sugar, so you will get some extra calories for free.
Water: The city water isnt always good, often there are quite a much chemicals. For a healthy kitten it obviously doesnt matter much, but may be on the verge with a weak kitten. So, filtered water is better. Or some good bottled water. After all, you dont need much for a kitten, one bottle a week.
Sure her pooing is good? Constipation takes away the energhy.
Be sure its warm, but not too hot.
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- #7
Thanks for all the suggestions. Fading kitten syndrome seemed to fit much of what I was seeing. I ended up talking with my vet who examined her on Friday and then taking her in to the emergency vet. Unfortunately, she was having breathing issues and didn't look good. The vet didn't feel like she had much a chance or would even survive any intervention or even make it overnight. We talked through her options and they put her down which they felt was a "humane option". Thankfully, all the other kittens are doing quite well. She struggled from the beginning and I think never recovered. It was really sad but I'm glad she isn't suffering any longer.
So sorry to read about this little kitten. We'll lock the thread now. We have a Crossing the Bridge forum for tributes to kitties who have passed on if you wish to post something.
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