2 week old kitten problems

[neko]

Hi, I'm new here and I thought this would be a good place to have my questions answered.

Four days ago, a friend of mine gave me a 2 week old orphan kitten to take care of because he was allergic to cats.I've raised kittens before, but not one this young. I'm wondering how fragile a kitten's body can be at this age. Also, Ichiro(his name) is being weened. Is this too early? And how do you get a kitten to drink water? He doesn't. One last question: is it absolutely essential for kittens to get the basic shots and worming?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.Thank You.

-Neko

 

[dodo]

Hi Neko,

It's really too early to wean a kitten at that age; they need to suck on mother's milk at least for 7-8 weeks ! But since you said that the kitty was an orphan, there is no way for him to suck on a momy cat's nipple (unless you find another mother cat who is milking her kitties & of course one which will accept him).

I assume you are using one of the kitty formulas for orphan kitties. They are mixed with warm water so I don't think that they need extra water..In order to see if he is dehydrated you can gently pull up the kitty's skin. If the skin turns goes back quickly, then he is fine. But if it stays pulled for some time, he might be dehydrated.

The kitties start having shots at around 8 weeks. They should be dewormed because the kitty might get worms from mother by birth or by momy's milk ! Worms (or other internal/external parasites) will make the kitty weak, cause they will absorb most if not all the nutrients the kitty gets ! If left untreated, they might even kill the kitty !

The only vaccination required by law is rabies vaccine. It's done when the kitty is at least 12 weeks old. The other vaccines are optional.

 

[sandie]

It is very difficult to care for a kitten 2 weeks old. They need to stay on the milk replacer for at least 6 weeks.They need to be fed every 3 hours. They also need to be stimulated to use the bathroom. If you don't do this they will back up and it is fatal. They also need to be kept warm by a heating pad under a blanket. Cats really cant drink or eat until they can even hold themselves up at about 4 weeks old and even at that age, its very difficult for them. Your best bet for survival of the kitten is to take it to the vet for a lesson on orphan kitten care.