Clicking noise in kitten

[frantheanimallover]

Hello, I'm a new member and this is my first time posting, I'm not really sure if my question goes here but I'm desperate, you see my mum and I were taking care of a kitten, he had chronic malnutrition and he was a few weeks old at best, everything was going fine until yesterday when we noticed a fly in the space he was staying (the fly never touched him since he was in a crate covered with his blanket and I killed it immediately but today at aprox 3 a.m he started making clicking noises from his chest and his jaw locked and was lethargic and then sadly he passed away, I just want to know what does the clicking noise meant and how to prevent it, my mum and I rescue only adult cats and dogs so this was new, also I was thinking that maybe the place we put him in was not the best (he was in my bathroom and i think it was too humid for him) because the last five kittens that stayed there also passed (they were taken by a more experienced rescuer and they still passed away suddendly, weeks after they were taken by her but they also stayed in my bathroom for a few days) I'm just really sad and my mom has been cradling his little body for a while thinking he'll come back so I'm just wondering what happened? What does that clicking sound meant? How can I prevent it? Or is it my bathroom? Is it cursed or something or are we really bad at taking care of living beings? Also the doctors told us to give him tuna in pate form really diluted with water because he couldn't keep down the kitten milk (actual kitten milk, the formula one sold in shops) and he also took medicine (I'm not really sure what it was or how much but also doctor approved, it was to "sanitize" his tummy, as my mum said) also he had a heated blanket always set in level 1 or 2 and my mum would feed him every 3 hours (as ordered by the doctors).

 

[Sarthur2]

The clicking noise is caused by pneumonia in the lungs, which occurs when a kitten aspirates milk or other liquid into its lungs. Without antibiotics, the kitten will die from the infection.

Aspiration is always a hazard of feeding tiny kittens. They must be fed very slowly in an upright position in order not to aspirate.

I do not think your bathroom is the issue. I do suggest that you watch some of Kitten Lady’s excellent videos on syringe feeding, transitioning to soft foods, and litter training to enhance your skills.

I applaud you and your mom for the rescue work that you do. It’s not easy to save tiny orphaned kittens, and losing them is frustrating and painful.

Kitten Care - View All — Kitten Lady

 

[StefanZ]

Hello, I'm a new member and this is my first time posting, I'm not really sure if my question goes here but I'm desperate, you see my mum and I were taking care of a kitten, he had chronic malnutrition and he was a few weeks old at best, everything was going fine until yesterday when we noticed a fly in the space he was staying (the fly never touched him since he was in a crate covered with his blanket and I killed it immediately but today at aprox 3 a.m he started making clicking noises from his chest and his jaw locked and was lethargic and then sadly he passed away, I just want to know what does the clicking noise meant and how to prevent it, my mum and I rescue only adult cats and dogs so this was new, also I was thinking that maybe the place we put him in was not the best (he was in my bathroom and i think it was too humid for him) because the last five kittens that stayed there also passed (they were taken by a more experienced rescuer and they still passed away suddendly, weeks after they were taken by her but they also stayed in my bathroom for a few days) I'm just really sad and my mom has been cradling his little body for a while thinking he'll come back so I'm just wondering what happened? What does that clicking sound meant? How can I prevent it? Or is it my bathroom? Is it cursed or something or are we really bad at taking care of living beings? Also the doctors told us to give him tuna in pate form really diluted with water because he couldn't keep down the kitten milk (actual kitten milk, the formula one sold in shops) and he also took medicine (I'm not really sure what it was or how much but also doctor approved, it was to "sanitize" his tummy, as my mum said) also he had a heated blanket always set in level 1 or 2 and my mum would feed him every 3 hours (as ordered by the doctors).

Oh dear.... Great pity all kittens you had taken care of died, this way or another... such happens...

Humid air is by itself not dangerous, and in some situations even good. HERE I have a wild guess; you perhaps got mold in the area?? Mold develops easily in humid areas, especielly if its warm.... You could also get some bacteria growing there, if there is any substrate suitable for them.
Mold isnt good, children can get sick from this if unlucky... Perhaps even some type of lung inflammation??
Its of course not healthy for adult humans nor cats either, but these have better margins and better immunity.

so tips either you DO have mold there, or its a potential danger:
Dry off the area... Try to drying off and airing is permanent. Or at very least, there is a water condenser, taking water from the air. Even a cheap one is good enough.
A trick may be you have desinficating UV-light there a couple of days... Preferably so EVERY area is shone up at least one hour... This depends in part, how strong that UV light is. 5W or 25W... But ozone made by UV-light kills mold, bacteria and virus, so everything in there will be desinficated.
Caution: do not look straight at UV light... Having googles on helps some if you must.
Do not breath the air; ozon caused by UV-light kills the mold, bacteria and virus, but isnt healthy for humans there. So a few inbreath isnt dangerous, ozone is also in nature, but you dont want to be in there any longer.
Go in, set the light, go out, close the door....
When ready, stop breathing, go in, switch off the light, open the window whatever, go out... Air out...

The same trick is really useful in many situations. Including to take away cellar smell. Or kill mites in your bed...

OK. Clinking: Clicking in this kitten was surely pneumonia. Its very often highly deadly... Kittens can be healthy in the morning, dead in the afternoon when you come back from work... Its what most often takes away healthy born kittens.
Extra dangerous of course, if unskilled handfeeding, but it may also happen experienced hand feeders...

ps. but cliking doesnt always need to be pneumonia. We HAD forumites whom worried asked about clicking, but there didnt developed any other problems with the kittens, and kitten grew up OK... If it was nothing, or a very light pneumonia, I dont know. The only I know is this sound isnt not always disaster... Even if its always alarming.

Last, not least. You mentioned kitten milk from a normal shop. Its OK, but a much better supplement is goats milk...
Much cheaper, and better... And safer than cow milk...
RAW goats milk has even some healthy properties, and is sometimes prescribed by vets as the main cure for stomach problems in cat animals.
Its pricey, but has some potentials...

Common goats milk sold in shops is an ok all life stage supplement, and ok emergency kmr or an alternative if your kmr doenst work.

Tx for your work for trying to help cats in need!!!

Edit: several small edits after the text was written.