Kitten Rescued From Wall (video!)

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
This little girl was somehow stuck in the structure of a complex's mail kiosk. I happened to be on that property this morning and maintenance had to knock a lot of holes in the walls before we could get her out. Someone had knocked a hole in the wall over the weekend, so they had heard her too. Her cries were terrible. I was ready to knock the whole thing down when I heard them.

Anyone know how old? I'm thinking five to six weeks? She weighs 1.2 pounds. She hasn't eaten a whole lot. I tried a bottle too and even mixed some cat food with it. Her eyes are still blue but her ears are straight and she's got some back teeth. She's really wobbly!


 
Last edited:

tabbytom

Happiness is being owned by a cat
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
19,668
Purraise
36,862
Location
Lion City, Singa-purr
Thank goodness you were at the right place at the right time so that you can bring home the kitten :clapcat:

She’s beautiful and she looks wobbly still and and could be younger than 5 weeks old. Maybe someone else maybe able to tell the right age.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
She's so smart! I have a tin pie-pan with a little bit of litter in it and she used it to urinate! She had a bath tonight so now she has no more fleas. I have some Revolution, the blue kind, but she's so tiny I'm very hesitant to use it. Plus, I was able to wash her fleas away. I've combed her carefully and I don't see any others.

I pulled out Atticus and Thirteen's old playpen, which is where I guess I'll leave her tomorrow while I'm at work. Do you guys think that's okay? I'll put her food and water in there, along with her litter pan. Thirteen and Atticus aren't thrilled but they're not nearly as upset as I'd anticipated so I don't think they'll bother her. Thirteen, my three year old female tuxedo, could not possibly be less interested in her, while Atticus, her three year old male gray tabby buddy, has sniffed her nonstop. He's made a low growly sound a few times but never outright hissed at her. Thirteen, on the other hand, walked up to her as soon as we got home, hissed and promptly walked away.

I may stay local tomorrow so I can come home and check on her.
 

tabbytom

Happiness is being owned by a cat
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
19,668
Purraise
36,862
Location
Lion City, Singa-purr
Great to hear that she’s using the litter box. Sounds like she’s an abandoned kitty.

Good to hear that Thirteen and Atticus have sort of accepted her. Should be ok for her to be in the playpen as long as the other two can’t get to her while no one’s around.
 

Norachan

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
32,666
Purraise
32,854
Location
Mount Fuji, Japan
I'd say she's about 4 weeks old. Lucky little thing! You really are her guardian angel.

She'll be fine in a playpen. I used to leave my orphans in a crate when I wasn't there to supervise.

Have you tried offering her Gerber's Stage II baby food? Get the plain meat flavours, no garlic or onions, and mix them with a little hot water to warm them. Most kittens go crazy for that. It's not good as a long term solution, but just to stimulate her appetite.

She'll need to be checked over by a vet when you have time to get her to one. Fleas often mean worms too, and in a tiny kitten even a few worms can mean she is malnourished.

Sarthur2 Sarthur2 StefanZ StefanZ What do you think?
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
Is she eating now? She was likely wobbly from dehydration if she was trapped all weekend. Poor thing!

Gerber turkey is an excellent idea!

She looks 5-6 weeks and precious! :)
 

foxxycat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
8,089
Purraise
13,358
Location
Honeybee on my lap, music playing in background
Oh she's adorable! Yes the playpen is fine. My girls growled in the beginning as well then they tolerated each other. My angel Floey used to hiss at Pumps=pumps was small like that kitten-then a week later she tolerated pumps then taught her how to play and be a pain-the cats will get along just fine-it's easier to add a kitten into an adult mix than it is to add full grown adults go figure.

Keep us posted and more videos!! Hoping she eats some more and gets her strength back! You can also get some goat's milk and try that with the baby food. Around that age they start to eat mush- canned kitten food with Kmr added to it like a pudding mixture=but beware-she will make a mess-puppy pads are a MUST while learning how to eat-they tend to step in the dish and wear it so don't be alarmed-it's normal and in a few weeks she will learn to not make a mess. Glad you got her out of the wall! Wonder how she got in there?!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
I'm worried she's not eating enough! I feel like Atticus and Thirteen were both devouring cat food mixed with goat's milk by this point. She eats . . . but just not a whole lot. I wasn't sure about feeding her the same raw that I feed my crew so I bought some Halo Kitten pate last night. I mixed that up with a good bit of warm goat's milk and she does eat it. She makes sucking noises as she laps it up but when I've offered her a bottle she refuses. If I drop goat's milk in the side of her mouth with a small dropper she swallows but quickly gets tired of that. I've got her weight so I'm going to start keeping an eye on that.

Anytime I offer food she eats it but just in VERY small portions. Thank you, Norachan, for the baby food suggestion. I'm going to get some for her tonight for sure. I fed her about 7:00 this morning and I'm going home sometime between 1:00 and 2:00 to feed her again. Then we'll eat several times before bed.

She slept in my bed (in a small cat bed) with me, Thirteen and my partner last night. Atticus, who is usually on the bed too, bailed. I was worried she was going to get cold so I kept my hand on her all night and she just purred away! She never made a peep and I had to wake her up the morning to eat.

She's urinated twice since being pulled out of the wall structure yesterday. She has not pooped yet. I've tried stimulation and she does urinate but no poop. She urinated on her own twice yesterday, once in her litter pan! Absent any unforeseen health turns, we're not going to the vet until Saturday morning.

Atticus and Thirteen were my first cats so I had nothing to compare them against. I think that ignorance is actually bliss! This kitten has me on pins and needles, worrying about her.
 
Last edited:

tabbytom

Happiness is being owned by a cat
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
19,668
Purraise
36,862
Location
Lion City, Singa-purr
It’s good that she’s eating, though in small amounts, better than not eating. You can pump up the nutrients by adding the goat’s milk along with her wet food as she kinda dislike to be fed by bottle or dropper. Baby food suggestion is good too.
You can get her wet food labeled ‘For All Life Stages’.

Guess she’s getting into the routine and that’s a good sign.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
Is goat's milk preferable to KMR? I could pick up some KMR if it's more nutritious but I assumed the goat's milk was better. My vet was in favor of it when Atticus and Thirteen were nursing. Those two kittens would suck the nipple off the bottle!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
I think my expectations where food is concerned were out of whack. I went home to feed her and she ate very well, especially considering that goat's milk was mixed in with her pate. She also POOPED & URINATED! I had to stimulate her with a damp, warm piece of cotton but she pooped A LOT. The very tip of her poop was white and waxy, and I honestly thought she was defecating a worm when she first started to go, but it was only the tip that was white and the rest was very healthy, quite firm, brown poop. The white portion was evidently milk that wasn't absorbed. The only thing that's bothering me now is the fact that this kitten is SERIOUSLY wobbly! She can't take two steps without falling over. I called and actually spoke to my vet and she thinks the kitten is really young and that's why she's so shaky on her feet.
 

foxxycat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
8,089
Purraise
13,358
Location
Honeybee on my lap, music playing in background
I would give it a few days-maybe the kitten is undersized-who knows how old she is. Just keep filling her with food. And pooping is good.

If she's getting hard poops we usually put a few drops of olive oil in their kmr/goats milk to keep it flowing but looks like it's not needed yet.

Maybe she will grow out of the wobbles...there's something called CH
7 Things You Should Know About Cerebellar Hypoplasia | Catster
It's too soon to tell but let's hope it goes away!
 

tabbytom

Happiness is being owned by a cat
Staff Member
Mentor
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
19,668
Purraise
36,862
Location
Lion City, Singa-purr
I hope she’s wobbly because she is weak from the trapping behind the walls for that few days where she did not have food.
When my boy was rescued (3 weeks old), he was also wobbly and after he was fed with powdered KMR and wet food, either made into a drink or mixed it with the food and after a few days, he does not wobble anymore. Guess he was weak and hungry.
So I hope this kitty does not have any health issues.

Great to hear that she pooped and peed.
 
Last edited:

msaimee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
1,850
Purraise
1,697
Location
Western PA
You can also feed her Purina Kitten chow for her dry food, which I would leave out for her 24/7. Kitten chow has extra protein and calories. You could also try moistening it with the warm milk.

She undoubtedly got dehydrated while trapped in the wall. It may take a few days for her to regain her strength. If you take her to a vet in the next few days, the vet might give her subcutaneous fluids.

I wouldn't give her Revolution or any flea treatment, she's too tiny. Just keep grooming her if she needs it.

It's so wonderful you took her in! Shelter life would have been difficult for her. This little kitty was lucky you came along :)
 

maggiedemi

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 26, 2017
Messages
17,104
Purraise
44,385
Demi ate Fancy Feast Pate and Purina Kitten Chow when he first came here. He was about 6 weeks old. I didn't mix any milk into the pate. He's really picky, he probably wouldn't have eaten it that way.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

lavishsqualor

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
1,954
Purraise
3,150
Now I know how people who have kids in their twenties and then get pregnant again in their forties feel! This was all much easier when Atticus and Thirteen were kittens and I was totally ignorant!

She done quite well eating today. Let's home we have a repeat performance tomorrow.
 
Top