My Wee Wiggler going strong, orphaned neonate, 5 days with strong gains

[mentat]

Kitten Tax up front!

Five days of supportive neonatal care and this 6 day old boy is thriving. First kitten of kitten season. Eliminated normal poo by 3rd day, after his meconium was delayed without any nutrition once orphaned. One of my ERs within 100mi called our group, desperate to get a newborn orphan outta their heavily trafficked hospital. Love when they call before kitten exposed to resp viruses in shelter/clinic setting. Fuzzy faux fur blankies atop his RICA thermal pad simulate warm mama when I'm not feeding/cleansing him every 1.5-2 hrs. Warm electrolyte reconstituted KMR with proviable, tube fed until latching on his Miracle nipple last 24 hours. From 70 grams at 48hrs age to 104 grams at 5 days age. Woot!

 

[catapault]

Well done, the both of you! Keep up the good results. So nice to start my morning with delightful report and adorable picture.

 

[mentat]

He made my morning when he woke screaming for food, whoa turbo! I'm so pumped despite the gray weather out. Kitten meeps from my pocket, with Haze, former feral mom turned spayed house warbler, following me, trilling, looking for a baby ;] Glad you got a boost from my lil tater tot post

 

[catapault]

Would Haze cuddle the little furball, clean him, purr to him? That would be lovely for all three of you.

 

[will2002]

Thank you soooooooooooo much... for caring for that little angel!

 

[zed xyzed]

what a beautiful little kitten, bless you for caring

 

[mentat]

Would Haze cuddle the little furball, clean him, purr to him? That would be lovely for all three of you.

It would be lovely, if she didn't have her medical history. My 9yo terrier mix always helps me with kitten fosters. Cleans in excess, unless I put kittens away.

When the shelter or a clinic has a mom with her kittens and I have an orphan or multiple orphans, I'll integrate if the shelter hasn't had mom in the cat building and mom has no symptoms of infection. Hazel had chlamydia after a long herpesvirus infection, so she will not be contacting any kittens. Her litter died of the URI as she was actively shedding when she queened per one of the shelters. Chlamydia is a bear, a persistent bacteria that needs 4-8wks doxy, fluid supportive care, respiratory nebs. Many stray street cats have it, compared to when I started fostering a score ago when FHV was our biggest culprit.

I hate losing neonate kittens to URIs, when I feel responsible for limiting their exposure. Another foster who had no contact with Hazel when she was symptomatic got it 2 weeks later. Oh, the guilt I felt. Good lesson on incubation time and infectious spread, though.

Determined to keep this lil dude as fit as he is now. The purple cat mama simulator purrs, and I play purring tracks on a loop a few hours a day. He doesn't stay near it, wiggles to a wad of faux fur and hunkers down. I place him on purple mama against me for nursing though. Pushes those wee paws into her like a pro.

 

[mentat]

C catapault Related, I lost 3 geriatric CKD kitties with other better controlled, coexisting disease within 12 months of each other, the last was November. The dynamics have changed a lot here without those 3 musketeers. I was thinking of bringing one of my "niece cats" over, who has never had a URI, lives with one healthy cat. When turbo here is 3 weeks old. My own have all had a URI at some point, although none in years.

What say you if I bring her over to start desensitizing her where she can see and hear the kitten, so when he's sturdier and more developed, I can just let her start entering the crate with food handy, to build positive association with him?

She's only met littermate kittens when she was one herself 3 years ago, but she's very laid back with adult cats, and takes my ole lady Tink correcting her with a smack very calmly when she gets to close to Tink's warm bed or bowl when she stays with me periodically.