Need inputs on neonate...

[Whistler]

I work somewhere with high feral counts, and long story aside, ended up in taking a kitten home which was removed from the hot attic above my office.

Tomorrow will be a week that I have had it. Its eyes opened fully last Saturday (only faint slits on Friday night), been eating like a champ, and currently it is just shy of 9 oz.

My big question is regarding droppings. It goes a few times a day in small quantities each time, more firm sometimes than others (may come out like "toothpaste" rather than liquid, but doesn't hold consistency well). While I suspect this is a bit looser than ideal, it is never leaky diarrhea or explosive either. Color is a light brownish. I feel like this is "too soft" compared to the internet's insistence it should be like firm toothpaste, and diarrhea can rapidly dehydrate them, so I am monitoring very closely.

Its overall attitude is very fiesty, and will call for me to hurry up if it detects I am in the room setting up for a feeding. It is seemingly content after a feeding, and will happily knead, purr and make happy chirps as it drifts off to sleep on me while I am petting it. I never seems upset which makes me think it is not having abdominal distress. But I just need some assurance the droppings are within the range of "normal," or advice on what to modify. Feeding frequency is currently every 3 hrs.

Any help appreciated... Just trying to give it the best chance possible from a rotten situation. I would not have taken the project on and separated a baby if it weren't a life-or-death situation for it.

 

[vince]

From the eye-opening, it sounds like kitty is about two weeks old. Weight seems good. I hope you're weighing daily and keeping track.

Elimination doesn't seem too bad. Kitty is taking in an all-liquid diet (I'm assuming) at reasonable intervals given its age, so dehydration shouldn't be a problem. Are you still stimulating at potty time?

Behaviors seem a bit precocious. Must be a smart one!

 

[Whistler]

Thank you so much for you reply and reassurance! I have indeed been weighing daily, and keeping a log. Kitty is still on all liquid diet, and is a very enthusiastic bottle feeder (latches well and immediately, once it got used to the new routine of artificial nipple). I am routinely stimulating at feeding time, and the urine appears light yellow and not dark and concentrated too. It always pees first, and then with stimulation afterwards is when it has the loose-ish droppings.

I think the hard part has been just not having a firm grasp too on exact age, and when to advance to the "next steps" I read on kitten-raising guides. I have been assuming about 12 days old today based on what it looked like when I first ended up with kitty.

It can't really "walk" yet, but can drag/stagger towards the door of the carrier when it can tell I am setting up for a feeding. It has soft clean small towels for bedding, and also a rheostat-controlled heat pad.

 

[vince]

Sounds like you have the bases pretty-well covered. Have you viewed any videos by the Kitten Lady on YouTube? She's a well-respected source of information on kitten rearing. She has information on how to figure out the age of kittens.

I would figure the next milestone will be baby teeth, that come in at about a month old. The little ones that come in first are right in front.

Need to figure out whether it's a boy or girl and think about a name.

 

[Whistler]

I have absolutely been loving the Kitten Lady as a resource! What I am struggling with even using her resources to estimate age is that some of what I am seeing is almost contradictory in this kitten at times.

For example, I swear during the last feeding I just did, it was the first time I was seeing partial claw retracting ability even?

I have posted a picture. I recalibrated the scale, and now I am seeing 10-11 oz, if that helps. I am suspecting male (when I stimulate it to pee, it launches a fountain).

 

[StefanZ]

Toothpaste consistency is good, so no complains there nor with the color!

 

[Sarthur2]

The poop sounds fine! Which brand formula are you using and are you using powdered or pre-mixed?

Eyes open by 14 days at the latest, and based on his weight he’s about two weeks old. Kittens toddle at this age so he sounds fine and looks absolutely adorable!

Was he the only kitten in the attic?

 

[vince]

You'd have to show us a rear view for us to help with sexing the kitten. I'm not all that good at it, but others should give you a definitive answer. At this point, sounds like it's a "he."

Is he grey or is he black? Looks grey to me from the picture. Lighting has a lot to do with it. Seems to be doing just fine!