Neighbor Found Tiny Stray Kitten

[commonoddity042]

She's about 3-4 weeks old at most and her eyes were completely gunked shut. She had flea dirt aplenty and wouldn't eat dry food mixed with cow's milk. No sneezing or sniffling.

After warning them against the cow's milk and getting her to successfully eat what seemed to be her weight in watered down wet felidae (which I gave them two cans of..13.2oz), I cleaned her eyes with a wet washcloth, bathed and fleacombed her, and looked at her gums.

She has a full set of kitten teeth. One of the upper canines has a broken tip, and her gums were glowing white. I put a bit of karo(sp) syrup under her tongue an a little color has returned to them, but not much.

I don't know if she will be able to potty on her own, but I gave them a little makeshift litterpan of litter (they have another cat, but were out at the moment) and told them what to do (stimulation) if she didn't use it, and to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't ingesting any.

Unfortunately, they can't afford to take her to the vet and don't have enough room to keep her away from their toddler or their other cat, but they want to care for her. What can be done to help her? I'm afraid that with the anemia alone she may be a short-timer.

edit: Thought this ws the SOS forum. Please move this thread.

 

[crittermom]

I can't offer any advice as I'm in the same boat.But, I did want to say,I hope the kit makes it!!!!

 

[commonoddity042]

Originally Posted by crittermom

I can't offer any advice as I'm in the same boat.But, I did want to say,I hope the kit makes it!!!!

Thank you. I hope so too. She reminds me so much of Pudge at that age. (she is almost the exact same color and fuzziness as Pudge was at her age, only with white paws and a white chest and belly)

 

[tnr1]

Unfortunately, they can't afford to take her to the vet and don't have enough room to keep her away from their toddler or their other cat, but they want to care for her. What can be done to help her? I'm afraid that with the anemia alone she may be a short-timer.

Contact your local vets and see if they would be willing to take the kitten into their care. Second, reach out to local rescue groups.

Katie

 

[prncss89]

I have no words of wisdom I just hope the kitten is strong and makes it so it can find forever love with someone who will become its world!

 

[mowsluver]

Maybe you can just put her in a small box with something to keep her warm and take her to the vet, explain the situation and just say you have to leave her there. That may sound cruel, but we have a vet here in town where people do that all the time.
I know someone who works there and she says the vet will take care of the important issues and they put a pic/description up in the lobby abd 99 times out of a 100 someone will step up and take the little one, paying a reduced fee for whatever they had done.
It doesn't happen often, but it DOES happen. She herself has adopted a couple little guys this way!
I mean, they won't come running out in the parking lot after you!

 

[commonoddity042]

This morning they decided they didn't want to keep her, so they gave her to me.

Her gums look a little better today, and she has more energy. She eats, sleeps, poops (though not in the litterbox, but I'll work on that later), and squeaks mostly (which I suppose is normal for a 3.5 week old kitten. She hates being alone), and is very adept at climbing all the way up to my shoulder to sleep in my hair. She also jumps and runs very steadily.

Her eyes still gum up, but not as much as they were doing yesterday.

Will be getting her to a vet as soon as I can. Here are some photos of her (in front of the bathroom sink right before her second flea bath with Dawn dish soap). She stays in a completely different (and chemical free) room.

Next to a spray bottle for comparison. She is very small (mostly fur).

 

[emily_325]

Awww...what a cute little ball of fluff she is. Kudos to you for helping her get better. I wouldn't be able to pass her on, she's so adorable. Good luck!

 

[commonoddity042]

Does anyone have any other techniques besides a bath and flea comb to get fleas off of a 3.5-4 week old kitten? I know she's too young for Advantage.

 

[emily_325]

Honestly, when all else fails I just pick them off by hand. I know it sounds gross but just sit there with a bucket of water with a little bleach in it to kill them and toss them in once you pull them off. The cats often enjoy it because looking for them is like the ultimate petting/massage.

Just feel your cats skin with your fingers and pull them out as you go. Good luck!

 

[commonoddity042]

Originally Posted by emily_325

Honestly, when all else fails I just pick them off by hand. I know it sounds gross but just sit there with a bucket of water with a little bleach in it to kill them and toss them in once you pull them off. The cats often enjoy it because looking for them is like the ultimate petting/massage.

Just feel your cats skin with your fingers and pull them out as you go. Good luck!

I did that earlier today (and briefly yesterday). I did it a lot for Pudge after rescuing her. Poor thing was practically swimming (in fleas and then soapy water. She was HEAVILY infested.) in the following weeks until I heard of Frontline (Pudge is my first pet ever). She got very used to being held as I picked/combed fleas off her.

Looks Like round two until Tiny Girl is old/big enough for Advantage.

Thank you.

 

[jen]

Originally Posted by emily_325

Honestly, when all else fails I just pick them off by hand. I know it sounds gross but just sit there with a bucket of water with a little bleach in it to kill them and toss them in once you pull them off. The cats often enjoy it because looking for them is like the ultimate petting/massage.

Just feel your cats skin with your fingers and pull them out as you go. Good luck!

Not Bleach but Dawn Dish Soap. You can dip the comb in to warn soapy Dawn water and brush through her with a flea comb, that will get them out.

 

[satai]

I have no advice - just wanted to say good on you for taking her in, and oh, she's a cute little ball of fluff.

 

[commonoddity042]

Update:


She's doing far better now. Her gums are a healthy color after two flea baths, and she's a tiny, somewhat gummy-eyed ball of squeaky energy ( I wipe them a few times a day. They've cleared up a bit) with a very healthy appetite.

She bats at shadows and the floor around toys, and is slowly but surely figuring out that the little containers of "sand" I've spaced every few feet are for tiny kitty bombs and trickles (I crate her when she's unsupervised, and she uses it 100% of the time in there now, but out in the open, she hangs out in one or two places and potties where she stays). I've pretty much put a small litterbox everywhere she's gone.

She purrs if touched now, and likes playing with foilballs.

 

[crittermom]

Awww what a cutie pie!!! I'm glad they gave her to you, now she'll have a better chance to make it.

 

[jenny82]

She's adorable. Thank you for helping her!

 

[friskycatz]

Thanks so much for taking this baby in! The gummy eyes could be due to upper respiratory, which can be easily fixed with amoxillian which the vet will prescribe you.( very normal for small kittens to get this) Wish you the best of luck! Oh, and that baby is simply adorable!

 

[satai]

Originally Posted by CommonOddity042

She bats at shadows and the floor around toys, and is slowly but surely figuring out that the little containers of "sand" I've spaced every few feet are for tiny kitty bombs and trickles (I crate her when she's unsupervised, and she uses it 100% of the time in there now, but out in the open, she hangs out in one or two places and potties where she stays). I've pretty much put a small litterbox everywhere she's gone.

This is the cutest description ever.

I'm glad she's doing so well.

 

[commonoddity042]

Question.

Tiny Girl is VERY Vocal. She is the most vocal cat I've ever seen to date, actually. I'm considering naming her Decibel or Lungs, as she gives them a good workout.

I am actually stumped as to what she wants sometimes. You could be petting her after she's eaten and played with a foilball and she will just wander from your chest to your lap and back, squeaking at the top of her lungs (repeatedly).

She sometimes bounces off after a foilball and then suddenly seems to get lost and starts squeaking, and does not stop when you pick her up and pet her.

Other times, she will be sleeping on you and will wake up, look at you, and start squeaking, and no amount of food or petting will satisfy her.

She likes climbing onto shoulders and sleeping under your hair, but even putting her up there (which is what I thought she wanted at first) doesn't seem to be what she's "asking" for sometimes.

What do you think? Is she lonely for other kitties? Was she possibly just the "screamer" of her litter? Do you think she is calling for mom? She's been away from her for at least five days that I know of (she was found sitting in the road by herself). I've noticed that she usually looks up at my head before she starts squeaking/screaming. Am I frightening her? She always follows me around her room and never seems to stay more than a foot from my feet.

I've discovered that she LOVES greenies (broken into tiny-sized pieces), and if she sees or smells one, she'll run back and forth between your feet and squeak as loud as possible. I know why she's squeaking then, but she's confusing me.

 

[satai]

Some cats just talk all the time, and I think she might be one of them.