PLEASE HELP - 4 week old abandoned kitten in dire straits...

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
First time mother (10 month old kitten)

abandoned her babies at 3 weeks...

I've been feeding them kitten formula

and 4 of them have been doing great...

the tiniest one, 8 ounces - 4 + weeks old,

goes into a comatose like state after

a feeding... (it seemed like a really deep

sleep)

then, two days ago, she was ice cold

and non responsive when I found her .

I thought that she was dead... until I

felt a really strong heartbeat...

Warmed her with a hair dryer...

next morning, she was perfect....

fed her and once again, she went into

a really deep sleep.... this time, she'd

yawn and move... next morning, fine

again...

We decided to try goat's milk to see if

it was an allergy to the formula and

again, deep sleep... though, not anywhere

near as intense... gave her a bit of goat's

milk this morning and she was fine

afterwards.... jumping and mewing

for more food two hours later...

a bit more goat's milk and now she is

in great distress... crying when touched

Her belly is round and fat - and soft...

not hard and distended...

she is peeing just fine.... don't know


about pooping...

someone suggested I give her a tiny

bit of coconut oil to help with bowel

evacuation in case she is constipated...

If ANYONE has any ideas, I will greatly

appreciate the help.... she is so sweet and

sooo tiny and I feel soooo helpless.
 

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
46,566
Purraise
23,328
Location
Australia
@kstavert I've moved your thread to this forum as hopefully you will receive more responses.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
If you havent observed her pooing, hope it was it....  They may look really critical if they cant poo or pee....

Yes, 3-4 drops of some suitable oil is the standard.  Good coconut oil should be good, atlhough I dont have any experience with it.  The usual is either

cold pressed olive oil or coldpressed rapeseed oil (Canold oil).  Minerale oil is even more potent.   The oil preferably body warm, precisely as goat milk or kmr.

So, you either have this with her goat milk, or with a dropper in the corner of her mouth, tummy down, head a little up.

This with her periodical half coma sounds peculiar.  Do you have access to a decent vet??  Phone and ask... Or even visit if you do afford.

If this oil dont helps with pooing, you should visit a vet with her ASAP:

Good luck!
 

quiet

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
432
Purraise
99
I honestly believe you need a vet now. This kitten has something really wrong if she is doing what you stated above she is ill. Whatever it may be it will only get worse or she will die without medical treatment. Have you been warming up the kmr for the kitties? Have you been making sure they poop and pea? How involved is the mother cat? How did you come to be caring for the kittens? Take the kitty to a vet and let us know what happens.

Good luck and I hope they do okay,.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
I'm sure that our wee girl does need

a vet.... and, that's not possible right now

We are an unofficial "no kill" shelter....

any cat or dog (any animal for that

matter) that comes and hangs around

is invited into our family.... because we

know that they will very likely be killed

if we had to take them to our local "shelter"

(it's a small community with limited means)

so, we do the very best we are able with

what we have....

at the moment, it's rather challenging

because we have two females that just

gave birth....

the youngest of the two is the one that


abandoned her babies.... I've tried

repeatedly, different ways... to reunite

her and she refuses...

the "runt" of her litter is the one I'm concerned

with..

she woke in the middle of the night - from

her latest "coma" and I returned her to the

rest of the litter...

she'd not pooped in the bed I had her in

so, I gave her several drops of EVOO and

a tiny bit of warm water and put her back

into her separate bed..

she is very weak and hungry..... will just

continue with warm (filtered) water until

she poops...

Just gave the others a bowl full of ground up

kitty food mixed with formula/goat  milk...

they wear it well ;)

I will greatly appreciate any more feedback/

suggestions on what to do for
 

tulosai

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
2,018
Purraise
330
Location
Amsterdam, Noord Holland
I definitely do not think that giving her only water and witholding formula/food is the answer.  She is too small to go long without eating. I am not positive this is what you mean you are doing, but if so, please stop.

Have you tried to stimulate her to go potty? At only 4 weeks, this may still be helpful.

I hope you will get all the cats in your care spayed or neutered as soon as possible.  It will quickly become an absolutely impossible situation if this is not done.  If you do not have the funds to do this, it is much kinder to surrender the animals to a shelter.
 

tiggs2012

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
458
Purraise
17
Location
Sheffield , England
Have you tried stimulating her after a feed. I've seen this when a kitten takes too much they become bloated on constipated, My Felix has done a few times. Take a warm damp cloth and gently rub her tummy, make sure she is belly down...hope this helps! Good Luck [emoji]127808[/emoji]
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
I've given her some EVOO, a bit of warm water

and a bit of goat's milk.... stimulated her hind

end with a warm wash cloth.....

Nothing....


put her belly under warm running water ....

still nothing.... repeated the above and now

she is warm and dry with a warm heating pad....

started this about 4 hours ago

she is still strong and has a really good set of

lungs... will just keep doing what I can.... pretty

sure now that the issue was that she was not

pooping

thank you many bunches for your support and

suggestions
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
 
put her belly under warm running water ....
One of our tricks is this [holding in one hand], and simultaneously tapping [with forefinger of the other hand] on the genitalia / the behind part....  Usually it works nicely if they dont have severe constipation.

Im not sure what EVOO is - I shall google, but at this moment I dont know.  Unless you mean the cat food brand.
 
Last edited:

tulosai

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
2,018
Purraise
330
Location
Amsterdam, Noord Holland
 
One of our tricks is this, and simultaneously tapping on the genitalia / the behind part....  Usually it works nicely if they dont have severe constipation.

Im not sure what EVOO is - I shall google, but at this moment I dont know.  Unless you mean the cat food brand.
Good advice.

I also dont' know what EVOO is.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
Hey :-) I think EVOO is Extra Virgin Olive Oil... Just going on what was mentioned earlier
Ah, apparently so.  Tx Tiggs.   :)

So its just to repeat this treatment, with perhaps one drop more this time.  

You can also try with minerale oil, its more potent.  In Sweden we (and the vets) use liquid paraffine, but also other minerale oils shall work. Them being essentially variations on the same.

Good luck  @kstavert
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
Sorry.... yes... EVOO is Extra Virgin Olive Oil ;)

someone told me that 1 tsp of EVOO was way


too much for her?  Even if there is no ?result"?

Will try the running water/tapping routine...


Wee Miss is doing OK today... STILL has not

pooped .... and, she didn't do the comatose

thingy yesterday....

she seems to be a loner... standing/sitting off

to the side of her siblings and still so very tiny

Again, thank you for all of your help/support
 

quiet

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Messages
432
Purraise
99
I think she is a very sick kitty and that is why she is separate from the others. Mother Nature has a way about doing things. Sorry. 1 teaspoon would be way to much for a baby kitten I think. But it has been a while since I did any orphan care or baby kitty help.
 

tulosai

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
2,018
Purraise
330
Location
Amsterdam, Noord Holland
 
I think she is a very sick kitty and that is why she is separate from the others. Mother Nature has a way about doing things. Sorry. 1 teaspoon would be way to much for a baby kitten I think. But it has been a while since I did any orphan care or baby kitty help.
Yes I do think 1 teaspoon is too much.  A few drops is more appropriate.

Honestly, is there any  way to get her to a vet? If not, would you consider surrendering her to a shelter where she can possibly get the help she needs? I feel that she must be suffering. Going this many days without pooping is just awful.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,997
Purraise
10,645
Location
Sweden
Yes, its really a clear cut vet errand.  We may try with good advices on what to hope on and try with if you cant get any decent vet, but its stil a vet errand...   Holding thumbs you find a solution!  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #17

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
Well, we are on day 2 of NOT going

"comatose"..... I was keeping her in

a separate bed/box to see if she

pooped.... not.....

she woke several times last night

and cried.... I fed her.... the last time

was 4 a.m. and I put her in with  her

siblings....

She's spent the day on my bed with


them - all of them eating a mash of

dry cat food mixed with formula...

Tiny Miss has been sleeping and playing


with her siblings and is doing great

today....... she is still very strong and

seems to be as healthy as her

brothers and sisters.... though,

much tinier than they....

She is actuallythe most adventurous of

all

the tsp of EVOO didn't do her any


harm at all

The Universe has plans for her....

I am so very grateful for everyone's


help, support and input....
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
Day three and no more passing out..

she seems to be completely healthy

will probably never know what was going

on....

thank you all for your care and concern
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

kstavert

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
20
Purraise
3
I don't know for certain.

I think she does better with her siblings than

by herself so, put her back in with them....

I'm going to assume that she has because

she's not had any more "episodes" (3 days)

and she's eating the mash along with the others...

she is really strong and very mobile - more

so than the other 4 - very adventurous

thank you for checking :) <3
 
Top