Please Help, Baby Kitten Always Hungry.

[Jcatbird]

I have a feeling that the rice pablum will slowly make a difference. Sometimes that little bit of more solid can give them a satisfied feeling. I think you are on the right track. I know you must be exhausted by now but you could be very close to the solution to the crying. It may take some feedings with it for it to get him established and more comfortable but that even worked with my sick child. I was frantic and no one could offer a solution to her crying. It was thought to be colic. Her “colic” stopped when her tummy had something solid to fill it. Hoping!

 

[danteshuman]

I hope everything works out and soon your boy will calm! I found baby rice cereal added to the KNR yo be a god send when dealing with kitten runs. That litter of kittens were severely flea infested and had a bad case of worms.

I doubt it will help half as much as the rice formula but I have found doing by best fake puuuuurrrrrrrr helps calm little baby kittens.

 

[CatsFan4Life]

It didn't make much difference yet, as he started crying again soon after, but I'm hoping with some time it'll help. I AM very exhausted, but nothing to be done for that until he calms down.

I was a badly colicky baby too from what my mom says. You have my sympathies that your baby went through that as I'm sure you didn't much rest at all.

I'm hoping the dewormer did it's job and he's starts feeling full soon. Nothing to do but wait now. I unfortunately can't fake purr.

I'll update this again soon if anything changes and add a cute pic if I can get one to thank everyone for their help and support. Thank you all.

 

[FeebysOwner]

His belly slowly goes down now between feedings, which is good as it didn't yesterday.

This is good - although I am sure it is way too slow for your preferences, and probably the kitty's as well. But, that leads to your following comment...

He still wants food WAY more often than is healthy for him, which still has me torn between possible worms causing it or Starving Kitten Syndrome.

The only reference that I have ever heard to Starving Kitten Syndrome is due to worms. And, I even looked it up to see if I could find another reference, but couldn't. So, unless I really 'missed the boat', they appear to be one in the same. I am hoping once the worms are gone, you will see a nice kitty belly and one that is satisfied by the 'standard' foods.

I've tried holding him (doesn't want to be held, mom was feral) and stimulating him in case it's a stomachache, but nothing seems to calm him other than more food

He is just like a crabby, colicky baby - he doesn't know what he wants, he just feels hungry. Try cradling a baby to stop them from crying when they think they are hungry - they ain't having it! I hope once you get him back on track that you will find you can get him to respond to cuddling and being held, regardless of his feral mother!!

When you are more rested and not so crazily busy, you will have to let us know about your 4AM near breakdown - but, only if you want to of course!!

 

[Jcatbird]

I always put a clock that ticks in with babies. Ticking clocks are a little less common these days but if you have one or could even find that sound online it might soothe baby. It’s like a heartbeat to them.

 

[Sarthur2]

I agree that a ticking clock wrapped in a soft blanket might be comforting.

Also, if his colic is from gas, you can safely use drops of infant simethicone in his milk. It has helped other kittens on this site in the past.

 

[catsknowme]

Just for reference for us all to visualize what is going on here, do his sides feel taut and hard when his belly is distended? does his sides feel soft and squishable at times?

 

[CatsFan4Life]

Starving Kitten Syndrome (as I'm referring to it) is a psychological condition, caused when a young animal doesn't get adequate food. They overeat in the fear that the food they have now will run out and are obsessed with food and fixate on it. It's a condition they may or may not grow out of. (I've seen 3 sick bottle baby kittens outgrow it, and a young puppy who did not.)

It was a miracle he was still alive when I found him, as I've never seen such an emaciated, underweight kitten before. The mom must have fed him BARELY enough to keep him alive his entire life (2 weeks.) He weight almost half of what he should have and was paper light and all bones. Now that he's realized he has access to food whenever he cries, I'm not surprised he wants to overeat. I think it'll just take time to see if it's worms causing his food frenzy, or a psychological problem. He'll always have a home here either way.

He WAS cuddly and playful when I first found him, but not anymore. He used to purr occasionally and would and roll on his back to play fight and nibble on my fingers (It was like he was trying to gum me to death.) It was freaking adorable and I miss it. Now all he cares about is food constantly.

His belly empties very slowly between meals and never completely like it used to. It is quite firm, it has little to no give. It's not the nice doughy, squishy stomach he should have. Which could be gas, or too much stool or food. Not sure which.

Nothing really exciting about my 4am almost breakdown. I was exhausted and only managed an hour of sleep all day/night before he started crying again. My nerves were shot and my patience gone, especially when he kept crying after I fed him. I've barely slept the past couple days since he started acting like this. Any time I do fall asleep either he wakes me up or the older kittens do, which also wakes him up. I also have a chronic condition which makes my sleep unrestful, so I usually need more than the average person. I've been wobbling to get his food at times because my brain is fried and my coordination gone. Not sure how many more days I can take this.

 

[Furballsmom]

Not sure how many more days I can take this.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks for the follow up and information. It's probably the last thing you want to hear but I have nothing else I know to offer - hang in there! . Little guy too.

 

[CatsFan4Life]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

I don't think whatever's going on is negatively affecting his health a lot, other than eating too much and a bit of constipation. He gained approximately 100 grams over the last two days, and I bet when I weigh him in a couple hours he'll have gained again. It's just driving his mama into the ground is all.

 

[Willowy]

My, he's really packing it on! 10 grams a day is normal, 20 or 30 grams a day if they're in a growth spurt. But 50! Well, I don't think you're underfeeding him, that's for sure, lol. Keep up the good work!

Once his teeth come in, offer him some canned food. If he likes eating that much, I bet he'll be one of those kittens who eats solids right away with no trouble.

 

[danteshuman]

And for my very constipated bottle baby (when the runt was a baby) I gave him a few drops of oil in his formula (after extra water in his formula didn’t work.) So I wound up giving him about 10 drops of oil ( after the recommended 3 drops the day before didn’t work) and on day 5, after a day without his mom/formula on day 1 he finally pooped these hard rabbit pellet poops and after that he moved to normal constipation to normal poop. It just took him about a week to get back to normal.

I would take him to the vet and ask the vet if he seems really constipated. They are equipped to give him an enema if need be (if mom wasn’t really feeding him, he started out constipated more than likely.)

The kitten lady recommends probiotics for kittens who are having gut issues. She recommends some other stuff for kittens that are having trouble gaining weight but that doesn’t sound like your guy. Probiotics might help with the gas though.

 

[danteshuman]

When I reread your first post with the yellow poop maybe trying the stuff kitten lady did for her kitten with yellow runs who was not gaining weight, might be a good idea? She said probiotics, vitamin b12, pancreas something for if there pancreas were not devolved and freeze dried meat. Anyhow if his poop is still yellow I would google ‘the kitten lady probiotics’.

 

[CatsFan4Life]

No big weight change tonight, he's still between 200 and 250 grams. Too wiggly to get an exact weight.

No poop for over 24 hrs now, despite many drops of mineral oil and gentle tummy rubs. The addition of the rice pablum to his milk keeps him quiet for a bit longer, but may have contributed to his constipation.

After feeding and trying to burp him (nothing) I tried rubbing his belly while he tried walking away to look for more food. This time I felt gas move on the left side and he burped pretty loud, so definitely some trapped gas in there. Further gentle rubbing only caused him to roll on his side/back and slap or bite me. Seemed pretty irritated about it so I stopped. Belly still feels really tight without much give though.

When he does finally poop I'm already betting it's going to be a doozy after blocking him up so good. An epic baby poop.

 

[CatsFan4Life]

I guess he decided he didn't want my help, because I found this surprise in his bed this morning.


That officially is the most normal poop he's had yet!

 

[catsknowme]

AWESOME!! excellent "results"!

 

[Willowy]

Further gentle rubbing only caused him to roll on his side/back and slap or bite me. Seemed pretty irritated about it so I stopped.

No, he's playing! I love that age. A little tummy tickling can really get them going. Be sure to direct his playing to appropriate objects so he doesn't learn to bite humans. A stuffed animal about his size would be good, and you can make it "wrestle" with him. Since he doesn't have siblings he'll need more attention when it comes to playing.

And yay, poop! He's growing up, going potty on his own. If he's 3 weeks old and 250g, he is still a bit underweight but not too badly. At 3 weeks they "should" be about 12 ounces (around 335g), but there are natural size differences too. Try putting a box on the scale, zeroing it out (use the tare option), then put the kitten in the box. That way he can't wiggle around too much and you might be able to get a more accurate weight.

 

[FeebysOwner]

That officially is the most normal poop he's had yet!

 

[danteshuman]

I finally get to use the poop emoji!




You can try giving him a baby kitten sized litter box to try to start getting him to use the box (accidents at his age are normal.) I used a shoebox lid l with non clumping litter and then used some disposable litter boxes I ordered off of Chewy with a low opening in the front. He should be pooping 1-2 times a day and may still need occasional stimulation until he figures out how to go on his own.

I’m so glad his poop is doing better. Apparently bottle baby poop is commonly mustard yellow, so thank goodness he is OK! I vote keep doing what you are doing and maybe try probiotics to try to help him with his gas. Though burping sounds like it is helping. I would add again a vet might help. He might have an infection in his intestines that is screwing up his gut flora causing gas. The probiotics help the poor dear!

Next time he bugs you for food when his belly is full, you can try rubbing his gums with a touch of formula or chicken baby food (make sure it is onion and garlic free!) Just a tiny dab/drop so he thinks he is being fed every 10-20 minutes instead of every minute? Also I would try one of the pet gas remedies or like someone said a colic remedy.

*the stuffed animal to wrestle or wrestling with him using your hand under the same thick blanket every time helps. Hopefully his forever home will be with someone who owns a cat already, so he can learn how to be a cat. Most cat behavior is learned from other cats.

Can we see photos of his cuteness?