Hi my cat I didn't know was pregnant just had kittens about three days ago. Only one is left and it is premature. Very small. I did not realize how much help they needed until the first ones passed away. I have been waking and putting the baby on the nipple every half hour to 45 minutes or so. The longest an hour. It seems like if I wait too long the baby has a hard time finding the nipple and latching even if I put the baby on the nipple. The mom is new and inexperienced. I have been holding her in my lap or in a crate while I put the baby on a nipple for her and the baby nurses for a long time. The baby never seems to stop eucki
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My post posted without finishing typing and I don't see anywhere to edit.
Hi my cat I didn't know was pregnant just had kittens about three days ago. Only one is left and it is premature. Very small. I did not realize how much help they needed until the first ones passed away. I have been waking and putting the baby on the nipple every half hour to 45 minutes or so. The longest an hour. It seems like if I wait too long the baby has a hard time finding the nipple and latching even if I put the baby on the nipple. The mom is new and inexperienced. I have been holding her in my lap or in a crate while I put the baby on a nipple for her and the baby nurses for a long time. The baby never seems to stop sucking on it's own, after about ten to fifteen minutes the mom gets tired of nursing and gets up and goes away. I try to get her to nurse more and as much as possible because the baby seems always hungry once the latch is good. I wake up the baby to feed it and it seems groggy and difficult to latch. I don't know when to let the baby sleep and when to wake it up because if I wait too long I am afraid it will be hypoglycemic. I have finally today gotten the baby to poop with stimulation and massage of the belly and intestines. It was orange liquid. I really don't know what I should do besides what I have been doing. I want it to sleep enough to grow but it is so tiny and only gets short feedings because I have to make the mom feed it. I don't want to use formula because it's heavy and it's so tiny I think Mom is best. She doesn't know what she is doing and I have to stimulate for the bathroom and clean it. Any advice? When I feed? Should I wake? How long to sleep? Is on a heating pad I am adjusting constantly. Between barely latching on and nonstop sucking once there is a latch (and I rub the baby while the nursing happens to keep it active). Is it not getting enough sleep? Not enough to eat? It urinates pretty well... It is so tiny.
Hi my cat I didn't know was pregnant just had kittens about three days ago. Only one is left and it is premature. Very small. I did not realize how much help they needed until the first ones passed away. I have been waking and putting the baby on the nipple every half hour to 45 minutes or so. The longest an hour. It seems like if I wait too long the baby has a hard time finding the nipple and latching even if I put the baby on the nipple. The mom is new and inexperienced. I have been holding her in my lap or in a crate while I put the baby on a nipple for her and the baby nurses for a long time. The baby never seems to stop sucking on it's own, after about ten to fifteen minutes the mom gets tired of nursing and gets up and goes away. I try to get her to nurse more and as much as possible because the baby seems always hungry once the latch is good. I wake up the baby to feed it and it seems groggy and difficult to latch. I don't know when to let the baby sleep and when to wake it up because if I wait too long I am afraid it will be hypoglycemic. I have finally today gotten the baby to poop with stimulation and massage of the belly and intestines. It was orange liquid. I really don't know what I should do besides what I have been doing. I want it to sleep enough to grow but it is so tiny and only gets short feedings because I have to make the mom feed it. I don't want to use formula because it's heavy and it's so tiny I think Mom is best. She doesn't know what she is doing and I have to stimulate for the bathroom and clean it. Any advice? When I feed? Should I wake? How long to sleep? Is on a heating pad I am adjusting constantly. Between barely latching on and nonstop sucking once there is a latch (and I rub the baby while the nursing happens to keep it active). Is it not getting enough sleep? Not enough to eat? It urinates pretty well... It is so tiny.
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- #3
Im writing an answer. Hold on!
I see you are trying your best, and you are doing it wisely. Holding up the warmth and massaging are both important. Esp if momma isnt experienced.
Can you get an IR warming lamp? It helps in some situations... For example when you handfeed, kitten wont get chilled off.
OK. You are aware of the danger of hypoglycemic. The defence to it is to smear some glucose sugar on its gum... Glucose sugar proper is difficult to get in USA, so rescuers in usa use white caro syrup. Or get some glucose sugar proper from their vet. A droplet on the gum, inside the lips. It dissolves itself and goes straight into blood, alraedy from the mouth.
You can also let the baby sleep some longer, and put this glucose sugar / white caro syrup before she starts to nurse, so she has the energhy to nurse.
Although I suspect the easiest is if you handfeed her some. Im not sure what you mean with kmr being heavy - difficult to digest? What kmr you do have access to?
Anyway, why I ask if you can get raw goats milk, is its the best alternative here if you must handfeed. Easiest to digest of all the alternative kmr... Has also some healthy properties, as it comes from an alive momma.
Non raw goats milk is OK too, but raw is prob the best here.
Use a syringe. Train some before you do, because its somewhat tricky for the inexperienced.
Ps. Momma is always nice, so the kitten will continue to nurse momma, even if you handfeed.
Can you get an IR warming lamp? It helps in some situations... For example when you handfeed, kitten wont get chilled off.
OK. You are aware of the danger of hypoglycemic. The defence to it is to smear some glucose sugar on its gum... Glucose sugar proper is difficult to get in USA, so rescuers in usa use white caro syrup. Or get some glucose sugar proper from their vet. A droplet on the gum, inside the lips. It dissolves itself and goes straight into blood, alraedy from the mouth.
You can also let the baby sleep some longer, and put this glucose sugar / white caro syrup before she starts to nurse, so she has the energhy to nurse.
Although I suspect the easiest is if you handfeed her some. Im not sure what you mean with kmr being heavy - difficult to digest? What kmr you do have access to?
Anyway, why I ask if you can get raw goats milk, is its the best alternative here if you must handfeed. Easiest to digest of all the alternative kmr... Has also some healthy properties, as it comes from an alive momma.
Non raw goats milk is OK too, but raw is prob the best here.
Use a syringe. Train some before you do, because its somewhat tricky for the inexperienced.
Ps. Momma is always nice, so the kitten will continue to nurse momma, even if you handfeed.
You got some good advice so far. Try to keep her warm too, do you have a sherpa blanket? That would be nice and warm and fluffy and feel a bit like mom.
Amazon.ca
Amazon.ca
Sherpa blanket is not enough alone, because such small kitten cant keep up its own temperature, and need active warming up.
But Ts DID mentioned a heating pad.
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- #10
Hey guys so things have been going okay, the baby is drinking milk from mom. But I read somewhere to add 1 ml of warm water after feeds by syringe and I think I should do this because I just pulled like a 3/4 inch dryish gummy orange poop out of the butt. It's way drier than before and I want to loosen up the poop in the rectum and I think water would help? I've been shown how to give a baby rabbit an enema by a vet before, should I try this or ask a vet to? I don't have running warm water I am in Mexico and the water has to be boiled to heat it here which I do in a kettle. But what do I do to get this gummy orange poo out without hurting the baby? I still see a little in there but I can't pull it out.
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'Had to get that posted quickly.
H HeSaves - One of the forum staff who usually give kitten-specific advice will come along soon. In the meantime, what you're seeing does not need immediate attention, so just leave it alone for now.
Enema? NO. Just leave it alone for now.
Pulling anything out of any cat's anus can cause a serious injury, so the universal advice is always not/never to pull/use tension to remove anything. Things like thread, string, ribbon that a cat has eaten and are being expelled can be cut off a short distance from the butt and, in many cases that's suggested so the cat itself doesn't get focused there.
If you're using a syringe to give milk/water, be careful and do it sloooooooooooly. Just drops, droplets......no more. A couple of drops, withdraw the syringe and let the baby swallow. Don't rush and wait till baby's ready for more. The baby should be flat, but pointed down is best...but never pointed upwards like a baby bird.
Were you able to get some goats milk??
OK, those folks should be here soon.
.
'Had to get that posted quickly.
H HeSaves - One of the forum staff who usually give kitten-specific advice will come along soon. In the meantime, what you're seeing does not need immediate attention, so just leave it alone for now.
Enema? NO. Just leave it alone for now.
Pulling anything out of any cat's anus can cause a serious injury, so the universal advice is always not/never to pull/use tension to remove anything. Things like thread, string, ribbon that a cat has eaten and are being expelled can be cut off a short distance from the butt and, in many cases that's suggested so the cat itself doesn't get focused there.
If you're using a syringe to give milk/water, be careful and do it sloooooooooooly. Just drops, droplets......no more. A couple of drops, withdraw the syringe and let the baby swallow. Don't rush and wait till baby's ready for more. The baby should be flat, but pointed down is best...but never pointed upwards like a baby bird.
Were you able to get some goats milk??
OK, those folks should be here soon.
.
Please try to get goat milk if possible so that you can supplement the kitten with a syringe. The kitten likely is dehydrated. A tiny kitten needs feeding 1mL of milk every hour.
If you cannot get goat milk, you can make formula using evaporated milk, an egg yolk, a tiny sprinkle of salt and sugar. Mix and warm slightly, then cover and refrigerate when not using.
Orange poop means too much bile, but if the kitten is eating and getting hydrated properly this will usually resolve.
Are you able to weigh the kitten in grams? This is the only way to know if the kitten is getting enough nutrition to grow.
If you cannot get goat milk, you can make formula using evaporated milk, an egg yolk, a tiny sprinkle of salt and sugar. Mix and warm slightly, then cover and refrigerate when not using.
Orange poop means too much bile, but if the kitten is eating and getting hydrated properly this will usually resolve.
Are you able to weigh the kitten in grams? This is the only way to know if the kitten is getting enough nutrition to grow.
A kitten is fed tummy down, head up, with tiny drops going by syringe into the side of the mouth. Let the kitten swallow and breathe, then go again.
Since we do not know if the kitten is getting milk from the mom, you really need to syringe feed around the clock until the baby is stronger.
Since we do not know if the kitten is getting milk from the mom, you really need to syringe feed around the clock until the baby is stronger.
Kitten Lady
There may be some additional helpful information on this site.
There may be some additional helpful information on this site.
Weighting is important to know if the kitten adds at all. Ie if it really gets anything / enough from momma. If not you must handfeed. Do never use running WARM water. You must boil it up. Or use from bottle at least room temp but better body warm. If you dont have goats milk or good kmr, you can use human baby formula, but dilute it less.. better give some extra goats milk than just water!
Last. If kitten seems to have constipation, aside of more fluid you can use glycerine cone as for humans with constipation, but take just a thin slice of it. This will soften up the poo.
Last. If kitten seems to have constipation, aside of more fluid you can use glycerine cone as for humans with constipation, but take just a thin slice of it. This will soften up the poo.
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I am in Mexico
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Hi I've been taking care of the kitten all the time making the mom feed it. Milk comes out when I squeeze the nipple and I am so scared to try syringe feeding as other tiny babies have aspirated when I've tried before, even drop by drop. And as I do drop by drop it cools down in the syringe and I have to keep getting more. One site recommends feeding every 30-60 minutes and then says also to give 1 mL of boiled cooked warm water drop by drop after each feeding by mom, and I've tried a few times but I'm always so scared of the baby aspirating and it gets all over the baby while trying to drop it in the mouth. I don't have miracle nipples or anything like that just a 1ml insulin needle with the needle cut off to leave a hard plastic little spout without needle. It's not ideal but it's all I have. It seems like when the mom lays down long enough the kitten is getting enough milk I am afraid to constipate the baby any more with formula. I have to make sure it eats very often and I take mini 10-20 minutes naps in between on the floor next to the crate with the heating pad and baby and my hand in there to make sure it's staying warm because the heating pad only stays on 120 minutes at a time maximum. It looks more like a newborn kitten now than a preemie but is still extremely small like a mouse.
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Okay so the baby tries really hard to poop and I stimulate with clean water on my finger and it is so hard for it. It even threw up a little foamy white milk pushing so hard and gurgled while pushing. I am supposed to be picking up a cat with a broken hip that we rescued the other day from the vet and they said to use a tiny piece of baby suppository l, but I am not going out until they call me and tell me they are at the office because if I leave too soon I will have the baby in the car and it is cold out and one back window is broken in my van from a hurricane two months ago. I am letting the kitten sleep right now because it just pushed so hard to get out that tiny piece of poop. I did try to put a few drops of warm water on the rectum with a 1 ml syringe. It can't go up into the butt because it is blocked with a small piece of poop. I gave a little warm slightly sugared water earlier but it is so messy with the lame syringe it gets the kitten wet and he/she doesn't like it very much. I let the mom feed more but I really wish it was easier to get some water into the kitten. I have the heating pad.
