Rescued A Kitten From A Fox - Advice Appreciated!

mjblank

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Last night my husband and I went for a run, split up and set a time and place we would meet. When he didn't show up to our rendezvous point after 45 minutes, I got worried. I retraced his possible steps and eventually found him in the woods. He explained to me that the whole time he had been trying to keep a grey fox away from a stray kitten. He managed to coax the kitten out of the little bush it had backed itself into to get away from the fox, and scared the fox away and brought the kitten out of the woods.

We immediately took note of how small the kitten was and figured it couldn't be more than just a few weeks. It is very skinny, and a lot of his or her bones are protruding. We immediately made a run and bought some replacement milk formula and have been feeding him/her every three hours as instructed by the formula box. We've set up a small litter box and a spot for him/her to snuggle in our spare bedroom.

They are loving all of the pets and affection, though they are quite timid.

The kittens bowels are concerning to me, it looks more like a bug to me, body/wings and all. I'm assuming that this is because she/he hunted for bugs for food because they couldn't hunt anything larger due to the kittens size.

I can't get the in to see our vet until Monday. We're going to find out how old she/he is, check her/him out for parasites, get any vaccines they may need, and find out when we can get them spayed/neutered. We would love to be this fur babies forever home as long as we're the best fit for them. Any tips for caring for this little nugget would be greatly appreciated. I've had cats before, but never a stray.
 

abyeb

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I think it sounds like you're doing awesome with this kitten already! KMR is very good for kittens. You can also feed him pedialyte, to help prevent dehydration. While you're away from him, you can maybe play some soft music on the radio to help him relax and get him used to hearing different sounds. If you want to get some toys for him now, take off any attached strings or buttons that could be accidentally swallowed.

I'm sure everyone would love to see pictures of your sweet furbaby!
 
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mjblank

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I didn't even think to post a picture! Here's the little bugger - my husband has dubbed the kitten Nibbles because they bit his finger when he was pulling it out of the brush it was in. The kitten has since been very sweet and affectionate!
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abyeb

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Such an adorable little kitten! Here's another thread you could show off his/her picture, if you feel like: Tuxedo Cats ;)
 

abyeb

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Also, some of the TCS kitten experts might be able to tell you your kitten's gender, if you post a picture of his/her behind, tail up. :thumbsup:
 
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mjblank

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Awesome! Thank you!
 

msaimee

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Is the kitty eating, drinking, using the litter box ok? Is she having solid BM or duarrhea? She likely does have parasites, which is easily treated with a dose or two of medicine your vet will prescribe. You only need to be concerned if she has very runny diarrhea and becomes dehydrated. If that happens, you would need to get her to a vet ASAP, otherwise Monday will be fine. It would be great if you could buy some kitten chow dry food and wet food as well. You can mix some water into the canned food for extra hydration. Leave the bowl of dry food out 24/7 so she can eat every few hours. You and your husband saved this kitten's life, she will love you forever in a very special way. I love reading stories like this.
 

Willowy

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It's an older kitten, probably 9 or 10 weeks old. Likely undersized due to malnutrition, poor baby :(. But definitely old enough to eat solid food. It would be a good idea to mix the KMR into his/her canned food for a while, to provide extra nutrition.
 
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mjblank

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We took our new friend to the emergency vet last night because her anus was really swollen and she was having really runny diarrhea. Found out she is in fact a female, six weeks old, and only one pound. We were told that we could give her canned food and they advised we mix it with the MRF. We feed her every 2-4 hours per the vets recommendation. They took a fecal sample and it showed that she has three different kinds of worms, and we got her started on some meds for that! She still has her vet appointment on Monday for a follow up and maybe a more in-depth exam and get her some vaccines and find out more about caring for her?
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We had never dealt with a kitten before, so we were super unsure what to feed her. Thanks to your advice, and the vets, we now know she can have solids. She loves her turkey flavored wet food. She's been using her litter box thankfully, and she has gotten really comfortable with our puppy. I decided to add a picture of our puppy sitting at the door, waiting patiently for the kitten to come to her. They snuggle together. However, the kitten is still getting comfortable and used to her new living arrangements, she's not very playful yet, but she is very affectionate and loves to snuggle and get all the pets!
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So far, I feel that things are going very well and that we're on the right track to getting this kitten healthy and happy. She is certainly very loved.
 

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abyeb

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Glad that you were able to get help tested and treated! The follow-up will probably be just to see how she's doing and if the worms are gone. You're doing awesome with this kitten! :catrub:
 

Sarthur2

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How wonderful! :)

The usual age to begin vaccines is at 8 weeks old. Waiting to start vaccines will give her 2 weeks to get stronger and healthier.
 
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mjblank

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How wonderful! :)

The usual age to begin vaccines is at 8 weeks old. Waiting to start vaccines will give her 2 weeks to get stronger and healthier.
That's good to know!! I suppose we'll be going to the vet in a couple weeks again. That'll be perfect because she'll have finished her meds for the worms and they'll get to give her vaccines and make sure the worms are gone!
 

msaimee

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Great job! :) You saved that kitten some potentially serious problems related to dehydration by taking her to the ER vet. I agree it will be best to wait at least a few weeks before getting her vaccinated. She is very tiny and could have an adverse reaction. As long as she is safe inside your home, she should be safe from any disease.. Once those nasty parasites are out of her system, she will begin to thrive. You are doing a wonderful job helping this kitten. Looks like her and your dog will be BFF's!
 
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