It's not the first time I've fostered kittens without their mother but I am now responsible for a single kitten, estmated to be three or 4 weeks old which weighed just over 200g when it was checked by a vet 4 days ago. It had been found on an industrial estate - no trace of mama nor siblings. Ginger is male and suffering from cat flue (URI). One eye was completely closed, his nose was blocked and no-one gave him much of a chance as he refused to suck from a bottle and was completely apathetic. The vet gave him an infusion as he was deyhydrated, a Feliserin injection, and antibiotics. He was then handed over to me with a bottle of eyedrops.
The medication must have been effective because we were able to get him to drink milk (at first more by forced feeding as he has either lost the sucking reflex or his nose is too blocked so he has difficulty breathing and drinking). At the next visit to the vet for another infusion and more antibiotics we were told that Ginger is not out of danger yet but the fact that he is eating and has put on weight is a positive sign.
My question is how much should he be drinking? I am giving him 4-5 feeds a day (sometimes he is just too tired) and each time I make up 20 ml KMR which he doesn't usually manage. In the 4 days he has been with me he has put on 70g and has become very adventurous - trying to climb out of his pen. I am sure he would prefer to run free around the house and swing on the curtains. He has developed his own method of getting milk out of the bottle and I have no problem giving him antibiotics by mixing the crushed pill with water and using a syringe. I hope he survives and I don't want to be responsible for starving him to death.
His eyes are a lot better - it's not easy giving the little fidget his eyedrops but I often get some help from my daughter. They are still very red and it may be a herpes infection.
The medication must have been effective because we were able to get him to drink milk (at first more by forced feeding as he has either lost the sucking reflex or his nose is too blocked so he has difficulty breathing and drinking). At the next visit to the vet for another infusion and more antibiotics we were told that Ginger is not out of danger yet but the fact that he is eating and has put on weight is a positive sign.
My question is how much should he be drinking? I am giving him 4-5 feeds a day (sometimes he is just too tired) and each time I make up 20 ml KMR which he doesn't usually manage. In the 4 days he has been with me he has put on 70g and has become very adventurous - trying to climb out of his pen. I am sure he would prefer to run free around the house and swing on the curtains. He has developed his own method of getting milk out of the bottle and I have no problem giving him antibiotics by mixing the crushed pill with water and using a syringe. I hope he survives and I don't want to be responsible for starving him to death.
His eyes are a lot better - it's not easy giving the little fidget his eyedrops but I often get some help from my daughter. They are still very red and it may be a herpes infection.
