Hi All,
I came to this site after reading other advice. I didn't see anything for my exact situation though, so I'm hoping you all can help. We are fostering a little 8-9 week old kitten. She came to us Friday night after being found under a porch (we were told she had been there a few days). She thankfully doesn't have frostbite (we're in Anchorage, AK). She's been so weak that we've carried her to her food and water each time and set her in the litterbox (which she's only used twice for bowel movements in the past 52 or so hours and not at all for urine - but she's not gone anywhere else either). She sleeps constantly. We've kept her with us at all times, scared to leave her alone. Today though I've been giving her some space, though she's not moved at all from under the couch. My question is, considering she's probably dehydrated and recovering from starving, should I be (albeit gently) dragging her from her hiding places to eat and drink? I have brought food and water to her there, but I have to practically stick her face in the food to get her to realize she wants to eat. Advice?
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Purrs
Rescued Kitten, Need Advice
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Sounds like the kitty is very traumatised. Has she been checked out by a vet at all? Some fluids might do her good. I would, if I was in your position, get out from under the couch and force-feed her some milk with a syringe. A lot of people say cow's milk is bad for cats, but I don think in small quantities it will do harm. I've had it a lot with my foster babies where they are too scared to eat - they need that little bit of encouragement to eat, something to jump-start their appetites. If she's not eating or drinking on her own at all, that might explain why she's not using the box either. Otherwise, if they are that scared, I always leave them alone for a day or so. I always make sure they know where the food/water/box is, I make sure there is a heating pad nearby, but apart from that I just check in on them every few hours. Sometimes they really just need some peace and quiet to rest, and to know that they're safe & warm. There really isnt much more you can do for them after that. They need to find the will to live in themselves, its not something you can force on them. Good luck, and welcome to the daily kitten!
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Restrict her to a bathroom or closet where you can create a warm nest and have easier access to her space for toilet patrol and feeding.
Also a vet should be consulted. If her kidneys aren't functioning she will need help, either to kick-start them or to comfortably pass on.
Posted 2 years ago by ailuromaniac #
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Oh yeah, one more thing. There's a good chance that the kitten might be feral, so she will not be familiar with a home environment at all. Try keeping her isolated in a spare bedroom or another room that is really quiet and doesnt have a lot of traffic, and get her a box or something to hide in. Ferals always look for the smallest, darkest corner to hide in. At least if she's 'hiding' inside a box, you'll know where to look for her.
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It appears she is dehydrated and needs sub-q fluids ASAP. Bless you for rescuing her, but I think she needs more than you can give her.
Posted 2 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Raleigh, NC #
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I agree that she probably needs some fluids to get her recovery jump started. A vet can also recommend the best food(s) for her, and provide some Kitten Milk Replacement formula if kitty needs it. A otherwise healthy kitten might be able to deal with a tiny bit of cow's milk, but an already sick one will just get sicker. They don't have the enzyme they need to digest it and it quite often gives them the runs. That's the last thing you want if kitty is already dehydrated.
If she seems to be cold or lonely, you could make a sling out of a blanket and carry her around next to your heart. The warmth and the sound of your heartbeat would probably be very comforting to her.
Posted 2 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Little Lily has an appointment with our vet tomorrow morning at 8:30. I had to check with the rescue group to make sure that was okay. She's in her safe place that I set up for her in a closet from all of the advice - she's got her litter box, food, water, a stuffed animal, and a box to hide in. Thank you all for your advice, I'll let you know how her vet visit goes. How do I add a picture?
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You've got some great advice, above. I would check if she is dehydrated by doing the 'tent' test -- pinch a handful of skin on the scruff of her neck and let go. It should snap back. If it goes back slowly, or stays up (forming a 'tent'), then she is dehydrated and needs fluids. Dehydration can be fatal in kittens so if she is, then you do need to force feed her warm water or preferably pedialyte or (if you don't have that) gatorade with a syringe or eyedropper, very gently.
If it goes down the wrong way at all and she starts to choke, hold her gently upside down until she stops.
If she is eating wet food and drinking normally, she should be fine.
She might appreciate a heat pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, to keep her warm. Make sure there's room for her to move off if she gets too hot.
Bless you for rescuing this little darling. You can add a picture by going to your profile, hit edit and follow the instructions for adding a gravatar. You can also make her her own Catster page (click on our avatars and you'll see ours). If you have any more problems, come back, there's usually someone who can help!
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These are great sites for foster kitty advice. Google the first one if it doesn't come up as a link, it's VERY good:
www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm
http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=15
http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/orphans.shtml
http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html -
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Hello all :) Little Lily is sleeping by my side while I'm in my online class. Her vet visit went really well this morning, in fact, one of the vet techs might adopt her! They think her lack of movement is because of malnutrition and because she's so scared of people. She was given a B12 shot, antibiotics, and deworming meds. We'll probably take her back to the vet next week. Hopefully she'll pull through this with flying colors! Again, thank you all for your advice, I'll keep you posted :)
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That is great news!
Posted 2 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Raleigh, NC #
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Well, Lily doesn't seem to have improved much, but it's only been a day and a half since her vet appointment. She just ate some wet food and is on my lap. That is her in my avatar picture :) I hope she perks up soon, and that there isn't something else wrong. How soon do you think it'll be before she starts moving around?
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I have to admit - she's not cuddling up with me of her own accord, I picked her up after I took her to her food and she finished eating. She just didn't jump down from my lap. She stays right where she's put unless it's on an open place on the floor, in which case she'll cautiously move to a covered area. We carry her to her food, her litterbox, our laps, anywhere. She's not always sleeping, but she's not ever moving. I've never seen her or seen any evidence of her going to the litterbox or food on her own, but I haven't seen any accidents either.
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Ohh, poor little darling. I think other TDKers have said that worming shots can make a kitty lethargic for a day or two. I'm sure, with your TLC, if she's eating properly, and with a good vet on hand to call if necessary, she'll soon start doing better. Scritches to little Lily, she must have had a very hard start in life.
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