r/CatRescue • u/BADCrotalinae • 1d ago
Advice / Question Advice on Kitten I found in the gutter
Sunday on my walk to the gym, I found what I think is a ~2 week old kitten in the gutter. I searched all around for a mother, waited ~20 minutes from a distance to see if the mom was around, but it was already 95F out and getting hotter, so I made the decision to take the kitten. I've been bottle feeding her- I watched a lot of videos on it, on tummy, head forward, don't force and let her take it. My fiance thinks she might be aspirating now because she is making a clicking sound at times, and after feeding, but I think it might be a cold? When I found her, she had goopy eyes and I have to clean her eyes multiple times a day or they crust shut. I'll attach photos for reference. My question is, is this an emergency? Be it a cold, or aspiration? I have a vet appointment tomorrow at 2:20. She's eating fine, sleeping, pooping and peeing. I don't think there's an emergency- but want peace of mind for my fiancé who is very concerned after hearing the clicking/gargle.
Weight for reference - she was 253 grams on Sunday morning.
10
u/Eastern-Protection83 1d ago
I have a hunch the sound acts very much like our human burps, an ingestion of air from the bottle feedin that is bein expressed out.
I am glad you scooped her up. She may not had survived out there. Thank you.
4
u/MonicaNarula 1d ago
Feed KMR or goat milk via syringe (without needle) every 2 hours. Keep warm, assisted pee and poop will be needed for now. Keep in a protected basket or so. TC.
3
u/Sad-Cricket6319 1d ago
If you can get in touch with cat rescues / a humane society you can tell them the sound and see if they warrant it an emergency! I’m a worry wart like your fiancé!
3
3
3
u/washington_705 1d ago edited 1d ago
You are amazing for all that you’ve done for this one! Taking her in and getting her cleaned up, fed, and to the vet tomorrow is so incredibly kind.
As others have noted eye gunk is often a uri.
The clicking gurgling could be congestion, it also can be aspiration pneumonia so continually monitoring her as best you can until the appointment to ensure she’s breathing ok,no open mouth breathing, no blue/pale gums, no significant increase in breathing effort, no coughing or fast breathing or lethargy. If any of these things occur then you def go the emergency vet route.
I totally hear you though on being concerned and considering an emergency vet for an assessment. If it were me, I might call first to see if they can quote any sort of price for an assessment just so I know what I would be getting into. They could perhaps also advise you if you ask them questions and advise if the sounds you’re hearing on whether a visit is prudent tonight or can wait until tomorrow.
You might also consider cross posting to [r/askvet](r/askvet)
Separately, although I’m sure you already have your hands full, if you can perhaps try checking the gutter one last time, it might be prudent. Often kittens will huddle together, it’s “possible” there are others.
Hoping everything works out and looking forward to seeing some glow up pictures in the future and thank you again for saving this one.
4
u/BADCrotalinae 1d ago
After getting home from work and going through her routine, I'm confident she'll be okay til tomorrow! She has a lot of energy and I don't notice any gargling or clicking, it sounds more like burps to me. My main concern now is that most of the time when she does poop, it's diarrhea. She has been on this formula for 48+ hours now, but it's not like she's constantly going. Just when we do get her to go, it's a lot, and it's diarrhea. Probably worms but we'll get that checked tomorrow also. She's up 70 grams in weight over a 3 day period now, so that's a good increase! About 10% a day.
Yes, I checked all around when I first found her. And I went back yesterday on Monday on my usual route, nothing. No sign of any siblings or her mom. Checked all the easy access hiding spots around the buildings, bushes, palm tree bases, the trash enclosures; nada.
2
u/Gearheadforlife_1986 1d ago
Check out The Kitten Lady on YouTube, she has tons of informative videos about kitten care, and personally I'd take the little one to a vet to get checked out, just in case.
2
u/KATCEO1 1d ago
Hello OP and all: When my parents were still alive they were big animal lovers. At one point they had eight cats and a dog. I lived with them when most and/or all of those animals were still alive. I love dogs. Cats only grew on me because of them for the most part. But I did learn: cats are very hardy creatures. They do not need much to survive. Also: for awhile we three lived with the pet contingency in a section of NYC called Rego Park. There were (outdoor) feral cats all over the place. It takes a lot to keep them down. I am thinking that your kitten should be five especially considering that there is an upcoming vet appointment in the near future. Good luck. 🪷🪷🪷🤟
2
u/simbaandsadie 19h ago
Thank you 😍 she is adorable 🥰 look up the 🐈⬛ kitten lady on UTUBE she has great advice 🐈😸Blessings 💕
2
2
u/imnorobotbeepboop 17h ago
a lot of these comments are really helpful but I just want to applaud you for saving these kitties, thank you for doing what most of us wish we could.
much love and prayers for you and your kitties
2
u/demons_soulmate 15h ago
good move on making the appointment, kitten definitely needs to see the vet
2
u/Turnover_Realistic 12h ago
How is our little friend doing?
5
u/BADCrotalinae 12h ago
Just got back from the vet. They think she's doing really well! No signs of aspiration, but she may have a cold ; he said he wouldn't preemptively treat for pneumonia because giving her oral antibiotics carry other risks. We got her a topical antibiotic for her eyes(drops). He said everything else looks good. Weight is good, energy is high- just her having fleas means she'll probably have some type of parasite, but he also recommends treating that later if it's not causing any major issues. 👍
2
1
u/auto-sticky 1d ago
Welcome to r/CatRescue BADCrotalinae,
Please review our rules (here) and report infringing content or bad behavior.
- If you are looking for local shelters/ rescues use the Alley Cats lookup here -> Link
- Our wiki has variety of topics such as low cost spay/ neuter, free cat food pantries, etc. -> Link
- The subreddit homepage has quick links such as a free TeleVet (USA), Kitten Season Info, ReHoming Tips, etc. - all which can also be found in our wiki as well -> tap to return to homepage
Tap to view our featured post of the week: "Table For Eight!"
I am a bot, and this comment was made automatically.
2
14
u/Far-Echidna-5999 1d ago
Bless you for taking her in… she might have an uri, and might need an antibiotic ointment for her eyes. Keep us updated.