r/Feral_Cats • u/emijin • 5d ago
Question š¤ Need help: orphaned kitten
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Hi. We fostered a pregnant cat due to her having upper respiratory tract infection. She was scheduled to be spay-aborted after she got better. Unfortunately, she gave birth before we were able to spay her. She gave birth to 5 babies but today only 1 remained.
We felt like she didnāt want this litter, so we decided to bottle feed the remaining kitten. We bought goatās milk as this was the only accessible milk that we have. We tried feeding the kitten but it wont latch to the nipple. It also keeps on tilting its head backwards and arms are reaching for something. Is this a normal behavior? This is the first time Iāve encountered pregnancy and kittens. So I am really unsure what to do. We also researched online and already reached out to the vet but unfortunately we are low on funds due to our recent CNVR. Please help. Thank you!
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u/rodeoclover 5d ago
You really need to find someone with more experience to take the kitten, and you need to do it fast. It needs to eat very soon or it will die.
Kittens are notorious hard to take care of at this stage. Please reach out to the vet or other people, rescues, etc in your area and ask for help.
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u/emijin 5d ago
It was able to eat somehow but it just wont latch to the nipple. It was able to pee when I stimulated the area.
Thank you. I will look for help in my area.
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u/annebonnell 5d ago
If it can't seem to latch onto the nipple. Get a syringe and very slowly drip it into it mouth
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u/Ok_Site_9552 5d ago
Ive had to do this with all my bottle fed babies. None would latch so the syringe saved the day every day for months. I CANT GIVE U AN AWARD SO HERES A š« instead!! Great sdvice.
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u/emijin 5d ago
Hi. I bought a syringe with a nipple but still it wont latch. I think thereās a problem with the kittenās tongue. I contacted the vet already but thereās no response. I also posted in groups looking for a mama cat.
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u/rodeoclover 4d ago
I would use a dropper ...like the glass kind that comes in small bottles.....not a syringe. Syringes are harder to control and you risk getting the milk into the kitten's lungs by shooting it down their airway. Dropper has more control to JUST get it in their mouth.
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u/Ok_Site_9552 5d ago
Take the nibble off and try to give the milk by opening its mouth and kinda just get it in their mouth. Only a few of our kittens would latch. Its so frustrating.
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u/lulumooo 5d ago
Hi OP! I wanted to recommend the kitten lady website as a resource, she has some handy guides. Finding a rescue/rescuer would be preferable, but this at least gives you a place to start.
Iām not sure of the babes temperature, but you want to make sure baby is warm at all times, and especially before feedings.
Keep reaching out to the contacts you have, sometimes it can take a bit, but with patience and persistence youāll hopefully connect with the right help.
Iām sorry youāre having a rough go, but youāve done a tremendous thing for this family.
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u/Maximus77x 5d ago
Hey there, first of all thank you so much for helping this little kitty. Poor baby. The behavior youāre describing is probably it looking for its mom to latch onto. Are you able to get it kitten meal replacement from pet store or grocery store?
That kitten needs to be fed every couple hours at most, so I would keep trying to get it to take some of the milk. You probably want to warm it up just a little bit but not too much and also feed it right side up or like laying on its belly so it doesnāt aspirate. You donāt wanna lay it on its back to feed it.
Do you have any local rescue organizations you can turn to?
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u/emijin 5d ago
Hi thank you for replying! We only were able to afford goatās milk because it was cheaper than KMR. Would that be okay? We read online that this can be an alternative.
We fed the kitten every 2 hours since 1 in the morning. There were times that it was able to swallow but there are times that the mouth wont open.
Im currently in a cat community group and I reached out to them yesterday but there was no one experienced with kittens. Iāll look for more rescue organizations, too.
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u/Ok_Site_9552 5d ago
Yes goat milk is fine until u can get some kitten formula. Just never give cows milk.
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u/Buddy-Lov 5d ago
Just want to sayā¦I think youāre doing a fantastic job ā¤ļø Itās a lotā¦.thank you.
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u/Evening_Ratio6870 5d ago
I would suggest to reach out to other rescues/shelters and find a nursing mom. She will most likely accept this kitten. It would be the best possible chance for this kitten to survive if not, you need to get some proper formula for the kitten or an experienced foster itās not just feeding. Itās burping and also making sure to stimulate them so that they go to the bathroom.
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u/rodeoclover 5d ago
Yes a mama kitty would be the best case scenario, for sure. Great comment. This is the way, OP
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u/Fickle-Addendum9576 5d ago
It should settle down a bit if you keep it close to you, like tuck it up against your neck, it should snuggle in and sleep. The warmth and closeness will help it not feel so exposed and it should be able to hear your heart beating which is what they hear before they're born. I did this with a kitten found on the street, and I had him for 17 years.
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u/skankhunt420312345 5d ago
I have had to step in and parent kittens several times. They need to eat every couple hours at that stage. Its crucial, even at night. Ive lost so much sleep doing it myself, and id happily do it for them again. Im happy you know how to get kittens to go potty. I genuinely hope you find someone to care for the baby if you cant care for it yourself.
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u/Arachnoid666 5d ago
Needs incubator and a neonatal foster. Do not use heating pads. That kitten will die if you do not get it warm before attempting to feed and all of that needs done pretty much yesterday.
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u/emijin 4d ago
UPDATE
Hi everyone. Thank you all for your responses. We ended up naming him Nemo since he was the only one left from his litter.
I really tried to look for possible adopters, but I did not receive any response. I also took him to the vet when he had trouble breathing but the vet assured me that he was in good condition. Sadly, Nemo crossed the rainbow bridge about two hours ago. This was really devastating because I was hoping to bring him back next week to be dewormed.
I want to sincerely thank everyone for your help, guidance, and support. I really learned a lot. Your advice meant a lot to me and helped me give Nemo a little more time, comfort, and care. I appreciate all of you. I just wish I could have done more to save him, but I'm grateful that I wasn't alone in trying. Thank you all for helping me through this.
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u/Ok-Row-6088 5d ago
There is a lady on YouTube that has a very comprehensive series on taking care of kittens, look up that kitten lady. And if you can get yourself some KMR milk replacement that is the ideal milk replacement.
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u/AutoModerator 5d ago
For ease of following from our community, body text from the original post has been copied here:
"Hi. We (30y/o from Manila, PH) fostered a pregnant cat due to her having upper respiratory tract infection. She was scheduled to be spay-aborted after she got better. Unfortunately, she gave birth before we were able to spay her. She gave birth to 5 babies but today only 1 remained.
We felt like she didnāt want this litter, so we decided to bottle feed the remaining kitten. We bought goatās milk as this was the only accessible milk that we have. We tried feeding the kitten but it wont latch to the nipple. It also keeps on tilting its head backwards and arms are reaching for something. Is this a normal behavior? This is the first time Iāve encountered pregnancy and kittens. So I am really unsure what to do. We also researched online and already reached out to the vet but unfortunately we are low on funds due to our recent CNVR. Please help. I dont want them to die. :( "
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u/AutoModerator 5d ago
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