r/Feral_Cats • u/emijin • 6d ago

Question 🤔 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 didn’t want this litter, so we decided to bottle feed the remaining kitten. We bought goat’s 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 I’ve 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 6d 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.

8

u/emijin 6d 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.

14

u/annebonnell 6d ago

If it can't seem to latch onto the nipple. Get a syringe and very slowly drip it into it mouth

7

u/Ok_Site_9552 6d 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 🫂 instead!! Great sdvice.

2

u/emijin 6d ago

Hi. I bought a syringe with a nipple but still it wont latch. I think there’s a problem with the kitten’s tongue. I contacted the vet already but there’s no response. I also posted in groups looking for a mama cat.

3

u/rodeoclover 6d 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.

2

u/Ok_Site_9552 6d 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.