Premature Kittens

If the kitten becomes restless and cranky or his abdomen looks distended or bloated, he may be constipated. Go to this link and follow the advice on what to do if your kitten is constipated.

You can also use a massage technique to try and get his bowels moving. After a feed, lay him on his back and gently massage his abdomen in small circles with your thumbs. Massage his tummy and sides, right up near his spine. What you're doing is mimicking the peristaltic (wave-like) motion that the stomach and bowels use to move the food along. You need to do this for as long as he'll let you. Make sure you massage close to his anus with your thumbs so it begins to connect with the messages from the bowels. Finally, take his little back legs and alternately straighten and bend each one in a cycling motion.

If the kitten still doesn’t have a bowel motion, he needs to see a vet. The vet can give the kitten an enema, which is often a successful way of relieving the blockage. Some kittens will need several enemas until their bowels start working properly. Never try to give the kitten an enema yourself.

Touch

Touch is an important factor in the development of all kittens and is especially important for premature kittens. Remain serene and calm around the kitten, as he will pick up on any anxiety you are feeling and it may translate into anxiety or illness in him. He needs lots of physical contact with you, as gentle contact stimulates his mental and physical development and calms him. A great way to keep an eye on him, as well as comforting him, is to use the Pouch Potato described on this page. Add a sock heater and he has a warm, safe place to be where he can be close to you.

Tania Waterhouse lives in Perth, Western Australia. She specializes in rescuing orphaned kittens and is the co-author of Kitten-Rescue.com.