Single Kitten born, 26 hours old refusing to eat

[ceasu]

Midnight had a single kitten yesterday,  she seems completely healthy ( is eating drinking ect) but only seems interested in caring for the kitten some of the time, yesterday the kitten would cry to be fed and she wasn't interested much in feeding her ( I thought it may be because she thought our other cat would get all of the canned food so I brought her some and after managed to get her to stay for a few minutes and feed her kitten. with some coaxing I would get her to feed her kitten whenever it cried.) Now 25 hours later she is attempting to care for her kitten ( picked it up and moved it and cuddles with it for some time) but the kitten refuses to eat. Midnight is still large with other kittens but she is not in Labor and is eating and drinking perfectly fine.

I live in the Canadian north and it is still very cold here. the kitten seemed cold so I increased the heat in the room to what to me is uncomfortable. The Kitten is not crying often and seems to sleep lots but i am starting to worry about it not feeding.

 

[ceasu]

In hind site I should probably mention the kitten doesn't appear to be premature, the skin is not wrinkled it has hair and it is strong enough to crawl around and lift its head. 

 

[zed xyzed]

Hoping at @sarthur2  can provide some guidance this is very serious. In the mean time there is some good info in this thread http://www.thecatsite.com/t/236876/sick-kitten-what-else-can-i-do 

 

[talkingpeanut]

You will need to feed the kitten using kitten milk replacer (PetAg powdered is best).  You will do this to supplement and make sure it gets over this hump until it is strong enough to feed from mom.  You will want to start doing this asap.  Kitten is fed tummy down and head slightly up.  You put one drop at a time into its cheek and let it swallow.  Then repeat.  At this early, fragile age you should feed every two hours, even through the night.

Instead of turning the heat up in the room, you can put raw rice in a sock and microwave it for 5 minutes.  It should hold heat for 3-4 hours.

 

[margd]

I am by no means an expert in taking care of kittens and hope someone stops by soon to help you.    Having said that, I suspect the problem is that the kitten is too weak to eat at this point, having not been fed for the first 26 hours.  If you are to save the kitten, you will need to feed him yourself with a syringe.  Syringes are available from any pharmacy.   Use powdered KMR or goats milk and feed him by lying him on your knee or arm stomach down and slowly, slowly drop the KMR or goats milk in the side of his mouth, in his cheek.  If you have to go to the store to get the KMR and syringes, rub some karo syrup or honey on his gums to at least get a little energy in him right away.

After feeding him, you will need to burp him afterwords by resting him on your shoulder and rubbing his back.  Then he needs to be stimulated to pee and poop.  Mama might do this for you, otherwise try tapping on the area with a cotton ball.

He will need to be fed every two hours until he is strong enough to nurse from Midnight.  I don't know how long that will take.

The other thing that's critical is keeping him warm. Newborn kittens are unable to regulate their body temperature and if he feels cold, try microwaving a sock with some rice in it for about five minutes and place it near him.

 

[zed xyzed]

Heat is important do you have a heating pad that you can put on low and wrap in a towel? When was the last time the kitten eat? 

 

[Sarthur2]

You need to begin supplementing this kitten immediately, or it may not survive. Kittens need to eat every couple of hours. If the kitten is not eating, you'll need a small 1 or 2 mL syringe to feed it kitten formula. If you have none tonight, you can mix egg yolk, honey, and condensed milk or plain yogurt, and use that - but the kitten needs around the clock feeding every 2 hours.

To feed, hold the kitten tummy down head up and give it one drop at a time in the side of its mouth. Let it swallow, breathe, and go again. Try for 1-2 mL's every 2 hours.

To keep the kitten warm, you can use a heating pad set on low under a blanket, or a sock with raw rice microwaved, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. The kitten must be warm to digest its food.

Where is the nest? Can you put it near where you are so mama kitty might stay with her kitten more?

P.S. For a quick pick-up you can put honey on the kitten's gums.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Also important to note that the kitten formula must be warm for the kitten to be able to digest.

 

[catpack]

You have been given some great advice! I just want to reinforce rubbing some honey or caro syrup on the kitten's gums prior to feeding and making sure the kitten is warm prior to feeding. A cold kitten cannot properly digest milk.

 

[zed xyzed]

Sorry I just repeated what other people said

 

[ceasu]

I believe it has been about 7 hours since it fed and another 4-5 hours before it ate before that, note that these feeding sessions are only about 2-3 minutes long at most. It is still strong enough to crawl around the room it just refuses to suckle. The Kitten was moved by Midnight ( I believe she dislikes the floor heater which could be part of the issue but she moved it to the other side of the room). I do not own a microwave would a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket suffice?

 

[catpack]

Yes, a hot water bottle wrapped up with do just fine.

7 hours is WAY too long for a kitten this age to go without eating. Also, the feeding time is too short.

Is your momma cat producing milk at this time? With her still being pregnant, she may not have an adequate amount yet.

Please get a syring (needleless) or bottle and some formula for the kitten ASAP.

 

[zed xyzed]

You need to begin supplementing this kitten immediately, or it may not survive. Kittens need to eat every couple of hours. If the kitten is not eating, you'll need a small 1 or 2 mL syringe to feed it kitten formula. If you have none tonight, you can mix egg yolk, honey, and condensed milk or plain yogurt, and use that - but the kitten needs around the clock feeding every 2 hours.

To feed, hold the kitten tummy down head up and give it one drop at a time in the side of its mouth. Let it swallow, breathe, and go again. Try for 1-2 mL's every 2 hours.

To keep the kitten warm, you can use a heating pad set on low under a blanket, or a sock with raw rice microwaved, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. The kitten must be warm to digest its food.

Where is the nest? Can you put it near where you are so mama kitty might stay with her kitten more?

P.S. For a quick pick-up you can put honey on the kitten's gums.

Please follow the advice above 

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, 7 hours and 4-5 hours is way too long. You need to supplement the kitten right away.

 

[ceasu]

I am going to run to the store and pick up a few things. Quick Update though it had another very brief feeding session maybe 2 minutes.

Now there is another possible issue which may have existed but not been visible until now 

2016-03-08 19.19.22.jpg

• ceasu
• Mar 8, 2016

The kitten is where Midnight moved her she left to go eat and I noticed this was not noticeable before. This may be why Midnight is half rejecting hit but cannot seem to make up her mind

 

[zed xyzed]

The kitten is where Midnight moved her she left to go eat and I noticed this was not noticeable before. This may be why Midnight is half rejecting hit but cannot seem to make up her mind

Full fat goat milk will also work if you can't find the kitten formula mentioned above

 

[catpack]

I am not understanding what the possible issue may be.

 

[catpack]

Can you please clarify?

 

[ceasu]

I assume it is the Umbilical cord, coming out of the belly,  (ya I know that is likely normal) it was not there before it seems to be coming out of the belly because it wasn't out like that until just now. 

 

[Sarthur2]

It's hard to tell in the picture. It could be part of the intestines. You may want to show the picture to your vet. In the meantime, feed the kitten and let us know how the kitten is doing.