Orphaned kitten

I decided to take on an orphaned kitten yesterday. She's about 1.5 weeks old and I'm having trouble getting her to latch on to the bottle.
Also her belly is sort of bloated and round. Is that normal? Any suggestions as to what I might do to help her survive?
Her mommy died a couple of days after giving birth, she belonged to a friend of mine, and she was feeding her cow's milk. I bought her kitty formula, but she drinks so little I'm worried.

I will see if I can locate some info for you ........ in the meantime it is crucial that you keep her warm ........... brb with some info or someone to give you some info ..........

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74659
These links are super helpful.

A distended belly may mean worms, so a vet visit might be in order. Did you know about stimulating her to go to the bathroom? That might also cause bloating.

I'm thinking distended belly means inability to poo properly, but think a vet is the best place to get with that kitten ASAP. Inability to poop would account for the not eating as well.

Cow's milk probably wasn't very good for her, and messed with the digestive tract, then the switch to kitten formula... I know I'm re-iterating, but please get to a vet.

www.kitten-rescue.com will help with some of your anxiety.

Also there is a new product that is wonderful for orphaned kittens- http://www.lilorphannannies.com/

She's urinating and pooing well. I've had to change her bedding three times already. Since where I live there are no vets open on the weekend, I'll take her tomorrow (monday).
Is there anyway I can clean her? I tried wiping her with dry bath tissue, but she's still really dirty and stinky.

Use a wash cloth with warm water to clean her up. I bought a cheap package of washcloths from WalMart to use on the furries.
Be very gentle as the skin is sensitive and likely irritated at this point.
And washing the area is likely to stimulater her to go again.

Cow's milk can be constipating or cause diarrhea in people and pets.

Hang in there.

I had trouble with the bottle too. i got a syringe (w/o needle) & used that. it worked perfectly.

Good luck!

I use moist cat wipes to clean up if my little one got dirty. If that won't do, I spot clean with a moist warm washcloth. The lil one is still too young to be bathed, so just wipe and dry.

One thing I don't quite get is that she is started to wet her beddings. Does this mean that she can already go on her own without your stimulation? Or maybe she just rub against the bedding and that helped her? With my young Lucy Belle, she never did wet her bedding so I am not really sure about this. It's good to practice proper hygience when it comes to kitten this young.

I also place an analog clock, wrapped with a small blanket and place it in her nest box. The ticking sound is soothing and helps her sleep. And remember to keep her warm at all time.

Also, another very important thing is do not feed her if she feels cold to the touch. Bring her against your body and warm her up. Or place a warm water bottle (wrapped with a cloth) and place it next to her.

A happy, healthy and contended newborn will sleep most of the time. I think you are doing everything you can now. Good job!

She wet her bedding on her own. Today I started to stimulate her and she went as well.
She's starting to drink a little more, but I have to squeeze the bottle and she laps at the nipple. She doesn't seem to want to suckle on her own. Tomorrow I'll try the syringe idea.
I feel a little overwhelmed, thinking that she'll die if I do something wrong.

Sending prayers and vibes for your little one's health
It sounds like she's coming along all right. Babies have a certain amount of plump belly anyway. It may help her to thrive if you can keep her tucked up against you, for body warmth and comfort. While at home, I keep my tiny ones tucked into my tightly belted
robe. I think there is a commercial product for kittens called a "pouch potato" or something like that. You would think that "spoiling" a kitten that way would make them "clingy", but in my experience, it was the opposite - all my cats started that way turned out to be very outgoing (sometimes TOO outgoing) and social
Bless you for taking on this challenge!!!

Originally Posted by luvlytremor

She wet her bedding on her own. Today I started to stimulate her and she went as well.
She's starting to drink a little more, but I have to squeeze the bottle and she laps at the nipple. She doesn't seem to want to suckle on her own. Tomorrow I'll try the syringe idea.
I feel a little overwhelmed, thinking that she'll die if I do something wrong.

Click to expand...

Those bottles are notoriously difficult for kittens to nurse from. I never could get one of the kittens to take it. Do you have a way to weigh her? A little food scale from Wal Mart (about $10) will let you know whether she's gaining or not. If she's gaining or at least not losing, you're doing pretty well.

Also, you are trying to have her nurse on her tummy, not on her back like a human baby? I made that mistake as well.

She started taking the bottle kinda well, now she's drinking almost the whole thing during the day.
She seems better, wanting to walk around a little more. She's not waking up during the night anymore, but in the morning she downs about 15 ml in one sitting. Is that okay?
She nurses standing on her two back legs, with the two front ones clutching at my hand holding the bottle. It's really cute.
Here's a picture of her, sorry it's sort of shiny, but it's the best I can do for now.

Be careful with the flash and her tiny eyes .......... OMG she is so tiny and so absolutely precious. sending so many positive vibes your way and her way that she continue to do well Thank you for helping this poor helpless little baby. You are an angel.

See, i used the bottle for a few days, & i felt like he wasnt able to get enough milk, so i got the syringe from my bfs aunt, who is a nurse. i did alot of research about this, and it always said that there is a chance kittens that young wont survive without their moms. i felt very overwhelmed with Monster too, but he wasnt as small as your kitten. ALWAYS think positive, & do things carefully, that way you know you arent making a mistake. as klutchetta mentioned, go to walmart and get a food scale, i got one for $7 something. that way you can keep track of how much weight the lil guy (or girl!) is gaining. during the day, after feeding times, i would hold Monster on my chest or tummy and stroke him as he slept. i thought that would make him more of a lap cat, but now that he is older, he isnt really. he likes to lay on someones lap, a couple times a day. & he is very social, greets people when they come in, asks them for scritches, and is generally a nice cat.

Good luck with your baby, and remember, always think positive!

OMG is she cute and tiny! Good luck with her!

My aunts breed Siamese cats, and I've stayed with them for a couple of weeks while they've had young kittens, even helped deliver one litter. Unfortunately, kittens die. My aunts have lost two in the last few years, and it's not through any fault of theirs or the Mother... it's just not a guaranteed thing.

Having said that, it doesn't sound like you're being cavalier or casual about it at all, and that you're doing everything that you should be doing. I'm certainly not an expert, but that's how it seems to me. Definitely consult with your vet, though.

My thoughts and blessings are with you.

It can be overwhelming, but the time passes quickly. The site hissy linked saved me and my orphaned kittens. www.kitten-rescue.com Read and re-read it.

With a kitten that young they can dehydrate quickly. Refer to what Kitten-Rescue site recommends on how often to feed. May need to feed between 2 to 4 hours around the clock.

I made a 'rice sock' to keep mine warm. No direct heat for kitten. Put uncooked dry rice in a sock and tie end. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Place towel over rice sock and put next to kitten.

Be diligent and things will work out. Hope the vet visit goes well.

Originally Posted by luvlytremor

She started taking the bottle kinda well, now she's drinking almost the whole thing during the day.
She seems better, wanting to walk around a little more. She's not waking up during the night anymore, but in the morning she downs about 15 ml in one sitting. Is that okay?
She nurses standing on her two back legs, with the two front ones clutching at my hand holding the bottle. It's really cute.
Here's a picture of her, sorry it's sort of shiny, but it's the best I can do for now.

Click to expand...

So cute! Any update?