Kitten Not Growing

About a month ago I rescued a kitten from outside- there are a number of strays in my area. This one was usually with a cat that I assumed to be the mother- no other kittens in sight though. The kitten was so small that I waited a few days, watching both the kitten and mother, to be sure it was weaned.

When I brought the kitten in it weighed less than a pound, was infested with fleas, and extremely skinny. We gave him a bath using Dawn dish soap and combed him with a flea comb- we had to do it twice, and even then we were still combing out fleas for a week.

He eats really well- actually he is food aggressive. Even now we have to put him in a separate room when we eat and often when the dog eats- he'll fight the dog for his food.

He has gained a bit of weight and length, but not much at all. I assumed him to be around 6 weeks old when I got him due to his size, so he'd be 10-12 weeks old now. He still looks like a 6 or 7 week old kitten! I don't have a scale that can weigh him, but he seems to be between 1 and 2 pounds. A friend has a kitten his age that is about 3 times his size.

I'm not sure what else I can be doing for him, or what is wrong. I'm going to try a wormer this month to see if that helps.

Any other suggestions?

I want to get him neutered this month, but am afraid he's too small.

this little one a home. A vet visit is imperitive. If he is this underweight, there needs to be an exam done. I would not do any worming unless it is under the doctors advice. The flea infestation could very well have left him anemic and that is a serious issue that needs to be attended to by a vet. He is voracious probably due to being in the wild and not having much to eat. But please, take him to the vet. This little one has some issues that definitely need to be addressed by a professional. Hopefully nothing major. Please keep us posted.

What does your vet have to say about his size and weight? If the kitten has not seen a vet yet, that is the very first thing you must do. Anytime you take in any animal, especially strays, they must have vet care.

Do not try treating any possible problems, like worms, yourself. Kittens are more delicate than adult cats, and since this one is not in ideal health you could accidentally kill him.

So wonderful of you to help this little guy. I agree that a vet visit is the best. If you have been weighing him and he is gaining weight and not loosing, that is a good sign.

I have two litter mates that I rescued at 2 weeks old. They are 2 yrs old now. One of the males is 11 pounds and his brother is 6 pounds. Both are very health. Some are just naturally small. The vet can make sure he is healthy.

I wish I had some good advice for you, but all I can add are vibes and hopes that the little one is ok. It is so good of you to take him in and care for him.

Thank you all- I do plan on taking him to the vet. He has gained weight since coming to stay with us- just isn't growing as he should. I always get wormer from the vet as I don't think over-the-counter ones are effective and safe. All the animals got their Frontline Plus tonight- I gave the tiny guy less than a full cat dose and will be watching him closely.

He'll go to the vet this month- to get his shots, microchip, and check-up. I'm thinking of waiting until he grows a bit more before neutering- I want to be sure he is healthy enough for the surgery.