Help with a 9 week old kitten

Hi everyone,

Im new to the forum, and still learning about cats. I was hoping you might have some tips for me or be able to provide any insights.

I just picked up a 9 week old snowshoe siamese yesterday afternoon and she isnt in the best of shape. Im pretty sure she has worms, because her belly is just HUGE while the rest of her is really skinny and lacking good muscle mass. She was being fed CRAP food (the lady couldnt even really tell me what, because she was just getting whatever was cheapest), and given only milk to drink, no water. She has diarrhea and just generally smells... I gave her a bath as soon as she got home yesterday because she had nastyness caked on her paws and smelled BAD. Today I'm having to wipe her bottom regularly because she's just a mess from the diarrhea. She also has a couple REALLY small bald spots on her. Im assuming it's from poor nutrition and HOPING it's not ring worm.

Im going to be calling first thing Monday to get her to the vet asap. In the interim Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m giving her EVO wet food, and have dry kibble available to her, although she isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t interested in the dry food, and she has a big bowl of water that sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s lapping up like thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s no tomorrow. I also gave her a dose of Revolution to kill the worms and whatever else she might be carrying… and, yes, she is quarantined from the rest of the house right now because I have a 10 month old Siamese Mix and ferrets as well….

Aside from getting her to the vet, which Im planning on doing tomorrow, do you have any other suggestions as to what I could to to help her feel better? I just feel so bad for my little girl.

Honestly, you've done what you can for today. The vet visit tomorrow should put you on the path to correcting the rest.

She'll likely have icky stools and a bit of a messed up GI for a bit from the neglect. Make sure she gets a good kitten food or mix a little KMR in with the Evo for a few weeks. A probiotic, like bene-bac or whatever the vet suggests, can help, too.

Forgive me for being so new to cats.... What's KMR?

KMR is Kitten Milk Replacer and can be found at the pet store. It's a substitute for mom's milk for young kitties.

Thanks! I was actually looking at some at the store today but the only kind they had was Hartz, which is a company that I've learned to stay away from like the plague with ferrets. Not sure how it actually is for cats, but I imagine not much better.

Is there a different brand that would be better that I should look for? I have a really good pet store near me that can order just about anything for me.

Also, at 9 weeks old, is she too old for that now?

She really is, but because she's in such bad shape, the nutrients in it will really help her health. You can also get Science Diet a/d from the vet, which is loaded with good stuff for kitties who are bad off.

Poor thing! It sounds as if she found a friend in you, though. Good luck (and let us know what the vet has to say)!

Originally Posted by motoko9

Poor thing! It sounds as if she found a friend in you, though. Good luck (and let us know what the vet has to say)!

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Agreed

Welcome to TCS btw!

Actually, I have some A/D here!!! I keep it on hand for the ferrets for exactly that reason. I was just worried it would be to rich for her given the horrible food she was eating before. I'll go mix some in with the EVO wet food she's eating right now though and I'll pick up some KMR tomorrow morning too.

The scary thing is that this lady thought she knew EVERYTHING there was to know about cats. Even tried telling me it's illegal to get a rabies shot for a cat in the state of CT... UGH! I was just happy to get her out of there before something really bad happened to her.

Pet Ag makes KMR. They also make another small animal milk replacer that works for kittens, too. As well as different stages. I'm talking about the powder mix vs the pre-mixed.

Since most kittens come to me in rough shape I usually let them have a bit of KMR mixed with their wet food (and slowly use less and less) until they're no longer interested in it in their food. This usually happens around 12wks or so.

Some kittens can get a bit constipated from it, so be on the look out for that.

Warming up the food and feeding smaller offerings more frequently will help her, too. Don't overdo the amount, just steady feedings. You could mix in the pedialyte with the food as well.

All great advice. But just one question....was this person a breeder? IMO she should be reported to someone. The condition of your kitten when you got her is appalling.

That poor baby, I'm so glad she found you
I agree, something needs to be done about her previous owner.....people disgust me.

I hope your baby gets better soon there's some healing vibes for her.

Vet appointment is at 3:30 this afternoon! WOOT!!!

My boyfriend and I talked a lot about if we should report the previous owner and we're not entirely sure what to do about it in all honesty. Yes, she considers herself a "breeder", although, she's NOTHING like any of the ferret breeders I've had the pleasure of knowing. The tern CRAZY cat lady has a whole new meaning for me now...

The problem is that I dont know what animal control would do. She has over 20 cats in a 3 bedroom appartment, but, there's litterboxes EVERYWHERE and the cats are actually using them. Yah, it smells BAD, but not to the point of making you vomit. And while they're being fed absolute CRAP, they're still being fed. So, my plan is to talk with the vet this afternoon. Let her check over Nestle. Tell her about the conditions in the house and everything i saw there and see what she suggests. She may make the decision herself to call animal control, or she may tell me that while yah, it sucks and isnt anything I would ever do to any animal, it's not "criminal". So, That's my plan. I'll talk with her and do whatever she suggests on both fronts. If she finds criminal neglect wth Nestle though, not only will be calling animal control and the police, but I will be handing them Nestle's nedical records in the process!!!

Is she a member of a breeders association or something? I don't know much about breeders..

Poor babies.....is there a landlord who knows she has 20 cats? I don't think they would be too happy.

In your experience, with the good food, and proper care, how long does it usually take for a kitten to stop smelling like this? Even this morning, my son held her for a minute and at 8 years old, he commented that she needed a bath and smells. She's had baths the last 2 days...

Originally Posted by farleyv

Is she a member of a breeders association or something? I don't know much about breeders..

Poor babies.....is there a landlord who knows she has 20 cats? I don't think they would be too happy.

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She said she is, but, from what I've read online, a lot of the "breeder associations" out there don't actually monitor anything. It's just you submit paperwork saying who you are and pay the annual enrollment fee and your in... Doesn't really mean much.

As for the landlord... Yah, the home owner knows. It's a 4 apartment house in the city and the landlord lives in one of the units. You'd have to understand the pure ghetto factor of where this woman lives to see how this could be thought of as acceptable behavior...

Although I'm pretty sure the town has an animal control bylaw limiting the number of pets a person could have without having a legal "business' for breeding and filing all the paperwork... Hmmmmmm....

The smell will get better after a week or two. Though it's less common in kittens, check her anal glands. If she's had diarrhea they may not be expressing properly, and then a kitty can smell funky. The vet can show you how to take care of them if need be.

Good luck at the vet later.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Though it's less common in kittens, check her anal glands.

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ok, I have no idea how to do that... lol But I'll be sure to ask the vet about it this afternoon!

Something else to ask the vet about is a probiotic. That will help build the good flora in his intestinal tract and help combat the effect of the worms and any medication he might get.

As for the woman you got him from, you can always contact the SPCA or Humane Society.