5 week old kitten advice needed

nimaal · Mar 29, 2011

Hi,
I'm afraid I'm new to the forum but leaping into needing advice straight away (after posting this I will introduce myself properly hehe).
I'm currently fostering a little 5 week old kitten with no name and as far as I can tell he's a healthy little bean, he's been to the vets and had a health check and been treated for fleas, got a good appetite and is really coming on leaps and bounds (literally).
However, I'm concerned about his toileting. I've managed to litter train him already so he goes to the cat litter when he needs to wee but apart from a teeny pooh (sorry) on Friday I've not seen any more. I do occasionally stimulate his bottom in case he needs to have that done and he even doesn't go then, occasionally when I've got him up after his nap he's had a little bit of dirt around it but I've not found anything in his pen or the litter tray.
I do keep an eye on his tummy and it's not hard or painful for him, it's a little round healthy kitten belly (or at least I think so). He's being fed on a blended version of kitten food and milk, I've begun trying to introduce squishy food on spoons and small saucers to try and get him to eat independently but it's not happening at the moment, hopefully he'll see my other cat eating like that and will learn slowly.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what's going on with him,
he's the first kitten I've hand reared.
Thank-you in advance

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

Originally Posted by nimaal

Hi,
I'm afraid I'm new to the forum but leaping into needing advice straight away (after posting this I will introduce myself properly hehe).
I'm currently fostering a little 5 week old kitten with no name and as far as I can tell he's a healthy little bean, he's been to the vets and had a health check and been treated for fleas, got a good appetite and is really coming on leaps and bounds (literally).
However, I'm concerned about his toileting. I've managed to litter train him already so he goes to the cat litter when he needs to wee but apart from a teeny pooh (sorry) on Friday I've not seen any more. I do occasionally stimulate his bottom in case he needs to have that done and he even doesn't go then, occasionally when I've got him up after his nap he's had a little bit of dirt around it but I've not found anything in his pen or the litter tray.
I do keep an eye on his tummy and it's not hard or painful for him, it's a little round healthy kitten belly (or at least I think so). He's being fed on a blended version of kitten food and milk, I've begun trying to introduce squishy food on spoons and small saucers to try and get him to eat independently but it's not happening at the moment, hopefully he'll see my other cat eating like that and will learn slowly.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what's going on with him,
he's the first kitten I've hand reared.
Thank-you in advance

Hi there,

As a previous foster for Animal Services newborns until they were adopted - at 5 weeks, they still need to be on kitten FORMULA (KMR, you can get it at Petco). Real milk should be eliminated immediately as their tummies cannot take that so well - as they grow, they become more and more lactose intolerant. What I would do is:

- Go to Pet Store
- Buy: - KMR, 10cc Feeding Syringes, Squishy food (lol, loved that).

When you get home, mix a bowl full of part KMR and mix the squishy food with warm water and mix it 'till it's soupy-like so it will fit and come out of feeding syringe. Mix 2 together. Feed every 3 hours, 'round the clock.

You are at the exact time to start weaning him off the KMR, too, but if he never got mother's milk, at least he'll have gotten some of the nutrition, and you can cut back little-by-little on the KMR, keeping the wet food/soup mixture.

Keep out some kitty kibble and "squishy food"

and wait 'till he is fully eating on his own.

Also, check deeeeeeeeep into the litter box to make sure he's really not poo-ing or pee-ing.

My first cat, I called the vet in an emergency because I'd had my cat 3 days and he covered so perfectly and deeply, it looked like the box wasn't even stepped in. Vet told me to check it and... sure 'nuff, there was plenty of poo 'n pee in there! lol

Hoping this is the case with your little guy!!

WELCOME TO YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warmly,

Julie O'

aswient · Mar 29, 2011

I have also had to take care of a litter of 5 week olds and I noticed that they didn't go into the litter box to poop some times, sometimes they would go into the corner of the room they were in and its so tiny, you could miss it. Good luck with your little one.

nimaal · Mar 29, 2011

Thank-you for getting back to me so quickly it's really appreciated!

In a minute I will set off into the unknown depths of the kitty litter and see if there's anything interesting there but I just wanted to say that I meant to put that he's on kitten milk. Unfortunately, I live in the UK so Petco doesn't exist here (or at least I haven't found it) but at the moment he's on pre-made kitten milk and I'm waiting for some Beaphar formula mix to come through. He does get a soupy mix of wet food and the kitten milk every few hours so hopefully after reading your post if I begin digging through his litter tray I'll find some 'treasure' (oddly, right now I would prefer to find this rather than gold.. *shrug*).

Thanks for the welcome and Hello to you!

Thanks again, wish me luck I'm going in... *Mission Impossible music*

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

Oh wait - are you putting kitties directly IN the litterbox after you stimulate them? That's an important thing, too.

Warmly,

Julie O'

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

Originally Posted by nimaal

Thank-you for getting back to me so quickly it's really appreciated!

In a minute I will set off into the unknown depths of the kitty litter and see if there's anything interesting there but I just wanted to say that I meant to put that he's on kitten milk. Unfortunately, I live in the UK so Petco doesn't exist here (or at least I haven't found it) but at the moment he's on pre-made kitten milk and I'm waiting for some Beaphar formula mix to come through. He does get a soupy mix of wet food and the kitten milk every few hours so hopefully after reading your post if I begin digging through his litter tray I'll find some 'treasure' (oddly, right now I would prefer to find this rather than gold.. *shrug*).

Thanks for the welcome and Hello to you!

Thanks again, wish me luck I'm going in... *Mission Impossible music*

LOL! Please find pee; please find poo!!!

strange_wings · Mar 29, 2011

If you don't find some poo hidden somewhere then he may be one of the kittens that has problems with the formula. Some kittens get constipated from it, in their cases you try a different formula, use goats milk, or just a wet kitten food if they're old enough (while not ideal, at 5wks the latter option can work).
If he's constipated give the vet a quick call.

Has he been dewormed yet? All kittens will have roundworms even if a fecal is negative.

nimaal · Mar 29, 2011

Ok - I've had a good dig around (without a bucket and spade... so there are no castles to show I've been there) and I can't find anything so I'm going to check all of his bedding and then wait until he goes for a nap and begin the interesting act of corner checking...

He is put in the litter tray quite a bit, when he's complaining and it's not tiredness or wanting food, when he's stimulated and first thing when he wakes up.

If I haven't found anything by the morning I think I'll pop him back to the vets and have a chat with them.

He hasn't been dewormed yet as he's not big enough, I talked about that when he went for his check up last week. As soon as he is he'll be treated.

Thanks to you all

Hope you have a nice evening/day/whatever time it is!

naps with cats · Mar 29, 2011

Please let us know what happens at the vet tomorrow!!!!

Will be anxiously

awaiting!!

Warmly,

Julie O'

nimaal · Mar 30, 2011

It's odd what makes you happy... today's happiness is the fact the lil' no-name here did a poo! and after having a good look at it I'd say it was a good one - well, I'm happy with it

He didn't cry or strain or anything and it's not hard so maybe he was just being stubborn or has secretly gone somewhere although I've checked the corners and moved furniture etc (when I was a kid I used to dream of finding presents... this isn't the kind I meant hehe).
Just wanted to let you know and say thank-you for your good wishes and advice, it was really appreciated (maybe it was the good vibes!).
So for now I'm going to leave the vet visit and just make sure I observe him when he goes and if he goes days again and I haven't I'll take him just to make sure.
Wishing you all a gorgeous day! xx

naps with cats · Mar 30, 2011

C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S***!*!*!*!*!*!

Wooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stubborn little no-name! lol

I do understand that happy feeling, indeed!

Well, if anything else comes up, keep us apprised!!!

Happy no-name poo'd,

Julie O' :-D Happy, Happy, Happy!

Originally Posted by nimaal

It's odd what makes you happy... today's happiness is the fact the lil' no-name here did a poo! and after having a good look at it I'd say it was a good one - well, I'm happy with it

He didn't cry or strain or anything and it's not hard so maybe he was just being stubborn or has secretly gone somewhere although I've checked the corners and moved furniture etc (when I was a kid I used to dream of finding presents... this isn't the kind I meant hehe).
Just wanted to let you know and say thank-you for your good wishes and advice, it was really appreciated (maybe it was the good vibes!).
So for now I'm going to leave the vet visit and just make sure I observe him when he goes and if he goes days again and I haven't I'll take him just to make sure.
Wishing you all a gorgeous day! xx

5 week old kitten advice needed

nimaal

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