Pitiful kitten dumped in my driveway. Help!

Someone slime ball dropped a kitten (7-8 wks old) off at the end of my driveway. (I live on a farm in a rural area) I found him Tuesday morning, emaciated, snotty nose and eyes, diarrhea poop stuff on his tail, legs and butt with a smell that would gag a maggot. Of course, I scooped him up and took him in. I took him to the vet where she tested him for FeL (neg) gave him fluids, cleaned him up and gave me some antibiotics and de-wormer and some RC Recovery food to get him started. Well, its Saturday morning and he still will not eat on his own. He is much perkier now and cute as a button. I've been syringe feeding him 3x a day and gave him sub-q fluids Wed and Thurs. I de-wormed Friday. He is still really stuffy and I think that is why he has no interest in food. He can't smell it.

I've got him in a bathroom and I've tried running the shower on hot to steam it up and that helps some with the congestion. He actually sniffed at his food yesterday but never would take a bite. I've tried chicken baby food, sardines, tuna, mackerel cat food, raw rabbit, scrambled eggs and tasty kibble. He hasn't eaten a single bite.

Any ideas on ways to get him to eat? Every other bodily function seems to be working fine he just. won't. eat. I'm running out of ideas. Someone gave me some kitten weaning formula, so I've going to give that a try later today. This is frustrating.

Here is a pic of him when I found him Tuesday

I am no expert by any means.Bless your heart for taking him in!I have had some kitties over the years that have had the snufflies and wouldn't eat and have fed them by syringe myself.I mix up a gruel of the kitten milk replacer,baby rice cereal and beef and liver canned cat food.For some reason it seems to work.Eventually they did start lapping it up off a saucer and then you're home free.I have also cooked rice and chicken livers.I'd say you're probably right about not being able to smell it.Eventually the antibiotics will get him past that and the snufles will go away.I have used a warm washcloth and wiping the nose.They do breathe in the warmth.I just nursed an older girlie of mine who had some teeth removed and was on antibiotics that wouldn't eat with plain canned chicken broth,warmed,and I mixed in the baby rice cereal and syringe fed her.She didn't like me very much for a few days but she is finally eating on her own and didn't get dehydrated.Good luck and do let us know how he's doing!

I also think that you will need to continue with what you are doing including the syringe feeding. As soon as she can smell the food she should start eating on her own. You could try warming some canned food a little bit so it smells a little stronger. I would try it right after you give her the steam treatment in the bathroom so she might be opened up a little more. It just may take a while for her to get past this bad cold enough that the smell of the food can get through.

Yes, bless your heart.