baby kitten please help!

Hello all. Yesterday I was given a cat by a painter who had about three litters living in his house. I have no idea how old but I'm guessing about 5 weeks. He has not been eating on his own (I have to put soft food on my fingers and entice him to eat from my hands---he doesn't seem to want much), doesn't want to drink water (I give it to him with a dropper), and is sleeping a whole lot. The thing I'm really puzzled about is that he has pooped in the litter box, but pees where he sleeps (his lounge area). I am constantly putting him in the litter box (unscented good stuff) and trying to stimulate him to go but he just sits there (and falls asleep in the litter box!!!) He is such a sweetie. Yesterday was his first day here and I fed him two small meals of Nutro soft kitty food and he threw most of it up during the night. Yikes! He's constantly rooting on me but refuses to take a little kitty bottle (but I got him to drink a little Hartz nurse maid kitty formula from a bowl! ) Anyway, does anyone have any advice on getting him to use the litter box to pee? He knew to poop in there but happily pees on himself in bed. Any suggestions are much appreciated!!!!

Please take this baby kitten to the vet as quick as possible. He sounds like he is anemic or sick with something else. Make some kitten glop and see if he likes it-

1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
1 12 oz can goat's milk
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
3 teaspoons clear karo syrup
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg (optional)

Boil water, mix in gelatin. Add other ingredients and mix with beater or blender. Serve warm


But please take him to the vet tomorrow.

I took the kitten to the vet today. The vet said the kitten is not more than 5 weeks and was probably not weaned. He also said that the kitty has a upper respitory infection and gave me amoxi drops. I am giving the kitty formula through the dropper (about 4 ml) every hour and he has eaten 2 teaspoons of iams soft kitten food today. This kitten is very malnourished and I think his infection is contributing to his lack of appetite and malaise. Do 5 week old kittens use the litter box or is that something I'm going to have to teach him when he's older?
Thanks!
Farah

Yay! Thank you for taking him in. Can you bottle feed him at all? The nursing bottles in the store do not come pierced, so if you go out and buy one and he gets frustrated, you need to pierce it for him. He probably will not use the litterbox right away as his mom needs to be the one to show him how to use the box and she is not around. After he eats, just gently place him in the box for a few minutes, if he doesn't go right away don't push him or get upset. He will learn and probably have a few accidents. I would feed him kitty glop as well to help him along.

Good luck with him!

Thanks for the info about potty training and the glop recipe. Is it o.k. to feed raw egg to a kitten so young?

I did get the bottles and pierced a hole in it but he just wants to chew it and acts like it is a strange foreign object. I've had better luck with the small dropper.

I am so happy I have him because I feel like if I hadn't adopted him he would have died---it's a lot of work though! Since I've had two newborn babies I'm used to it!

In your opinion should I wake up during the night for a feeding...yawn?
Thanks!
Farah

You can leave the egg out it doesn't matter that much. And yes, you should do nightly feedings as well-

The vet I saw yesterday did not check the kitten for parasites or deworm him. Is that something he should have done??? Also, the kitten is pooping/peeing on the floor in the dining room. What should I do to discourage this? Actually this morning the kitty pooped in my hand. He was meowing and this running brown stuff was coming out of his bottom into my hand---I guess he couldn't control it. I had to wash with painters soap to get rid of the smell! Kitty had a solid normal looking bowel movement on the floor next to the litter box and then started having the runny stuff. This was after he had breakfast.
My husband is worried that he'll be a "dumb cat" and won't learn how to use the litter box. I put kitty's poop in the litter box so he'd possibly make a connection---but I guess that would constitute a dirty litter box he might avoid! AAAAHHH!!!

Kitty pooped in my hand!!

Click to expand...