One Week Old Kitten Won't Feed - Please Help!

I recently adopted a one year old silver Bengal cat, whom is very sweet and loving. She came from a family whom already had two other cats, one of which was pregnant, as was my cat. Because it was too much for the people to handle, I gladly took her home. I had been informed that she was pregnant with her second litter, and that she had been a very good mother to her three kittens of the last litter.

Almost a week ago, my cat Midna had six little kittens, all of them being alive and healthy. I monitored their feedings and how she was treating the kittens, which within the first few days, she was doing very well. Last night when I checked on them, they were all fine, none of them appearing to have anything wrong with them, but this morning I noticed one of the smaller kittens (not the runt) was sleeping and not feeding. Just making sure that it hadn't passed through the night, I gently picked it up (the mother has already brought them all to me to hold already) and noticed that it seemed very malnourished compared to the other kittens. It doesn't have a little "belly" like the other kittens do, and it feels like it's all bones.

I've been very distraught about this kitten, I've tried holding the other kittens in my lap while it feeds, but it will only feed for a few seconds before it searches for another teat, crying out frantically until it does. This goes on for about 2-3 minutes. I've also helped steer it to a teat, and it doesn't register it. I've attempted bottle feeding it (for two hours) but it fights me so badly that it makes it difficult. I just bought a syringe and have been feeding it slowly through that, but it still fights with me through the whole process, making it hard for me to keep the syringe near its mouth. If I keep it with the other kittens, they push it away from the teat and it will just sit there and wait, but its breaking my heart to see it so malnourished. Not only that, but I lightly pinched it's skin to test the hydration, and it's skin stayed up, which indicates to me that it is dehydrated.

I've been all types of upset about this kitten all day, I even skipped work to take care of it, but I'm terribly frightened that I'm going to lose it. What can I do? Please help, I'm desperate!

Is she warm enough when you try to feed her?  If she isnt warm enough, she wont eat...

How are you feeding? tummy down? as she doesnt suckle, in the corner of the mouth? Not too much at a time?

You know the usual sites for handraising of small kittens? on Fabsayc, on Messybeats,

and www.kitten-rescue.com

Good luck!

In case like that, an effective way is to use tube feeding into the stomach.  The problem is it is difficult and dangerous for new bees, if you dont know exactly how to do it.   So it is why I usually dont even mention it....

Perhaps your vet can show you?  And give extra fluid at the same time...

Although I had notices by our Forumites  far from all vets know how to do this tube feeding.  As they didnt do it even when it was needed.

It is a late advice, but weighing them on a scale graded in grammes is good. Here you would noticed sooner the little one is undernourished.

ps.  Warm enough? as said.  Also, try to give her water so she will have strengh to take kmr.  If dehydrated, she loses strengh quickly.

I shall write up a basic pedialyte soon.

You can give her a boost of strengh by having some caro syrup, or honey, or destrose, directly on her gum.

Basic pedialyte.

1 litre water

1 soup spoon dextrose (best). If you dont have it, honey is OK, in emergency common sugar. I presume maple sirup is also OK.  Here you can even have a little more dextrose, say 1,5 soup spoon.

1 tea spoon kitchen salt.  the so called minerale salt, with different salts is best, but common kitchen salt with just na/cl is ok.

Solve in water by cooking up and stirring, let it be body temp. Use.

Works wonderfully for diarhhea sick, for dehydrated. Both cats, children and adult humans.

Good luck!

You said she was Bengal?  Is she a look alike or real bengal with papers?

If she has papers, she has also a breeder.  You can surely contact the breeder for advices.  Most breeders are interested how it is going for their "grandchildren".

Otherwise, almost any knowleable cat person, for example if you know some breeder, can perhaps come with advices.

Thank you so much! Yes, I have read about the temperature of the kitten, and I fed him/her as I held (I'm going to refer to it as a him) with a warm towel wrapped around him and through the edge of his mouth. I didn't know water could help, but he's doing slightly better right now. He's been on and off feeding with his mother, and is now (what I presume to be napping) along with the other kittens. I'm going to check on him in a few more minutes, thank you so much for the help and wishes of luck, I hope everything works out well. 

I'm not sure she may just be a look alike. I was informed  that she was a marble bengal, but the breed really doesn't matter to me. I've asked them (the family) for help, and they've mostly told me to take the kitten to a vet, which I won't be able to afford until saturday, when I receive my paycheck. 

Panx said:

I'm not sure she may just be a look alike. I was informed  that she was a marble bengal, but the breed really doesn't matter to me. I've asked them (the family) for help, and they've mostly told me to take the kitten to a vet, which I won't be able to afford until saturday, when I receive my paycheck. 

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The breed doesnt matter much for me here at this forum either (marble bengal sounds for real!), but I was just thinking and hoping for a serious breeder behind. Or even owners of the grandmother or of the stud...  THEY too are interested in their  grand-grand-grandchildren.  

Pure bred cats have also usually insurance payed.

If you want to go to the vet, but dont have money as yet. You can perhaps borrow? In a emergency It is socially acceptable you can borrow money, scale, almost whatever, if you tell your need and ask for help.  The other person is by the same rule of social behaviour almost forced to help you.  Even if you normally are just neigbours, not being real friends.

The problem is, many vets arent very good at kittens. Or even with cats.

And they almost never take in a orphan kitten for raising.

At best they do the medical necessities, but the raising must be done by the rescuer / owner.

So, be sure the vet is good with cats, and also knowleable with kittens.  For example, knows how to tube feed.

Good luck!

I just sat down with them and fed for a little while, and the kitten seems to be getting better, he even started fighting a little more for the food. I don't know if he just couldn't register that he was hungry or if the work I've been doing with him has actually helped. I really appreciate all your help, and I will keep you updated on things. I will take him to the vet tomorrow if I can get enough money. Thank you so much! 

Good advice here so far. Keep it warm, keep it hydrated. Are you using KMR formula? Is it warm?

You might also take the kitten to a local shelter for emergency help. They might be able to look at the kitten and give you some advice if they have vet techs on site. Kittens that small need to feed every 2-3 hours around the clock. 

Good luck!

K

Panx said:

 I didn't know water could help, but he's doing slightly better right now. 

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Be sure you aren't just feeding him water but at a minimum the pedialyte recipe Stefan posted. The sugars are what will perk him back up and get him feeding again. Also, be very careful with forcing it on him. Forcing fluids can flood the lungs. If heis really dehydrated (which it sounds like he is) the best thing for him is subcutaneous fluids which you need to get from a vet. 

Also, I would be careful not to only bottle-feed him. Do what is necessary (with pedialyte or KMR) to get him going and then get him back with Mom and his litter mates. His chances of survival drop tremendously if he has to be solely bottle fed. As Stefan mentioned try and get a scale that weighs in grams as soon as you can and weigh each one every day at the same time. Weight loss is the quickest way to know something is wrong and when it's time to intervene. It sounds like you did what was necessary for this little guy but be sure to let nature take it's course as well. I don't at all mean you should watch him die and do nothing, but rather give him and Momma time to work out his nursing. Taking away the litter mates to give him a chance seems like a good idea but in actuality it can put a lot of stress on Mom and be counterproductive. It's a very fine line between helpful intervention and harmful intervention. 

If he's not doing better tomorrow then I would do whatever possible to get him to the vet for a checkup and for SubQ fluids. I agree in this situation it's perfectly acceptable to ask friends and family if you can borrow some money. If you can't, call the vet and see if you can set up a payment plan or work off the bill another way (such as cleaning exam rooms). If that doesn't work try calling the local shelters to see if they have a low cost clinic. Oftentimes shelters run their clinics on a sliding scale basis (proportional to your income). If nothing else you can ask them about fostering. Many shelters will pay for the vet costs if you raise the kittens as fosters and then allow the shelter to adopt them out. If you can find one that does this you can save a ton of money and make sure all your kittens are vaccinated and fixed prior to going to their forever homes. And, these are just a few suggestions. Just be creative and I'm sure you will find a way to get him to the vet!   Finally, if you do take him I would recommend taking the whole crew.  Mom will be distraught if one of her babies is missing and it will be hard for the vet to figure out if the problem is Mom related or kitten related if they don't see Mom too. 

I hope the fluids you did give him were enough to perk him back up so that he can be back with his little family!

Good luck and keep us posted! 

Agree with the above - weighing the kittens each day at about the same time is the best way to guage if there is a problem.  You need a cheap set of electronic digital scales that weigh in grams.  Ounces are a pain as you have to weigh to 1/10 and the decimal points can be a nuisance.

The kittens should each put on 10g most days.  Occasionally the input/output cycle will make it look like they haven't gained, but the next day will be OK.  A kitten that fails to gain for 2 days (especially this young) has problems, if the whole litter is failing to gain the problem is probably with the mother.

Kittens must be warm to be fed milk, and they must be fed in the position they naturally suckle in - on their tummies with their head slightly raised.  If you feed them like a human baby the milk or water goes down the wrong way and they don't have a cough reflex at this age.

And hopefully you plan on getting the mother spayed as soon as your vet will do it.  Do keep her in - she can get pregnant again very soon, while she is nursing, and you also can't afford her to have an accident and be having to hand-rear a litter of kittens.

Panx said:

 I was informed  that she was a marble bengal, but the breed really doesn't matter to me. I've asked them (the family) for help, and they've mostly told me to take the kitten to a vet, which I won't be able to afford until saturday, when I receive my paycheck. 

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It dawned on me today when I drowe my car, here may be an misunderstanding.

How is it, 1. did you got this female as your own to adopt, with your name etc?

Or  2. are you "just" helping them when they have too much troubles at this moment, and they are still the lawful owners of both mom and the kittens?

If 2., they probably meant THEY are willing to pay for the vet, and you have their OK to just go ahead and go to the vet if you think it is necessary.  You may perhaps pay at the place, but the bill afterwards is theirs to pay.  

Such is the normal understatements if the cat belongs to, say a breeder, or belongs to a shelter,  and you are the caretaking and fostering home for this cat.

And their saying "take her to a vet" isnt necessary being uninterested. It IS a good advice, and also the necessary OK from them, meaning also they will pay.

If they arent very experienced at small kitten care, "go to the vet" is of course the correct advice.  

It is essentially what we do tell, we too. Although we also try to give some common sense advices "for the same price".