2hr old kitten won't nurse

Short story: rescued cat my neighbors abandoned who was pregnant. She just had 4 kittens tonight (still possibly one or two more to go as she might still be in labor). Last kitten out wont nurse and other three are. I keep putting her up to the nipple and she won't even put it in her mouth. She just keeps climbing around on mama. How long until her not nursing is a problem and what do I buy to feed it if she doesn't nurse? Where can I find that?

Yes I will spay her when she is able. She was rescued and too late for me to help her

First and foremost, thank you for rescuing this little girl and giving her a safe place to have her babies! 

This is a hard one and you are actually in a really delicate situation.  Bottle feeding should only be done if it is absolutely necessary. I hesitate to tell you to go for the bottle for a few reasons. The first and most obvious is that once you start them on the bottle it's hard to get them off of it. Considering newborns need to eat every two hours around the clock it is a huge undertaking. And, since the baby isn't going for the nipple there is no guarantee they will go for the bottle. There is also a chance that Mom may not take the baby back once you take them away. This would mean you would not only be responsible for feedings but for eliminating and keeping the baby warm as well. Also, even though you can buy formula nothing is a substitute for Mother's milk, especially those first few feedings. The colstrum that the Queen makes the first few days is absolutely critical in the development of the immune system. 

In addition to the risks to the kitten there are also risks to Mom and the litter. Most Queens are very protective of their babies. Taking one away can throw Mom into a panicked frenzy, to the point that she may start to neglect the other babies because she's so panicked about the one you took. Finally, bottle feeding is somewhat of an art form. It's not as simple as you put the bottle in their mouth and they do the rest. Kittens must be fed on their bellies with their heads slightly elevated. Otherwise, you run the risk of them getting milk into the lungs and choking. 

Normally I would say you need to get the kitten to a vet ASAP but I don't know if that's the best thing here. It sounds like Mom may not even be done with labor, and moving her would put a lot of stress on her. That, and transporting them isn't going to do much for creating a stimulating nursing environment. 

So, if you can I would still give it a little time. So long as the baby is moving around you are in the safe zone and hopefully they are just being a little slow to figure it out. I would not under any circumstances leave the nest until a) the baby starts nursing or b) you elect to bottle feed. You need to be monitoring how the kitten is moving and if there is any lethargy. If there is then you probably do need to start supplementing, and get them all to the vet as soon as you can. 

If you do decide to bottle feed there are a lot of good brands to choose from. The only one I have heard really negative things about from multiple sources is the Hertz brand so I would stay away from that. You can buy formula and bottles at any petstore. A lot of grocery stores sell kitten formula too. If they are all closed here is a link to some recipes you can make at home: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/46295/recipe-for-kitten-formula-kitten-glop. You can use a little syringe until you can get a bottle. 

You may also find this article helpful: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens . And, make sure you look on the internet for videos on how to properly feed. 

Since you posted an hour ago I am really hoping this little one has figured it out and all of this is moot. If they haven't I think you really just need to use your best judgement on what to do. If you can call your vet or the local after hours clinic to get their input I would. 

I wish you the best of luck-   vibes that this little one catches on! 

I really appreciate your answer!!!!! I will definitely read those. I spent about an hour helping her off and on and FINALLY got her to latch on. She still isn't eating like the rest so I will watch closely.

Another question if you don't mind? Mama had her 4 kittens and seemed relaxed in the closet in her box with them. I come to lay down for bed and she won't leave me alone. She keeps meowing at me and jumping on my bed (she's still not cleaned all the way yet :/ )
I get up and go in the closet with her and she's fine. Is she just wanting me to be near her or can they start labor up again hours later? I cannot feel any babies left so I'm assuming she just needs comfort but thought I would check if that is normal. I'm new to this since this mama just showed up on my porch and never left.. She sort of chose my son and never left his side so I caved since my neighbors just left her. Now she's a part of the family so I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.

I think she "just" wants your company.   

Apparently she trusts you, and feels better having you near.

IF you go and buy things to safeguard with the little one.  Goat milk is OK  if you dont find good kitten replacement milk.  

Try also to buy dextrose (glucose sugar).  It is used in some emergency recipes for both humans and cats. So this buy is never wrong.

You know about to weigh them every day?  If everything is OK it will be a nice memory. If something is amiss, it is often the only way to notice it early.

Use preferably a scale measuring in grammes.  Such kitchen scales can be buyed cheap. Or you can surely lend from some neighbour.

Welcome to our Forums!

Good luck!

Look closely at the mouth of the little one.  Such difficulties to suck may be because of some deformity inside the mouth.  Not so unusual...   If so, the kitten may be saved by manual feeding if it is healthy otherwise, but most owners, even breeders, let them be pts.

I have tried going to bed a few times and she keeps coming to get me. We have bonded over the past two months. She's not letting me sleep so I made a pallet on the floor in my closet. She's happy now.

I do have a kitchen scale and did weigh them. Each is between 102g-146g. The runt having a hard time feeding being the 102g. I never really liked cats until she showed up. She won me over and now has a home with us forever.

102 grams is quite good, so wait no difficulties because of low weigh.

IF there are difficulties, they will be because of other reasons.

Good luck!

Well things just took a turn for the worst. She won't latch on to suck and her mouth is constantly open. Her loud meow is now a tiny squeak and she is lethargic . She looks like she is dying. Am I supposed to rush her to the vet? She sounds like she's kind of wheezing?! I am so new to this and it's 2am here. Do I go to the vet???

Yes, apparently going to the vet is your best bet as now, to try and save her.  Especielly as you are a new be and dont really know what to do.   (and we arent perhaps specialists in saving small sick kittens either).

The problem is, many vets arent really good at saving small kittens either...  So phone and ask.

They can always injection some fluid, pedialyte, and buy some time. But many dont know how to feed through a tube in the stomach (which is prob what is needed here - but it IS difficult and dangerous if you dont exactly know how to do it).

If you rush in, take only the kitten, leave mom and the other kittesn.

Good luck!

We lost her. . Within a matter of minutes too. So sad to watch. The other three are all nursing and sleeping.

Next, IF you do want to try and save it yourself, apparently you must give her water/pedialyte, and kitten replacement milk yourself.

I dont know, do you have the gears? Had you read on how to do it?

Begin with some fluids at least.   Have some salt in it at least.

I will write down basic pedialyte in next.

Make sure the kitten is warm, but not too warm...  You can try and massage it a little too. Massage the limbs, tummy, back...

Basic pedialyte.

1 litre water

1-2 soup spoons  dextrose (glucose sugar).  If you dont have it, honey is ok, white caro syrup. Even common sugar may work, although dextrose is best.

1 tea spoon  kitchen salt.

Stir up by cooking up, let it be down to body temperature.   Dont spare too long, better to make new.

Works nicely for both kids and kittens.

If they are very weak, you can try and boost up their energy by  having a little wet dextrose on their gum.  A more common tip on the same tema is a little white caro syrup on the gum...

Do it before you are giving them kmr / pedialyte...  If too weak, or too cold, they wont swallow, nor process the food if they do swallow.

Good luck!

catMe13 said:

We lost her.

. Within a matter of minutes too. So sad to watch. The other three are all nursing and sleeping.

Click to expand...

Pity. RIP little one.

Although good in some way, we know now there wasnt really anything to do.  She must have some big fault somewhere, bigger even than fissure in the gum.

And as she WAS going downhill, the fight for live is never easy.  Now you at least dont need to fight - and lose the fight.

But spare all the advices and receipts, You never know, they may be handy with your kids, or some neighbours kittens or kids.

Good luck!

ps.   I shall ask a mod to close this thread.

Thank you . That was pretty sad to watch and now I'm paranoid about the other three. I am leaving it up to God and Mother Nature at this point. Hubby just went out and buried the poor babe under our tree. I will start a new thread if I have other questions

I'm so sorry to hear you lost her.   It's probably not comforting this early but there are some silver linings. One, as Stefan mentioned, the indications seem to be that there was a bigger problem elsewhere that bottle feeding or even an ER vet visit wouldn't fix. Unfortunately these things just happen sometimes and know that you didn't do anything wrong. But, perhaps more importantly, she didn't suffer. That, in itself is a gift. 

I don't blame you for being nervous for the other three but try not to stress too much. Their weights are really good and it sounds like they are eating fine. Just based on that my guess would be this little one had an internal problem and not necessarily something that would effect the entire litter. There could be a number of reasons your girl wants you to stick close. It could be she was stressed because she knew something was wrong with the baby, or picked up on your stress over the kitten not eating, or even as simple as she loves you that much! Regardless, accommodate her as much as you can and try not to panic about the others. She will pick up on your vibes. 

Keep up with the daily weighing and do whatever you need to to keep Mom happy and comfortable. As you rightfully point out, this early on most of kitten rearing is up to God and Mother Nature. Your job is to take care of Mom so that she can take care of them! 

RIP little one. Please do start a new thread with ANY questions that you have. 

It is sad you lost one, but it often happens, and there is probably no reason to worry about the other three. But do weigh them daily and I would have some kitten milk (or tinned goat milk) on hand in case it should be necessary, then you will not panic if you need to intervene. Each day that passes makes them stronger. As the mother cat seems to have a very strong bond with you I suspect she does not mind you touching or lifting her kittens, and it is good that you have already managed to weigh them. Increase the touching and handling each day till mamma is quite happy with it - it is good for the kittens too and their socialisation.

It is wonderful that you are caring for these little ones, especially since you are not really a 'cat person'.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I will now close this thread.