Advice greatly needed, low birth weight kittens

About 5 weeks ago I took in a stray cat, it was supposed to be a male, but as soon as it was out the cat carrier I knew it was female, I few minutes later I suspected she was pregnant. The vet confirmed my initial fears, he suspected 5-6 kittens.

She never got that large however, even towards the end of her pregnancy, that should have a warning sign. Around 5 days before the birth she began spotting, a few days later she lost her mucus plug. The birth was traumatic, the first kitten was born dead and under developed, the second was born alive, active, and quite small (tortoiseshell). The third kitten was breech and got stuck, I helped her deliver him but he was also still born, I believe he died in the birth cannel, he was the largest of all the kittens, it was horrible. The final kitten (tabby) was born alive, active and fully formed, but very skinny and unable to feed consistently (he has a good go).

The tortoiseshell weighs 69g 12 hours after birth, she's doing great, though small she's strong and feeding well . The tabby is only 49g, I believe he has lost weight since birth because he can't feed properly. The vet suggested leaving them alone so I did for four hours. When I checked back the tortoiseshell looked good, the tabby had gone downhill so I made the decision to start feeding him. His mum has milk and she's looking after them, she does leave them alone but not constantly. After feeding him he looks better and more active.

I'm not feeding the tortoiseshell, I'm pretty certain she doesn't need it, the tabby is being feed every 2 hours, the plan is that once he's strong enough (hopefully in a few days) he will feed independently, he just needs a helping hand at the moment. I have got a electric blanket under there box, just under around 1/3 of the box as the mum wanders off a little to much to keep them as warm as I would like.

I'm aware he may die, but I feel I need to try, he's certainly not suffering, if you have any advice I would really appreciate it.

Tally

These kittens are apparently full of will to live, to make it. Im especielly impressed by this 49g...

I even suspect when the vet suggested to leave them alone, he meant - let him go.

Luck you didnt, as he is alive, fighting and make you optimistic. He is a fighter, like the tortie.

What you do sounds good.

You had seen articles and sites about prematures and orphans?  So you may get some ideas from there, I mean.

What kmr are you using?

Have dextrose (glucose sugar) handy, if there arise an emergency and you must perk energy in him, have some wet dextrose on his gum.  White caro syrup or honey works too, but dextrose is best and quickest.

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

Thanks I will do, he is up to 2g in 4 hours (now 51g) she's up 4g in 6 hours (73g). He's small but not premature, I think that's the advantage I have. He's taking about 2.5ml every feed which I think is about right for his size? I have ordered some 'colostrum' that's supposed to be good for orphaned kittens, I know he's still got his mum but he's not quite got the hang of feeding. Hoping in a few days he will x

Beaphar kitty milk x

Also in regards to weight gains I imagine he will put on 5-6g in 24hours rather than 10g due to his size, is that about right? Currently he has put on 3g in 7 hours. He's consistently taking 2.5ml per feed every 2 hours. Thanks for your help, trying to give him as much of a chance as we can. X

tallypop said:

Also in regards to weight gains I imagine he will put on 5-6g in 24hours rather than 10g due to his size, is that about right? Currently he has put on 3g in 7 hours. He's consistently taking 2.5ml per feed every 2 hours. Thanks for your help, trying to give him as much of a chance as we can. X

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Yes right, he will gain less being much smaller than our typical example.    As long as he gains its good.

Also him taking in small portions is normal here, as everything is relatively.

Beaphar milk should be OK, its a good milk afaik.

No problems with  eliminating??   This is a difficulty for many.   Although I presume mom helping is a big advantage compared with a typical orphan.

Good luck!

It sounds like you are doing wonderful helping this baby out. My favorite KMR is Natural-C. If you have questions I could help you with I'd be happy too. I foster orphaned cats and kittens. Most of mine come to me ill or very tiny or pregnant.. LOL. I have right now 5 Cats and 21 kittens and counting. I have a mom in labor as I am typing. I could offer tons of advice.. but I think you are doing very well. Mke sure the baby can also move off the electric blanket if it is too warm, even tiny they will and then move back for the warmth. I've known of some cases of accidentley over-heating babies. I do prefer when they are premies to use a syringe to feed them so I can see how much they are eating. I start off with an insulin sized tiny syringe. You may already know how to hold and feed the baby so to not allow any formula to get in it's lungs. If you have any questions please let me know. Hugs to ya!

Stacy

    I am very impressed with how these tiny babies are doing so far .  They are some very determined little kittens and especially that little 49 gram guy is amazing.     This  mum and kittens are sure lucky to have found someone who will give so much care to them.  

Sometimes with such tiny ones it is necessary to tube feed them,  but it sounds like he is taking it in OK .  

But with his low weight ,  I think I would not give him that much milk replacer per feeding yet.      It may be OK because you are not tube feeding,   he is drinking it on his own.     but a kitten that small has a very small stomach so there is a risk of giving too much and it comes back up and is aspirated into the lungs which could cause death.  ( in fact I know someone who lost kittens that way).    Personally I would not feed more than  1 to 1.5 ml per feeding,    ... and feed more often  about every 1 to 1.5 hours   ( This is based on both  advice a friend of mine got from a vet (who is a cat specialist and married to a cat breeder )

 -     and on written info  ( for example according to  a book I have  by Dr Elise Malandain, Dr Susan Little, et al , a 60  gram full term kitten should get  2 ml per feeding. ( this was for formula  at 1.1 kcal/ ml )    

I am sorry to tell you to get even less sleep  but it should not be for a long time.   i would just be extra careful at the beginning 

 You do have an advantage if he is not also premature   but just very small  since at least the organs should be  developed. 

You may be able to 'milk' the queen today and collect some of her own colostrum to give him.  it is normally for the first couple days so  It is not difficult if she's calm .  It might be easier when the other kitten is nursing.  just hold up a sterilized tube or bottle to her nipple and gently press the mammary gland  ( just like a kitten does).   If you can give him  some feedings today where you replace the formula with his mom's colostrum,  that would be great.    i would try to give about 4 to 6 ml total  of the colostrum from the queen.   

Well done for how you managed to cope with the difficult birth and caring for extra tiny kittens. !      Good luck to the little fighters and their mum and you! 

Hi
Thanks for all the advice, he's 60g now (think he needs to eliminate), I'm worried he may have accidentally taken to much milk, normally he takes as much as he needs, I put 5ml in the bottle, and he takes between 1.5-2.5. I put more in because some always gets wasted, testing temp spillages ect. This time he was incredibly determined, and he had taken (by choice) nearly 4ml! He has never done this before, he's breathing fine and he took the milk without encouragement, he's also active but he looks a bit bloated. He's eliminating we'll, but now he looks a bit bloated, I'm not surprised by the amount he took. Should I feed him 1ml next feed, I have brought some syringes? I would never let him take that much, he just surprised me. The tortie weighs 78g she looks a little more quiet, she's still gaining, I'm wondering if she's a bit hot and bothered? so I'm moving the electric blanket so they have a cool and a warm spot. She's feeding great from mum. Any tips on getting him to go, I really can't believe he took so much!
Thanks again

Now that he is up to 60 g ( that is WONDERFUL!)  and seems to be doing well I would give 2 ml at a time the next few days and just give some extra feedings.   I would not cut all the way down to 1 ml .   I mean 2 ml feedings is normal for 60 g body weight. 

I may just be paranoid because of my friend's experience,   but I know you sure want to give this little guy every possible chance and you are already trying so hard.  

Remember there are 2 differences between your little guy and those kittens who died:   1.They were premature;  your kittens are very small but  not obviously premature.  2. they were tube fed because they were too weak to nurse; he has been voraciously taking it on his own.     hopefully he would stop if too much.   But even so ,  to be on the safe side, if it were me I would just   limit the amount per feeding to 2 ml  until you maybe get him to  80 g That would still be considered a low weight but it is a huge difference from 49! 

It is pretty normal for kittens to have big looking bellies when they are full  and with him being so small it's gonna look even more so.  As long as he is eliminating fine  I would not really worry .... but you asked about tips on getting him to go.  Do you mean to defecate?   After a feeding,  try massaging his little belly  in circles with your thumbs on his abdomen and along his sides. ,,  and move in the direction from stomach to anus , then on his anal area .   Another trick is alternate the massaging and move his back legs   -- make like bicycling movements .    

  (   If mum is caring for him the rest of the time  she might be taking care of this . )

 If you have any suspicion he is getting constipated you can dilute the formula ,  add about 1/4 extra water and see if that makes things work better.  

If he ever does not defecate for 2 days he must get to a vet.    

Yes definitely have the heating pad set on low , covered with a towel ,  and only on half of the floor of the nest  so they can crawl away from it if they get too hot since they can get dehydrated if overheated.  

 You need that heat source with these tiny kittens but need to give them ( and the mum) the option of moving off it.  

Good luck,  hope things will continue going well for both kittens. 

I have watered down his milk just for the next 12 hours. His weight is down to 58g after 2 poos! I think this is a good thing as he went up to fast, he is still gaining throughout the day . The tortie is up to 82g, feeding 100% indepndently. My hope is that with time he will do the same. How often should he be urinating/pooing? His poos are firm and a orangey mustard colour is that healthy? Thanks so much for the advice x

Normally they would be pooping like a couple times a day.  Once a day is OK. .  Skipping one day is not  that bad,  but I would not want it to go over 2 days.  so after one day would be trying to do something  like dilute the formula or add a couple drops of mineral oil to the formula.   That orangey mustardy color is the normal color for kitten poop when they are just on milk / formula .   consistency should be firm enough to be formed .... I have heard someone say like toothpaste and that 's probably about right ;  a little more firm would still be OK but you don't want it to be hard.      

 . They will pee several times a day.They pee quite a bit for their size and for being cats,  because  their kidneys can't concentrate their urine so well  as an older cat....  so normally  the urine should be pretty clear .  If it is very yellow looking that is a sign of dehydration.   

The tortie is now a far more healthy 85g, her mum is doing a great job with her. I dropped the males feeds down to about 0.5ml, just to give his system a rest and reduce the bloat, I know over feeding can be a killer. It worked, he's still active and well, he maintained at 57g, his tummy is much smaller, just healthy and full not bloated I think. His feeds are back up to 2.5ml/2ml depending on his tummy size, I expect him to start gaining again within the next few feeds. Does that sound ok? I just thought this was a better move in the short term. It's hard to tell as his mum is looking after him as we'll, so I'm just judging it on the size if his tummy, but he does seeming to be going regularly. Shes helping me out a lot on that front I think . I'm guessing he might start feeding on his own from mum at around 70g? X

 Tortie girl is doing great!   and  sounds like it worked well for the little boy.  he should go back to gaining now.     I would still try to limit the amount to 2 ml per feeding until you get him up to about 70 grams. 

  Good that the mom is helping a lot.  That makes a big difference.     Keep checking his tummy,   you want him to be rounded but not like bloated and hard feeling.

  I would agree I would think he would start nursing from mum  pretty soon if he is well and active and getting stronger.   You may even need to actively encourage him to start    that,  now he has got used to the bottle and formula.....   guide him to a nipple....  keep trying.....  maybe even putting a drop of the formula on her nipple! 

 . 

Did you manage to get some colostrum from her into him like I mentioned ?   If not ,  it's going to be too late by now.  and you will just have to be even more  careful about not spreading germs to this baby.   (  The kitten is really only able to absorb the antibodies for a short time.  some experts say 24 hours    but others say there is some evidence it is still possible a bit longer    but  i think it is highly unlikely to be possible after 2 days.      I'm afraid I didn't even see your post until it was about 24 hours  but i didnt want to tell you not to try. 

 One thing I forgot to mention is that kittens need to be "burped" after or during feeding ,  just like human babies.  you pat their back until they make a little burp.   but if he is with his mom   ,  that may be happening anyway,  from her licking him,  which is how it normally works. 

When he was first born I managed to get him to feed, it was only short but I do think he managed to get some.

I will try and help him feed but the mother automatically gets up when I go in the room. She's also right at the back of underneath the bed, I can't move her and the kittens as it would upset her.
That's the tortie just before her weigh in

Thank you again for the advice x

The tabby is at 57g now, he's very active and taking his feed well, I think he prefers his new bottle. He has maintained a weight of 57g for the past 6 hours. I pretty certain this is because he's catching up after I reduced his feed so much when he became bloated. It worked and now his tummy looks perfect, he's taking about 2ml every 2 hours, I let him have slightly more 2.5 if his tummy looks less full. I just need him to start gaining again. My life is being arranged around him lol. Someone saw him today and said, I think he will die, I think the vet thought the same, but I feel I have to give him a chance. He's gained 8g in three days, I know it's not much but I have only been feeding him for 2 days and he's so tiny I feel likes its an achievement of sorts . X

It is no wonder people see him and think he won't make it,  with him being this small.  But he may have other ideas,   and with your help he might surprise them.   And at least you will have tried and will have given him some happiness and kind treatment. 

 He should start gaining again now.   The weight does depend  on when they have eaten and when they have eliminated.     but hopefully he will be up a few grams for the 24 hours.   

With preemies  I know you very often do need to feed a diluted formula for a while.  but I'm not sure about a full term with such a low birth weight.   just judge  by the elimination and and  monitor his tummy and make sure it doesn't get  bloaty.    

Very good to hear he might have got some milk from mum at the start when he would have been able to absorb antibodies.    

 Oh I did not realize the mother was way back under the bed.     At least  I am glad you are somehow getting the kittens out to weigh them and to feed the tabby and then somehow get them back to mum.  .     

     Will you be able to see if he does start nursing from her later?  

He may not really try if he is full from the.  bottle and used to that.    but  I am just thinking ahead!   Right now it is best to stay with what is working!   And it IS a huge accomplishment you have kept him alive this long.  I  am impressed both with him and you.  You can be very proud of that,  no matter what happens.    but I hope and pray that both kittens will hang in there.  

 Thanks for sharing the sweet picture of the tortie girl. 

Thank you, I'm trying my best, I know how delicate they are. I will post a picture of him at some point. He's up to 58g looks like he's starting to gain again. It's tough because he wants more feed than I'm giving him. He's limited to 2-2.5ml he had a big feed this time (2.5) so next time he will have 2ml. I see the tortie as huge but she weighs 89g at 3 days old which is fairly small, she's undoubtably thriving . I'm finding it hard to gauge how big his tummy should be? It's soft and he's comfortable, but it's quite round, bit doesn't look distended. I could do with some kitten belly pictures for reference! Thanks again, if he doesn't survive at least I tried. X

a quite round tummy but soft is good.    if it is bloated it can get to feeling hard. 


I  don't know if this is helpful  or not. it's not a tummy close up but you can see some little kittens 4 days old        These kittens probably look huge in comparison!  They are around 140 grams at this picture;  at birth they ranged from 80 to 94 grams.  

They look massive , my tiny kitten is 59g, so he's put on 10g in 3 days. Coming up for four days tomorrow. The comparison is shocking, the tortie is now after 3 days just slightly more than the birth weight of your largest. I think because the mother was a stray and underweight when we got her the kittens were malnourished. Their beautiful x