New Cat - First Timer - Panicking

Hi everyone,

i was driving down the road when suddenly a kitten jumped infront of the car.

luckily i was able to pick it up and put it aside and then noticed that this kitty is so weak and small that it won't stand a chance seeying the next morning.

so i took him in (turned out to be a male).

the next day took it to the vet to check it out and the conversation was that this cat has only 20% chance to live on.

the vet found flees in his ears and gave him a shot in each, and found out he was really dehydrated and has some sort of stuck gases in his belly (gave him a shot for that too).

took him home and was given a med for dehydration and another for vitamin b - Complex & C

also was requested to feed him pate (Dear Lord that smell is killing me) since had some teeth showing.

i would like to ask advise of you wise cat people on the following:

- the kitten keeps bumping into stuff like wall, door, and has no logic for boundaries as in if i put him on the table, he keeps walking and he falls with no hesitation. is this something normal? as if there is no sense of direction, he circles and when he finds a wall he sleeps facing it

- he is eating good giving him around 3 meals per day. pate is done and couldn;t get him any, so got him some chicken gelly chunks and turkey one as well. also bought him some dry friskies kitten food that showed he is not eating that unless soaked in water seems they are a bit hard on his teeth. any other recommendation on food varieties for his situation. he is really thin. (images below)

- he sleeps alot and has no intention nor feels like playing at all. got him an orange ball and he even didnt look @ it when i rolled it towards him or near him (Orange color might have at least got his attention). he does not jump at all, he knows how to exit the shoe box and thats it yet definitly does not know how to get back in if needed. is that normal? i saw kitties want to play and run. this kitten doesnt do anything of these (i know he is sick but at least the shouldn't there be any signs of improvement?)

- i tested his eyes using a light and the pupils got smaller, meaning they are working so i guess this does not make him blind. he does not take notice of any sounds, sometimes he does yet i might be halusinating.

- he has no intention going into the litter box, been 2 days putting him inside yet he goes out. trying working his paws in the litter yet he has no intention of doing so or even discovering what that is.

- can someone tell me the age of this kitten (images below)?

any help is more than welcome. i would like to see this kitten saved.

thank you everyone in advance.

Here he is on the first day i got him, he is really thin! his behind and his rear paws are nearly skin on bones


Enjoying some pate on the second & third day (these have the meds dissolved in them)

He is probably just extremely weak. So happy you are taking a chance on this little one and giving him hope to survive. He's so thin! Poor guy!

It's hard to tell how old he is, but he looks very young, like 3 to 4 weeks maybe.  Did the vet have any idea?

I would get him any kind of wet food (preferably kitten or an all life stage) and maybe some kitten milk. No dry food as he needs hydration and lots of it.  Water down the canned food some to get more water into him. Feed him more then just 3 times a day. More like as often as he will and wants to eat. Keep him warm too.

Since he is so dehydrated he may not go often, or may need some stimulation to pass urine. This is beyond my knowledge. I'm going to ask this be moved to the kitten care forum where you may receive more help.

I'm sure more will post with more ideas. Please keep us posted on his progress. I'm sending him he makes a recovery.

Thank you so much for your reply.

yes he very thin indeed.

the vet said that he might be around 3 weeks yet didn't confirm on that.

he asked not to give him any milk just pate, so i`ll keep doing that and i`m always injecting water into his food.

i`ll try to see if i can give him more than 3 times a day food yet i dont want to over feed him (i dont think that would be healthy).

any thoughts on this
- the kitten keeps bumping into stuff like wall, door, and has no logic for boundaries as in if i put him on the table, he keeps walking and he falls with no hesitation. is this something normal? as if there is no sense of direction, he circles and when he finds a wall he sleeps facing it

- i tested his eyes using a light and the pupils got smaller, meaning they are working so i guess this does not make him blind. he does not take notice of any sounds, sometimes he does yet i might be halusinating.

Thank you again for your help

Boull said:

 
he asked not to give him any milk just pate, so i`ll keep doing that and i`m always injecting water into his food.

i`ll try to see if i can give him more than 3 times a day food yet i dont want to over feed him (i dont think that would be healthy).

any thoughts on this
- the kitten keeps bumping into stuff like wall, door, and has no logic for boundaries as in if i put him on the table, he keeps walking and he falls with no hesitation. is this something normal? as if there is no sense of direction, he circles and when he finds a wall he sleeps facing it

- i tested his eyes using a light and the pupils got smaller, meaning they are working so i guess this does not make him blind. he does not take notice of any sounds, sometimes he does yet i might be halusinating.

Thank you again for your help

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The vet is correct, you do not want to give him REG milk, but there is special kitten milk, like what his mom would have, made for feeding to kittens so young. Ask your vet if this would be ok. You can't over feed him. Let him eat as much as he wants to. This is very important. Not only does he have to recover from malnourishment, but he is also still growing and needs all the food he can get.

Until he starts recovering from his malnutrition and all the other problems he has, I'm not sure you'll be able to determine yet if he also has any neurological damage. Ear infections can throw off a cats sense of balance, ect. You said the vet found fleas there, so he could still have inner ear issues. Did the vet say anything about this behavior?

Nothing related to behavior since when the vet took a look @ him, he was very weak, so no special behavior was observed.

i will be taking him again to the vet this Saturday, so hopefully we can get more info on that.

About his elimination. Has he passed any urine or stool? I know you said he didn't use the box, but did he go elsewhere? If he has not passed either, I'd call the vet today about it.

Katluver4life said:

 
About his elimination. Has he passed any urine or stool? I know you said he didn't use the box, but did he go elsewhere? If he has not passed either, I'd call the vet today about it.

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he passed stool & urine.

the first day he had a very runny stool yet became better and better. he is going once a day for stool and twice for urine.

urine is yellow, so i assume its cz of the dehydration and the meds.

Oh great! That is good news. It may take him a bit of time to use a litter box. Get a very small one and put his smell into it. Do not use clumping litter at this age. Kittens tend to play in litter and can eat it causing blockage. Your his mom now and he'll learn to use it eventually. You could try puppy pads until he is more active and healthy. My prayers are with you both that he continues to do well. And thank you again so much for taking him in!

I agree that you cannot overfeed him.  Give him as much as he will eat, as many times a day as you can.  And it needs to be kitten food, or all stages cat food.  Not sure what the chicken or turkey gelly chunks is, but if not for cats, then it's not nutritionally complete.  I would definitely think KMR (kitten replacement milk) would be very good to give him.

 for the little guy.

Concerning food, got him Whiskas Junior,

that he enjoyed eating, possibly since it is easier on his mouth,


yet the second one i got was Whiskas in Jelly with Turkey, he hated that, he didn't like the smell nor liked eating it.


now got him a couple of these


yet his first meal was 


my concern is that should i be going over several brands? or should i stick to one brand go with it? sometimes i dont consider that the brand is at my disposal , so i was forced to change a bit.

If you could stick with the RC kitten for awhile, that's the food I'd go with.

Kittens should be gradually introduced to many different foods at an early age to stop them getting 'picky' when older.  Wet food is better for them as it's also full of water - which he as a dehydrated kitten needs - and even adult cats need.   I wonder too - if snuggling him with you skin to fur might help him thrive too - when you have the time of course!  Socialising and 'being his mummy figure' are important!  Good luck .. I so hope this little one soon becomes a nice big cat with no problems !!  Please keep us posted !!! 

mrsgreenjeens said:

  I would definitely think KMR (kitten replacement milk) would be very good to give him.

 for the little guy.

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Absolutely try some KMR - it will be very beneficial to him and help him recover and thrive. A BIG THANK YOU for saving this kitten. No matter what happens, and I think he is a fighter, you saved him from perishing outside and suffering. You are wonderful!!!!!!!!!! He certainly is a beautiful, adorable little guy. Fancy Feast makes a kitten food and one that I have used, the Pate' type. It is ok to rotate brands, but keep them to only a few at this time. Not sure what you can afford to feed but going with grain free kitten canned would be my recommendation, if possible.

For the litter box training, put some of his poops in the box and then gently show him the box again by putting him inside the box. Then you can cover the poops to show him. He will catch on, don't worry. It is natural for kitties. He is so weak and was barely alive when you saved him so he just needs to get his strength back before he can figure things out. All my best!!

Most definitely you can rotate a few foods. I was going by the choices listed, and the RC kitten would help add some much needed weight, and it is more nutrient dense. I got the impression your in the UK so I assumed your choices may be a bit limited. I agree with Feralvr that if you can get Fancy Feast Kitten, that would also be good to add to his variety.

SusanJ said:

 
Kittens should be gradually introduced to many different foods at an early age to stop them getting 'picky' when older.  Wet food is better for them as it's also full of water - which he as a dehydrated kitten needs - and even adult cats need.   I wonder too - if snuggling him with you skin to fur might help him thrive too - when you have the time of course!  Socialising and 'being his mummy figure' are important!  Good luck .. I so hope this little one soon becomes a nice big cat with no problems !!  Please keep us posted !!! 

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snuggling is something i am doing each night, having him as a small fur ball, you can't but pick him up into your lap and once he sleeps...waw that is some deep sleep! i wish i can sleep like that (thank you for your reply)

Katluver4life said:

 
If you could stick with the RC kitten for awhile, that's the food I'd go with.

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RC is expensive, well comparing it to the other products...

RC is sold @ 3$ a can (100gr)

all the others are sold @ 1.2$ a can (85gr)

((thank you for your reply))

Feralvr said:

Absolutely try some KMR - it will be very beneficial to him and help him recover and thrive. A BIG

THANK YOU for saving this kitten. No matter what happens, and I think he is a fighter, you saved him from perishing outside and suffering. You are wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

He certainly is a beautiful, adorable little guy. Fancy Feast makes a kitten food and one that I have used, the Pate' type. It is ok to rotate brands, but keep them to only a few at this time. Not sure what you can afford to feed but going with grain free kitten canned would be my recommendation, if possible.

For the litter box training, put some of his poops in the box and then gently show him the box again by putting him inside the box. Then you can cover the poops to show him. He will catch on, don't worry. It is natural for kitties. He is so weak and was barely alive when you saved him so he just needs to get his strength back before he can figure things out. All my best!!

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Sadly the vet didn't let me give him milk. he stated to keep feeding him pate since he has some teeth showing so is capable of using them. i asked him and he said pate for now is enough.

Fancy feast? i`ll check if we have some here but i doubt.

as for the litter yesterday evening was his first potty inside the litter... so i was really excited not to clean up the floor afterwards 

Thank you for the moral but i consider if anyone else was in my shoes, they would have done the same

(thank you for your reply)

Katluver4life said:

 
Most definitely you can rotate a few foods. I was going by the choices listed, and the RC kitten would help add some much needed weight, and it is more nutrient dense. I got the impression your in the UK so I assumed your choices may be a bit limited. I agree with Feralvr that if you can get Fancy Feast Kitten, that would also be good to add to his variety.

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i`m far away from the UK, this is a middle eastern cat  ... hehe

i`ll try to limit the food rotation to one or two brands only.

(thank you for your reply)

one small thing i noticed which is he relies on smell when i put food infront of him.

i feel he does not see the food.. yet sniffs around to see where it is ....

i know cat eye-sight is not there best trait, but possibly can he be blind? (tried flashing a light into his eyes, his pupils got smaller -  so i guess they are reacting to light).

my question is that for kittens, is the eye sight that bad?

You should definitely ask the vet about the kitten's vision, and until you get some answers, don't place the kitten on tables or other objects.  It could be that he actually is blind... and if that is the case DO NOT put the kitten to sleep.   A blind cat can live a full and normal life but must be kept indoors for safety reasons.  There are other things about blind cats that you would need to learn, but the first thing is find out what the vet says about the kitten's vision.

Ok my bad, though I figured you weren't in the US .

Since your choices are limited, any pate he'll eat will work, preferably a kitten food, but if you feed him frequently he'll be fine. The Whiskas Juniors seem to be all fished based though, such as tuna and mackerel, and too much fish isn't good either, so use that as little as possible. Unless there are also meat based varieties I couldn't find? The Simba looks pretty good from what I have been able to find online. I'm surprised the vet didn't approve of KMR milk though.

Congrats on his using his litter box!

I'm hoping other things will improve as he gets healthier. If he does turn out to have vision issues, don't worry, cats adapt very well to little or no vision.

If you can get goat milk - I guess you can - it should be OK for kittens and cats, much better than cow milk. And contains good nourishments and its mild.  You can have some water in this goat milk, if you dont want the food to be  too rich.

A good KMR (kitten replacement milk - where the most known brand IS called KMR) as Feralv mentioned, is also useful.

Small kittens have weaker vision than adults, so his vision may improve. The undernourishing can also made his vision worse. With humans it can do it, with a severe lack of vitamines.

Otherwise I agree with the others, even if he is blind for real, being a inside, home cat, he will do OK.   Cats are nightly animals after all, arent they?   He will also enjoy sleeping on his human friend even more than most other cats.  And this is the biggest pleasure of living with a cat, no? 

Good luck!

Ps.  The kitten was starving before you found him, so avoid too big portions, and too rich food.

Better small portions but often.  Dilute the food with water if necessary.

Although he seems to managed this with new food excellently!

In a couple  of days you can begin and increase his portions.  As the other said, kitten shall have normally as much kitten / cat food as they want and as often they want.

Hi there!

I've just come across this thread, and wanted to thank you for taking care of the lttle one. 

Please don't panick; I believe that lttle stray kittens are actually very resillient creatures, given good care, I've seen many kittens prove vets' predictions wrong and grow up to be handsome cats.  

Your kitten's balance problems may be due to the weakness and/or fleas, you should give him care and time to recover a little and then consult your vet. Also, if he's feeling weak, he might be unwilling to respond sounds; if he begins to turn his ears towards you when you're talking to him, that's a good sign. Little kittens' eyesight develops as they grow up, and undernourishment can also effect visuals. If his pupils are responding to light, his sight will probably improve as he gains some strength. But still, you should ask your vet to check it. 

As for the food, we also had to look after orphan kittens in different occasions; our vet suggested KMR, or mixing equal amounts of milk, water, youghurt (not low fat) and adding some egg yolks (no whites, whites are bad). I also give them youghurt and egg yolks as a supplement as they grow up. It is highly contreversial (because it may contain botulism spores), but my sister in law adds a table spoonful of honey in this mixture and she's a guru about mothering animals in need. But you should ask your vet before giving him anything extra. 

You should be careful about dehydration. Little kittens dehydrate rapidly. To check, gently grasp the skin of him and raise it; the skin should spring back immediately. If you suspect dehydration, you should take him to vet quickly.

You said your boy is a middle eastern kitten. Well, we're neighbors then. The vets in here Turkey usually give about 30-40% of chance of survival to orphan kittens, and in case of any sickness or wound they drastically lower that rate. But our vet once said that we shouldn't think that we're working against some slim rates, we should think that we're increasing the kitten's chances with our care. 

So, I wish you and your boy the best, and I hope you give some good news soon