New Cat - First Timer - Panicking

Thank you for saving his life! Blind kitties will do just fine with someone like you! If your ever does ok the kitten for some milk replacer for kittens then I just want to say do not buy any hartz brand. Please stick to KMR or 21st Century. Hartz kills.

His belly looks good and big! But make sure you have the check for worms. Just in case.

Thank you thank you thank you! You are a good person and my thoughts are with you and your new baby! You two will do GREAT!

Bless you for taking in your little guy, Siso!   He is probably the only survivor of his litter. I have 3 blind ferals in my colony outside and they are doing very well. We have an acre of fenced land and that helps. They like to play with toys that are dragged along the ground, so they can chase the sound.  Also, there are some very good kitten formulas online: an excellent website is kitten-rescue.com. Please keep us updated - we are cheering for you both

Boull said:

Hi again, sorry for tumbling all my questions but i don't have any other place to ask them and i feel there is tons of help here more than Google itself.

i came today to find out that he has a part of his belly stiff not like the other part. the other part is kind of soft ....
tried to touch him to check if that is something where pain resides, yet he didnt show any type of pain.

the vet is not until the coming Saturday morning, but the bloat seems unusual for a kitten.. i know he should have a belly but it should be soft yet his left side is stiff.

he is pooping and peeing.. eating (with a huge appetite)... and started drinking water....
so that is kind of weird....

possible that this is due to worms? the vet gave him a de-wormer pill on Saturday.. might that kicked in that way?

any advice is appreciated ..

thank you.

if a picture helps, then i`ll post one.

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If your vet is only open on Saturday, is there another one you can go to. You have been given some excellent answers to your questions here. But keep in mind we can't diagnose your cat's medical problems. If the cat is eating, drinking and using the litter, maybe it will be okay until the vet can check him for you. I hope it is nothing too serious, This is one blessed little kitty to have your love and care. Good luck with it all.

For all you great People...
a salut from SiSo the recovering cat...

Oh my, what a difference a week makes!!!  He is a very cute and handsome little guy. He looks like a fluffy black and white tiger.    

How is is belly?  Is there still a stiff bit or do you see an improvement? I hope no other changes that would be concerning, and his eating, toileting and energy levels are still good.

   he's OK waiting to see the vet, but please, if there is any sign of change with him look for an emergency vet.  I know fees can be a worry but talk to them: a friend and I once took a stray cat we'd accepted in to our home to a really fancy, hi tech' local vet's as an out of hours emergency. The cat had a major seizure and we were really worried about him. The vet took him in for observation over night, did bloods and everything, and when the decision was to let the little thing cross the RB he did that to - and waved all charges as we had rescued the little mite and brought him in for care. There are some good vets with kind hearts out there  (this one was in Wimbledon in England).   

That is a very distant vet to where i live.. and that is 10's of thousands of Kilometers.. hehe

i`ll try to have him checked soon.. didnt go home yet to check up on the belly yet if i feel the need for an emergency vet, i`ll be taking him tonight or tomorrow morning.

will keep you posted for any changes..

Thanks

He's such a cutie-pie!!! Love his colors!! I hope its nothing serious! Poor little guy has already been through so much!

 Hi  Siso !  Salut  ( in the sense of   back at you  such a very handsome young fellow he is and it certainly shows that he looks much better cared for !  He is really a beautiful  kitten.  I love his head shape.   What part of the world are you located in"? 

 Some of the big belly really may be because Siso was literally starving.  He was a very thin, bony kitten with very little muscle or fat.    when these starving kittens start eating  they often do look big bellied  because they have not had a chance for the rest of their body to fill out yet.   

 But it can also be because they may have some difficulty in digestion.  and can end up with  constipation  or gas causing a bloated stomach.  or even undigested food still in the stomach,  especially if eating much food that comes from plants,  which cats '  bodies are really not made to digest.  that includes grains  like corn / maize  and wheat.... which would include pasta. 

SiSo looks like the "9 Spotted Cat"  in the ancient Thai manuscripts,  one of the kinds of Lucky Cats   that are supposed to be good luck to the people who keep them and take care of them.   You have been good luck to Siso, maybe he will be good luck to you too.  

I agree you have had some fantastic advice. His bloated tummy could simply be his body catching up but it also could be something more serious- the main two that come to mind are parasites/worms that the de-wormer did not take care of or that he has ingested something foreign. This just occurred to me but what kind of litter are you using? Most kittens under the age of 8 weeks explore everything with their mouths because their vision isn't fully developed. And, clumping litter, when ingested, expands, which can cause a life threatening intestinal blockage. I'm worried that me may be sampling more than the normal amount given his complete lack of sight. So, keep a close eye and be sure you get him on a non-clumping litter ASAP!

I have also had similar experiences with ER vets and rescue kittens, and have had fees waived several times (and dramatically reduced others). So, don't let the financial aspect hold you up (I don't think it is but just reiterating). There is also a great article here on TCS that gives some great ideas on paying for unexpected vet bills so check that out: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read . If his behavior changes at all (i.e. he stops eating/drinking, eliminating normally, or becomes lethargic) get him in wherever you can as fast as you can. Even the healthiest of kittens can crash extremely quickly so time is absolutely of the essence. Use your gut and err on the side of caution if you have to!

Sorry if I sound preachy as I don't mean to be. I just wanted to make sure it was all out there. You really are doing an amazing job so keep it up! 

i got some clumping litter.. i took notice several times of him doing his stool and not once i saw him eat any of it... again might be when i`m not arround.

the Vet is due tomorrow so i`ll have an answer by them..

i live in Lebanon...so hopefully if someone is coming for a visit, dont forget to bring your cat maybe SiSo can acquire a new friend.

Boull said:

 
i got some clumping litter.. i took notice several times of him doing his stool and not once i saw him eat any of it... again might be when i`m not arround.

the Vet is due tomorrow so i`ll have an answer by them..

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Okay that is a very good sign! Usually if they are eating it they are doing it pretty regularly. So glad you get to see the vet tomorrow!

I still think you should get the little guy a friend of his own!  ​

EB24 said:

 
Okay that is a very good sign! Usually if they are eating it they are doing it pretty regularly. So glad you get to see the vet tomorrow!

I still think you should get the little guy a friend of his own! 

​

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This guy was really lucky since its at my parents house and my mom swore not to have animals at home.. but in a way he won her heart...

so getting the second is a risky step since i dont want to be the homeless one! 

Boull said:

 
This guy was really lucky since its at my parents house and my mom swore not to have animals at home.. but in a way he won her heart...

so getting the second is a risky step since i dont want to be the homeless one! 

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 Well I think that's fair! 

If you do decide to bring it up be sure to let her know that an animal with a disability benefits greatly from having a companion as they can help them understand their world in a way that we can't. And, it's way easier to add a second when they are both kittens versus when they are adults. I worried before adding my second that it would be too much but really it's made things easier. They are both way more mellow because they take out their rough play on each other! Especially when they are both young it's pretty easy to get them comfortable with sharing things such as food bowls and litterboxes so it's no different there. Really, the only difference is there is a lot more snuggling going on! 

You for sure have your hands full right now, just something to keep on the back burner. You never know what may happen!

Took SiSo to a new vet yesterday, thank you for DJoe for pointing him out to me.

really friendly guy and loves animals.

SiSo is 540 Gr. in total age at 2 month (approx).

he is doing well, his tummy might be worms so he gave him a pill for that.

as well we found another issue with his left ear which seems to be deaf.

this poor guy really went through everything for a kitten i guess...

he is doing fine, he is jumping he loves to sleep in my lap and keeps rolling onto his back for me to scratch his tummy which i guess makes him really ticklish... he get to nibble onto my finger but in a gentle way and then licks it.. no idea what is that but i consider that as a good sign...

i guess with all of your help, he is doing much better and SiSo meow back @ every single one of you for being a great cat lover.

thanks for everyone who joined, commented, gave advice...

Well done Boull. Thumbs up.
Thr nibbling is very common amongst kittens, mostly those who have been weaned ttoo early or deprived of their mother - the case with you lil hero, Siso.

One of the 3 orphans im fostering, Gebran, keeps nibbling on me (it started with the finger then it went everywhere!) He even sucks on his brother and sister.

He does it when he is looking for affection or when he is hungry/thirsty.

I think it's ok to let him do that but don't encourage it. If it becomes a habit then it is very difficult to change that. And always make sure your hands are super clean if that's the case. Remember he is very vulnerable.


Siso seems to be a little love furr ball!


Have you got him a toy??? I understand you can't get him a companion, he might need to have a kitten safe toy to cuddle on in your absence.

Awww, to bad about his hearing but at least he seems healthy otherwise (cept for the possible case of worms of course) and then of course he's happy!! He's such a sweetie and is going to become such a beautiful cat! Keep us updated on little SiSo!! 

Wow, he must have been so undernourished when you found him, but is putting weight on nicely now.  Here's to his continued growth and kitten development. He is so lucky to have a new start in life with you!  It is a shame about his left side hearing but I am sure he will learn to compensate, and otherwise is sounding good. I hope the new worming tablet has the desired effect and his belly feels better soon. He is an extra cute little kitty.  

Djoe's idea of a little cuddle-safe sounds good, he is so little and many cats have them, carrying them around and sleeping with them when they want to feel a little more secure.  Something nice and soft but OK for him to chew at would be best but it has to be something he likes.

It is so lovely that he's giving you a little lick-kiss but do make sure you discourage any biting or chewing that gets even a little sore.  Push towards his bite very lightly but quickly and blow on his nose: this should stop him without frightening him so much that he will be scared to come back.  He can learn safely what level of mouthing is OK and what is not by you doing this consistently.  If his bite gets harder as he gets bigger you can add in a quick, loud 'NO', or an 'OUCH' for when he hurts you and this will help with the training.  I wouldn't get scary unless you have to just yet!

My heart just sank upon hearing the news that Siso is indeed blind not only because of that though, but because YOU SAVED HIS LIFE!!!!!!!! If you had not stopped on that road to take in him, he surely would have died a horrible death. :sobbing: HAPPY TEARS that you rescued this little angel HE is SOOOOOOO adorable too. :love: Please know that living with a blind kitty is not impossible and is quite hopeful. Siso's other senses will kick into high gear, become hypervigilant, and he will be able to find his way around home before you know it. Just try keep things the same at home, the litter box, dishes, furniture etc. Of course, if you have to move a piece of furniture, he will figure that out as well. His hearing is acute and so his sense of energy around him so he will find his way. AWWWWWWWWWWW :heart2: my heart goes out to him and to you!!!!!!!!!! :rub:

Trying to dig up some information on living with blind cats! It is quite doable and common. :nod:

Here was a recent thread here on site with some great info. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264944/adopted-a-blind-kitten-looking-for-resources

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/blind-cats
http://www.our-happy-cat.com/blind-cats.html
http://www.gwencooper.com/living-with-a-blind-cat
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/articles/cats/45-disabled-cats-caring-for-blind-cat.htm

Boull said:

as well we found another issue with his left ear which seems to be deaf.

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OH dear... I just read that part of your recent post. :shame: That poor little sweetie and I am, again, so thankful that you were able to save his life that day on the side of the road. He is one special little guy and such a fighter. How is he doing today? Continuing the vibes for Siso

A few days since we heard about the little guy, how is Siso doing?