Weak kitten

Hi everyone, a week ago we took in a stray kitten we found by the side of the road/highway. Everything seemed ok at first, but recently, we noticed him getting a bit weaker than how we found him. He walks a bit wobbly, also sits for minutes staring into space, and sleeps a loooot. When we pick him up he's a bit limp. He also throws up everything he eats minutes after. We noticed this when he stole Friskies out of the older cats' bowls and tried nibbling on them. But we're not really sure if it's the Friskies. Should we be worried or is this normal for a kitten? My boyfriend says that I should be prepared for anything since we cared for a somewhat younger kitten that we also found (but unfortunately did not survive without the mother) with similar symptoms. 

Thanks a lot guys.

Do you have access to a vet? preferably some who is used with kittens and weak kitten care?

It is common kitten steal from ohter cats bowls.  Its not so common they vomit from it.

I shall return later.

Good luck!

How old is the kitten?  He isnt tiny, I understand... Its he on the pic?

What food are you giving him normally?   as it is not the friskies, friskies belonging to the older cat.

What is his temperature?  You can measure in his fore-armpit if you want.  It is a little lower there, but not difficult to recount.

re his symptoms.   Its probably something serious.  Distemper perhaps?

So what I  wonder is how come your older cat didnt catched it too, as it is highly contagious.  Is he vaccinated or does he has a natural immunity?   Some cats are more though than others...

So, anyway.  It is a vet errand.  Fight on, distemper is a very dangerous sickedness, but some cats do survive with good care.   If you can, begin by phoning the vet for advice.

Can you get hold of goat milk?  Mild and nourishing, good for kittens and people.  May be extra useful here, especielly if he is sick, or has a sensible stomach.

Get glucose sugar (dextrose).  Useful in several emergency situations. Such will come here.

If you cant get glucose sugar / dextrose by any means, get home honey. Preferably the so called raw honey, made by a small local producer.

Please, proceed to report and ask questions.

Good luck!     *vibes!*

Hi StefanZ, thanks a lot for a very detailed output. 

Yes, it is him in the picture. His name is Puny. 

We do have veterinary clinics here, but we could not afford it at the moment.

His temperature seems normal, and I hope it's not distemper. It sounds really serious.I checked the symptoms and some of them do not apply to Puny.

I will see if I can get a hold of goat milk or honey. Thanks a lot for the advice. Puny is currently sleeping. This is him right now.

Which country are you in?    AND what food are you giving him?

If it is USA,  I will past in some links on finding cheap spaying(!).  Im sure many of these places are also making other vet treatments cheaper than the average, fashionable full cost vet clinic.

cheap  spaying:
If you are in the U.S. ,  the ASPCA has an online database.  http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter

 Or here is a hotline number that will find you a low cost clinic in your area  1-800-248-7729 .   also the 

www.spayusa.org

Good luck!

Hi, I live in the Philippines. Our country is not that cat friendly.  Thanks a lot for the links though. 

Since we are not that financially stable, we feed him bits of fish. Recently he has stopped throwing up. I also gave him a bit of bread because he kept on asking.

It was perhaps something bad he ate, too old food or something...  As he stop the vomiting, and seems to be better, as he begs more food - even bread.  

Im not complaining!

Eggs are good, Egg yolk is always good, especielly raw (if you dont have problems with salomonella in eggs).

Egg white must be cooked, raw egg white isnt good.

Egg shells crushed into fine powder, if you or he should need more calcium.

Most cats love fish, but dont overdo it.  Fish, esp raw fish, has disadvantages for many cats.   Although some do manage a diet on almost only fish...

Youghurt, plain, unsweeteend, full fat yoghurt is OK.  Cheese.  Goat milk as mentioned before.  

Minced meat...   Some little olive oil. Or cocos oil.

As you notice, it is mostly animal products.  Dont be afraid of animal fats, especielly for kittens.

  A little bread is surely OK, but just a little.  By the same reason, cheap dry food isnt so good. Contains too much cereals.

Wet canned cat food is much better than friskies or most dry cat foods, if you can get it.

Good luck!

Very good advice all around as always from stefan Z.  Please keep us updated on how Puny is getting on.

Hi StefanZ & tulosai,

Thanks a lot for your advice and concern for Puny. I'm glad bread is okay, and yes, I only gave him a little.

Also thanks a lot for new food options! I never knew egg yolk can be fed to kittens. Shows how much I don't know. But here's an update of Puny's eating habits.

-Early evening after dinner, I gave him soft black meat of fish (fried). It was what we had for dinner and the black meat of the fish was the softest meat I can find for him. I broke it down to very tiny pieces and put them on my palm for him to eat. And he ate them all! But it's only a few so I broke another piece and fed him again, and he ate a little and no more. Java (our oldest cat, 2yrs) ate the rest. After that Puny walked a bit around the house and proceeded to hide under a counter that had cloth wound around it, and it created a little hammock below which he can fit. It became his favorite hiding/sleeping spot.

-5-6 hours later, I thought that he should eat again, so I went into the kitchen where his hammock is, but I didn't wake him yet. I first prepared more soft black meat for him, and it seems like he heard me so he got out of his hammock and meowed a bit and went onto his litter box to poo. He also drank water and meowed some more. Now this is where I am worried: when I proceeded to hand him the food, he just stared at it! I am so scared because it is one of the symptoms of distemper (although he always drink water). I put it near his nose so he can smell, but he just avoided it. In my desperation, I attempted to open his mouth and put the meat there, in which he kind of tasted it and finally tried the rest that's on my hand. He ate a little, like 3-5 picks. After that he stretched, meowed, walked around, scratched his claws on a chair's leg, and went back to his hammock. I am very perplexed as to what's happening to him.

By the way, I really want to him to drink goat's milk. Is it okay to buy from the grocery store? I'll make sure it says fresh and no preservatives added. I also want my older cats to drink, is that okay for them too?

Regarding cat food, the ones we can find in grocery stores here in our city is Friskies & Whiskas for dry food, and Friskies, Whiskas & Fancy Feast for wet food.

Which should I get for Puny? I will definitely buy him some wet food (and hopefully goat milk) tomorrow.

Thanks a lot for the help guys. I'm really thankful I signed up here.

Honestly, what is best to get for him to eat at this point is whatever he will eat. In a broad sense wet food is better than dry food.  Of the options you list I'd probably go with fancy feast, ideally the classics varieties. Again, though, it sounds like for him the important thing is that he IS eating. 

It is 100% okay to buy goats milk from a grocery store, yes. It is okay for the older cats to drink it too, yes, but it usually isn't much benefit to them if they are eating a healthy diet.

It is okay that you feed him fish a little (and I understand he is not seeming to eat enough so you're desperate) but I really would not feed him this as much as it seems like you are.  Hopefully he will take to some of the cat food from the grocery store and this will be less of an issue.

Thanks for the update! He is such a cutie!

Hi tulosai, 

Thanks a lot for the answers! I will get him Fancy Feast then and see if he will eat. It's just that he is very thin right now so I'm kind of in a panic.   

Thanks again and I will update as much as I can.

Hello everyone, I'm not sure if it's good to bump up an old thread but I just want to post an update regarding Puny. We tried our best with him and this is him now, Some 5 months later.


Thank you everyone!

This is a lovely bump up - date to an old thread and I have no doubt that @StefanZ  and @tulosaiwill be very happy to see this.  Puny does not look puny at all now, he looks very handsome and very relaxed. 

javarashipuny said:

Thank you everyone!

Click to expand...

Tx for this welcome update!   We all are very happy to read about the now young man Puny!

The only what remains to full luck is to neuter him.   Some toms manage to live a good live although not neutered, dont spray, dont get  desperate seeking femles, and are lovable boys.

But still, we do think spaying and neutering is the best both for the cats and the owners.

Unless you are a breeder of course.  In that case you wait with the spaying / neutering till they are done with their carrieer, to become harmonous castrates them too.

Tx  @MServant    for giving me a notice for this wonderful update!

Good luck!

StefanZ said:

 
Tx for this welcome update!   We all are very happy to read about the now young man Puny!

.........

Tx  @MServant    for giving me a notice for this wonderful update!

Good luck!

Click to expand...

   Always nice to hear of kittens growing in to healthy and relaxed young cats in loving homes. Had to make sure you both saw this. 

Of course I do support what StefanZ says here: young puny may be more relaxed and home loving if he is spayed but I don't know how easy that will be for you where you live @javarashipuny  

@MServant: Thank you for tagging StefanZ & tulosai in my update! I didn't know it is possible. ^_^ And you're right, he's like a giant now. Not puny at all.

@StefanZ  Thank you so much for all the help back then. We really thought he's not gonna survive, but now he's the most rowdy in the house. It must be because he's not neutered yet. We plan to neuter him next week. We know a generous vet who has offered to neuter our cats for half the regular rate. We have had our other two cats neutered already.  

Thank you again for all the love!