Need Help with a Four Week Old Kitten

Have you been able to get formula in her through force feeding? She will not live long without food!

sarthur2 said:

Have you been able to get formula in her through force feeding? She will not live long without food!

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Force feeding gets some in for sure, I'm just not farmiliar with what is sufficient enough. She's 4 weeks will be 5 on monday, just weighed her at 385g. She's not lethargic, she sleeps a little more than she used to (i think) and when she's up she's up and running and exploring and playing no problem. 

Does anyone know of a chart that shows the proper weight depending on age, as well as how much formula is sufficient enough per feeding / day / frequency etc...

A month old kitten is usually around one pound in weight. When feeding, a kitten needs about 2 ml's per ounce of weight per day spread out over the feedings. You'll have to do the math since you are using grams. I think at this point, whatever you can get her to drink would be good. You can also try pedialyte, and if you have none, sugar or honey water just to keep her hydrated. She may need to see the vet again for fluids and diagnosis.

LET THERE BE FOOD!

Last night she willingly drank some formula (a tiny amount but took it none the less, as some wet food as well) and this morning she was mewing like crazy. When I mixed her formula I wanted to see if she would take it in a saucer and BAM she downed it so fast. I know that wasn't the problem before, I've tried to put her face in it do many different times, but I guess today was our lucky day. I'm going to try the saucer from now on to hopefully wean her off the bottle. At first she just stuck her face in and kept getting it up her nose but near the end learned how to properly lap it up with her tongue. words can't express how relieved I am that she drank that, I was so worried I would wake up and she wouldn't.

This is fabulous news! So glad she lapped her milk and ate some wet food! Offer it to her frequently, as much as she wants. Sounds like she is on the mend.

This is wonderful news!  If she's eating with enthusiasm, then she is not ill and will gain weight even if she does have worms.  I did worry about the panacur because my niece had a kitten who was sick and not eating, and she lived in a different state.  The poor girl was too young to drive but took the kitten to the nearest vet by riding her bicycle.  The vet did not give the kitten fluids or nutrical or anything that would help.  The vet wormed the kitten and in two days it wasted away and died.  It totally broke my heart, and hers.  I was in Georgia and she was in Wisconsin so I could not help her.  Evidently her mother did not help either, being away at work all day.  I was furious at the vet, but we all know that vets often do not see the whole picture at least with just one visit.  I just do not like it when vets want to give worm medicine to sick kittens who will not eat.  Wait until they are well and eating, because in my experience it is not the worms that make them not eat.  I agree with @StefanZ, Pancur is a bit extreme for a very young kitten.  You could use some form of pyrantel pamoate which will get the roundworms and is extremely safe, even available over the counter at feed stores as a dog wormer, Nemex-2, which tastes so good I can mix it in my kittens food and they will eat it.  (Other forms are less tasty, which is why I get this one.)

Thank you so much for everyones advice! Will post again later on with big updates and most likely needing more help and advice

she took a spill last night, fell off the bottom of the banister 6 feet down to the basement. someone was on the other side makin sure she didn't fall but she suddenly pounced on him and fell through, clipping and clinging to his lip (and failed) on the way down. hit her leg on the bottom step and landed on her feet on the ground so at least he helped break her fall somewhat.

She seems fine now but I'm super terrified of something could go wrong and I won't know

Goodness! I think I'd make sure there is no more playing on those stairs! Glad the kitten is okay - they can be surprisingly resilient about landing on their feet!

You can put chicken wire along the stair railings until she is big enough to be safe there.

I wanted to say thank you for everyone and their help. Luna is doing amazing, grown so much, and is an active healthy kitten. I couldn't imagine what would have happened to her without your support. when I brought her back to the vet a few weeks later, they were surprised, saying they were sure she wouldn't have made it.

I come again with questions to help correct being and aggression? I know she didn't have the litter mates or mother to teach her 'kitten manners', so is there any advice to help me teach her? sometimes she gets so violent and in a frenzy it's startling, and pretty painful, at inappropriate times aswell. I'm guilty of trying a spray bottle which I found made her more distant from me overall. I've tried hissing and yelping and going limp and walking away but none of this helped. will this phase pass in time and will she go back to being affectionate and loving?

It may take time for the yelping and hissing to get through.  Have you tried walking away after you've yelped or hissed so she gets the idea you don't like it.  The key is to be consistent

Are you playing with her with wand toys.

Please put the spray bottle away. You can scruff her by the back of the neck and tell her no, tap her with a fore finger gently on the nose, blow in her face, and hiss and walk away.

It also takes time for them to learn. She is trying out all her new little kitten skills and it may continue for quite some time. It takes patience more than anything, and this too shall pass!

But she needs toys, and you need to play with her with interactive toys on strings attached to a stick several times a day. Prepare yourself because she will only get more and more active!

will put the bottle away! only used a few times out of desperateness. I'm trying to remember to just redirect the energy, so yes, lots of toys around. consistency is such a pain ;-;

(side note, Luna is about 7 weeks now)

She's starting to feel her oats!

Would you consider adopting a playmate for her, like another kitten of the same temperament?  One who has grown up with other kittens could teach her some manners and also match her energy.  It's kitten season and they are easy to find.  Just make sure it is tested for FIV/FeLV and vaccinated before you bring one home.  Your vet may know of kittens for adoption.

I can't have another cat in the household permanently. What is everyone's opinions on briefly fostering another cat instead? will there be separation and bonding issues?

I asked around at the local rescue when I was fostering Fluffy.  They said Eclipse would look for her for a few days and then forget about her.

Luna's about three months old now. aaaand ever since she was past the dying stage, she's distanced herself and totally hates me. constant biting, no affection anymore, never wants to be around me or touched. she was affectionate when I first brought her in and now it's like she's a totally different cat. any help to help establish a bond and actually get her to love me?

Do you have and toys and stuff for interactive play?  Three months is still pretty young, she is going to go through a few different phases.  Wait until she's a teenager!