Sakiz just gave birth and one of the kittens won't feed

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

If you want to learn what I did during her pregnancy: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/289184/lost-my-temper-with-my-cat/30#post_3773197

She gave birth to 3 kittens. She abandoned her so-called comfort spot and gave birth to the first one in the corridor. With the second, she gave birth near her comfort spot. Two of them are now feeding. One of them is not.

The third one, the one who is not feeding, is actually trying to feed. It crawls around Sakız, she tried to suck milk from her paws. But it didn't feed itself. It's been 1 hour and 20 minutes now and I left them to give them some privacy. It is an active one, she looks like exactly the others.

As a last resort, while it was searching for food very far away from his mom, I took it and put near one of the breasts of Sakız. Its mouth and hands touched to the nipple, but it didn't suck milk. Did not even try. What can I do?

Sarthur2 · Jul 8, 2015

You need to hand feed KMR (kitten milk replacement) formula as quickly as possible until it is strong enough to latch, and continue to put it to a nipple.

The powder form is best, by PetAg, and it's at vets, pet stores, and Walmart. Use a 1 or 2 mL syringe, and give 1 mL every hour for now. Tummy down, head up, drop or two in the side of its mouth, let it swallow and breathe, and go again. Kitten will not survive without food.

Let us know how it goes!

kutubira

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

Thanks for the quick answer @sarthur2

I sent one of my friends to get a formula for the kitten.

How many hours the kitten has before being fed?

The good thing is that Sakız did not reject any of the kittens. She protects them and only I can touch the kittens and her. After the birth finished, I fed Sakız some milk and gave some water. She appreciated them and drank all of them. Milk and water was half of a small bowl. Together it makes 1 small bowl.

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

How about I put some milk and water together and feed the kitten with this? My friend went to two of the vets and could not find anything. There is one more vet here.

Sarthur2 · Jul 8, 2015

In the future, give your mama cat a bowl of the kitten formula to drink. Cats cannot digest the lactose in milk and it will give her diarrhea.

As stated, 1 mL every hour for now. Kitten should get stronger and latch soon. Do not feed on its back. If a kitten aspirates formula into its lungs it will die. Re-read my instructions before feeding, and continue to put the kitten to mama's nipple often.

dandila · Jul 8, 2015

Can your vet suggest where you can buy kitten milk replacer? Do you have raw goat milk available? I don't believe sarthur2 is aware you are not in the US. Do you have a syringe without a needle to feed the kitten?

Sarthur2 · Jul 8, 2015

Ah, not in US. Can you get fresh or frozen full fat goat's milk? This works equally well.

If not, can you get a can of evaporated milk? I can instruct you to mix it with egg, sugar, and water to make a formula yourself.

StefanZ · Jul 8, 2015

As Dandila mentioned, raw goat milk is an excellent alternative, and actually what I would recommend, as it does contains some enzymes and such... Almost as good as cat moms milk - its coming from a mom!

If you cant get raw goat milk, bottled, cartooned, or even dry powdered goat milk is OK.

Common cow milk is dangerous. I know some despaired rescuers used it and the kitten survived, but its nothing we would try with if there were any alternative.

The KMR in powder by PetAg is the best of the ready made kitten mothermilks replacements, but there are also other brands... Although some forumites warn against Hartz and Sargeants... So dont buy them if you have alternatives...

If the kitten has difficulties to suck, it may be saved, using a little needleless syringe. Or even a dropper...

The kittens position tummy down, head up, a couple of drops a time in the corner of the mouth, cautiously so the kitten swallows without problems.

Burp afterwards, the kitten on your arm, like you would with a human baby...

A healthy baby may surivve several hours without feeding, but its better not to stretch the luck.

If you cant get the proper milk soon, you can give some water with a little glucose sugar or equivalent, for example honey. This will buy you some time.

That is the most important for the moment.

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

No goat milk and the last vet did not have any formula.

I tried to put the kitten to a breast of Sakız, it just doesn't want to suck. It sucks her feet and whatever it can find, except for the breast. I'm hoping that it sucked some milk when I was not near them.

handsome kitty · Jul 8, 2015

Did you try the honey and water solution @StefanZmentioned. If the kitten drank some, I'm wondering if you put some on nipple then the kitten maybe it will start suckling.

handsome kitty · Jul 8, 2015

Another thought. what if you gently squeeze the nipple so a little milk comes out as you put the kitten to it.

StefanZ · Jul 8, 2015

A question is if the kitten doenst have the instinct to suck on nipple, or if it has some problem with suckling?

If he has problems with suckling, you will be forced to use a needleless syringe for always.   This way such kittens can sometimes be sawed.

If you cant get goat milk nor kmr, the way to go is to do yourself some sort of s.k. kitten glop.   Ie make some sort of home made kitten milk...

SArthur had some recipe waiting,

I will send some link for more recipes.

The question is, in which country are you, what EXACTLY you do have at hand??

Even some cow types may be less risky than other.   I believe old types cows, as the scandinavian mountain cow, should be OK.

Also, unpasterized cow milk is less dangerous than the pasteurized - these two advices if you are desperate enough to try cow milk.

I understand you arent living in the middle of nowhere, as you seems to have several vets around...

StefanZ · Jul 8, 2015

Im sending links re orphans. Im most of them there are receipts for such a kitten glope.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens

http://www.kitten-rescue.com/
http://www.kittenrescue.org/index.php/cat-care/kitten-care-handbook/
http://www.hdw-inc.com/glop.htm

Goats milk is useful instead of kmr. Raw goat milk is best, but bottled full fat is OK too.

StefanZ · Jul 8, 2015

As you see, its probably possible to construct an useful kitten glope from quite a few different ingredients.

But this depends on, exactly WHAT ingredients you do have at hand, or can find in a hurry.

Write all the ingredients you do can think of, so we shall try and help you construct something.

For example, do you have common plain full fat mild youghurt?

Eggs, and no problem with salomonella in eggs?

Butter?

Evaporated milk?

Glucose sugar / dextrose? Or some other sugar source, alike white karo syrup, or some other liquid sugar syrup, or honey?

Minerale salt or minerale water in bottles?

@kutubira

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

I think it is feeding RIGHT NOW. The other two are sleeping on the one side, and this little one has one of Sakız's nipple on its mouth.

I'm going to observe it and I'm thinking of giving it some water and sugar just to be safe.

I have yoghurt, eggs (I'm a med. student and did not hear any salmonella case nowadays - But only a few eat them without boiling first), I can find butter. I have salt, I can get minerale water.

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

I am sorry for not answering. I have desktop computer in the one side of the house and kittens on the other side. I was sneaking on them to observe the third (Let's call him that for now).

I don't think the third has a suckling issue, because it suckled Sakız's fingers several times. It seems strong enough for now, because it can crawl around and it is as fast as its siblings. When the other two were fighting for a breast, the third just moved away from them and hugged Sakız though. Maybe not as strong as I think.

Sakız still cares for the third and she might be trying to help it. At least, she did not try to leave it alone somewhere. She tries to keep it warm.

@StefanZ, I think I can find raw cow milk. The same friend I sent for the vets is looking for goat milk right now, but he did not have any luck yet. Somehow it's pricey than cow milk, so I'm going out to look for it myself as well.

I looked at the links. This I can make, but the milk would be cow milk:

8 ounces homogenized whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salad oil
1 drop liquid pediatric vitamins (optional)

I can't find evaporated milk here and if I can't find goat milk, my only option will be raw cow milk.

StefanZ · Jul 8, 2015

kutubira said:
I am sorry for not answering. I have desktop computer in the one side of the house and kittens on the other side. I was sneaking on them to observe the third (Let's call him that for now).

I don't think the third has a suckling issue, because it suckled Sakız's fingers several times. It seems strong enough for now, because it can crawl around and it is as fast as its siblings. When the other two were fighting for a breast, the third just moved away from them and hugged Sakız though. Maybe not as strong as I think.

Sakız still cares for the third and she might be trying to help it. At least, she did not try to leave it alone somewhere. She tries to keep it warm.

@StefanZ, I think I can find raw cow milk. The same friend I sent for the vets is looking for goat milk right now, but he did not have any luck yet. Somehow it's pricey than cow milk, so I'm going out to look for it myself as well.

I looked at the links. This I can make, but the milk would be cow milk:

8 ounces homogenized whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salad oil
1 drop liquid pediatric vitamins (optional)

I can't find evaporated milk here and if I can't find goat milk, my only option will be raw cow milk.

I myself had always access to either a good kmr, or goat milk (cartooned, raw goat milk is difficult to find in Sweden).   So I myself dont have experience with glops. Just the wide overall knowledge - and some logic thinking...

So, what I would propose as your ingredients

plain mild youghurt, full fat,   OR raw cow milk

egg yolk - mutch useful fats

some water from mineral water bottle - contains lotsa of different salts

some drops of pediatric vitamines if you have

some sugar source - glucose sugar proper is best, but some liquid sugar syrup should be OK - they usually contain much glucose sugar, or even honey.

I think it should work.

If you notice even more fat is necessary, you can add either some coldpressed food oil - my favorites are rapeseed oil, or virgine olive oil.

Or a little smelted butter...

One more tip.

Its wise to weigh the kittens every day, especielly nr 3; Tertia / Tertio, so you can easily monitor the development...

An electronical scale measuring in grammes is the best.

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

I'll have to use yoghurt for your formula. Let's hope I am not too late for this.

handsome kitty · Jul 8, 2015

@kutubira How is it going?

kutubira · Jul 8, 2015

@Handsome Kitty, The Third suckles anything it can find. About an hour ago or so, I saw it suckle Sakız's breast. Now I am sure it feeds itself. But I gave it some water with glucose just in case.

Now three of them are sleeping under Sakız, and Sakız calls me time to time and wants me to pet her. I regularly go and bring milk, water and food to Sakız. She is content as well. I think the problem is solved.

When should I take them to the vet? They all seem well-fed already, except for the third of course. They even fought over a breast

I called a vet and he told me that it would not be good to change their place right now and told me not to bring them over if I don't see anything suspicious about them.

Sakiz just gave birth and one of the kittens won't feed

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