2/3/4? Week old kitten found, suddenly not eating

So, I went to a wedding in San Antonio this weekend, arrived Friday 4/15, and found the cat on 4/16. A family member had a bottle and KMR so I bottle fed it whenever I could (didn't really know how and will get into why that concerns me later) I made it home that night around 3 AM Sunday and immediately indroduced it to my nursing queen, who seemed indifferent to its arrival. Her kittens are almost exactly 5 weeks, and I guess I'm worried that her indifference will cause her to not care if it eats or not, which is what I've seemed to observe when I'm around (but not what my family says when I'm not so idk) when I found it it had gunk on its eyes that has not returned since bathing, I've completely de fleaed it to the best of my abilities, and it's shown a lot of improvement but today i didn't see it eat once. It's still very strong walks around my room in a newborn cat kinda crawling fashion, very friendly "chill" cat but, I'm worried I might have given it pneumonia from inexperienced feeding or it has some sort of infection to do with its eyes. I've accidentally gotten really attached to it and I'm worried. The queen is mine and since I won't be keeping her kittens if this lil boy lives he'll be mine too. Attached is a photo when I found it, I don't know if I can add two but I'll try to show how it is today if anyone shows interest in this thread.

Photo taken yesterday, hoping it will help someone determine its age :/ its laying on the 5 week old kitten.

Bless your heart for saving this little one...@ThePeriodicFam.  I'm not experienced in kitten care, so I've asked a mod to put your thread into the Pregnant Cats and Kitten section.

Looking at your photos, and reading your post...I know you'll get plenty of interest...though many members come on the site at different times.

I would suggest reading the Articles and other threads at the top of the sections in Pregnant Cats and Kittens, while you wait for replies...they contain very useful information:

http://www.thecatsite.com/f/36/pregnant-cats-and-kitten-care

Food is essential, so I would continue feeding the young one by bottle, if you think your queen is not feeding him. Also keeping him warm, and seeing that he is stimulated to go to the bathroom, too.

Hi and thanks for taking this little one in.
I would guess at 3 weeks age.His eyes are open, and he is crawling. He needs feeding every 3 hours or so, and it is concerning if he isn't, as long as you are sure he isn't. Is he peeing and pooping? He may still need some stimulating to go. You are not clear about whether the mother is still ignoring him after several days, but I hope he is being accepted now that he will smell like the other kittens. At the beginning his smell was wrong, so she would not have taken him in. The thing to do in these circumstances is to rub him with a cloth that has been impregnated with milk or urine from the other kittens - gross, I know, but it works.

In case you don't know, feed him with him lying on his tummy, not like a human baby, and introduce the syringe into the side of the mouth and squeeze in little squirts, so he doesn't choke.

When did you deflea and bath him? That might have caused a shock or chill effect, but if he shows no other symptoms then probably not. Whatever you do, don't let him dehydrated and get some water into him by syringe. Check by lifting the scruff of his neck and if it springs back into place immediately he is fine.

We bathed him Monday, and the Queen (my cat Carbon) immediately took to him, licking, stimulating his bowels, etc, but now she seems indifferent. There was a stress factor I am thinking was the reason, I think I fixed that but won't be able to make sure she's being a good mama again until after I come home today, in four hours. When I woke up this morning and checked on them the kitten (dubbed Hydrogen, to expand my periodic family haha) waddled over to me and seemed happy, I will check if he's dehydrated when I get home. I know that isn't ideal seeing as if he hasn't eaten since yesterday another four hours might kill him but I have no one who can be home to take care of him while I'm gone and I can't bring him with me. Here's to hoping! I wish people would just stop dumping their cats in the woods. The photo was the best I could get with the place they've decided to hang out in

T theperiodicfam

I agree that he's around 3 weeks old. It's important that he nurses every 2-3 hours. Is someone around who can make sure he does so?

The best way to know he's thriving is to weigh him every day at the same time using a kitchen scale that weighs in grams or tenths of ounces. He needs to gain 6-10 grams per day. If there is no gain he would need to be supplemented an amount of formula based on his weight.

The fact he's crawling around means he is fairly healthy at the moment. Pneumonia kills kittens very quickly, so it does not sound like he has it. Thanks for saving him. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

P.S: I have a feeling he's nursing happily, or he wouldn't be waddling around!

Oh, and sorry for posting in the wrong place! I couldn't decided where to put this.

Weighing him  will definately help you know if he is eating like he should from mom or if you will need to jump in and help. Like sarthur2 said the 6-10 grams are what he should be gaining if he is eating and happy. I would also make sure he has somewhere warm to go if mom isn't actively cuddling him since her kittens are older and don't need it as much, but he definitely needs it.

It all sounds good. I do hate peo[ple who dump - as I live in a hamlet in the forest it happens round here all the time, too. I have two new fosters coming to me next week whose owners moved and dumped them. Your litttle one sounds like he has arrived in the right place!

That's so maddening that some one dumped a kitten off that simply can not survive on its own. I'm hoping that there were not more kittens or mama cat there too. You found this little guy all by himself?

Sadly I really can't offer up any advice. Just wanted to say how amazing you are for taking him in and caring for him.

Inanna said:

That's so maddening that some one dumped a kitten off that simply can not survive on its own. I'm hoping that there were not more kittens or mama cat there too. You found this little guy all by himself?

Sadly I really can't offer up any advice. Just wanted to say how amazing you are for taking him in and caring for him.

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I feel like I should explain: While walking around outside, a family member of mine approached me with a box, a blanket, kitten formula and an apparently abandoned kitten, asking me to look after it a while. I was concerned at first she might have only mistaken it for being abandoned but it was in such bad condition and I was in a hurry I wasn't going to argue. Apparently the brides sister was interested in taking it, but I had to drive home early that night for a funeral and figured since my queen was found in the same area and nursing it would be better in the long run for me to take off with it anyway, kittens I've raised that weren't socialized at a young age with other cats or a mother have turned into the biggest cat horror stories ever. (Interestingly enough a random stray heard its cries while I was outside with it in the box and tried to take it, but when I inquired about it my relatives said that cat was only mildly pregnant and didn't have any milk to give yet so I shoo'd it off) My relatives usually shoot cats they see out there to keep the feral cat population down. They leave kittens alone (why/where I got two of my current cats) but I didn't want it to survive into adulthood to be shot anyway.

Inanna said:

That's so maddening that some one dumped a kitten off that simply can not survive on its own. I'm hoping that there were not more kittens or mama cat there too. You found this little guy all by himself?

Sadly I really can't offer up any advice. Just wanted to say how amazing you are for taking him in and caring for him.

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(Forgot to mention that the relative said there was another littermate that had died, so that's why I chose to believe that it was abandoned.) also, TL;DR, I stole a potentially abandoned cat because I figured I could give it a better shot at life anyway

You can check laws with the local animal control but typically there is a law protecting the kitten and after a number of days (in some places it is after the first feeding) the animal becomes legally yours. If you wanted to cover your bases you could report the found kitten to animal control and put it through a stray hold which you can do in your own house to clear you from any questioning or guilt. With a kitten in that bad of shape and in a box like you described I 100% agree that it was abandoned and someone was hoping that a good samaritan, like you, would take care of it, so I don't think there is any possibility that someone would come forward. This is what we tell anyone that calls the humane society where I work if they find a stray animal that they are interested in keeping so they are cleared of any legal and/or moral problems.

I didn't even consider the legality of it. I would think if some one cared enough about their pregnant / nursing cat and it's kittens it wouldn't just be outside with no protection.

I would have done the same thing.

I lived in Florida not too long ago. At the restaurant I worked at there was lots of land around. Sadly, it was a dumping ground for cats. I was there from last June til August and in that time I rescued and rehomed 3 cats - 2 of which were fairly young kittens. It's just so sad when people take on more than they can chew and just up and abandoned an animal clearly in need.

The good news is that in the pictures you are posting, he seems to be socializing well with your other kittens, he always looks to be included with them

@Inanna I definitely would have done the same thing as well, but having worked in the humane society I would check in with the animal control as an after thought knowing that no one would come forward. All of the foster moms / bottle babies that I have had were abandoned either on animal controls property or dumped in someones barn.

Update: witnessed her nurse it when it mewed and her lick it to let it pee. Still no evidence of poop, but I'm not actually particularly worried about that. He seems healthier? The other kittens play nice with him too. I'm gonna weigh him when he's done nursing and again tomorrow. If no change I'll try to start bottle feeding him when I can. Lil nubs are coming in his mouth and his ears are perking up!! Very happy

He has seriously adorable markings!

That is good to hear that you witnessed the nursing!

Can't edit my post so I'll add: I think Carbon not nursing had a lot to do with the stress of the room she was in. She was unbelievably vocal and once they started moving and exploring/hiding she spent a lot of time searching for them and whining. I've moved them into a room that has a block in front of the door so they can't escape and stress her out, but it's big enough to move around in. She was always a vocal cat so that hasn't stopped but it has declined in volume and frequency ! Am still worried but a slightly less worried mama now

He looks so much healthier than he did in the first picture, 12 hours ago.  what a doll!