New to cats with abandoned infant

Sarthur2

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Aww! He's so cute! The neediness is normal in such a young kitten. I'm glad to hear he's doing well overall. Is he still having tummy issues?
 
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jenna973

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He's consistently had tummy issues to some degree, but I've changed foods trying to find one that worked until I settled on the prescription Hills urgent care a/d canned food from the vet which is seemingly better. However we went back to that yesterday (which I was trying to avoid because it's expensive), and he started having really smelly gas last night. I figured it's from having tried three different foods in a week and that that had been hard on his digestive system. Today he had diarrhea with a bit of blood in it. We're going to the vet Tuesday for a checkup/shots.
 

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You're right that the changes in diet likely irritated his stomach. It's best to do a slow transition to new food, starting by mixing it in with the old and then tapering off.

What are the digestive issues? Is it possible he's allergic to grains? Different proteins? Maybe he just needs some probiotic.
 

Sarthur2

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Let us know what the vet says about his tummy issues and bloody diarrhea.
 
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jenna973

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Sorry I haven't been on in a while. Litter training is finally making progress! He still has an occasional accident, but I bought a dish pan from the dollar store, used an exacto knife to cut it so that it's about 1.5" step up to get into, and filled it with litter. Of course it's small so litter gets strewn a bit and I have to clean it out several times daily, but he is mostly making it in. He still doesn't cover his poo, so I attend to the box regularly so that he doesn't get it on his feet. I also have to wipe his butt with a warm damp cloth because there tends to be remnants. His poo isn't diarrhea anymore, but it's a soft stool - like peanut butter or play dough consistency. He's still on canned foods but is moving from late to the chunks of meat kind. The vet said to soak crunchy food and give it to him, but he refused to eat it so I'm trying the chunks as an interim.
 

StefanZ

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They can be somewhat cloudy until quite some age.  They dont have a real good sight before perhaps 6 weeks.
 
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jenna973

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I've had him for almost a month. My first post here was 21 days ago, and I'd had him a few days before finding the site. His vet said he was 3-4 weeks old, so he's 6-7 weeks old now. The vet gave me ointment and said it was infected. It's gotten better but at certain points if seems cloudier or misshapen. It just doesn't look normal sometimes but does at other times during the same day. Does that make any sense?
 

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Yes, it can take weeks to months for an eye infection to clear up. It may take gently pulling the lower eyelid away from the eye and depositing a smear of ointment between the pulled out eyelid and the eye, down in the 'pocket' that is made when you do this,. My cats eye infection lasted 2 months and finally cleared up when I started doing this. The cloudiness should be getting better, if not you might call the vet and see if a different antibiotic is needed. I hope your little Yorkie is getting used to the new playmate, believe me in a year they will be the best of friends, your Yorkies protective instincts will kick in when she sees the advantages of having a friend, mine would chase them up a tree and then sleep with them later! I'll pray for you all, all the luck! 
 
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Sarthur2

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I agree with treating the eye as di and bob di and bob suggested.

Also, your kitten might like the kitten chow either dry, or soaked in kitten milk rather than water. I would recommend that you stay with the pate wet foods until he is bigger. Chunks are hard to manage at this little age.

His poop sounds much better. Was he ever wormed or given antibiotics for his diarrhea a few weeks back? We never got an update.

A teaspoon of plain, canned pumpkin mixed into his food will be good for his diet and soft poops.

He's a cutie! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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jenna973

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He was dewormed and they advised to go ahead and give him some of his vaccinations early due to his having lived in an unsanitary environment at such a young age. He's doing well except that he's now taken to hiding and pooping under my bed (effective yesterday) first thing in the mornings. I think he maybe just really has to go and it's closer than going across the room to the litter box. He's currently attacking my pant leg. Lol. He's fiesty for sure. I wear a Baltic Amber necklace, and I'm unsure whether it's just that it's a necklace or if it has to do with it being Amber, but he loves to chew on it! I'm hesitant to let him because I don't want it to break and him to choke. He's lucky he's cute because he can definitely be a handful. I feel like I have a two year old in the house.
 
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jenna973

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To clarify they wanted to vaccinate him early because they said due to his circumstances he'd be more prone towards feline leukemia or something. He didn't receive the entire vaccination because he's too young and I don't have the forms with me, but he received some shots and the deworming medicine.
 

di and bob

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I agree with them seeming to be worse then a two year old, you have to kittenproof your house for sure!  watch extension cords, they love to chew on those, and blind cords, tuck them up at the top and out of reach, there have been too many tragedies with those two. Thye are adorable but such a handful, just keep telling yourself,,,,"one day he will grow up and sleep more then he is awake", this too will pass! All the luck!   
 
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jenna973

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We're going to go to the vet tomorrow as his eye seems to progressively get worse and he may have ear mites. I'll post a pic of his face if he'll cooperate so you can see his eye.
 
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