That sounds good. Put mama in to nurse the kitten every couple of hours. You should get a nap too!
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Lifeless 4 week kitten
- Thread starter applejacksalex
- Start Date
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- #22
Sarthur2
Thank you so much for all the feedback! I really hope this one pulls through, and I'll do my best to make that happen
I hope this kitten pulls through for you! Hang in there!
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- #24
Thank you all so much, this has all been really heart breaking, but I really appreciate all the advice, love, and support. It means a lot [emoji]10084[/emoji]
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- #25
Sarthur2
Thank you so much. He's on and off right now, the color in his mouth I can't tell if its fading or not, it's a little pale again, I'm trying to feed him, and he's trying so hard not to eat. I can't tell if mama kitty fed him or not her nipples are swollen and Idk if she has a disease or just weening? Idk I just don't wanna lose another kitten ..then my poor baby would've lost all of her kittens..I feel so bad she had to lose any :/
I do have a couple questions though..can I give mama kitty a bath ? And its pretty hot here, how hot should the room be before its a problem?
Do you have air conditioning? Or a fan to use? I do not think that heat is causing the problems though, if that's what you are worrying about.
Why do you want to bathe mama kitty?
Why do you want to bathe mama kitty?
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- #27
Sarthur2
To try and get rid of some fleas
And yeah I got a fan in the room but its really hot in there
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- #28
And no we don't have air conditioning at all
Yes, you can give her a bath in warm water with Dawn. You really need to get Advantage II from the vet or a pet store though. It would be much more effective on the fleas than a bath.
It won't do much good to bathe the kitten without bathing mom cat, here is from another thread that I recently posted in on how to bathe for fleas.
It is basically the same for mom, the most important thing is, that you start with a thick sudsy ring of soap all the way around her neck, it sounds like there is a serious amt of fleas on her and kitten.
The longer you are dousing her with water, the better chance that the fleas will be forced to let go of the skin and down the drain, the larger adult fleas can hold on for a good 15 minutes even.
Vacuuming is very helpful too! Just be sure to put the vacuum outside afterwards until you either change the bag or empty it out in the trash and re-seal it again, fleas can escape a vacuum once it's turned off.
As far as fleas and dirty, well fleas will cause them to be anemic, so you will want to get rid of that problem asap. Once they start eating canned and are still learning, they will have food all over them! So bathing is a good thing too.
If you have Dawn dish soap, the blue one, this is great for bathing.
But here are some things that are extremely important to know that will get them flea free and clean and healthy.
You will need the soap, a washcloth and towels, and also a warm box or container to put the clean kittens, once all are bathed leave them there while you clean/change up bedding in the carrier/box you will be keeping them in to get rid of random freeloaders
Run the faucet hot water until it reaches it's hottest, then turn it down and turn cold on, until the temp is good and warm but not hot, doing this way is so it doesn't get hotter while bathing.
Take 1 kitten at a time, and before wetting you will need to create a thick soap ring around the entire neck, as high up behind ears and head as possible, using the washcloth, wetting it and putting soap on it, make swirls all around the neck. This creates a barrier from the fleas, who will quickly run up in to kittens eyes, ears, nose, etc. which we don't want.
Once the ring is made, proceed to wet the body and soap it up, be sure to get underarms and legs/chest areas well.
You will start to see fleas going down the drain, and red or pink water, which is flea poop/dried blood.
The longer you work each kitten the more fleas will drop off.
There are always bigger fleas that will not let go for some time, it can take as long as 15 minutes for a flea to let go and drown, also when wet it is easier to see hiding fleas that you can pick off and send down the drain.
I hold kitten by the scruff and turn over on to the palm of my hand to bathe since the kitten will relax with the warm water, and be able to see fleas best.
Rinse soap well including the neck ring, use the washcloth to wipe face/ears off, and wrap in a towel.
Dry as good as possible
As far as feeding, for whatever reason the kittens did not get enough to eat, and you need to save this last one, there is no reason for you to lose him, except not enough food, and/or flea infestation, so get them bathed asap.
Kitten MUST take in about 80 mls per day, that is alot but at 4 weeks this is not nearly the average, which is more like 128 mls a day, this one will die too if this doesn't happen immediately.
You are allowing kitten to choose how much is eaten, it is not up to him, he doesn't know that he needs it, and when able to nurse from mom, will continue to fight being fed.
My recommendation is to completely supplement him so you know for sure he is getting enough.
Using a larger no needle syringe, feeding at least 10 mls will help, but should take as much as 15 mls every time, but you can work up to this.
It is basically the same for mom, the most important thing is, that you start with a thick sudsy ring of soap all the way around her neck, it sounds like there is a serious amt of fleas on her and kitten.
The longer you are dousing her with water, the better chance that the fleas will be forced to let go of the skin and down the drain, the larger adult fleas can hold on for a good 15 minutes even.
Vacuuming is very helpful too! Just be sure to put the vacuum outside afterwards until you either change the bag or empty it out in the trash and re-seal it again, fleas can escape a vacuum once it's turned off.
As far as fleas and dirty, well fleas will cause them to be anemic, so you will want to get rid of that problem asap. Once they start eating canned and are still learning, they will have food all over them! So bathing is a good thing too.
If you have Dawn dish soap, the blue one, this is great for bathing.
But here are some things that are extremely important to know that will get them flea free and clean and healthy.
You will need the soap, a washcloth and towels, and also a warm box or container to put the clean kittens, once all are bathed leave them there while you clean/change up bedding in the carrier/box you will be keeping them in to get rid of random freeloaders
Run the faucet hot water until it reaches it's hottest, then turn it down and turn cold on, until the temp is good and warm but not hot, doing this way is so it doesn't get hotter while bathing.
Take 1 kitten at a time, and before wetting you will need to create a thick soap ring around the entire neck, as high up behind ears and head as possible, using the washcloth, wetting it and putting soap on it, make swirls all around the neck. This creates a barrier from the fleas, who will quickly run up in to kittens eyes, ears, nose, etc. which we don't want.
Once the ring is made, proceed to wet the body and soap it up, be sure to get underarms and legs/chest areas well.
You will start to see fleas going down the drain, and red or pink water, which is flea poop/dried blood.
The longer you work each kitten the more fleas will drop off.
There are always bigger fleas that will not let go for some time, it can take as long as 15 minutes for a flea to let go and drown, also when wet it is easier to see hiding fleas that you can pick off and send down the drain.
I hold kitten by the scruff and turn over on to the palm of my hand to bathe since the kitten will relax with the warm water, and be able to see fleas best.
Rinse soap well including the neck ring, use the washcloth to wipe face/ears off, and wrap in a towel.
Dry as good as possible
As far as feeding, for whatever reason the kittens did not get enough to eat, and you need to save this last one, there is no reason for you to lose him, except not enough food, and/or flea infestation, so get them bathed asap.
Kitten MUST take in about 80 mls per day, that is alot but at 4 weeks this is not nearly the average, which is more like 128 mls a day, this one will die too if this doesn't happen immediately.
You are allowing kitten to choose how much is eaten, it is not up to him, he doesn't know that he needs it, and when able to nurse from mom, will continue to fight being fed.
My recommendation is to completely supplement him so you know for sure he is getting enough.
Using a larger no needle syringe, feeding at least 10 mls will help, but should take as much as 15 mls every time, but you can work up to this.
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- #31
catwoman707
Thanks for all the help and advice. I was just worried to bathe the kitten because he's so young little and kinda weak.. He meows a lot when you try and hold him, and he eats about 5mls every time I feed him but I feed him more frequently. After he decides he's done, I still try and feed him more. I do try and kinda force it on him, he just starts meowing and then mama comes up and starts panting and freaking out cause I have her last baby..but when I feed him, I feed him KMR and the vet gave us some soft food its called I think Mr hills a/d? The vet basically shoved some in all their mouths but she said it was for sick cats..
About the fleas
I vacuumed and changed all bedding, I am gonna give mama a bath Ina few I just wanted to make sure it was okay..and I'll give the baby a bath as long as it won't hurt him.
No, won't hurt him.
He does sound weak, not sure if due to anemia, lack of enough food, or both, but suspect both, 2 things going against him.
You can take control over these 2 kitten killers though, hoping it is not beyond the point of no return yet, and the only way to find out is taking action now, right away
5 mls fed, hate to say it but with that amt, it needs to be given every hour then, except during the night can be getting up once.
This is very hard and time consuming to do, so any extra mls given will help.
Goal in the next day is working up to feeding 8-10 mls every 2 hours on the clock, meaning regardless of how long it takes to feed, feed again 2 hours after the start of the previous feeding, this will help keep track of intake for a day.
Small little amts in to cheek area, swallow, breathe, repeat. Keep the formula warmed by dropping the full syringe in to a cup of hot water now and then during feeding, kitten will take much easier than when cooled off. Should be body temp like mama's milk is
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- #33
catwoman707
Thank you again..
I'll try and feed him more and get this flea thing under control.
This is my first time ever fostering a kitten so I'm extremely nervous especially after all that's happened..
I just got done burying the two babies who passed last night.. Rest in peace my babies..
I'm gonna bathe mom and kitten, is there anything else I should know before bathing? Like she I'm done bathing baby kitty, should I dry him and then hold him in a different towel to keep him warm?
Yes, basic common sense really, I wasn't concerned with getting cold since you said it's really hot right now, towel dry as well as possible, if it's at least 80+ degrees and no wind I'd say he will be okay unless I don't have a clear picture of how he is doing now, is he acting unwell?
Mom will groom herself dry and likely the kitten too though.
They do need flea protection as soon as possible though since there are so many fleas now, they will hop on them and be full again otherwise, until cats are flea treated for the next couple/few months to help clear them out of the house.
When bathing the kitten, assuming you are right handed, scruff the kitten in your left hand and turn over, keeping scruffed but laying tummy side up in your hand to bathe.
Remember the soap ring too.
Very important, without it, it's gross, a zillion fleas all running upwards to their face, eyes, ears, nose, yuck.
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- #35
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- #36
And honeatly I don't have any money right now? What should I get to treat it
Are you able to get some diametacious earth by chance?
The food grade type can be put right on them.
I know, flea meds aren't cheap.
I wish they sold the tubes individually so it doesn't cost so much at once!
Other than that, getting a good flea comb helps too, but the cheap kind are a waste of your money.
I have actually sat in the bathroom by the toilet paper and the toilet, use the comb and have a small wad of tp in your hand, so after you swipe and get fleas, clear the comb with the tp and drop in the toilet, down the drain ya go freeloader! lol
The food grade type can be put right on them.
I know, flea meds aren't cheap.
I wish they sold the tubes individually so it doesn't cost so much at once!
Other than that, getting a good flea comb helps too, but the cheap kind are a waste of your money.
I have actually sat in the bathroom by the toilet paper and the toilet, use the comb and have a small wad of tp in your hand, so after you swipe and get fleas, clear the comb with the tp and drop in the toilet, down the drain ya go freeloader! lol
Vets will usually sell one individual tube of Advantage II if asked.
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- #39
I'll have to look it up- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #40
Also about the fleas..
Is it safe to use that kind of treatment on the mom if she's still semi feeding?
Is it safe to use that kind of treatment on the mom if she's still semi feeding?
