Cold Kitten!!

Our cat just gave birth (last night we believe), and one of the kittens is cold, and I'm scared to death!

All the other ones are warm and active trying to get milk and huddle together. But one was off to the side and just laying there, only slightly moving. So I reached down and noticed she felt cold to the touch!! So I nudged her towards mommy to get her warmth. She doesn't seem to feed... Any suggestions of what I can do?? Kittens shouldn't be that cold!!! I'm trying to heat up a towel and maybe I'll place her in there

Take that kitten right now and get it warm. If it isn't too late! Do you have uncooked rice in the house? Fill up a couple of socks with rice, tie the ends and nuke the socks for 30 seconds apiece in the microwave. Take an empty pillowcase, roll down the ends making a soft pouch, put in soft towels and tuck the rice heaters under the towels. Set the kitten inside and pick up the pouch. Hold it close to your heart and your chest, keep only a little bit of an opening for air. Have someone run to the grocery store and get you some KMR and a bottle and get that kitten some formula, until the person comes back, be sure and keep the little one warm. I am not trying to scare you, but this kitten is dying which is why the mom has shunned it. You need to do all you can do to keep this baby warm, and get some food into it as soon as possible. Do you have help with this?

Originally Posted by Angel_Kat

Sorry to post here, i"m not sure its the right spot, but I noticed many people are viewing here and none where I posted. And I really needs some advice!

I posted in Pregnant Cats and Orphand kittens section.

My cat gave birth last night and one of the kittens is cold to the touch!! She was laying away from the rest and wasn't really moving. The other ones are active and try to eat.

I nudged her towards mommy but she hasn't really responded.

Help!!!

Click to expand...

I know when kittens/puppies are first born if they are not breathing you need to rub them vigorously to bring them back to life.

Unfortunately, if the mother has shunned the kitten, there is virtually no hope that she will let it drink from her again. She may detect there is some health problem with the kitten and thus is allowing it to die. If you want to do everything you can to try to keep it alive, I would get a kitten feeding kit or whatever and feed it yourself if she has shunned him/her.

what kind of bottle?? her mouth is so small... i have a ssmall corner store and a safeway up the street, i can't imagine either having a small enough nipple for the bottle. Can I just hold the kitten to the mommy's nipple? So far I've put a towel on a heater to warm it up, and have the kitten in the towel. She's moving a little more, but she's still cool to the touch.

Is it possible to overheat the kitten?

Not in this instance, but don't use human heating pads, you will burn the kitten. Use your body heat- go to www.kitten-rescue.com and check out the section about warmth. The formula can go in with an eyedropper if you have one? You have to go slow and not asphirate the poor thing. Some grocery stores are now carrying newborn bottles as well as the bottles for the older kittens. Also if you have a feeding syringe that will work- but an eyedropper would be best. This will take forever but you can always put a drop on your finger and see if she will suck it off- but it will take a very long time. This baby needs to be fed every two hours round the clock. Right now what is paramount is warmth- if you can keep her warm till tomorrow then you can get food into her.

another person said (I posted somewhere else too to get a responce faster) said that mommy may be shunning him because she detects some illness or something and .. I don't know, expects the kitten to die?

Right that is what I said, the momcat will not feed the kitten if she senses something is wrong with it. The food is secondary at this point the kitten needs to be 102 internal body temperature in order to survive, otherwise too chilled he goes into hyperthermia and his organs start shutting down. In the wild the mom would be taking this kitten out of the nest and putting it far in the field for the predators ensuring the rest of the litter will survive.

Not to sound cruel, but would it be better to let the kitten die, as it would naturally? I mean, is the fact that she's struggling now an indication that she may have more problems in the future, if she survives?

Mommy seems to be concerned, trying to take the kitten to the 'nest', but doesn't do anything when she's there.

Can you hold the kitten to the mom's teats? Could it be that the kitten is to weak or to little to suck? If you cup the kitten in your hand and hold it up will it suck? Is there anyway you can get to a vet?

It seems to try and suck, but doesn't succeed. I put my finger at her mouth and immediately she tried to suck, but she doesn't seem to have enough oomph to really accomplish anything productive.

Mommy insists I let her take her back to the nest, but then ignores her!! So strange

As I said hold the baby in your cupped palm up to the teat- and see if she sucks the milk

The absolute FIRST thing you have to do is get the kitten warm ... don't worry about feeding it right now, don't worry about giving the kitten back to the mom. Get the kitten WARM now or else you ~are~ going to lose it.

Follow the instruction given at www.kitten-rescue.com for Cold Kitten and do that immediately.

Angel how is the baby kitten doing?

I'm sorry... we.. couldn't... I tried.

Sometimes it is not meant to be, and it seems as if Nature is playing cruel tricks. I am sorry for your loss, but you did all you could. Now you must concentrate on the healthy ones, and help them on their way to long and happy lives.

Oh I am so sorry, seems sometimes nothing we do really helps, but I am sure you tried the best you could, you and the kitty family are in my prayers

With newborn kittens you must get them warm and keep them warm. Without warmth they will die. The food can come later, the socialization with mom can come later. If the kitten is cold or smells "off" to the mom, she will ignore the kitten and eventually take it out somewhere and leave it to the elements and to the predators so the rest of her litter will survive. It is nature's way. Taking the kitten away from the mom immediately and doing everything in your power to get that core temperature up to 101 degrees can extend the young life long enough to get it to someone in the know that can feed and care for it.

It's not easy to do, and even after you get them warm, and you get food into them, they could die anyway.It's called fading kitten syndrome and it happens in the best rescuer's care as well in the novice's hands. You did all you could do under the circumstances. I am lighting a candle in the
Bridge for this baby.