Kitten with harelip?

Has anybody here had any experience with hare-lipped kittens? Our shelter took in a very young (probably under 6 months, according to the vet) pregnant cat two weeks ago, and she gave birth to three kittens on Wednesday. Anyway, one kitten has a harelip (no cleft palate, as far as we can see), and is having a little bit of trouble suckling, and so is also getting extra bottle feedings. I called three area vets this afternoon to ask about him (or her, we can't quite tell, but we think a male), and none of them have had any experience with harelipped cats, though one vet said she had a dog with a harelip as a patient, but that nothing has ever been done about it. I'll call an animal clinic I'm fairly sure can deal with it on Monday. My question is: Is this something that has to be "repaired" ASAP? I can't imagine anything being done when the kitten is so young and tiny. Is such an operation done once the kitten is a few months old? Is there anything other than extra bottle feedings that we can do to help? I'm saying bottle feedings, but actually we're (I've got the 6 a.m. feeding) using an eye dropper. A syringe is simply too big at this point, and he really has trouble sucking. We're holding him upright, and squeezing a few drops of KMR into his mouth at a time. I looked inside his mouth, and his palate seems to be intact, and he has no trouble swallowing. Momma cat seems anxious, but isn't rejecting him. Any advice would be appreciated!

Trish, the outlook for these kittens are pretty grim. I had one in a litter years ago, and it didn't survive. I have not heard of a kitten being bottle fed that has, because of the holes and where they lead. The only way this kitten will survive is to tube feed it.

Originally Posted by hissy

Trish, the outlook for these kittens are pretty grim. I had one in a litter years ago, and it didn't survive. I have not heard of a kitten being bottle fed that has, because of the holes and where they lead. The only way this kitten will survive is to tube feed it.

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Ouch. If a tube is implanted, and I can keep the kitten with me (I know my boss won't have any objections to me bringing him to work with me), do you think he has a chance? I'm used to "multitasking", and think I could pull off feeding a kitten and teaching at the same time. His lips are deformed, but he seems to be thriving on the KMR.

If you can tube feed the wee one and keep it alive until it can have the surgery, or until the holes plug up then yes, there is a chance. But I will warn you, it is still a slight chance and it might be best to just end it for this kitten now, peacefully and quickly.

Tricia,

We had a litter a few years back and two of the kittens born had harelips, one of them was a stillborn and one we got put to sleep. We thought it was the kindest thing for it!

Originally Posted by jcat

Ouch. If a tube is implanted, and I can keep the kitten with me (I know my boss won't have any objections to me bringing him to work with me), do you think he has a chance? I'm used to "multitasking", and think I could pull off feeding a kitten and teaching at the same time. His lips are deformed, but he seems to be thriving on the KMR.

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I am sending a prayer your way... hope the best is the outcome

I am so sorry...no advice, just can say the only time I had a kitten with this, it was also an anencephalic..so just not compatible with life

My concern is that you will find out this is not the only defect this kitten has.
Saying a prayer for it,

There is a story HERE that talks about a surviving cat with a cleft palate and hare lip. From what I gather it was an awful lot of work with surgeries to repair down the road. (Its about 3/4 of the way down the page - with picture)

Also, Just because you cant see a cleft palate, doesn't mean there isn't one. Sometimes you can get a cleft of the hard palate, but the soft palate covers it making it almost impossible to see.

I wish you the very best with this kitten. Its a tough position for you to be in.

My vet came to the shelter and examined him today (see why I've been sticking to the same vet for over 20 years?), and she says his palate and tongue seem to be fine. She fed him, too, and checked out his swallowing. She also thinks that he'll be able to eat solid food without any difficulty if we can get him through the next 5 weeks, since the main problem seems to be his lip. It's not "connected" under his little nose. He's still trying to suckle, and his mother isn't stopping him, and he's being bottle fed every three hours. The idea is not to get him so "full" that he stops trying to suckle, but if he doesn't continue to gain weight, we'll have to go to feedings every two hours. He weighed 102 grams at birth, which is on the small side, and today, his third full day of life, he weighed 134 grams, so he's gaining about 10 grams a day. Ten to 15 grams a day is supposedly a "normal" weight gain. His sisters haven't been weighed since Wednesday, but seem to be about the same size. He definitely is a "he", according to the vet, and he's apparently been dubbed "Timmi" by the volunteer with the 3 a.m. feeding (the guy starts work at 3:30 - 4:00 a.m., delivering newspapers from the publisher, so he doesn't mind taking the "graveyard shift").
So keep your fingers crossed for Timmi!
P.S. The picture of "Merlin" on the messybeast site will give you a good idea of what Timmi's lips look like.

Fingers crossed

Here's hoping!

I will keep this little one in my thoughts and prayers, sounds like he (and all the volunteers!) is doing well.

Fingers crossed here for little Timmi as well...

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I will keep this little one in my thoughts and prayers, sounds like he (and all the volunteers!) is doing well.

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I think we have too many different volunteers (6) doing the feedings, but so far momma isn't objecting at all. She does seem to be nuzzling and washing him more than the other two, though. The woman who usually does this sort of thing in her own home had hip replacement surgery on Monday, so everybody is improvising. I have no experience with kittens this young, though I've bottle fed baby rabbits and puppies, so I'm a nervous wreck. If he needs a tube, I'm going to be on the spot, as I'm the only one who can realistically take him to work on days when my and hubby's work schedules overlap. The one problem I can foresee there is not being able to set him up under a heat lamp in the teachers' lounge or office, because we have two school cats. Their shots are up to date, but still. He's not coughing or choking, and no milk is coming out his nose, so hopefully this will work out. The Messy Beast site makes it sound as if a harelip is always in conjunction with a cleft palate, though not necessarily vice-versa.

I love my vet! She sent me an email a few minutes ago, with the telephone number of a guy (professor) she contacted at the local university veterinary school. He's willing to take a look at Timmi this week (Wednesday or Thursday), and has the equipment to do a thorough examination of his palate. Yippee! Timmi has gained 12 grams since yesterday, and uses his feet to push against your hand while being fed. That really makes me think that he doesn't have a cleft palate, and will be able to make it. He also half-opened one eye???? The other good news is that his nighttime nanny and name-giver (the guy taking care of the 3 a.m. feeding) plans to adopt him. When I went to feed him at 6 a.m., I found a little note reading, "Do not release for adoption" on his chart, and called J. this afternoon to ask about it. He's totally in love with this kitten. The name is from a popular German children's book, "Tim und Struppi". J. has a 20-year-old cat that probably won't even notice a new addition, according to him, so Timmi may very well have lucked out.

Aw let us know how it goes. He sounds like a real sweetie.

That is wonderful

Timmi's new/future "Daddy" called - he's got an 8 a.m. appointment on Wednesday at the university animal clinic, and has promised to call or text me right away once he knows something. They're going to use an endoscope through Timmi's nostril to check out his palate, and do other tests. They did tell him that harelips are also possible without cleft palates (I sent him the Messy Beast link, which worried him, too.) Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I really have the feeling that this kitten wants to survive, and that his momma is doing her best to ensure it, as young and inexperienced as she is.

Trish, I've just read this thread. It's absolutely MARvelous how your staff have pulled together for Tiny Timmi I think you're right, this little guy's a real fighter, and he couldn't ask for better folks on his team!

The "verdict" is in: Timmi's lips (bottom one, too, which we hadn't noticed) are deformed, but his palate, tongue and nasal cavities look okay, meaning no operations are necessary! He's healthy, but could stand to gain a little weight, and will be getting a different milk replacer for the next four weeks or so. I don't know the name of it yet, but it's apparently not sold in pet stores here.
What a relief! Now we just have to get him through till he can eat solids. I bet he'll be a messy eater, too!