What happened? :( And what can I do...

Yesterday I brought all 4 kittens to the vet for a check up, and to check smudge's diarrhoea.
They were all bouncing around and lively, and last night guzzled down their milk.

This morning I opened the box and saw the 2 tabbys standing over a stretched out little kovu.. he wasn't moving.. I thought he was dead.. I picked him up and felt a flicker of life, and rushed to warm him up and call the vet. He was floppy and lifeless, but I put a hot water bottle under a towel in a shoebox, and microwaved a beanbag thingy and tucked him in and set off. The vet was doing surgery so I had to wait for about 20 minutes, and in that time he came a bit to life with the heat.. it was kind of good I was delayed to see her, because I am sure if they saw him before he snapped out of it, they would have euthanised him..

Anyways.. he is dehydrated (how? He drank lots of milk last night) and was chilled and had gone into some sort of shut down.. my only thoughts are he rolled away from the hot water bottle in the box last night..

He was given fluids under the skin, and antibiotics, steroids I think.. Denise tried to put him in with a mother cat and her kittens, but they are also from my shelter, and I know her kittens are 8 weeks old and barely still suckling, so Fleur, the mother cat didn't accept Kovu.

So I took him back and have him now in the shoebox on my lap.. he has just moved a bit to move into a warmer area.. which is good considering an hour ago he couldn't support his own head..

He isn't eating.. and Denise said if he still refuses soon to syringe it into him..
I just think he doesn't have the energy.

I am in bits over this, is there anything I can do? I didn't realise how much I love these angels until now..

I don't know what to say, but I am thinking of you and sending get well vibes to your kitten

Thanks for being a great mummy to these kits

The danger with taking bottle babies to the vet is that they are so susceptible to airborn diseases. It could be anything really that is wrong with him, depending on his age if his shiver reflex isn't working yet, the kitten can get chilled quickly and losing bottle heat is a danger. He could have something genitically wrong with him- any number of things. If he were mine, I would pouch him and keep him close to my heart and my body warmth. I would buy the kitten formula with the extra colostrum add some liquid pet vitamins and GSE to the feedings and slowly just drip it into his mouth. Massage his throat gently to stimulate his gag reflex or blow one time gently in his face to startle him into swallowing.

He hasn't left my side since 10am this morning apart from being put in with the foster mummy. Who incidentally I just remembered was the one who was used to suckle my 4 before I took them home. Her kittens are a lot better now.
I have only just eaten myself..4pm.. I'v been too caught up with him

I got him to feed an hour ago, I syringed it drop by drop first, just to have something in his tummy, and after a lot of coaxing he began to suckle on the bottle.
He took a lot and his tummy is full now and he is warm and purring on my lap, tucked into a beanie bottle.

He won't be leaving my side until I am confident he is a bit better. Thanks for your advice.. is there anything I can do for tonight to make sure he stays exra warm?

here's a pic I took of Kovu after the vets.. he still couldn't quite hold his head up..



And a little while ago..

OMG, he is so cute!! I myself went through the bottle baby thing - could only keep two (I had four!) - and I agree with Hissy's advice. Just keep him close to you and do your best!! Keep feeding him on schedule and hopefully, there are no external probs over which you have no control.

Good luck!