Our Kitten Is Born, Need Help Please!

Yep, weight him everyday at the same time. From what I've read, they should gain 10-20 grams per day. If they don't gain or start to loose, it's time to worry.

My little LuLu passed away this morning. While the other 4 kittens had been gaining weight like little piglets, LuLu's weight was only crawling up then the last 2 days, he'd lost weight.

Should your little guy not be gaining enough, supplementing with KMR and bottle would help.

Sweet little guy you got there !

ahhh thank you so much!! I should have known better to weigh him!! Good idea guys!

Now his umbilical cord is still attached.. it looks like its disintirgrating.. should I just leave it and let it fall off itself?

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

What a cute baby. Single kitten litters are very common, I hope your Mumma kitty will be desexed once this guy is weaned

Does she like having him in the box? that would be the safest place for them

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Ahh I didn't know that ^ and yes we're going to get them both spayed and neutered. I tried making them a box but she wont stay in it... she always takes the baby to the same hiding place.

Yeah he is a little cutie =) , I'm so amazed over this whole thing!

Some more pics =)

Originally Posted by Roxybebe

Ahh I didn't know that ^ and yes we're going to get them both spayed and neutered. I tried making them a box but she wont stay in it... she always takes the baby to the same hiding place.

Yeah he is a little cutie =) , I'm so amazed over this whole thing!

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Our kitty didn't like a box either. She laid under a desk, and I put old towels down over the floor. Then you can launder them. (Mom will bleed a bit for a few days). Just don't use really loopy towels. Sometimes the kittens can get their claws stuck in the terrycloth because they can't retract their claws.

The umbilical cord will come off eventually on its own.

Originally Posted by kluchetta

Our kitty didn't like a box either. She laid under a desk, and I put old towels down over the floor. Then you can launder them. (Mom will bleed a bit for a few days). Just don't use really loopy towels. Sometimes the kittens can get their claws stuck in the terrycloth because they can't retract their claws.

The umbilical cord will come off eventually on its own.

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Thank god, I really didn't want to have to cut it

By the way can anyone tell me when the kitten's eyes will open?

Thanks!

It really sounds like things are normal. The first few hours are often a little weird as Mama is figuring out why she all of a sudden has a kitten to take care of and the kitten is wondering where the heck he is and what happened to him and what he's supposed to do now. You often don't get a real sense of how things will be until a few hours after birth. Then the kittens should be settled in and nursing and Mama should be acting comfortable and attentive to the kittens' cries.

No two mothers are exactly alike. Some NEVER leave their babies and are reluctant even to leave long enough to eat. Others spend a fair amount of time outside the nest as long as the babies are fed and comfortable. And some are just plain lousy moms and either don't know what to do or simply refuse to do it. Fortunately, the vast majority are good moms who figure out their own system for keeping their kittens happy and healthy quickly enough.

Make sure the temperature in the room is very warm (at least 85 degrees) and it would also be good to put a heat source in the nest with the kitten. An old sock filled with rice and microwaved for a minute or two does this job very well. Kittens cannot regulate their body temperatures very well and without siblings for insulation, this little guy will be more susceptible to chilling.

That's a good point about the chilling. Just make sure that the heat source doesn't touch the kitten.

I found this link helpful for the timing of everything.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46702

I used a sock filled with rice, and I put it under a folded fleece blancket which the kitten lays on. Is it ok if the sock is uner the blacket and the kitten lays ontop where the warmth is coming up from underneath? You guys said dont let the heat source touch the kitten....

Thanks you guys for all the help!

That sounds perfect! (I think that mostly means don't let a heating pad touch them, they get too hot, or the sock right after it comes out of the microwave...)

Originally Posted by Roxybebe

ahhh thank you so much!! I should have known better to weigh him!! Good idea guys!

Now his umbilical cord is still attached.. it looks like its disintirgrating.. should I just leave it and let it fall off itself?

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Yes don't mess with the cord. It you pull it off when it's not ready to come off he will bleed to death.

It's funny.. I never knew cats had umbilibal cords until I read it on this site!!

My cats have no choice but to keep their kittens in their box because they are penned.

Glad everything is going well! How exciting for you!

Originally Posted by Roxybebe

It's funny.. I never knew cats had umbilibal cords until I read it on this site!!

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Almost all mammals have umbilical cords. The only exceptions are marsupials (kangaroos, koalas, actually pretty much all of Australia's native mammals) and monotremes (egg-laying mammals, of which there are only two species, both of which are now found only in Australia). The mammals found everywhere but Australia are placental mammals, meaning that when they are in the womb they are connected to the mother with a placenta. The umbilical cord connects the fetus to the placenta.

So what this means is that your cat has a belly button...and so does the giraffe and the dog and the elephant and the antelope...

Originally Posted by Roxybebe

I used a sock filled with rice, and I put it under a folded fleece blancket which the kitten lays on. Is it ok if the sock is uner the blacket and the kitten lays ontop where the warmth is coming up from underneath? You guys said dont let the heat source touch the kitten....

Thanks you guys for all the help!

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It all depends on how warm the sock is. If you can keep it on the inside of your bare forearm comfortably, then it is okay to have it right next to the kitten. The rule about keeping a blanket in between is more for electric heating pads and other things that provide very consistent heat. Rice socks cool within a couple of hours so it is less of an issue.

Originally Posted by semiferal

Almost all mammals have umbilical cords. The only exceptions are marsupials (kangaroos, koalas, actually pretty much all of Australia's native mammals) and monotremes (egg-laying mammals, of which there are only two species, both of which are now found only in Australia). The mammals found everywhere but Australia are placental mammals, meaning that when they are in the womb they are connected to the mother with a placenta. The umbilical cord connects the fetus to the placenta.

So what this means is that your cat has a belly button...and so does the giraffe and the dog and the elephant and the antelope...

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Jeez, I should have known that.. or put two and two together!! I just never thought about it before... As far as I remember I don't recall learning anything in school about it! Oh well, now I know!

I have a couple more questions...

I was reading that new born calendar, and it says watch to see if your queen has a fever..... What signs do I look for to see if she has a fever?

It says to watch and see if the umbilical cord looks inflamed or infected.... In my case the umbilical cord was supposed to drop off either this past sunday or monday... but it's still intact.... it does look a little red where the belly button would be... but I was just wondering if that is normal, because it is healing and is kind of like a scab or something.

On last thing... when should the kitten start pooping? on the kitten calendar it states when the kitten will start pooing on its own.... but it doesn't say when I should rub his tummy to start helping him go poo.

He has put on weight, unfortunately my scale didn't work because it was too old.. but I can tell he is growing in length and gaining weight. He tummy is pretty chubby now So I expect he might need to go poop soon?

Ok thanx again!

Roxy

The remnant of the cord will drop off when it's ready, an extra few days is not a concern. Keep a close eye on it. If you see a ring of white around the base, where it meets his body, it is infected and he needs a vet.

The kitten has been pooping from the day he was born. When mumcat licks his anal area, this stimulates him to wee and poop. Mumcat eats everything. Because he has a mum, you do not need to do anything, she takes care of everything. When he reaches about 4 weeks of age, you can introduce him to a small litter pan with wheat or clay based non-clumping litter.

And with the fever, you are looking for signs such as a bad-smelling discharge from the vagina, listnessness, going off her food and an elevated temperature if you take her rectal temp.

here's a picture of his cord... there is a white ring but I thought it was just a scab forming... or dry skin.