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Is a runt in a litter a bad thing???
- Thread starter madmanmib
- Start Date
Not to scare you... but I also have the runt of a litter who has a severe heart murmur. A little disclaimer though, she's a double inbred cat so that could be the cause. Other than that she seems perfectly healthy. She's still a smaller sized cat, my 2 kittens who are 5 months old have almost caught up to her in size. I think that sometimes being the runt of a litter is a good thing because they tend to be the ones who get the most attention. You can always take it to a vet to have it examined but I think she should be just fine
I would watch her and make sure she gets lots to eat. Sometimes the smaller ones get pushed away from the food bowl. Make sure she gains weight and she should be just fine.
I adopted the runt of a litter...she has turned into a 12 lb. cat and is doing fine. Definately watch to make sure she gets enough to eat. Also, if you need a low cost clinic to have the mom cat spayed, let me know and I can look up ones in your area.
Katie
Katie
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I just was not to sure because I am new to this whole kitten thing. The only time I have ever seen a kitten is when somebody is giving them away or you see them at the SPCA. I am new to this whole newbrone kitten and mom thing and it's a little scary.
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- #6
Understood..which is why it is great that you can come here to ask questions. Lots of very knowledgeable owners and cat lovers here.
Katie
Glad you plan to have mom spayed. Just a word of advice..keep mom indoors until she is spayed. Cats can get pregnant again soon after giving birth.
Katie
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- #9
Yes...cats are induced ovulators..which means being around an intact male can lead to her going into heat and getting pregnant again. Best to keep her indoors only so that she has no ability to get pregnant again.
Katie
Yes that tomcat and every other tom cat in the area. sometimes more then one .
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My mother took in the runt of a litter once and the cat lived to be 19. So some runt eventually catch up in development and live long lives.
Actually, Katie, an intact male won't lead her to going into heat again. He will simply mate with her (even if she is unwilling - if he can catch her, he will mate with her) and the act of mating itself will cause her to ovulate. That is what is meant by "induced ovulation".
It depends on why the kitten is smaller than the others. Sometimes the kittens don't get equal nutrition in the womb. In this case there is usually nothing really wrong with the runt except his small size, and he'll probably do fine. Other times the runt has a developmental abnormality. These guys often don't do as well. But the only way to find out is to see what happens.
Keep an eye on everything and make sure Mom is feeding him along with the others. She may go with her ancestral instincts and focus her efforts on the bigger, stronger kittens and may pay less attention to the runt or even reject him completely. If this happens then he will need to be bottle fed. But again as long as there is nothing wrong with the kitten except for his small size, he should be fine.
Keep an eye on everything and make sure Mom is feeding him along with the others. She may go with her ancestral instincts and focus her efforts on the bigger, stronger kittens and may pay less attention to the runt or even reject him completely. If this happens then he will need to be bottle fed. But again as long as there is nothing wrong with the kitten except for his small size, he should be fine.
Not necessarily. My Sage was a runt of her brothers and now she is fatter than they are.
Spend some time watching all the kittens feeding. If the fourth kitten (the 'runt)is being pushed aside and cannot latch onto a nipple of his own for a good feed, use your hand or a rolled-up towel to 'shepherd' the other kittens so he can feed without interruption until he is full. Don't remove the kittens from the nest as this may cause mum-cat to become anxious. You'll need to do this several times a day so that he gets enough milk.
Thanks for the clarification Gaye....so yes, keep her indoors so those Toms cannot get to her.
Katie
I would just keep an eye on the runt and make sure it gets plenty of food time.
I have two kittens at the moment (rescued strays that I'm socializing). One is half the size of the other one. You can clearly tell who was pushy.
The runt has microphthalmia; basically, one eye is mal-formed and smaller than the other normal one. Other than that, she's more playful and more inclined to follow me around than her bigger sister.
I have two kittens at the moment (rescued strays that I'm socializing). One is half the size of the other one. You can clearly tell who was pushy.
I guess it just depends.
My Petals was Lilos' runt.
No one wanted her because she was so small. Trust me though she did not lack in the beauty department.
So after all of Lilos 6 (she had 7 but 1 didnt live past 2 days old) were given away to the best homes... she was left. And we were more than thrilled to have her as a part of our family. She has always been very healthy and full of kitten energy. Just tiny.
She eats like crazy!!!
She was just weighed yesturday and she weighed 5 lbs and 2 ounces. She is 7 and a half months old.
She is tiny.
But full of some spunk.
And here she is .... Ms. Petals herself......
My Petals was Lilos' runt.
No one wanted her because she was so small. Trust me though she did not lack in the beauty department.
So after all of Lilos 6 (she had 7 but 1 didnt live past 2 days old) were given away to the best homes... she was left. And we were more than thrilled to have her as a part of our family. She has always been very healthy and full of kitten energy. Just tiny.
She eats like crazy!!!
She was just weighed yesturday and she weighed 5 lbs and 2 ounces. She is 7 and a half months old.
She is tiny.
But full of some spunk.
And here she is .... Ms. Petals herself......
Festus was the runt of her litter, too. Although they started out all looking the same size, as they grew, it became apparent that she was smaller. But always full of spunk, and never missed a meal! LOL!
She isn't tiny anymore, although Garfield is a bit bigger than she is. But she is very healthy.
She isn't tiny anymore, although Garfield is a bit bigger than she is. But she is very healthy.
