Help! My 16 yo son stepped on his kitten

My son came home 4 days ago with two five week old kittens (too young to be taken from mother i feel) but apparently the owner said the mother cat had stopped feeding...and was rejecting the smaller of the two...
Last night @ 8:35pm he accidentally stood on the strong and healthy one.. I dont know whereabouts shes hurt because she was under a blanket and my son is around 70kg..its now 2:09 pm the next day and even though i rushed her straight to the vet and nothings broken (she had been panting quite heavily and had urinated and pooed in her blanket while waiting for the vet to arrive, I thought i was going to lose her). I was really upset and crying.
He said she had nothing broken and gave her a cortisone injection.. i've had her back at the vet at 10:40 this morning and they seem to think shes okay.
Im worried though because one eye seems to look larger than the other either that or shes not closing it..shes just sleeping a real lot and has no appetite, i've given her a little water with an eyedropper.. but am not sure what to do. The vet said to bring her back tomorrow if shes not eating or drinking by then. I feel useless and am not sure what to do for her.
Any suggestions?

I'm sure your son feels terrible. I'm sorry I have no advice, but I hope she will be okay.

Try putting some corn syrup, simple syrup or maple (or pancake) syrup onto the kitten's tongue or gums. Sometimes the raise in blood sugar will stimulate their appetite.

Also try some meat babyfood (make sure there is no onion in it) mixed with warm water. You can even try to use an eyedropper to force feed him a bit of that if you have to until he will eat again.

He might be in a little bit of shock. If the vet is sure he's okay, then hopefully he's right. If you think maybe not, perhaps you can take him for a second opinion to someone else if there is no improvement.

Don't let him go much longer with nutrients or liquids because kittens dehydrate very quickly and it is very dangerous. If he doesn't eat or drink enough by tomorrow, at the very least, take him to the vet and ask the vet give him liquids under the skin to rehydrate him. That might also make him feel a lot better and get him eating again.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Thank you Missy .. my son is beside himself and will be even more so if we lose her.
I know she's in shock I guess we just have to wait

Thanks Charmed..I have golden syrup (i think thats the same)
And she's been seen by 2 different vets (same clinic) one old and one young. The two veterinarians say shes female but the nurse says its a male
(Apparently ginger females are rare?) I don't know who to believe..or care i just want him/her to be okay.
Okay ill keep you posted i have pictures too! if everything works out and im not in mourning ill post them soon.
Im going to buy some babyfood. Thank you so much for helping.

Yep, golden syrup is the same. I wasn't sure what it was called in the UK.

I hope it works, I'll hoping and sending good vibes!

One other thing to try is keeping him warm. Maybe a hot water bottle or something like that (not a heating pad, which can get too hot).

put some rice in a sock and microwave it for a few minutes, makes a really good kitten heater.

Hi-life do a really strong smelling kitten food that might tempt the kitten. its fish flavoured.

I would adore a ginger female cat, my friend has one and she's gorgeous!

Thanks guys ..its now eight hours since i last posted..shes still with us..wont take much water and not interested in milk BUT just after my last post ..i warmed up some kitten food and she took it from my hand..i was overjoyed.. left eye still swollen ..hopefully it will subside, it looks kind of scary.
Shes eaten twice more since then..and has been purring (i hope this is a good sign)
I got her a hot water bottle but the rooms quite warm and she's kind of not wanting to be snug and or cosy. Her left side seems to have bore the brunt of the injury. She wont lie on it and the left eye being swollen tells me this also.
Thanks for listening and the good vibes (keep them coming!)
Its so sad to see the jam taken out of such a beautiful playful kitten.
Anyway must try and get some sleep, if thats at all possible lol.. bye and thanks again...will keep you posted

Hope your kitten's ok and recovers soon. Tell your son not to beat himself up about it - it's so easy to step on kittens since they're so small and always seem to be under your feet.

Ginger females are relatively rare but do exist - a work colleague of mine had 2 ginger girls.

please keep us updated. i would love to see pictures. hope you son is not taking it to hard. it is so easy to step on them they are constantly under your feet. my cats when they were kittens if i was sitting on the couch they were sleeping by my feet and if i got up i would have to try to keep from stepping on them. I almost lost my balance a few times as they are right there. good luck hope everything works out great with your new kitty. I am sending vibes.

I had a barn cat who had kittens years ago, and they were living in our pole barn. I tried to leave the pole barn quickly and close the door so the kittens would stay safe inside...one baby ran quickly enough that she was in the heavy metal door when I slammed it. It hit her across the shoulders, leaving her unable to use her front arms for a day.

It is so painful to know you are the cause of suffering in a tiny innocent being! But please remind your son that the reason it is called an accident is because that is just what it is...and accident. We do what we think is the best that we can, but sometimes we make the wrong decision, or don't see the little ones who we are trying to protect and care for.

Acknowlege his grief and feelings of guilt, but be sure to let him know that you do not hold him at fault.

Sometimes kitties purr when in pain, but they also purr when they are happy...so it is hard to judge that. My kitten recovered, and never showed any signs of disability. The fact that she is eating is a very good sign. I pray the same will be true of your baby.

how is the kitten now...

Thanks all so much for your get well wishes .. its nearly 40 hours since the accident..(2:30 pm Australia time) I think it's a miracle she survived .. considering i thought she was dying on the way to the vet .. its all so horrible to remember.. her head was lolling around like her neck was broken or something ..she mustve been unconscious. I was so prepared for the worst.. i feel we are really lucky to have her here still.. she loves the hot water bottle better than keeping the room warm i think she was getting too hot (her little sibling likes it as well and doesnt understand why gingers not beating him/her up anymore lol)

My son is also okay still a bit sad and dark on himself but ive told him the kitten doesnt/didnt know it was him.. He wouldnt look at her or go near her when it was 'touch and go'

Im really hoping shes almost out of the woods .. shes been eating well and going to the toilet okay.. she still cant move around too well though very tender sore and bruised is my guess..her eye also seems less swollen.

Thanks again for all your posts! I'll be back with an update and hopefully some pictures..very hard to find the time .. trying to catch up on some housework now ..looking after these little twins has been very time consuming!!!!! I'll be back asap

Poor thing. I think she is bruised also. She has made it almost 2 full days. Looking brighter.. Keep the hope up we will keep the prayers going

Thanks mom..shes still doing well...even playing a little .. im not familiar with this format and haven't posted a picture of her ye .. i have however, taken some pictures of her and uploaded them onto the comp.. Im off to bed now and have to work tomorrow
I had today off because i didn't want to leave her/them...
Trying to talk 14 yo daughter into staying home from school to babysit lol
Thanks agin! for all your prayers and your wonderful site.. xxx and a big kiss from little ginger kitten X (still deciding on names)

Your poor son!! That brought tears to my eyes that he was so upset!

If it wasnt for him the poor little mites wouldnt even have a home - he's being way too hard on himself.

Bless you and your family for doing your best for these little kitties! My prayers are with the kitten and all of you.

I just now saw this thread. I was worried about the poor kitten while I was reading it, but I'm so glad she's improving and is even playing a little!!!!

And I agree with the others, what happened was a horrible unfortunate accident, and I hope your son stops feeling bad and being so hard on himself soon.

I'm glad she's improving

i am so glad to hear your kitten is doing so much better. keep us updated and I can't wait to see pictures.