Kitten has a bad meow

naitron

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I'm taking care of a 3 week old kitten and well it's been acting weird. It's meows sound dry and as if it's in pain or something. It's my brothers cat and he never plays with it and no one has time to play with it. I let it in my room for an hour a day to play with it. Anyways I'm just wondering is there anything wrong with it. Also it's really freaking playful. Please help cause I have never taken care of an animal before.
 

zissou'smom

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Where is the kitten's mother?????? A three week old kitten needs constant care, how did you end up with this kitten? Are you sure it's only three weeks old? A kitten that young would only just be learning how to pee and poop without being stimulated. Has he been?

You should be feeding him KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement), keeping him very very very warm. A tube sock filled with dry, white rice, put in the microwave a couple minutes, and then snuggle him up next to it.

It's very sad that there is a three week old kitten who nobody can properly care for. I'm very curious to hear more about what's going on.

In the meantime, look through this site:
http://kitten-rescue.com/
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by Naitron

I'm taking care of a 3 week old kitten and well it's been acting weird. It's meows sound dry and as if it's in pain or something. It's my brothers cat and he never plays with it and no one has time to play with it. I let it in my room for an hour a day to play with it. Anyways I'm just wondering is there anything wrong with it. Also it's really freaking playful. Please help cause I have never taken care of an animal before.
Please, please tell me this kitten is more than 3 weeks old! If not, you need to start looking after it, feeding it often, stimulating it to use the bathroom, ensuring it is warm enough and so much more or this little one will surely die on you.
 
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naitron

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I'm sorry it's my brothers kitten. He got it from someone for free. Yes unfortunately it is only 3 weeks old. I'm sorry but I do not know how to take care of cats. I've been trying but I don't have alot of time either. My brother is an idiot and he's not here anymore because well he's in jail right now. The idiot had to get a cat even though he knew he was to go to jail. I've been buying it food and kitty litter and my brother well does nothing. Anyways I'll try better but I'm just wondering if theres anything wrong with it. It hasn't gotten any shots but it does have a flea collor.
 

yosemite

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Take the flea collar off IMMEDIATELY. Flea collars can and will kill kittens, especially that young. The collar is probably poisoning this kitten.

Do NOT give this kitten cow milk. Try to get some KMR (kitten milk replacement) at a pet store and you need to feed this kitty often.

Do you have an SPCA or shelter or good vet that you can call for assistance?
 

hell603

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TAKE OFF THE FLEA COLLOR - they are NOT SAFE !!!!!!!!!!

Make an appointment by the Vet immediately and have her checked!!!! When they are so young they are very very fragile !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

zissou'smom

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If you are unwilling to take care of this kitten, please find someone who can. Buying it food and litter is not going to cut it, and neither is an hour a day. I'm sorry your brother did something irresponsible, but being unable to give this kitten what it needs may very well cause its death. You are 20 years old, hopefully you can find a no-kill shelter to bring it to or someone willing to give the kitten what it needs.
Did you look at the site I linked to? A kitten that young needs milk replacement (KMR) not kitten food, I'd be surprised if he even eats any of it. A kitten that young needs to be kept warm, needs to be stimulated to use the bathroom (not just given litter), etc. It needs nearly 24-hour full-time care.

Honestly, it should have been with its mother for a couple more MONTHS, so basically you are dealing with an orphaned kitten.
 
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naitron

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I do plan on giving it away. Please do not take your anger out on me I'm here to figure out what to do so I can better care for it for now. I did take the collar off. ['''''''''''lllll <--- )kitty typing) and I'm playing with it more. Im reading about how to care for a kitten on the site that was linked. Anyways it is eating, I've been feeding it canned food, now I'm feeding it like hard food which is designed for all ages. It's claws are very sharp
and it's very playful.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by Naitron

I do plan on giving it away. Please do not take your anger out on me I'm here to figure out what to do so I can better care for it for now. I did take the collar off. ['''''''''''lllll <--- )kitty typing) and I'm playing with it more. Im reading about how to care for a kitten on the site that was linked. Anyways it is eating, I've been feeding it canned food, now I'm feeding it like hard food which is designed for all ages. It's claws are very sharp
and it's very playful.
Bless you for what you are doing. Please don't take offense but we are all such huge cat lovers here that when we hear of a kitten in trouble or hurting we get panicked (I know I did when I read your post). It's a little young to be eating dry food I would think and if you added the replacement milk to the canned food I think that would also be better. Thanks for getting that terrible collar off. Has it gone to the bathroom, i.e., pee or poo?

Does the kitty have fleas? Is there any way you can get it to a vet to have it checked out? If the kitten has fleas, it may also have worms but may be too young just yet for de-worming. Also, never give over-the-counter flea or worm medication to the kitten.

Please keep us up to date on how kittie is doing.
 

AbbysMom

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The site that they gave you the link to is an excellent site
It should give you a lot of useful information to help take care of the sweet little kitten. It would also be a good idea to give the vet a call to give you a little help with this.


As everyone has told you, the kitty is a bit young to be away from its mother, so you do have to give it a little extra TLC as if you were the kitty's mom.
 

jen

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You either need to feed it specifically young kitten food or wet canned food. Preferably wet canned food since he is still so young. KMR is preferable to. Is he going to the bathroom on his own? Where do you live? If you live near me I would gladly take him!
 

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We realize you looked us up because you want to do the right thing--please don't take it as an attack--it's only concern. I will tell you from personal experience that caring for a 3 week old kitten is an expensive and time consuming job. I just did this in spring and to care for it properly meant I had to be home most of the time and be willing to get up with it at night. It meant shelling out for kitten formula that is pricey and vet visits. It meant hand feeding it by a medicine dropper for the next month until it was fully weaned to solid food. It meant loads of time holding the kitten, talking to the kitten, and playing with the kitten to make up for the lack of attention it would have had from its mother and siblings.

If you can't afford both the time and money it would probably be best to look for someone who can help. A call to the local animal shelter might turn up someone who is willing to provide foster care for the kitten.
 

jen

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Ya really his meow is the least of your worries now


I had a 3-4 week old kitten from my uncle a month ago and luckily he would only eat wet kitten food so I didn't have to bottle feed him. I mixed KMR in with it becuase I knew he should be eating something better for him. But he used the litterbox no problem too. He was from like 20 generations of feral barn cat so I was shocked he was so nice and learned everything so fast.

Good luck, good to see you are learning how to care for him. Really food is your main concern right now and getting any problems treated like fleas. Good thing you already took the flea collar off.
 

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Bless you for trying to care for this kitten - I know it's not your fault that the kitten is away from its Mom at such a young age. You are doing absolutely the right thing trying to find out how to care for it - use all means at your disposal to gain more information.

Look at the threads and links in this forum, phone your local humane society or rescue society for help, try to get some help and information form a Vet. Information is power, the more you have, the better you'll be able to help this little baby.

I really hope this little kitten gets to stay with you rather than your brother - you are showing so much concern in trying to do the right thing.

Good luck
 
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naitron

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The kittys been eating food fine, pooping and peeing in the litter box fine also. We really have to give this cat away and my idiot brother will throw a fit when he gets out of jail, but thats his fault. Anyways thanks and I know it' expensive I'm going through financial problems myself and I just got a job today. Which means I wil have about no time for the cat.
 

ms_joshica

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Wow. If you live anywhere in the Gary, Merrillville area of Indiana I will gladly take the poor dear in but I would just try right now to find a "good" care giver for that poor baby at this point. Like they said, try to find a no-kill animal shelter that will foster care the baby until he is big enough to adopt out. There are also less formal care givers (i.e. those who breed, and care for strays off of government grants, or out of their own pocket) I would exhaust all options possible to get this poor baby some help. And by all means, be sure the facility you send the baby to is reputable or it doesn't make him/her any better off. Don't just give him to anyone, be sure you give him to someone who KNOWS what they are doing. And Bless you seriously for doing this and being such a caring foster mom.
 

jen

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Actually he lives in Oregon and he said he is going to give the kitten to the pound. I have sent an email asking him not to because the pound will probably euthanize him and he will not receive the care he needs but I haven't heard back from him yet.
 

ms_joshica

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Oooh that is so sad. That is the worst thing you can do. Shelters like that kill first and ask questions later, but depending on where you live there may just not be enough experts who are willing to take on the responsiblity of a 3week old orphan, or good facilities that foster out first and then adopt out.
poor thing.
 
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