3 Week Old Kitten.

[Lunatasi]

Hello everyone. I am new to this site. I need some advice. I was recently contact by a friend. One her female cats got out before she got her fixed and she got pregnant. She told me that after the cat had her kittens, she stopped eating and basically starved to death for 3 weeks. The kittens were orphaned and she couldn't care for 5 of them plus her 1 year old and 10 day old children. She asked me if Id like to take any in and I agreed but could only take 1 in. I am somewhat new on the care. I know that I am suppose to help them potty and feed them. I tried kitten formula in a bottle but he chewed the nipple right off. So I tried to get him to lap it up from a plate and he wouldn't. I tried gruel and he was only eating a tiny bit. Today, I tried only soft cat food and he ate quite a bit. He has had the runs since yesterday but he is acting normal. He is playing and running around. The runs is probably from the food change but how long will it last? Is just soft cat food okay? I don't want to force feed him kitten formula if I don't absolutely have to. He has also been wanting to sleep right on me. Mostly up by my neck, "skin to skin." is this normal for an orphan? Any other advice would be appreciate. Sorry this was incredibly long.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Bless you for taking him in! It sounds like he is doing great! The poopies could be change in food, or worms. And yes, his behavior is normal for a kitty that was weaned too young - in my experience, they tend to be "clingers", lol! I would get him to a vet so they can check for parasites and give him dewormer (although he may not weigh enough for the meds, may have to wait a few weeks).

 

[Lunatasi]

Thank you for responding. So, should I not try to force feed him formula? I feel bad when I do it. He is eating soft food without the formula though. I'll call a vet tomorrow and see what they think I should do. Like, if I should bring him in or not. I would have taken his siblings too but my husband would have killed me. Not to mention that I have a 3 year old too.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I definitely would not force him the formula since he is eating the soft food. You don't want to "turn him off" of the whole eating thing. Can you heat a bit of the formula and mix it in with what he already likes? Yes, kitties are a lot of responsibility, but oh, so tempting to bring home! It must have been very hard, but between the one sweet kitten and your toddler, your loving arms are pretty full!

 

[Lunatasi]

The gruel I was making had soft food and formula mixed. I would put some in his mouth and set him down by the plate. He would smell it and then walk away. He didn't eat from around 2pm yesterday until about noon today when I tried just soft food. I was about to call an emergency vet because I know kittens can make a turn for the worse very quickly. And it was very tempting to grab them all and take them home lol but I just wouldn't have enough time for them all. I'm starting to think I should have at least brought one more home. I feel like the kitten I have is lonely.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

So he says, "mom, I don't like this formula"! I am so glad he is at least eating the soft food. Yeah, I would have been tempted to take him to the ER, too, had he not started to eat.
There is no right or wrong about adopting a sibling for him. If you can't, that is totally understandable. If you want to think about it some more or talk it over with your husband, it's not too late. But kitties adapt. He may be lonely at first, but he has you, your husband and your child.
You are doing a great job with this little boy!

 

[Lunatasi]

Thank you so much! The siblings aren't with my friend anymore. I do hope he gets adjusted to his new life. I can't imagine how he was feeling when his momma passed away and then being taken from his siblings. I try to give him as much attention and love as I can. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong.

 

[lalagimp]

I couldn't get my pair of three week olds on the bottle, so we just did canned food right away. They were to small I had them going potty in an open travel kennel with carefresh small animal paper bedding inside, after we were able to stop stimulating them to go. When we had to dab their bits down with a warm wet rag, we always held them over the Carefresh so they would associate that with their potty place.

 

[Lunatasi]

That sounds good. I still have to simulate him too pee but we found out he can do number 2 on his own. He did it in the kitchen lol. So he has a litterbox inside a long box that I made. It's his home when we are sleeping or when there is high traffic in our house. He's so tiny and don't want him getting stepped on. I just gave him some more soft food on a plate, without formula, and he didn't even hesitate. I used to have to put the soft food in his mouth, before he started turning his nose up at it.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

So you have learned the "stimulate" method to get him to pee, you've made him his own little "bathroom", and he is eating very well! I would say your little fella is off to a pretty awesome start!!

 

[tabbytom]

Lunatasi , welcome to TCS!

Thank you for taking in this little kitty and for giving him a fur-ever warm and loving home. And we are so sorry to hear about his mum

Since he’s just 3 weeks old and not nursing from his mother, he needs the nutrients of mothers milk which he did not get enough from it. You can get this kitten formula called KMR replacement milk for him. Do not feed him with cow’s milk or milk consumed by us. You can either get it in powdered form or in liquid form.

Wet food is good for him as wet food is full of proteins and nutrients and you can mix the milk into the wet food for him. No need to bottle feed. Get wet food that is labeled ‘For All Life Stages’. This way, he can safely eat throughout even when he reached adult age. By then, you may want to change to adult food for him or simply just continue with the ‘For All Life Stages’ food.

As for the litter box, you may want to check with your friend what kind of litter he was using before you took him home. Sometimes they are used to the ones they have been using and changing litter may put them off and they might not use the litter box.

Soft poos are usual as he starts on a new diet or change of food. But it’s better to bring him to the vet for his vaccinated have the vet rule out for worms. Bloated tummy is also an indication of worms.

Here are some articles for you to read since you are new to cat care :-

First-time Cat Owner's Guide
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
How Much Time Does It Take To Care For A Cat?
New Cat Checklist: What You Need To Get Before Bringing Kitty Home
How To Choose The Right Cat Litter
When And How To Switch To A New Type Of Litter
How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?
Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats
Cats & Lilies: Avoid The Danger Lurking In Your Home

Feel free to ask questions if you have any and many members here are very helpful to assist you and so don’t hold back your questions. There are many more interesting and informative articles here Articles | TheCatSite

Enjoy your new kitty and enjoy your stay here and thank you for joining The Catsite

 

[Lunatasi]

So you have learned the "stimulate" method to get him to pee, you've made him his own little "bathroom", and he is eating very well! I would say your little fella is off to a pretty awesome start!!

Thank you I just wanted to make sure I am doing things correctly.

Lunatasi , welcome to TCS!

Thank you for taking in this little kitty and for giving him a fur-ever warm and loving home. And we are so sorry to hear about his mum

Since he’s just 3 weeks old and not nursing from his mother, he needs the nutrients of mothers milk which he did not get enough from it. You can get this kitten formula called KMR replacement milk for him. Do not feed him with cow’s milk or milk consumed by us. You can either get it in powdered form or in liquid form.

Wet food is good for him as wet food is full of proteins and nutrients and you can mix the milk into the wet food for him. No need to bottle feed. Get wet food that is labeled ‘For All Life Stages’. This way, he can safely eat throughout even when he reached adult age. By then, you may want to change to adult food for him or simply just continue with the ‘For All Life Stages’ food.

As for the litter box, you may want to check with your friend what kind of litter he was using before you took him home. Sometimes they are used to the ones they have been using and changing litter may put them off and they might not use the litter box.

Soft poos are usual as he starts on a new diet or change of food. But it’s better to bring him to the vet for his vaccinated have the vet rule out for worms. Bloated tummy is also an indication of worms.

Here are some articles for you to read since you are new to cat care :-

First-time Cat Owner's Guide
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
How Much Time Does It Take To Care For A Cat?
New Cat Checklist: What You Need To Get Before Bringing Kitty Home
How To Choose The Right Cat Litter
When And How To Switch To A New Type Of Litter
How Old Do Kittens Have To Be To Leave Their Mother?
Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats
Cats & Lilies: Avoid The Danger Lurking In Your Home

Feel free to ask questions if you have any and many members here are very helpful to assist you and so don’t hold back your questions. There are many more interesting and informative articles here Articles | TheCatSite

Enjoy your new kitty and enjoy your stay here and thank you for joining The Catsite

I can't give him the Kitten Formula. I have the exact brand you said and he turns his nose up at it. I've tried it in a bottle, a plate, and mixed in soft food and he just wouldn't eat. He's to young for vaccines but I'm sure he needs dewormed.

 

[tabbytom]

Ok, then make sure he gets his wet food then. You can get him vaccinated when he’s at 8 weeks old.

 

[Lunatasi]

He just started using the bathtoom in the litterbox with me. Isn't he to young for vaccinations? And I'll call the vet tomorrow. He chewed nipples in half and then started turning his nose up to the kitten formula all together. I have the exact same formula as you suggested. He tears into the soft cat food with the formula though.

 

[tabbytom]

8 weeks onwards is ok for vaccinations.

 

[Lunatasi]

Sorry I post that second comment. It wasn't showing that I posted the first one nor your comment afterward. I'm also going to get him neutered when he's 2 pounds.

 

[surya]

It is better if he has a littermate with him. They need to learn how to socialize. And he will be happier if he has a playmate. The rescue group I work in does not adopt out a kitten unless it has a playmate.

 

[Lunatasi]

I wouldn't be able to get him a littermate. His siblings went to other people.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Many households are single-kitty households. He will be just fine! Of course, if you do decide to adopt another kitten that is fine, too!

 

[Lunatasi]

Many households are single-kitty households. He will be just fine! Of course, if you do decide to adopt another kitten that is fine, too!

I've been hassling my husband to adopt one from the humane society but it'll probably be later down the road.