How are things going?
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Abandoned Kitten - Help!
- Thread starter TheLovelyFinch
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #23
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2018
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 44
Hi everyone! She's doing well! (Knock on wood! I don't want to jinx her.)
Her pink pee cleared up within about 6-8 hours. I'm keeping her on antibiotics for a full 10-day course to ensure it's fully cleared and to hopefully knock down any other infections that pop up!
She's finally gaining!!! We gained 9 grams yesterday, and 5 already today, so that's a great thing.
Her feedings have also increased significantly from around 1 gram per feeding to 2-3 grams per feeding. I would normally expect to see more gain with that intake, but she's had a rough start with no nursing and the infection, so we'll take whatever we can get!
QUESTION - The first couple days, she was VERY loud and vocal. She was eating a lot less during this timeframe. Suddenly, she got a lot quieter. She never really cries now, except a couple whimpers when I wake her up to feed her and then when I use the cotton pad to stimulate her to do her business.
This change in vocalization coincided with the pink urine AND her eating more. I'm hoping it's not the infection making her feel bad (but she's not really showing other signs of illness per se).
My theory (and hope) is that she's just happier and more comfortable now since she's eating more.
Any thoughts?
We've just started day 6. She's 104g at last check. I've been counting the hours for her to get to the 1-week mark, as I know her chances of making it are a lot better if they hit 7 days!
Mama is doing well. I've pretty much given up on any possibility of her nursing. But I'm happy to have her cleaning and cuddling and socializing baby. (No name yet for baby. She hasn't told me!)
Attaching a photo of my cutie pie. That was taken about an hour after I found her, so she's 2-3 hours old in that image. Goodness is she ever precious. I hope she makes it! I need to grab some more photos today! She hasn't changed much yet, so haven't really been a shutterbug.
Her pink pee cleared up within about 6-8 hours. I'm keeping her on antibiotics for a full 10-day course to ensure it's fully cleared and to hopefully knock down any other infections that pop up!
She's finally gaining!!! We gained 9 grams yesterday, and 5 already today, so that's a great thing.
Her feedings have also increased significantly from around 1 gram per feeding to 2-3 grams per feeding. I would normally expect to see more gain with that intake, but she's had a rough start with no nursing and the infection, so we'll take whatever we can get!
QUESTION - The first couple days, she was VERY loud and vocal. She was eating a lot less during this timeframe. Suddenly, she got a lot quieter. She never really cries now, except a couple whimpers when I wake her up to feed her and then when I use the cotton pad to stimulate her to do her business.
This change in vocalization coincided with the pink urine AND her eating more. I'm hoping it's not the infection making her feel bad (but she's not really showing other signs of illness per se).
My theory (and hope) is that she's just happier and more comfortable now since she's eating more.
Any thoughts?
We've just started day 6. She's 104g at last check. I've been counting the hours for her to get to the 1-week mark, as I know her chances of making it are a lot better if they hit 7 days!
Mama is doing well. I've pretty much given up on any possibility of her nursing. But I'm happy to have her cleaning and cuddling and socializing baby. (No name yet for baby. She hasn't told me!)
Attaching a photo of my cutie pie. That was taken about an hour after I found her, so she's 2-3 hours old in that image. Goodness is she ever precious. I hope she makes it! I need to grab some more photos today! She hasn't changed much yet, so haven't really been a shutterbug.
Attachments
OH GOD I'M KITTENSMITTEN!
As for the vocalizations, I'll leave that to those with more experience than I, but it could be a bit of both...she isn't half-starving all the time, and the "bug" has her a little lethargic. Just a guess.
But I am THRILLED that she is doing as well as she is!
As for the vocalizations, I'll leave that to those with more experience than I, but it could be a bit of both...she isn't half-starving all the time, and the "bug" has her a little lethargic. Just a guess.
But I am THRILLED that she is doing as well as she is!
Oh thank you so much for letting us know how little Precious, Cutie pie, Miracle is doing. She looks so strong in the photo considering that you had just gotten her warmed up. Love to see more photos. So wonderful that mama is helping out. Lots of good vibes coming your, and her, way 
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2017
- Messages
- 212
- Purraise
- 807
Oh gosh, she is just precious. Thank you so much for taking care of her. She is lucky to have you. 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #27
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2018
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 44
A quick update!
So it would appear the decreased vocalization is primarily due to being full and happy (vs. being quieter because she's sick and feeling poorly). I just did an inadvertent test of sorts when I forgot to set my timer and we went for 3 hours between feedings. I returned to a very vocal baby! So it appears she's just feeling full and content. Phew!
She's also gaining strength, starting to sit upright a bit more and her commando crawl is turning more into a crouchy walk with her belly lifted off the ground when she's moving. So that makes me happy! Especially since her belly button scab is really delicate. When she scoots around too much, it will start bleeding. Nothing of concern in terms of blood loss thus far - it literally hasn't even been a full drop of blood lost in total. But it makes me nervous nevertheless! I think it's because the scab has a little bit that's raised and I think it catches a bit as she crawls.
Today is day seven! I'm excited for her to get through today as I know babies who make it to the one-week mark have a much better chance of long-term survival.
Here's another photograph of the cutie pie for your viewing pleasure. She was keen to go to bed before I even got a chance to clean her up! (Note the milk below her left eye. LOL) It was so sweet I had to snap a photo before I disturbed her!
So it would appear the decreased vocalization is primarily due to being full and happy (vs. being quieter because she's sick and feeling poorly). I just did an inadvertent test of sorts when I forgot to set my timer and we went for 3 hours between feedings. I returned to a very vocal baby! So it appears she's just feeling full and content. Phew!
She's also gaining strength, starting to sit upright a bit more and her commando crawl is turning more into a crouchy walk with her belly lifted off the ground when she's moving. So that makes me happy! Especially since her belly button scab is really delicate. When she scoots around too much, it will start bleeding. Nothing of concern in terms of blood loss thus far - it literally hasn't even been a full drop of blood lost in total. But it makes me nervous nevertheless! I think it's because the scab has a little bit that's raised and I think it catches a bit as she crawls.
Today is day seven! I'm excited for her to get through today as I know babies who make it to the one-week mark have a much better chance of long-term survival.
Here's another photograph of the cutie pie for your viewing pleasure. She was keen to go to bed before I even got a chance to clean her up! (Note the milk below her left eye. LOL) It was so sweet I had to snap a photo before I disturbed her!
Attachments
She's doing beautifully, isn't she? I was holding my breath for those first few days, afraid to come to this thread, hoping... We're not entirely out of the woods yets, but I think I see the edge of the forest now!
I can't even imagine your surprise seeing an unexpected kitten on the floor. I'd be looking around for the kitten fairy. Please continue to post updates and photos here, including a photo of the mama.
Things still going well?
How is our girl? How is her mama? How are you?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #34
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2018
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 44
We're doing well! About to take a nap between feedings so a proper update in a bit!
Her belly button scan fell off so no more blood streaks from that. She's eating nicely too. Knock on wood of course!
Mama is doing well. Very doting. Great mum except for the feeding thing! Lol
It is apparent that she has an umbilcal hernia so we'll need to get that fixed up. I was hoping it was just a weak muscle wall as I know can occur as it was a vague small bulge. But as she started eating properly it became very obvious that it's a complete and proper hernia with very defined borders. We've been there done that many times as we take in special needs critters so I'm not too concerned esp since the intestines can be reduced fully into the abdomen. So should be easily repairable. But now I wonder if that's why mum left her on the floor initially.
Her belly button scan fell off so no more blood streaks from that. She's eating nicely too. Knock on wood of course!
Mama is doing well. Very doting. Great mum except for the feeding thing! Lol
It is apparent that she has an umbilcal hernia so we'll need to get that fixed up. I was hoping it was just a weak muscle wall as I know can occur as it was a vague small bulge. But as she started eating properly it became very obvious that it's a complete and proper hernia with very defined borders. We've been there done that many times as we take in special needs critters so I'm not too concerned esp since the intestines can be reduced fully into the abdomen. So should be easily repairable. But now I wonder if that's why mum left her on the floor initially.
It could be. But thank GOODNESS Mama is willing to take care of her, other than the feedings! She'll be a much happier, well-adjusted kitten for it.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #36
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2018
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 44
For sure! I've had single kittens without any early contact with other cats due to health issues/fragility and it made life SO difficult for those babies when they got older. (Struggling to feel comfortable with other cats, difficulty understanding the rules of cat-dom, etc.) So I'm VERY glad to have mama to help!
Though I must admit - I do mourn the fact that it's just one. Littermates form some of the tightest bonds EVER. I'm a big proponent of keeping siblings together (I've got several sibling sets and when adopting out, I always try to adopt in pairs.) It's especially wonderful when they're in the crazy kitten phase that's enough to drive any adult cat up a wall. Fortunately, I do have several younger cats who should do well with her, so hopefully between the three, they can entertain the baby! LOL
She's doing pretty well today. She's had some really big meals of 4-6 grams, so it seems like we've reached a new status quo for meal size which makes me happy!
Her eyes are still closed (she's 9.5 days old as of this moment) but curiously, I'm starting to see super tiny amounts of tearing in the corner of her eyes. It's such a tiny amount that a normal person may not even notice it. It's such a small quantity that I can't even determine the color/consistency. It LOOKS like tears - clear. It's not enough to cause crusting or anything to this end. It's such a small amount that it's evaporating.
I'm honestly not sure what to make of it as she doesn't show any signs of a URI or eye infection (though I know that if tears can escape OUT, then bacteria can creep IN).
Any ideas? Has anyone seen this before?
It could very well be a normal part of the eye opening process and I've just never noticed before. It would make sense, certainly. Perhaps the eye is unsealing and tears are seeping out and simply can't get back in (and the outside environment would have lower pressure than inside.) I remember learning in veterinary school that some tearing can be typical when they're first opening, but I don't ever recall seeing anything BEFORE the eyes opened. (Not a vet. I dropped out in the last year as I realized I had ethical objections that I couldn't overcome - issues surrounding denying treatment or euthanasia of an animal with a treatable condition.)
To be honest, most kittens I've taken in fall into other categories -- fosters because mum is homeless but the kittens are healthy and she cares for them OR super sick/injured/special needs kittens that need really intensive care and everything is breaking left and right. Respiratory infections account for a majority of illnesses in these little guys so I'm not well-accustomed to the "normal" eye opening process!
She's on amoxicillin for her UTI, but that's not the best medication for respiratory and eye infections so it's conceivable she's got a bug. Plus, she never had colostrum or breastmilk, so her immune system is not fabulous.
Though I must admit - I do mourn the fact that it's just one. Littermates form some of the tightest bonds EVER. I'm a big proponent of keeping siblings together (I've got several sibling sets and when adopting out, I always try to adopt in pairs.) It's especially wonderful when they're in the crazy kitten phase that's enough to drive any adult cat up a wall. Fortunately, I do have several younger cats who should do well with her, so hopefully between the three, they can entertain the baby! LOL
She's doing pretty well today. She's had some really big meals of 4-6 grams, so it seems like we've reached a new status quo for meal size which makes me happy!
Her eyes are still closed (she's 9.5 days old as of this moment) but curiously, I'm starting to see super tiny amounts of tearing in the corner of her eyes. It's such a tiny amount that a normal person may not even notice it. It's such a small quantity that I can't even determine the color/consistency. It LOOKS like tears - clear. It's not enough to cause crusting or anything to this end. It's such a small amount that it's evaporating.
I'm honestly not sure what to make of it as she doesn't show any signs of a URI or eye infection (though I know that if tears can escape OUT, then bacteria can creep IN).
Any ideas? Has anyone seen this before?
It could very well be a normal part of the eye opening process and I've just never noticed before. It would make sense, certainly. Perhaps the eye is unsealing and tears are seeping out and simply can't get back in (and the outside environment would have lower pressure than inside.) I remember learning in veterinary school that some tearing can be typical when they're first opening, but I don't ever recall seeing anything BEFORE the eyes opened. (Not a vet. I dropped out in the last year as I realized I had ethical objections that I couldn't overcome - issues surrounding denying treatment or euthanasia of an animal with a treatable condition.)
To be honest, most kittens I've taken in fall into other categories -- fosters because mum is homeless but the kittens are healthy and she cares for them OR super sick/injured/special needs kittens that need really intensive care and everything is breaking left and right. Respiratory infections account for a majority of illnesses in these little guys so I'm not well-accustomed to the "normal" eye opening process!
She's on amoxicillin for her UTI, but that's not the best medication for respiratory and eye infections so it's conceivable she's got a bug. Plus, she never had colostrum or breastmilk, so her immune system is not fabulous.
Her eyes sound like they are beginning the process of opening. They should be open by 14 days.
Yep...I found this:
http://www.petyak.com/cats/kittens/articles/when-do-kittens-open-their-eyes/
When you read the section on "Eye Film" it mentions that one of the functions is to protect the newborn's eyes until they begin producing tears, so I imagine that you are seeing the first tears prior to taking a peek at the world!
http://www.petyak.com/cats/kittens/articles/when-do-kittens-open-their-eyes/
When you read the section on "Eye Film" it mentions that one of the functions is to protect the newborn's eyes until they begin producing tears, so I imagine that you are seeing the first tears prior to taking a peek at the world!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #39
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2018
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 44
Well that's a relief on the eye film bit. I remember learning about that in veterinary school, but I don't recall anything about it seeping out when the eyes were mostly sealed shut. But it totally makes sense.
Her eyes have both unsealed in the past couple hours! The left one is open a bit more than the right. I can't wait for them to open properly, as I'm so paranoid about anomalies! I've seen so many wonky eye defects over the years - mostly in veterinary school. But also a few through fostering (mostly from kittens pulled from unmanaged or poorly-managed feral colonies, where there are multiple related cats in the colony and therefore, inbreeding.)
Her umbilical hernia makes me a bit more "on alert" for potential defects (often if there's one defect, there are several.) The eye always looks sort of foggy and odd when they've just unsealed and started to open and it always makes me scared for some eye conditions I've seen where the eyes are foggy or abnormally formed. And the eye's functionality isn't present for a little while longer (i.e. Pupil doesn't dilate properly at first.) so it's hard to tell whether they're visual.
Of course, this shouldn't spook me as I've got two blind cats and a blind dog! (The animals we end up keeping typically have some sort of special need). And I'm always amazed by how easy it is to forget that they're blind. Especially in the cats who've both been blind since birth, as they compensate so incredibly well! I think it's the "not knowing" that bothers me more than anything.
I have noticed that her umbilical hernia appears to fall into the category that can self-correct in the first few months of life. It appears that everything remains in her abdominal cavity unless she really flexes, like when I have her on her side or back to do the bathroom thing. She tenses and flexes and that's when it pops up. When she's on her belly or relaxed ,it's flat and fully reduced into her abdomen. I remember those where the ones that often self-corrected by around six months of age, so we'll see! It's a pretty simple surgery so if we need to get it fixed, it's not the end of the world!
Her eyes have both unsealed in the past couple hours! The left one is open a bit more than the right. I can't wait for them to open properly, as I'm so paranoid about anomalies! I've seen so many wonky eye defects over the years - mostly in veterinary school. But also a few through fostering (mostly from kittens pulled from unmanaged or poorly-managed feral colonies, where there are multiple related cats in the colony and therefore, inbreeding.)
Her umbilical hernia makes me a bit more "on alert" for potential defects (often if there's one defect, there are several.) The eye always looks sort of foggy and odd when they've just unsealed and started to open and it always makes me scared for some eye conditions I've seen where the eyes are foggy or abnormally formed. And the eye's functionality isn't present for a little while longer (i.e. Pupil doesn't dilate properly at first.) so it's hard to tell whether they're visual.
Of course, this shouldn't spook me as I've got two blind cats and a blind dog! (The animals we end up keeping typically have some sort of special need). And I'm always amazed by how easy it is to forget that they're blind. Especially in the cats who've both been blind since birth, as they compensate so incredibly well! I think it's the "not knowing" that bothers me more than anything.
I have noticed that her umbilical hernia appears to fall into the category that can self-correct in the first few months of life. It appears that everything remains in her abdominal cavity unless she really flexes, like when I have her on her side or back to do the bathroom thing. She tenses and flexes and that's when it pops up. When she's on her belly or relaxed ,it's flat and fully reduced into her abdomen. I remember those where the ones that often self-corrected by around six months of age, so we'll see! It's a pretty simple surgery so if we need to get it fixed, it's not the end of the world!
Vets will usually fix a hernia at the same time a cat is spayed so it should not be a problem.
How are her eyes today?
How are her eyes today?
Latest Posts
-
-
-
Featured Help! Vet wants to sedate my OA cat for nail trimming
- Latest: dustydiamond1
-
