Help!!! I think my kitten is dying!!

[myshi]

About a week ago my cat had kittens. I was going to get her fixed while she was pregnant, but I haven't had the money and now it's too late. She had 6 kittens. All of them seem perfectly fine except the runt. She seems very weak and won't nurse. I have tried putting her up to my cats nipple but she won't take it. I'm afraid she has FKS and I really can't afford to take her to the vet to save her. The mama cat doesn't seem to be worried about her, but mama cat is a barn cat that's probably been through generations of inbreeding, thus she's not very intelligent. The kitten can hold up her head and moves around a little, but she doesn't cry or anything. I'm really freaked out. What should I do???

 

[mjandclyde]

 If it's weak and limp, that's likely cause by its reluctance to nurse. Do you have formula? As a last resort you can try syringe feeding formula so the kitty can atleast get something in there.

 

[StefanZ]

About a week ago my cat had kittens. I was going to get her fixed while she was pregnant, but I haven't had the money and now it's too late. She had 6 kittens. All of them seem perfectly fine except the runt. She seems very weak and won't nurse. I have tried putting her up to my cats nipple but she won't take it. I'm afraid she has FKS and I really can't afford to take her to the vet to save her. The mama cat doesn't seem to be worried about her, but mama cat is a barn cat that's probably been through generations of inbreeding, thus she's not very intelligent. The kitten can hold up her head and moves around a little, but she doesn't cry or anything. I'm really freaked out. What should I do???

Vets are seldom skilled at saving weak kittens, so you can save these money till your really need vets help.  And yes, cat mommas do tend to abandon weak kittens, whom they think wont make it.  So its not about this moms intelligence. Sooner practical wisdom.

Which country are you in? 

That said, the responsibility is yours.  You must handraise her if she shall have any chance.  Try to put her to mommas teat, when the others are sleeping, momma will perhaps even care and wash the little one,  but you must give most of feeding yourself.

Do you have access to goat milk - preferably raw?  Bottled, powdered or cartooned is also OK but not that excellent.

OR you can use some kmr - kitten mother milk replacement.  There are several good brand, anad some not so good.   Hartz and Sargeant arent reliable.

PetAgs KMR in powder is best.  Their liquid premade not so reliable, but you can begin with it, its cheap in nothing else.  Royal Canins make good one, GNC is another good.

You will probably use a little needleless syringe of 1 or 1,5 ml.  This is the trick if they are weak and dont suckle good. Tummy down, head a little up. In the corner of the mouth, dropwise, so you are sure the kittens swallows.  If the kitten wriggles much, you can held it in a little towel.

Get home some glucose sugar source, say white caro syrup or honey.   A little honey water solutin - honey water,  smeared on the lips and gum, gives some extra energy.

Get home a scale, so you can follow the changes.  The kittens shall add minimum 6+grammes a day....

Come back with reports and further questions.

There is always someone here to help you.

 

[StefanZ]

You can also try to massage the kitten, by rubbing its limbs and body.  Massage gives extra energy and nice warmth to humans, so weak kittes too, no?

Be sure the kitten is warm,  So carry it at your chest - kangaroo style, or have a heating pad under her blanket.   The weak are always freezing, and a little kitte double so.

 

[StefanZ]

If you dont have heating pads, the easiest is have some raw rice in a sock, and heat the sock in micro - 5 minutes is common, but you must test for yourself.

This keep the warmth several hours.    Have some blanket or towel over the heating sock.

If you dont have micro, classical warm water bottles will do. But its extra work of course.

Give the kitten a stuffed animal as companion.   If you have fleece, use it - it feels as mommas fur.   Sing and talk sweetly - so the kitten doesnt feel abandoned.

IF you notice the end is nearing, whatever you do, its almost the same: give it warmth, comfort and your company. Pray.   Saint Oscar is good at helping in the last passage.

 

[myshi]

 If it's weak and limp, that's likely cause by its reluctance to nurse. Do you have formula? As a last resort you can try syringe feeding formula so the kitty can atleast get something in there.

No. I would go out and get some but I live in a small town and the nearest pet store is at least a half hour away. She's sleeping right now though, she crawls away from her siblings but I've been putting her in the pile and right now she's sleeping under her siblings. She's not cold either.
And mama kitty was cleaning her earlier. She's been taking care of her as she does the other ones. i weighed her and she's 113 grams compared to her brother who is 209 grams. But the scale Is flaky so I'm not sure on it.

 

[StefanZ]

No.

I would go out and get some but I live in a small town and the nearest pet store is at least a half hour away. She's sleeping right now though, she crawls away from her siblings but I've been putting her in the pile and right now she's sleeping under her siblings. She's not cold either.
And mama kitty was cleaning her earlier. She's been taking care of her as she does the other ones. i weighed her and she's 113 grams compared to her brother who is 209 grams. But the scale Is flaky so I'm not sure on it.

kittens arent over 209grammes,  they are seldom over 130...  But she seems to be half the weight of her brother...  If he is big and feisty, he is perhaps 120, and she perhas 70.  Its Alert by itself.  If she seems weak - red alert...

Nowhere even goat milk?  We dont recommend cow milk.  Unpaseturized cow milk is probably less dangerous.

 

[myshi]

The mama came back to nurse them after all the fuss with me trying to weigh them. The kitten still won't take her teat but she doesn't seem to be getting worse either. I tried to open her mouth to help her, but it really didn't help. She seems like she's just really tired right now. She's stopped trying to crawl away after I keep putting her back to her siblings.
Could it be from the heat? It was around 100 today, and even though we have 2 window units in this room, it was still hot in here.

 

[StefanZ]

The mama came back to nurse them after all the fuss with me trying to weigh them. The kitten still won't take her teat but she doesn't seem to be getting worse either. I tried to open her mouth to help her, but it really didn't help. She seems like she's just really tired right now. She's stopped trying to crawl away after I keep putting her back to her siblings.
Could it be from the heat? It was around 100 today, and even though we have 2 window units in this room, it was still hot in here.

if that is that hot, its too warm for them to be comfortable yes.    Usually its too cold, here too warm.  It takes force of them, but she is still weak.

Give her at least some honey water with a little kitchen salt in.  It wont save her, but it will buy you time.

As said, some water solution of honey on her lips and gum, will perk in energy in her.

But if you dont find goats milk or kmr, / formula and she doenst eats, she is a gooner. sooner or later she will go on.

 

[myshi]

Good news! She's moving around a lot more now and seems to be trying to nurse. Mama seems more interested in licking her than the other kittens for some reason. Maybe that's why the baby is feeling better now.

 

[mjandclyde]

Wonderful!!! Very glad to hear that. Please get back to us with more updates on how she is doing

 

[Sarthur2]

Do you have a can of evaporated milk, or some plain yogurt? An egg? Mayonnaise? Honey? You can make homeade formula to give to this kitten with a syringe or eye dropper.

Tell me what you have on hand and I'll tell you how to mix it. This kitten desperately needs supplementing if she is to thrive!

 

[twckittenmom]

Goats milk is better than evaporated milk avoid cow milk for runts Imo. My vet recommended goats milk and a syringe or dropper for feeding runts. Also make sure to clean genitals if momma isn't doing it

 

[myshi]

I can try and get goats milk. I also have a syringe. It's a lil big but I think I can make it work. I live in America and get food stamps so I can probably get the goats milk.
I'm unsure if she nursed, but she does meow when I pick her up now. She seems unchanged from last night. I tried to put her up to the mamas nipple, but she wouldn't take it again. I'll upload a picture of her compared to her sister in a little bit so you can see.

 

[Sarthur2]

myshi

Kitten needs supplementing right away!!!

You can mix a raw egg yolk (no whites), a teaspoon of honey or sugar, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, and a tablespoon of water together to make a glop.

Then give the kitten 1 drop at a time in the side of its mouth, holding the kitten tummy down, head up. Never on its back. Let it swallow and breathe, and give another drop. It needs 1-2 mLs every 1-2 hours. I don't think this kitten is going to make it otherwise. [emoji]128533[/emoji]

 

[Sarthur2]

Of course, kitten formula or goat's milk is best, but even evaporated milk is better than whole cow's milk or nothing.

This glop I've suggested is to keep the kitten going until you can make it to the store. The kitten needs food! I'm hoping you can feed the kitten so it can stay alive and get stronger! [emoji]128077[/emoji]

 

[twckittenmom]

Yes anything is better than nothing. The kitten is probably not taking because kittens usually have a specific nipple or nipples and they switch off. and it seems almost always the runts nipple is with the biggest kitten so the runt has no chance to fight for the trade

 

[myshi]

i was able to get the goats milk. She drank all that we gave her. But she was mad at us and started crying. Mama was worried and came over to check on her. She started licking the milk that spilled from her mouth. I have to take my GED so I can't feed her, but rest assured, my brother is doing the way you guys told me to. I'll update after I finish my errands. Should be a few hours. Thanks for the help all BTW.

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh, thank goodness! I'm glad to hear she took it, and that your brother will take over while you are gone! When she gets used to being fed, she will look foward to the milk!

It sounds like mama cares for this kitten, but the kitten, being a runt, is just not strong enough to nurse mom much, if at all. Never mind fight for a nipple.

Good luck on your GED test!

Give us an update and picture later. [emoji]128522[/emoji][emoji]128077[/emoji]

 

[foxxycat]

make sure baby stays warm=they cant regulate temperature-they need to be warmed up then fed. don't feed when kitten is cold-so holding it close to the body while feeding is an option. good luck.