Kitten Won't Grow

[Lolipopsuger]

Hi this is my first time posting on the forum , three days ago our cat that's not even one year old yet gave birth to two beautiful kittens , it's been three days and one kitten is growing normally but the other which I assume to be female is not growing and looks like she was still just born , she's much smaller and less hairy she has difficulties to find the nipple ( they always fight on it ) by she gets her fair share of milk like her brother. & mama cat doesn't seem to abandon her she doesn't care. My question is , is this normal ? I'm worried about her health don't want to loose her , could it be just a female-male difference ?

 

[Ashy]

It could be, typically female kittens will be smaller in size. She is the runt of the litter and as long as she is getting enough milk from mama, she should be okay. Keep an extra eye for the next few days and I think in a week you should notice some growth and improvement.

My kitten is 10 weeks old now and she was actually significantly smaller then her brothers and sister. She’s very healthy and normal.

 

[abyeb]

Since she’s not gaining weight and having trouble nursing, I would recommend hand feeding her. Using a needleless syringe would probably be the easiest, since she might be too weak to bite on a bottle. Give her KMR or goat’s milk, and feed her bellyside down, with her head slightly elevated, like the position she would be in while nursing. If she struggles, you can wrap her up in a towel or blanket. Also, you should weigh her (and the other kitten too, just to be sure), to make sure that she’s growing at an adequate rate. Around 10 g of gain per day would be good. These articles have more info:

Hand Rearing Kittens: What You Need To Know To Save A Newborn's Life

Weighing Newborn Kittens (and How This Could Save Their Lives)

 

[StefanZ]

I agree begin supplementing now. Its really a Red Alert situation till she clearly gains.

Also weigh her every day so you have exact count on what is going on and what dosages to give.

 

[Lolipopsuger]

Hi thanks for the replies , I feel less anxious about it , also took some pictures to make it clear for everyone what she looks like

 

[StefanZ]

Yes. Had you started with supplementing?

Its true there are some individual size differences, but if she isnt gaining its red alert.

 

[Willowy]

Get a kitchen scale that weighs in grams, and weigh her every day at the same time. If she's gaining 6-10 grams a day, she's OK even if she's smaller than her brother. If not, you need to supplement.

There's always a risk of aspiration when hand-feeding kittens so maybe at first you could try putting an effort into making sure she gets time on the good nipples without any competition. You can make a warm basket for the male and remove him for a while every day (if he squalls it'll distress the mother, so make sure to make it warm and cozy, and maybe have a ticking clock so he thinks it's a heartbeat). But if the problem is that she's too weak to suck enough milk out, then hand-feeding would be necessary.

There are a lot of videos on Youtube about the best methods. There's one method with a makeup sponge that works better for mother-raised babies (who often won't accept a rubber nipple), you could try that.

 

[Ashy]

Any updates?