Newborn with no apparent nose or eyes

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

A very young cat I'm fostering has just given birth to 5 kittens. I put the mom's age at about 8 months, so very young to be having kittens. The kitten that I think was born first I found covered with a blanket in my bed, some of his intestines were outside his body, he was still alive but already very cold. My thought was to warm him and get him to a vet but he passed within minutes. The mother had already had two more kittens by then. My bigger problem is that the fourth kitten appears to have no eyes, a cleft palate with no nose that I can see and his back legs are twisted a bit. The mother has not rejected him, he is very active and we've seen and heard him nursing. Although I don't see a nose he obviously is able to breath and nurse at the same time so there may be openings there that I just can't see yet. My question is has anyone ever had experience with a kitten like this and what should I or what can I do for him? Obviously if he survives he will not be adopted out and will become part of the family here but I'm wondering what kind of life this little guy will have. Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[lutece]

I would try to have him examined by a vet. It is possible to have a severe head defect which is like an extreme version of cleft palate. I would not worry about the twisted legs, but you want to have the head defect looked at. I don't personally know of kittens like this surviving, but I don't know a lot about head defects. I do know that cleft palate kittens can get pneumonia from milk inhalation, so if the vet thinks he can survive but has an opening in the palate making milk inhalation likely, you might have to tube feed.

 

[StefanZ]

If he has cleft palate, its possible he cant eat from momma as he cant suckle properly. Such kittens can be sometimes saved by feeding by tube or a syringe / / dropper.
So you must see if he adds.

Twisted legs can usually be good with massage and suitable gymnastics.

What about quality of life if he survives is difficult to know.
But we often see for example on Youtube seemingly severly handicapped kittens full of life playing etc...
The Life itself is a strong force.

Many vets and many owners makes it easy for themselves by pts.
But if the kitten isnt suffering and you are willing, its well worth to fight on!

 

[cataholic07]

How are the other kittens? Healthy?

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

I would try to have him examined by a vet. It is possible to have a severe head defect which is like an extreme version of cleft palate. I would not worry about the twisted legs, but you want to have the head defect looked at. I don't personally know of kittens like this surviving, but I don't know a lot about head defects. I do know that cleft palate kittens can get pneumonia from milk inhalation, so if the vet thinks he can survive but has an opening in the palate making milk inhalation likely, you might have to tube feed.

Thank you. His head is an odd shape. I definitely do not want him to suffer through anything like pneumonia...I don't want him to suffer at all. I've taken in abandoned kittens, some as young as 4 - 6 weeks old, for 40+ years, very rarely adults and only once a pregnant cat so these tiny ones, especially with problems, are new to me. I will take your suggestion and take mom and babies in tomorrow to be looked over and let the vet decide on the the best course of action for that little one.

 

[Sarthur2]

The vet may well suggest euthanasia, but if the little guy is a fighter and able to eat, why not give him a chance? Cleft palates can sometimes be surgically corrected, but not until the kitten is older. You may need to feed the kitten with a feeding tube in the interim.

As Stefan said, twisted legs can be taped and massaged while young and fairly easily straightened. Here are links:

Contracted Tendons of the Front Legs: Twister's Story

Cleft Lip and Palate in Kittens

Kitten with Cleft Palate No One Knew Would Survive Her First Night, Beats the Odds

Crazy cat lady Carla

 

[lutece]

Cleft palates can be surgically corrected, but from the OP's description it sounds significantly more severe than cleft palate. Kittens with severe head defects can be lacking crucial parts of their anatomy such as.the forebrain. I know sometimes vets can be quick to put kittens with a defect to sleep, but in this case I feel that the vet is probably better equipped than we are to determine whether this kitten has the anatomical structures it needs for any kind of quality of life.

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

If he has cleft palate, its possible he cant eat from momma as he cant suckle properly. Such kittens can be sometimes saved by feeding by tube or a syringe / / dropper.
So you must see if he adds.

Twisted legs can usually be good with massage and suitable gymnastics.

What about quality of life if he survives is difficult to know.
But we often see for example on Youtube seemingly severly handicapped kittens full of life playing etc...
The Life itself is a strong force.

Many vets and many owners makes it easy for themselves by pts.
But if the kitten isnt suffering and you are willing, its well worth to fight on!

Thank you for replying. I was very concerned about whether he/she (I'll just use "he" for now ) would be able to eat but he seems to be getting his share. They are 24 hours old and already all of them have little bellies showing up. He is very loud when he nurses so I know when to watch to see if he's actually eating. He scoots around as well as the others, has had his first "paw fight" with a sibling over a nipple and seems like a normal kitten. It appears he can not withdraw his tongue into his mouth, I think this will be a concern when dealing with teeth and actual food, but that is a worry for a few weeks from now and that may resolve as he grows, the vet may have a suggestion for that.
Oh StefanZ I very rarely take the easy way out...this is how I ended up fostering the mom. I was told shelter had no available space (?) and I absolutely wasn't leaving her out to put more kittens into the neighborhood. My city already has cat population issues. If the vet tells me the little guy is not suffering and will not have severe future issues then he will be part of the family here.

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

Cleft palates can be surgically corrected, but from the OP's description it sounds significantly more severe than cleft palate. Kittens with severe head defects can be lacking crucial parts of their anatomy such as.the forebrain. I know sometimes vets can be quick to put kittens with a defect to sleep, but in this case I feel that the vet is probably better equipped than we are to determine whether this kitten has the anatomical structures it needs for any kind of quality of life.

This is what I was thinking too. A quick x-ray should give the vet an idea of what I'm dealing with concerning all body parts. It's all a matter of "quality of life" for the humans in this house so if that is going to be an issue for this baby I will go with the vet's recommendation. I have the time to invest but he has to be able to have a good life here.

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

How are the other kittens? Healthy?

Three other kittens are very healthy and appear to have no physical defects. They are all nursing well, even the little damaged guy. Thank you for asking.

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

The vet may well suggest euthanasia, but if the little guy is a fighter and able to eat, why not give him a chance? Cleft palates can sometimes be surgically corrected, but not until the kitten is older. You may need to feed the kitten with a feeding tube in the interim.

As Stefan said, twisted legs can be taped and massaged while young and fairly easily straightened. Here are links:

Contracted Tendons of the Front Legs: Twister's Story

Cleft Lip and Palate in Kittens

Kitten with Cleft Palate No One Knew Would Survive Her First Night, Beats the Odds

Crazy cat lady Carla

Thank you for the information. I did a lot of research yesterday and will go to these sites today.. Waiting on the vet to come in to the
office.
I have a rather badly taken picture of the little one, mom was trying her best to take him back.
I did not see anything in the forum rules about pictures but it may be rather disturbing to some and I will not be offended if it needs to be removed. I thought it would help those here to understand. He is able to nurse and is holding his own in finding the food and he made it through the night so I do have hope, the vet may see it differently.

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

Cleft palates can be surgically corrected, but from the OP's description it sounds significantly more severe than cleft palate. Kittens with severe head defects can be lacking crucial parts of their anatomy such as.the forebrain. I know sometimes vets can be quick to put kittens with a defect to sleep, but in this case I feel that the vet is probably better equipped than we are to determine whether this kitten has the anatomical structures it needs for any kind of quality of life.

I agree totally. I've posted a picture on another comment, it does look very bad.

 

[lutece]

I agree totally. I've posted a picture on another comment, it does look very bad.

Actually he doesn't look superficially as bad as I feared... I was visualizing something more like Burmese head defect. But it's hard to say from his head shape if he's got enough space for his brain in there. Good luck!

 

[cataholic07]

Oh wow, that poor baby. It would be amazing if he pulls through. Hopefully the brain is completely normal and he doesn't have issues breathing. He sounds like quite the little fighter already!

 

[Crazy cat lady Carla]

Actually he doesn't look superficially as bad as I feared... I was visualizing something more like Burmese head defect. But it's hard to say from his head shape if he's got enough space for his brain in there. Good luck!

If he has cleft palate, its possible he cant eat from momma as he cant suckle properly. Such kittens can be sometimes saved by feeding by tube or a syringe / / dropper.
So you must see if he adds.

Twisted legs can usually be good with massage and suitable gymnastics.

What about quality of life if he survives is difficult to know.
But we often see for example on Youtube seemingly severly handicapped kittens full of life playing etc...
The Life itself is a strong force.

Many vets and many owners makes it easy for themselves by pts.
But if the kitten isnt suffering and you are willing, its well worth to fight on!

FOR EVERYONE HERE StefanZ, I hope you can pass this on to all who posted..Thank you all for your thoughts, although I am very disturbed by some e-mail that somehow made it through to me, although I don't see the post here, in particular from a Markus Anderson. My day was not bad enough this person saw fit to berate me in bad English. I can only hope the moderators see fit to remove this person from this site.
Again, thank you to those of you who showed understanding. I had the baby in to the vet. The damage was, as she put it and showed me, catastrophic and would not result in any quality of life for him, he was humanely euthanized.

 

[lutece]

I had the baby in to the vet. The damage was, as she put it and showed me, catastrophic and would not result in any quality of life for him, he was humanely euthanized.

I am so sorry. I know how sad it is to euthanize a kitten, even if you know he has a profound deformity incompatible with quality of life. I have been in that situation before, and both my vet and I cried bitter tears. Be gentle with yourself, and know that you did your best for him.

 

[Norachan]

I'm so sorry you had to do this Crazy cat lady Carla It's never easy to let one so young go, but I think you had no choice under the circumstances. You saved the poor little one from any further suffering.

We always lock the threads when a cat or kitten passes, as sign of respect. If you would like to start a thread in the kitten's memory please do so in our Crossing the Bridge forum.

Rest in peace little one.