Raising a 1-Day-Old Orphaned Kitten

[Poppy Seisaki]

Four days ago, my sister and I found a newborn kitten crying all alone on the street. Initially, we looked for her mother or nest but found nothing. When the crying stopped, I picked her up, and she was so cold. I immediately bought kitten milk and placed her in a sterilized space with warm thermal blankets. I'm quite new to this and feel overwhelmed by the challenge of raising such a small kitten. However, in the past four days, she has been feeding well, managing 2 to 6 ml per meal, and she's been doing her urination and defecation normally. We feed her every 2 hours. Impressively, she has gained around 30 grams in weight, from 107 to 137 grams. The vet told us we could bring her in after about 20 days as she is currently very vulnerable, and even if she were ill, they couldn't administer antibiotics. If anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm so nervous; I want this little kitten to survive. After all, she's a true fighter!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS - and congratulation on your new family addition! I have very little experience with kittens, much less one so young. But I know this site might be of great help to you.
Kitten Care - Home — Kitten Lady

 

[StefanZ]

Apparently you have done very well so far!
She seems to have a good birth weight, and is hopefully healthy. I presume momma dropped her when she carried her to somewhere else. Momma got perhaps spooked of by a loose dog? And didnt dare to return. Which is good for you; its much easier to raise a healthy orphan, than to raise a sickly kitten whom momma lost her hopes for and abandoned....

Really the two advices I would say in the beginning: dont feed when the kitten cold... but you CAN smear a droplet of white caro syrup on the gum...
And the kitten must have a heat source, a blanket isnt enough....

As the kitten did survived and is thriwing - you must have managed.... The daily gaining should be 10+ grammes.
The daily dosage should be about 32 ml a day NOW, more if she wishes. It will be 40 ml / 24 hours, when she is about 150g.

What kmr do you use?
Goats milk is OK too.

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

I give her Lactoped kitten milk, but the instructions were a mess. They got it all wrong, and I ended up overfeeding her, which led to diarrhea. So, I checked out what other Lactoped users were saying and found out I wasn't the only one having issues. Ended up cutting the dose in half
Luckily I noticed in the first diarrhea. I hope it’s not something that can’t be fixed

 

[Sarthur2]

I had never heard of this brand before, but since you’ve figured it out, she’s gaining weight and doing well, and if the diarrhea has stopped, then continue with your program. Let us know if future problems develop. Thank you for saving her!

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

I'm based in Greece, and I think Lactopet is a Greek product. We don’t have many kitten milk choices here. Last night, she had better poops; they had not much mucus and were more formed, like toothpaste, and yellowish in color. Isn’t that a good sign? Oh and this morning her weight is 143grams !

 

[StefanZ]

toothpaste is the ideal consistency in kittens.

If you have access to raw goats milk, try with that too. Almost any goats milk is ok to use, but raw goats milk has some potential properties. It too comes from an alive momma.

Also, you perhaps can find glucose sugar / dextrose in Greece? Its difficult to find for end consumers in USA, that is why most uses white caro syrup.

Its useful in many emergencies, as for example, finding a cold kitten...

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

Sometimes she does poop bye herself on the blanket, is that normal ? And the poop looks like this. I don’t know what to do

 

[StefanZ]

It happens they poop without stimulation. This poop more rare than usual helps of course a spontane emptying.

As said, if you can get raw goats milk, it could be good.

Also some nice probiotic... If you can get BeneBac by Pet Ag in animal shops, its good.
If you are tight on budget, you could try with a mild, natural youghurt or kefir. Just a little may be enough. Will of course be easier when the kitten becomes a little older.

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

Where can I find raw goats milk ? On pet shops ? I’m just worried if I change her milk maybe the things gets worse or not ?
and I can’t define exactly what’s wrong with her poop consistency why is there yellow white “balls “let’s say in it ?

 

[StefanZ]

Where can I find raw goats milk ? On pet shops ? I’m just worried if I change her milk maybe the things gets worse or not ?
and I can’t define exactly what’s wrong with her poop consistency why is there yellow white “balls “let’s say in it ?

I dont know where in Greece you can find raw goats milk. You must ask around... Preferably if some farmer nearby has goats and is willing to sell some milk.
I dont think pet shops has it. But you can of course ask.
Observe, its probably forbidden to sell unpasteurized milk to humans to use, so you tell as it is: its to animals - here a little kitten.

Im not sure about the colors. Yellow poo hints often its some parasite in there, coccidia perhaps. If so, you must get medicines from a vet.
But it may be natural too. My advices should be OK whichever it is - may help cant hurt.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Could the 'white balls' be undigested milk? I don't know what that means but maybe StefanZ does.

 

[Sarthur2]

The poop looks like normal baby kitten poop. The white balls are undigested milk. I do not see an issue at present. All kittens will poop on their blankets. That’s normal too.

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

The poop looks like normal baby kitten poop. The white balls are undigested milk. I do not see an issue at present. All kittens will poop on their blankets. That’s normal too.

Today the kitten did these poo twice and then a little bit of mucus but after the good poop he did a little mucus
I have no idea how kitten poop looks like sorry for the poop photos

 

[Sarthur2]

It still looks like normal kitten poop to me, so carry on! Nothing to worry about so far!

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

An update for the kitten
Apparently it is a he not a she
I stopped putting tap water in his formula, now I use bottled water. I saw a significant improvement in his stools, and now we are at 167 grams. Also, his umbilical cord just fell off.
I want to ask also your opinion about sth that vet told me
She told me that I can mix a little bit of risewater with normal water in the formula .

 

[StefanZ]

An update for the kitten
Apparently it is a he not a she
I stopped putting tap water in his formula, now I use bottled water. I saw a significant improvement in his stools, and now we are at 167 grams. Also, his umbilical cord just fell off.
I want to ask also your opinion about sth that vet told me
She told me that I can mix a little bit of risewater with normal water in the formula .

Risewater, is it rice water? rice - such as japanese and chinese eats happily?

Yes, you can, especielly if kitten has diarrhea. Boil the rice longer than usually, and yeah, you can use this fluid.

Re bottle water and tap water. I dont know if this has any connection here with the rareish poo, but its correct, if the tap water isnt good, and has much chemicals, its often better to use bottle water. Esp if the kitten is weakish.
catsknowme gives often the tip about bottle water or water from a really good well, instead of city tap water.

 

[Margot Lane]

Kitty has a good heat source? SUCH a cutie. Thank you for taking care of it.

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

Risewater, is it rice water? such as japanese and chinese eats happily?

Yes, you can, especielly if kitten has diarrhea. Boil the rice longer than usually, and yeah, you can use this fluid.

Re bottle water and tap water. I dont know if this has any connection here with the rareish poo, but its correct, if the tap water isnt good, and has much chemicals, its often better to use bottle water. Esp if the kitten is weakish.
catsknowme gives often the tip about bottle water or water from a really good well, instead of city tap water.

Yeah sorry I meant rice water !!

 

[Poppy Seisaki]

So just another poop question (and I hope is the last poop photo that I post here…)
Now the little guy did a perfect toothpaste like poop but it had a little bit of dark thing inside hope it’s not sth to worry about. His formula is rich on Fe maybe it has sth to do with that ?
Oh and to answer Margot Lane yeah he has a heating pad! And I have it on medium always