Sos! 3 Week Old Kitten Help !!!! Never Had A Cat

[JennGracee]

I just got a kitten 3 days ago. She was given to us, she's 3 weeks old, we can't take her back to her mom. ive never been a cat owner ever, not sure how to care for them. when went to petco and they suggested what food we give her based of her age. She been having trouble pooping and her belly is very fluffed up, and her poop is coming out dark brown and sort of liquid like. Her butt is also pink and poking out. the more research ive been doing on caring for cats the more ive been doing and catching on. I just noticed that the food the petco guy gave us is a weaning powder formula from GNC ! ive read that at her age she should have had replacement milk!!! I'm kind of freaking out and not sure what to do !

She's happy and has been playful and she sleeps alot.

the ratio for the weaning is 1:3 just wondering if i can keep using it and maybe do the ratio 1:2 or is it okay to keep using the weaning milk, her diarrhea could also be cause to the change of food right?

HELP please !!!!!!

 

[ashade1]

Can you post a picture of her? Are you sure that she is 3 weeks old? Why can't she go back with mom? If she is three weeks old she is going to need bottle fed every three hours and stimulated to go to the bathroom each time. Her belly could be larger if she has worms. Her poop will be liquid if she is still a baby and drinking formula. I think the weaning formula is thicker than the petag formula... if you can get some regular formula that would be better for her if she is truly 3 weeks old. Can you weigh her?

 

[StefanZ]

The suggestion of weaning formula (or stage II) is reasonable [although a little too early - this edited], and GNC is normally a reliable brand. BUT.
Quite a few of our forumists has problem with stage II, so we really dont recommend it.

Better to proceed on with the normal formula, kmr / replacement milk as you say. By GNC, or better still KMR in powder. Goats milk is OK alternative. Goats milk has the advantage it can be also used as supplement later on, as adult, if you think she needs some milk instead of common water. And is also cheaper than KMR...

So she isnt constipated nor has severe diarrhea? Good - or rather, not bad.

 

[catwoman707]

Okay take a deep breath!
No freaking out.

First of all, baby is super young to be taken from momma cat, and won't really start weaning and eating from a dish until about 5 weeks old, which means kitten needs to be bottle fed for a bit, which she will hate and resist at first, so a needleless syringe for feeding needs to be used, because she MUST take in a certain amt in order to grow and thrive, and at 3 weeks is still quite fragile.

Get her weight, using an ounce or gram scale, for every ounce she weighs, she needs 8 mls of formula per ounce, per day.
So for example she weighs 8 ounces, then she needs 64 mls per day of formula. (8 oz x 8 mls=64 mls)

Yes, the drastic food switch will cause bloating and gassy tummy.

She should be on regular KMR/kitten milk replacer, the second step is for weaning kittens, but I have never been too fond of it really. It won't hurt her though.

When syringing her milk, slowly put in to her cheek area and not down her throat or you risk inhalation and pneumonia.
It only takes a drop.

We are here to help and support you and kitten, so feel free to ask any questions you have, and you will likely have plenty!!

 

[JennGracee]

Well her poop is like liquid like and dark brown and she doesn't go after she eats even when we stimulate her, and her butt hole is very pink and its like bulging out a bit. so i assumed she has diarrhea. but I'm not sure, i don't even know how cats are supposed to poop

 

[StefanZ]

A little errata to what I wrote. If she is really just 3 weeks, its too early for stage II / weaning. So its another reason to just proceed with the regular kmr.

Can you get RAW goats milk? this may be a difference sometimes, may even be better than a good kmr in some cases.

Lets hope her poop will get better by this by itself. The kitten poop is usually rather rare, but ideally its alike tooth-paste consistency.

 

[JennGracee]

well its too late now for me too go out and get her that but ill be getting her kmr replacement milk tomorrow morning.

i hoping this will help with her poop.

 

[JennGracee]

Thats the only picture i have of her right now.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Where did you get this kitten? She needs a heating pad on low under half of her nest. Put her in a box that she can't get out of.

How much and how often are you feeding?

 

[Sarthur2]

You can put vaseline on her bottom to help with the redness.

 

[JennGracee]

She was given to us the mother had passed away. I'm feeding her almost every 2 hours she doesn't alot tho so that's why I'm feeding her often. I put 3 tbl spoons of water & 1 of formula sometimes I will give her more but she rarely finishes it

 

[Willowy]

Is that the proper mixture recommended on the container? That seems like too much water and not enough powder, but maybe that's a different brand than I've used before.

If she's starting to get teeth, you can start to introduce solids, very slowly of course. Add a little mashed-up canned food or meat baby food to her formula to get her used to the taste, and maybe offer a saucer of canned food mixed with formula. But not until she has some little teeth---that's how you know her digestive system is ready for solids.

Even after she's on solids, continue offering a bottle until she's 8-10 weeks. Kittens taken off the nipple too early sometimes develop some annoying lifelong suckling behaviors.

 

[JennGracee]

Yeah that's the proper mixture. It's 1 to 3 mix. It's the gnc weaning brand. She seems to enjoy it she eats it just fine.
It's just I'm afraid it's too soon to be giving her that. Wish I wouldvery Google search before going to the pet store.

 

[Willowy]

Oh, so she's eating it and not taking a bottle? She may be older than 3 weeks. Do the previous owners know the exact birth date? How big are her teeth? If she's eating the weaning mix with no trouble it may be time to start offering a little canned food or pureed meat mixed in.

I think I'd still offer a bottle though. Just to see what she does.

 

[JennGracee]

Okay so update, I took myour kitten to the vet. She is 4 weeks now. Vet said she's great, just had to switch to replacement milk and to just keep letting her eat out the bowl if there's no sign of struggle. She's been taking the replacement milk just fine she didn't like it at first tho but she's doing great now

 

[Sarthur2]

Good! How is her bottom doing?

 

[JennGracee]

It's doing better the pink swelling went away and she's pooping a little more solid.

 

[catwoman707]

Great to hear she is doing so much better!!

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, that's awesome!