LoveToKnow Cats:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Cats

Comments

Hi Tammie,

Be sure you feed the kitten with its belly down toward the floor, not on his back. Also, if bubbles are coming out of his nose, you are basically drowning him. Try slowing down the rate at which you are giving him the liquid and keeping his belly down and see if that helps. I found a link to a really good article that goes into detail about how to care for young kittens.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have three small kittens that I am bottle feeding right now. The mother cat just decided not to feed them anymore. They are taking the bottle really well except one kitten when it drinks the milk comes back out of its nose. What do I need to do?

-- Contributed by: Tammie

Hi Casse,

Try using a washcloth with warm water. The texture of the washcloth is closer to the texture of a mother cat's tongue. If that does not work, you may want to take her to the vet for a checkup. At that young age, she is likely pretty frail without a mother cat to care for her. Also, make sure you are giving her kitten formula.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have an abandoned kitty I found today about 4 weeks old i guess. I have tried rubbing the moistened cotton ball to allow the kitty to urinate and deficate, but she has not done either. I don't know what I am doing wrong.

-- Contributed by: casse

Hi Angela,

He may be dehydrated from being abandoned overnight by his mother. Kittens need to eat every 2-3 hours typically at that age. I would go ahead and take him to the vet and get him looked over. You may want to prepare yourself that he may not make it. It is very hard for kittens that young to survive on their own without the mother cat. However, you can give him a fighting chance, and that's all you can do. Good luck!

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

I have a kitten who was apparently (abandoned by a stray cat) His eyes aren't even opened yet. I found him yesterday but, I left him to see if his mother would come back to feed him but she has not returned. So, this morning I went to the pet store and bought the bottle and formula to feed him but he will not eat. I keep trying to give him the bottle, but he doesn't seem to know how to take it; as if he don't know how to suck. I don't want him to starve! What should I do?

-- Contributed by: Angela

Hi Sandy,

You should take the kitten to the vet immediately. Kittens that young have a very hard time surviving apart from their mother. They must be fed every two or three hours with a special formula and kept warm. Hope the kitten survives.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

We found a kitten in a bail of hay and couldn't bring it back to the farm.. not even sure which barn. The poor things eyes are not even open yet. I have been feeding it with an eye dropper and it seemed to be doing pretty good. All of a sudden today the poor thing is not eating and has diarrhea.. I'm not sure what to do for it.

-- Contributed by: Sandy

Hi, Lisa,

What a blessing that you found her. She sure is a lucky little kitten. Some names that I thought of, include:

Lucky (sort of self explanatory)
Cinder (because she is gray)
Ashes
Misty

Personally, I like to come up with names that mean something to me personally. I named a cat Ellipses because I'm a writer. You also could name her based on her personality as you get to know her better.

You may also wat to read our article with even more ideas for Kitten Names.

-- Contributed by: LoriSoard

My boyfriend and i found a kitten in an house that has been sittin empty for a year. We were in the basement and this tiny, fluffy kitten crawled out of a hole. It was so small. When we shined our flashlight around we saw another kitten that did not make it. I couldn't leave it, so i brought it home and took it to the vet right away. It was too skinny. They determined it to be about 4 wks old. I didn't think she was going to make it that first night. I have had her for a week now and can not think of a good name. She has very long grey hair. She is now starting to play and bite. She is the cutest little thing. Do you have any suggestions on a unique name for a kitten that almost didn't make it? I have no doubts that one more day would have been the end for her.

-- Contributed by: lisa

Hi Diane,

That was very kind of you to adopt that abandoned kitten. I'm sure she'll reward you with many years of affection.

As for adding a second kitten to the mix, you just never know how it's going to turn out. Sometimes the cats turn out to be best buddies, other times they can barely coexist under the same roof. Unlike dogs, cats don't necessarily need another feline companion, and your kitten's current behavior sounds quite normal. Cat's love to take long naps. Then when they wake up they have all that lovely energy to terrorize the house with for a while! If you decide to bring a second kitten home, just make sure it's a slow introduction so they have time to get used to each other before you give them the run of the house.

As for letting her outside, I don't really recommend it unless you take her out on a leash. Getting bred is just one hazard. She could also get in a fight with another cat, be attacked by a stray dog or possibly even be run over by a car. There's also a chance that someone my think she's a stray and pick her up. You just never know what can happen.

Thanks for your questions. I hope my answers help clear things up a bit.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have been caring for a kitten that was abandoned near a friends home and have decided to keep her. After I had her for about a month, I took her to the vet and was told that she was about 5 months old as her 6 month teeth had not broken the gums yet. She received her shots, worming and flea medication as well as testing for the leukemia virus (negative) and the shot for that. She is now about 5 1/2 months old and I have been keeping her in the house. I know she wants to go out, but there is a tomcat that lives next door and another down the street and I do not know if they have been fixed or not. She has an appointment for September 11 to be spayed. I may be able to let her out for a bit after she heals. I work and have irregular hours of when I can be home. She seems to be getting a little listless sometimes and then sometimes she is like a little terror. I was thinking that perhaps she needs a companion. My granddaughter's cat had kittens eight weeks ago and I am thinking of getting one of them to keep her company. Do you think this is a good idea? Or should I try to get a cat at about the same age? Should I get a male and have it nuetered rather another female? Can you tell that I have never had a cat pet other than the ones on the farm and they didn't live in the house with us.

-- Contributed by: Dianed812
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