Two day old kitten issues! Help...

SlaveOfAmara · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:26 pm **Posts:** 63

My cat had a litter of seven... 6 seem to be doing well but one little one isn't. I have intervened and started offering milk supplement to it but it also doesn't seem quite right. Underneath it is clearly furless with bright red skin and and it has lack of fur on its legs and doesn't seem to have coordination and if it isn't turning in circles it is rolling over backwards. It really struggles to suckle unlike the others as it seems to be always heading in the wrong direction. (it only accepted about 2oz of supplement at 11am and only accepted another 2oz at 1pm) Should I continue to try and help it or should I let nature take its course? I don't want to keep it alive for it to only suffer later. It is getting it's third attempted feed as I write this.

If I do continue do I do two hourly feeds or four hourly? How much should I be giving him/her? Right now am kinda just squirting small amounts in the kitten's mouth as it is refusing to suckle

I will try and upload photo's off the lack of fur. The kitten is not to my knowledge premature as me and the vet worked out that the litter was due last week! Though I did read online that early gen hybrids can appear premature as the mother gives birth in the right time period for her own species but the kittens are still developing via the wild species but am sure Amara isn't a early gen Bengal so this can't be the case can it?

SlaveOfAmara · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:26 pm **Posts:** 63

I may be wrong but just appears too pink and too furless for me to feel comfortable that everything is ok with this kitten... They all have slight lack of fur on their legs and bellies but nothing as bad as this little one x

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

It could be that because she had such a large litter some of the kittens did not develop as far along. It could also be that this kitten and the one that passed away were from a different mating. Female cats can release eggs more than once so these 2 could be younger by gestation than the rest of the kittens. Although that would usually only be a few days it could be as much as a week.

Personally, I'm a soft touch, I would keep feeding the kitten and see if it begins to thrive. I would feed a couple of ounces every 2 hours. If it still seems to be failing after a couple of days or if momma is actively trying to get rid of the kitten I would take it to the vet and get their opinion. Momma's will push away ill babies away or even carry the other babies to a new location if they sense the ill baby is not going to survive.

Clare&magic · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:44 pm **Posts:** 707

Is the skin on the belly kind of sticky to touch, if it is this means the kitten is dehydrated.

A newborn kitten should feed every 2/3 hours and never upside down they should be on their belly like when they feed from mum.

Also the kitten should be warm while feeding, if they are cold the milk ferments in their stomach.

Also you need to toilet it as it can't go on its own unless mum is still doing this.

Good luck.

SlaveOfAmara · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:26 pm **Posts:** 63

Thankyou for the comments... sadly the kitten died last night :(

Better than it suffering but we were really just getting into the two hourly feeds when we found it dead... not sure if it died of natural causes or if Amara lay on it as it did appear to be in a awkward position.

Donna741 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:03 pm **Posts:** 1048

I'm sorry the kitten died, kittens are very tough to raise and it's not uncommon to lose a few of them.

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Here is the other post you mentioned! I am so very sorry the kitten didn't make it! I know you did your best in trying to make sure it got the nourishment it needed!!! Hopefully, the other six will flourish and become great pets.

This breaks my heart! Thanks for trying to save it.

spitspot · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:26 pm **Posts:** 734

Nature is harsh at times. Mostly it's for the best but still totally heartbreaking :cry:

I hope the remaining six babies thrive and stay healthy and happy.

brianj12 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 03, 2016 6:44 pm

This is (one of many) reasons why I'd be a lousy breeder. I would never be able to accept such things as just "the norm" or "it happens" etc. I feel bad for you, that seems like an incredibly traumatizing situation :sad:

Clare&magic · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:44 pm **Posts:** 707

So sad the kitten didn't make it, I know it does happen for a reason but it's still sad.
You did your very best but it wasn't meant to be.
I'm sure the others will thrive into lovely lively bundles of fluff.

SlaveOfAmara · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:26 pm **Posts:** 63

Am gutted as I really was beginning to fall in love with the little one but she did have a big litter and six out of eight to survive must be a good thing. I named it "cupcake" before I buried it.

It gives Amara more time to focus on the six I guess and they all seem to be doing well. I even got new pictures of them today when I was trying to sex them but I think I have probably got their sexes wrong. I will upload the pictures on my other post.

Thankyou for the kind comments. x

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

RIP Cupcake

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Aww, how sweet that you named the kitty! You may need more time before you can determine the sex of the kittens!

SlaveOfAmara · **Joined:** Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:26 pm **Posts:** 63

Yeah I think I need to double check the sexes as they age

Two day old kitten issues! Help...

Who is online