9-days old kitten, underweight, defecating mucus stool. Need advice.

Here’s another chat/link from awhile ago that may help:

Links for Raising Kittens

One for glop/kitten formula:

Links for kitten glop

Also try clicking the pink tag ‘orphans’ for all our previous threads on trying to help babies like this.

Okeydoke, the fact that kitten is livelier and more alert is a GOOD SIGN. That seems to suggest to me that the pedialyte helped. At the moment, your best guide to whether she is improving or not is her alertness and liveliness (and, day by day, whether she is gaining or losing weight) so for the moment I would concentrate on those and try not to worry too much about other things that may not be right. The odds are heavily against this little one so just concentrate on keeping her lively and well hydrated. The mucus may well be a serious problem or a sign of something else but if your vet can’t help (have you gotten a second opinion from a more senior vet?) there’s not a lot you or we can do about it.
The pedialyte can,I understand, in a worst-case scenario, throw their blood salts out so if she’s drinking diluted milk happily then keep on with that. But I doubt it’s done her any harm, it sounds like it’s done her some good. You can also get commercial pedialyte from the infants aisle of a supermarket. From your pet store or online from a good site (like amazon or entirelypets.com) get a supplement called Nutrical paste for kittens — you can smear a little on her gums, no big lumps or anything she could choke on. You can keep a wee kitten alive on Nutrical paste and water (if there’s nothing else wrong with it) so it’s a great thing to have on hand.
Your biggest problem, I think, might be her blood sugar level crashing. This is life-threatening, so if she suddenly goes limp or crashes, you need to get some sugars into her. Formula is the best, if she will accept it but you can also save her life with some honey smeared on her mouth (a little smear) or sugar water stroked on the roof of her mouth. Goats’ milk is good to bring kittens up on but it can be a little rich for some, you might want to try some of the glop recipes, which are mostly based around evaporated or condensed milk.

So, to sum up:
Keep up with the diluted kitten formula, you’re doing the right thing.
The home-made pedialyte probably didn’t cause any problems but if she is happy with the diluted kitten formula, that’s best.
The mucus could be associated with anything, at present try not to worry about that. Take your cue from her liveliness and whether she is gaining or losing weight.
Get some Nutrical if you can, have formula, sugar water or honey on hand if she crashes.
Try not to worry about anything else at this stage, most of it is out of our hands (unless you can find a vet who is very knowledgeable about unweaned kittens, but there is not a lot available to them apart from hydration fluids and glucose. Antibiotics given so young can cause diarrhea which is itself life-threatening.)
If she doesn’t like goats’ milk or formula, try glop.
Read the messybeast site over and over, it has the best advice on problems with unweaned kittens you will ever find.
How is mother cat? Kitten formula, Nutrical and goats milk will be good supplements for her too. Has she had a vet check? You don’t want to run the risk of losing her as well.

Best of luck!

I’ve just looked at the product you’re feeding her, it looks fine but it is a powder and they can seem to cause constipation. Kitten milk replacement is the best thing for her (a petstore or online at amazon or entirelypets.com or similar good site), it comes either in liquid (pricier but can avoid constipation) or powdered form. Canned liquid goats milk (from the baking aisle in Walmart and similar) would probably be easier than powdered, if you can get it. Kitten glop is also an option, messybeast gives a good recipe.

And don’t forget to get mama cat checked out and give her some of that good stuff above too!

Just catching up on this thread. I’m so sorry for you and your wee one. All I can offer is comforting vibes for her, and for you too.

I’m so sorry your little angel didn’t make it. It might sound like a cliche, but you really did make her short shooting star life richer with your love and care. That must certainly be how she had the strength to say goodbye. She knew you did your best, and she knew she had to go. She has her wings now, and will watch you and if you listen closely, you might hear her purr from the meadow.
Please give mama cat a few scritches from an admirer at TDK 🙂

sooo sorry to hear HUGGGGG its tru tho, it’s good that you did your best. soemtimes it’s just out of our hands.

I’m so, so sorry. The odds were always heavily against your little one, up to 40% of kittens who don’t have a mum to take care of them and feed them (for whatever reason) very sadly die and the chances are higher if you have already lost others in the litter. You did the very best you could, not you, not the vet, not anyone could have done any more and all of us who have tried to bring up orphaned or abandoned kittens have lost some, we know how devastating it is. She loved you and knew you were her mummy, that much is clear, she probably could see you, if not very well, but she could certainly hear and feel you and recognise your voice and she knew that you loved her. I wish I could offer you more comfort. It could be that your mama cat knew they would not live and that is why she didn’t feed them, this is often the case, it is cruel but that is nature. Many {{{{HUGS}}}}} to you, you left no stone unturned and you cherished her for every moment she was alive.

I’m so sorry. 🙁