Help! 1 wk old kitten seems to not eat

Hi Bronwyn,

Thanks for saving this girl and I’m sorry the others didn’t survive.

Here’s the basic information I give out and it has worked well.

You will need to have a warm nest box for the baby. You will need a heating pad in the nest so she’ll keep warm. Make sure she has a cool spot to move to if she gets hot. Wrap the heating pad with a towel and an unwashed shirt of yours. Warmth is especially important the first 14 days of a kitten’s life because they have not yet developed the ability to control their body temperature. For extra comfort, get her a soft stuffed toy to snuggle with so she doesn’t feel lonely (it works).

KMR concentrate tends to give kits constipation and the liquid does the opposite. In TDKland, we recommend Goats’ milk for kittens. Cats are lactose intolerant and can’t digest cows milk. Goats’ milk is full of nutrients, probiotics and gentler on their tummies. This can also regulate the poop. You can find it in the dairy section or the concentrate in the baking aisle. Mix the concentrate 1:1 with water or pedylite. If milk bubbles out of the nose it is flowing too rapidly from the bottle, you are holding the kitten wrong, or it is too weak to suckle normally. Most of the time, it is due to too large a hole(s) in the nipple or over feeding. Also, Kittens that have been abandoned are often chilled, dehydrated and hypoglycemic. Warm her up and give her a dab of Karo syrup or honey. This will give her an energy boost.

Minimums –

Newborn need to consume about 32cc daily,
At 2 weeks, 55cc daily,
At 3 weeks, 80 cc daily,
At 4 weeks, 100cc daily (add wet food to the milk to make a gruel),
At 5 weeks, 125cc daily.

Yes you need to burp your kitten! After each feeding hold the kitten its tummy against your shoulder and pat it gently until it burps, releasing trapped air.

Normal kitten stools are yellowish brown with a jam-like consistency. After every feeding, gently massage her with a cotton ball or Kleenex moistened with warm water until they urinate and defecate. Don’t worry if no urine or stool is produced after every feeding.

You might check for fleas. Those little pests can quickly suck a kitten dry of blood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJrSU-nqC
http://messybeast.com/catarchive.htm

Good luck
PG

You are doing all the right things for your girl.

She feels safe now so it’s OK for her to sleep. You have to watch out though because if she doesn’t eat every 2 hours her blood sugar can drop to dangerous levels. Even if you have to wake her, make sure she eats. If you think she’s lethargic, put some Honey or Karo syrup on her lips. That will give her an energy boost. It’s OK to give her an energy boost if you get concerned.

If you’re having success with KMR then keep using it. Purrhaps you can try the Goats’ milk and see if she likes that better. If not, go back to KMR.

It’s okay for kittens to want to sleep a lot. At that age all they really do is sleep, eat and pee& poop. Sleeping doesn’t mean she’s lethargic! If she walks around, mews and stuff while she’s awake, then I’d say there’s nothing to worry about! Keep in mind that just because it seems like she wants to sleep doesn’t mean you should skip feedings!! Wake her up every 2-3 hours by holding her in your hands and gently stroking her and feed her.

Kittens and adult cats poop once to three times per day. Some kittens poop after every meal and some don’t. As long as she poops at least once a day and the poop color is normal (light brown, not too soft but not too hard), you have nothing to worry about. Try stimulating her before and after every feeding with a soft wash cloth or cotton pads (I use cotton wool) dipped in some warm (not hot) water.

Also, if you’re using powder formula, make sure it blends well with the water and doesn’t form any lumps, cause that can constipate them and at that age it’s very dangerous. A sudden change in her diet might give her diarrea, so don’t switch to another formula unless it’s absolutely necessary and if you do, start by mixing it to the one you’re feeding her now, cause that would make the transition easier for her.

If a vet says stuff like “you’re doing all you can blah blah” and doesn’t give you a dirrect answer, then you know you have to switch to somebody else!!