please help…my 2 week old kitten is very sick!

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  • 27 July, 2011 at 2:07 am #46692
    kelseyb
    Participant

    I just joined and I really need some help and advice. I have a 2 week old kitten that was left behind by her feral mom. I found her at a day old and she has been thriving up until now. The problem is I was feeding her this morning and I think she got some fluid in her lungs because she was coughing and had milk coming out of her nose and her purr had a weird rattle to it. So I read online that you are supposed to turn it upside down and shake her and if that doesn’t work then swing her to force the fluid back up with gravity. Well I did those things but I don’t know if i shook her too hard or there is still stuff in her lungs or what because when I went to feed her again she was lifeless. She usually perks right up at my voice and when I touch her but she was just limp. Her mouth was just hanging open with her tongue out and she wasn’t meowing. I started freaking out and tried to feed her but she didn’t want to eat. So this evening when I got her back out of her box she was acting more normal, moving around and actually meowing. But then it was like she was having back spasms because her back was like arching backwards and her spine would go stiff for a couple seconds. Also her mouth wouldn’t open, it was like her jaw was locked. So I fed her with a syringe and she was eating so I put her back to sleep. So now when I last checked on her her mouth was normal and she would take her bottle so she ate and went back to sleep. The only clue I have is her purring. She usually only purrs after she eats but now she is constantly purring. I know purring is just like breathing to them, it’s not just when they are happy so could it have something to do with that?? I just don’t know what to do or what is wrong and I can’t take her to vet as we have no vehicle or money and are out in the country. If anyone has any advice or this has happened to their kitten before please help me. I am so scared and I don’t want to lose her, her mom already left her. Please help Missy!!!!! Thanks

    27 July, 2011 at 2:21 am #680090
    hoytcherylj
    Participant

    http://www.messybeast.com is an awesome website.

    in the future, please do not feed her like a human baby. kittens need to be fed with their bellies facing the ground and their backs facing the sky. also, after feeding, she needs to be burped just like a human baby.

    failure to do these things can cause aspiration pneumonia, which can kill.

    and please, get your kitten to a vet. some vets will do a free first kitten vet visit, especially if you tell them she was a stray. please call around.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:23 am #680091
    hoytcherylj
    Participant

    and if her mom left her, the mom might have decided that there was something wrong with this kitten and she left it to die to take care of her other kittens. good luck.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:27 am #680092
    kelseyb
    Participant

    I don’t feed her on her back but when I go to put the nipple in her mouth I have to have her upright and that’s when it happened. I will call the vet in the morning and see what they say. Thanks for the response.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:29 am #680093
    kelseyb
    Participant

    That’s what I was thinking about the mom leaving her now that this has happened. Nature is crazy.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:31 am #680094
    hoytcherylj
    Participant

    i apologise. i assumed you had been feeding her on her back and that’s how she got the milk in her lungs. i didn’t stop to think there could be other reasons. i deeply apologise.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:33 am #680095
    kelseyb
    Participant

    It’s ok, no harm done.

    27 July, 2011 at 2:36 am #680096
    Kit
    Participant

    I hope your kitten gets better. I don’t really have much else to offer 🙁

    27 July, 2011 at 2:47 am #680097
    Buttercup
    Participant

    Whatever website you found previously that said to “swing her” was very wrong. 2 week old kittens are very fragile. Please treat her gently and try to get her to a vet asap.

    I hope she recovers.

    27 July, 2011 at 3:00 am #680098
    kelseyb
    Participant

    Thanks guys…I’m calling the vet in the morning.

    27 July, 2011 at 3:20 am #680099
    kelseyb
    Participant

    well I just checked on her and she is acting completely normal now. This is the weirdest thing ever. She was so lifeless earlier I really thought she was going to die right then. She just ate again and burped and pooped and peed but she is still constantly purring. That’s the only thing that’s different. My 6 month old pitbull named Lover knows something is wrong with her because she has been laying next to the counter where Missy’s box is in the kitchen all day. Lover licks Missy (me holding the kitten of course) to get her to poop and pee so somehow they have a bond already. She is the craziest puppy but when it comes time to take care of Missy she instantly calms down and takes her job very seriously. Lol

    27 July, 2011 at 5:49 am #680100
    kaitlyn
    Participant

    Your puppy taking on a parent role may be a positive sign. My cat “adopted” 2 kittens and they thrived and are now happy in their furever home. But when I brought home a very sick kitten she just ignored him and wanted nothing to do with him and he ended up passing away a few days later. Kittens are very strange and can go up and down very quickly but it looks like you have a fighter!! The arching and mouth open actions may be due to blood sugar, so if it happens again try some Karo syrup on her gums, a very very small amount and it should perk her up. Best of luck with the little one!!! Hope to see some pictures of the cutie soon!!

    27 July, 2011 at 1:44 pm #680101
    kelseyb
    Participant

    Thanks for everyone’s response, I am so happy to say that this morning she is perfectly normal and back to her squirmy self!! I really thought I had lost her but whatever happened reversed itself and she is great now. I’ve had a cat with a litter before but this is my first time bottle feeding a kitten and it just blows my mind how fast she grows. Her eyes are fully opened this morning and it’s like she can really start to see now. I had her on my chest petting/burping her and she really looked up at me and starred into my eyes for the first time. Also my dog is back to normal so she must sense that everything is ok with Missy. I am starting to worry about the other kittens that are still with the mom because she is feral and she lives under my house. I guess it’s good that she’s not out in the woods but the problem with under the house is fleas. When I first found Missy she was literally a day old and I combed about 20 fleas out of her when I brought her inside. I know that fleas can kill tiny kittens and I haven’t seen or heard any of the other kittens but see the mom every day. Also she is a young, small cat and I think she had a large litter because she literally looked like she had a volleyball in her stomach when she was pregnant. I have tried to trap her but there are so many other cats around that they get to the bait first. I guess I will just have to grab the kittens when they start to come out and get them socialized so they can be adopted. Any advice on catching tricky ferals??

    27 July, 2011 at 1:48 pm #680102
    jcat
    Participant

    Kelsey, you will need to trap them, the longer they are with their mother, the more afraid of humans they will be. Can you borrow a humane trap from your local shelter or rescue?

    I’m glad your kitten seems okay now, but keep a close eye on her. These are great sites to help you with raising your kitten:

    http://feral-kitten-rescue.blogspot.com/2008/10/feral-kitten-how-to-story.html

    http://www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm

    http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=15

    http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/orphans.shtml

    http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

    27 July, 2011 at 2:03 pm #680103
    kelseyb
    Participant

    I have traps but like I said the other cats always get in first. She is starting to trust me, let’s me get within arms reach but won’t let me pet her yet. But she doesn’t wink at me anymore which means she somewhat trusts me. She comes out at feeding time now but I used to never see her, I only caught a glimpse of her when she was pregnant because she was waddling instead of running lol. But I will check out the websites you suggested and keep trying to win her trust. As soon as I catch her she is going to get spayed and then she can come back. I just hope her kittens survive the fleas and come out so I can catch them soon.

    27 July, 2011 at 3:11 pm #680104
    Buttercup
    Participant

    Hi Kelsey,I’m so glad to hear the kitten is doing better. I think that if the Mom is starting to get closer to you you can use food to get her closer and to trust you. Put some smelly food out wherever you can sit somewhat close and let her see you while she eats. Move the plate closer and closer to you. Talk to her in a soft voice so that she gets used to you. when she is closer and you try to reach for her keep your hands low,let her smell it. If she starts to pull back then pull your hand back. So sort of impose yourself as she tolerates you until she is close enough to pet but don’t grab her right away. That would break her trust. As she comes to trust you and hopefully brings her kittens out so you can get the fleas off. You are right,the fleas can kill them. You sound like you have the patience and knowledge to do this,good luck and please keep us informed. 🙂

    27 July, 2011 at 4:21 pm #680105
    kelseyb
    Participant

    I will keep you informed, I am so happy I found this place, you all are full of resources and wisdom. Thanks guys!

    27 July, 2011 at 6:36 pm #680106
    CheetahBoysmommy
    Participant

    After the kittens are out from under the house, you could try sprinkling some food grade diatomaceous earth under there. It’s not toxic but it does kill fleas and other creepy-crawlies.

    http://diatomaceousearth.net/?gclid=CPiu2I2VoqoCFQ9S7AodlH3BWw

    28 July, 2011 at 2:20 am #680107
    kelseyb
    Participant

    Thanks for the tip and I will…just to let everyone know Missy is doing great, no problems at all. I’ve read various things, but when do kittens usually start pooping and peeing on their own?? She is 2 weeks old today and I just wonder about that even though she is doing it regularly.

    28 July, 2011 at 2:37 am #680108
    Skyron
    Participant

    I start introducing potty training at 4 weeks old. The process takes about 2 weeks. I start them off just by associating eliminating with the litterbox – stimulating them in a litterbox, then gradually i do digging motions with their feet before starting the stimulation, etc. I wonder it you fed mom copious amounts of garlic if her food, if it would somehow filter down to the babies? I started feeding my dogs a teaspoon of crushed garlic every day a month ago, and i have yet to see a flea on them. I have an ongoing flea problem, so i’m trying out alternative methods now.

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