3wk old kitten not eating

shamrock55

we have just been given a 3 wk old kitten the first day she was fine and was drinking a little bit of milk and just exploring around very unsteadily mind but the last couple of days she wont drink anything and seems very weak and wont even move from her bed now we have tried giving her milk through a seringe but she wont take much she just seems to be doing alot of sleeping she was shivering alot too so we put a hot water bottle under her blanket she is too young to be away from her mother i think
does anybody have any ideas about getting her to eat or any other tips for her well being its our first kitten and our little girl loves her and will be devistaded if anything happened to her:(

piperh

Without a shadow of doubt she's to young to be away from her mom, can i ask why you got her so young? She should still be suckling and only be given kitten food from 5wks onwards. If you cannot take her back to mommy then you need to get kitten milk asap and take her into the vets. She will still be unsteady as she shouldn't be moving around the house yet just around a small area.

andreac

3 weeks??:eek: Poor kitten.

Is there anyway you can bring this kitten back to the breeder to be left back with the mother and siblings? I cant even imagine how someone can take a 3 week old kitten from its mother:(

I dont think at 3 weeks it would even be weaned from the mother. Maybe theres some milk replacer you can get from the vet to feed it with until its ready to be weaned onto solids.

mymo

At 3 weeks as said above the kitten is too young, 8-10 weeks is the norm, if not longer.
I'm assuming there's a reason you got this kitten so young? Mother dead or rejected the kitten?
Please don't give milk, its very bad for cats and can make them ill, you can get a milk replacer at the vets (it replaces mothers milk) and feed it that. At 4 weeks or so you can start to introduce solids, a good kitten food in small quantities. Royal Canin baby cat is great, I've used it with young kittens before.
They can't regulate their temp to well at that age either so be careful of both cold and heat, and also they need help toileting, get a damp cotton wool pad and wipe the rear, it stimulates them to go, usually need to do this for first 2-3 weeks or so.
I hope this kitten makes it until morning, if it does get down to your vet and get some milk replacer, and get some into her quick.

andreac

Just read your post again. This kitten needs the vet asap by the sounds of it. It sounds like its dehydrated if its not drinking. Kittens and puppies need regular feeding and can get dehydrated very quickly if they dont and this kitten sounds very sick if its shivering, not moving, drinking etc.

I really hope your kitten will be ok but it doesnt sound good so please bring it to the vet tomorrow and get some expert advice and proper food/milk replacer for it, as Mymo said, you cant give cats normal milk.

The Sweeper

The kitten is unweaned and you have been essentially killing it with cow's milk. Cats cannot tolerate the lactose in cow's milk, it causes diarrohea. In a kitten that tiny, this will dehydrate it, causing painful stomach cramps and eventually death. It is now dying. You need to take it to a vet immediately, where the vet will either try to give it fluids or will humanely euthanise it.

If it survives the night you need to get a kitten milk supplement from the vet and start to feed it as per the instructions on the packet, every few hours.

You will need all of the information on this link:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/raising-orphaned-kittens

Whatever happens to this kitten, please read the information pages on the above website regarding raising a kitten so you do not make these mistakes again.

shamrock55

thanks for replys guys i will take her to the vet reason we got her so young was because person just wanted rid of them it was either this or the river id say she has been to the toilet the missus wiped her bum and that she is here beside me on the couch now in a blanket and she is just sleeping away and is purring which i imagine is a good sign thanks again;)

I had to raise a litter of kitens years ago, and they were generally good at lapping (we used Whiska's kitten milk - cows milk is not ideal). You may need to forcefeed liquids with an eyedropper. You can get the necessary equipment from a pharmacy, usually cheaper than the vet, but be sure to get the right formula and don't feed cow's milk. Even adult cats can't handle cow's milk, although it's like crack cocaine to them!!

shamrock55

The Sweeper wrote: »

The kitten is unweaned and you have been essentially killing it with cow's milk. Cats cannot tolerate the lactose in cow's milk, it causes diarrohea. In a kitten that tiny, this will dehydrate it, causing painful stomach cramps and eventually death. It is now dying. You need to take it to a vet immediately, where the vet will either try to give it fluids or will humanely euthanise it.

If it survives the night you need to get a kitten milk supplement from the vet and start to feed it as per the instructions on the packet, every few hours.

You will need all of the information on this link:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/raising-orphaned-kittens

Whatever happens to this kitten, please read the information pages on the above website regarding raising a kitten so you do not make these mistakes again.

we have been trying her with baby formula as we were told not to use cows milk but i will get some of the milk you are on about from the vet we were told baby formula was ok

Whiska's Kitten Milk is available in the supermarket. It's not perfect but it's probably the best you can get off the shelf in an emergency.

Edited to add: Despite what my dad swears, they don't milk cats to make it!!

shamrock55

Deleted User wrote: »

Whiska's Kitten Milk is available in the supermarket. It's not perfect but it's probably the best you can get off the shelf in an emergency.

Edited to add: Despite what my dad swears, they don't milk cats to make it!!

will try this so thanks;) tell your dad thats good to know:D

The Sweeper

Baby formula has the same effect as cow's milk - lactose, diarrohea, dehydration, death.

It's not just about the feeding either when they're that small - you need to read through the bits about burping them, cleaning bums and replicating the sensation of a mum's wash with a warm flannel.

Unweaned kittens are very difficult and their survival rate is touch and go - they should never be away from their mother until 8-10 weeks. Your little one probably hadn't even tried solid food.

Kittens that size often have a parasite load as well - worms - which will be draining its nutrition and energy, but your kitten is too little and sick to risk worming without veterinary supervision. You really need to involve a vet.

shamrock55

another thing could someone tell me how often would i want to feed her and how much as i dont think she will take it from a bowl herself

The Sweeper

shamrock55 wrote: »

will try this so thanks;) tell your dad thats good to know:D

No, whiskas kitten milk won't cut it. It's virtually lactose free, but your kitten is beyond that. Whiskas kitten milk also doesn't contain the balance of electrolytes and nutrients that the kitten needs. If you can get to the supermarket near midnight, you can get to a vet - and you really need to be at the vet.

You can try to hydrate your kitten by syringing in a ml of warm water, but again you're just playing for time.

The Sweeper

shamrock55 wrote: »

another thing could someone tell me how often would i want to feed her and how much as i dont think she will take it from a bowl herself

Read the link I gave you.

It says

"To encourage suckling, gently stroke the kitten's throat in a downward motion. Hold the bottle at a 45% angle. Feeds should be every 2 - 3 hours, around the clock."

Shanao

Any vet, or a good petshop, should have either Royal Canin babycat milk or lactol, use these; the whiskas catmilk should only be a last resort as you are trying to give her something as close as possible to her mother's milk, whiskas isn't going to give her the nutrition she needs. She needs to be taken to a vet as soon as possible.

Also :mad: @ the bastards who wanted to get rid of her or drown her. People like that shouldn't have a cat in the first place

EDIT: Just noticed The Sweeper had already replied to you on that. Whatever you do, heed her advice. She really knows her stuff

toadfly

OP please take the sweepers advice, she knows what she is talking about. This kitten needs a vet immediately.

planetX

a 3 week old kitten is not going to survive away from its mother without serious intervention - OP is asking about bowls:eek:, you need to get kitten back with mom, or to a vet asap. can you not promise to take it back in a month or so and put it back with its mother.... if it even survived the night:(

fatmammycat

My youngest cat here was raised from 3-4 weeks, ( he was riddled with cat flu and fleas and I think his mother might have removed him from the litter and left him to die)
One vet refused to treat him (!) and said he'd probably die, but a second vet took him on. He spent two weeks at this vets on a drip, then on return needed to be fed every three hours even through the night, we gave him a special mushy kitten food, small amounts each time, and we had to syringe a glucose supplement into him three of four times a day. It was hard work. On one occasion he was so weak he literally fainted before he fed ( I thought he had died, but after rubbing his poor chest he came round and I managed to get the glucose into him, giving him just enough energy to eat). At 12 weeks he was strong enough to have an operation to remove one eye which was dead from infection and returned to us again. Same little cat is now eight and as hardy as they come.
My rambling point is honestly OP, you need to get this kitten to a vet ASAP, he probably could do with being on a drip and needs pretty intensive care if he is to survive. It is doable, but you need to be realistic and accept medical help.

fatmammycat

For heaven's sake, I should really read all the posts. Shorter me, 'What Sweeper said!"

JKM

OP, how's the kitten doing? I hope you heeded The Sweepers excellent advice. Let us know please.

shamrock55

i took her to vet this morning and she is now in an incubator and they will try and get fluids into her they said not to hold too much hope though

andreac

The poor kitten:(

A few hours without fluids for a kitten/pup that young can be very serious, let alone a few days. I really hope the kitten pulls through for you.

shamrock55

just got a phone call from the vet to say she passed away:( thanks again for all your help anyway i am going to have to try and replace her now with an older kitten cos my little girl will be heartbrocken

MarthaMyDear

It's actually awful that a poor little kitten had to suffer and die just because it's mothers owners did not bother to get their cat neutered. I can't believe they insisted the kittens be taken away at 3 weeks that would be torture for a poor kitten.

Well done for taking it to a vet. At least it died somewhere warm and safe and not at the bottom of a river like those sorry excuse for people were planning to do.

Can I recommend that you look in your local rescue for a new cat or kitten. They are over-ridden with them at the moment and you could give one a lovely home.

barbiegirl

Oh Shamrock 55 that's so sad :-( Little kitties so need their mum.

shamrock55

MarthaMyDear wrote: »

It's actually awful that a poor little kitten had to suffer and die just because it's mothers owners did not bother to get their cat neutered. I can't believe they insisted the kittens be taken away at 3 weeks that would be torture for a poor kitten.

Well done for taking it to a vet. At least it died somewhere warm and safe and not at the bottom of a river like those sorry excuse for people were planning to do.

Can I recommend that you look in your local rescue for a new cat or kitten. They are over-ridden with them at the moment and you could give one a lovely home.

yea ive been to one already and plan to take a kitten during the week its the first time we have ever had a kitten and god love them they are so sweet and fragile its heartbreaking to see them so young and without their mother anyway onwards and upwards!!

The Sweeper

shamrock55 wrote: »

yea ive been to one already and plan to take a kitten during the week its the first time we have ever had a kitten and god love them they are so sweet and fragile its heartbreaking to see them so young and without their mother anyway onwards and upwards!!

Hey shamrock55

Sorry to hear the kitten passed. It happens a lot when they're that young - even if you were doing everything absolutely right under supervised veterinary care from the moment she landed in your lap, they can still go downhill suddenly and die.

If you're getting a kitten from a rescue, since you're a first-timer, some of this information might be useful to you.

Kittens are ready to leave mum from about 8 weeks of age. Sometimes if she's a feral mum she'll kick them away earlier, like 6 weeks, but they'll stay with her up to 8-10 weeks if they can, and they'll hang around with their siblings for months after that.

At about 8 weeks of age, your kitten will weigh around 800g (could be 650g if she's a small female, could be 1kg if it's a big boofhead male). They'll need solid food and water. You should feed them a few times a day - when they're that small, you can put food out up to five times a day and they'll tuck in happily. They don't need milk - even whiskas kitten milk is a treat, not a vital item.

In terms of what they'll eat, cats seem to do really well if there's some raw meat in their diet. When they're small kittens that's the best time to introduce them to the concept - I've put down a dish of kibble, a dish of fishy catfood and a dish of raw beef in front of kittens before and they make a beeline for the raw beef, then the catfood and they ignore the kibble. I reckon they're trying to tell me something.

Your new kitten will need something to scratch, so get them a scratching post or a cat tree. You can try buying them a bed, but they'll use everything except their bed so it can be a waste of money. The cat tree or scratching post, however - if you don't get them something to scratch, they'll rag your couch. It's natural cat behaviour and you can't stop it, so better to redirect the scratching to something designed to take it.

Your kitten will need three rounds of vaccinations - usually delivered at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. They are not fully vaccinated until after the last round of jabs, so please don't allow them outside until a week after the last round.

When you get your kitten, check whether it's been wormed and flea-treated. Even kittens that don't have fleas will usually have worms. You should get a worming treatment suitable from kittens and treat your kitten once a month up to six months of age (this is to kill the parasites at every life stage and ensure your kitten is clear). After six months they can be wormed every three months or less.

Your kitten should be bouncy, playful and interested. They should never be huddled up like they're freezing when it's warm (this is a sign they're running a temperature), they shouldn't squeak or growl when lifted up (also a sign of a temperature), they shouldn't be trembling or holding their third eyelid closed (cats have their top and bottom eyelids and a nictating membrane that comes from the inner lower edge of the eye, which you'll see often when they yawn or when they're tired, and often it'll start to cover the eye if they're ill or have an infection in the eye). Their eyes should be clear and bright with no gunk or discharge. They shouldn't cough or sneeze and they shouldn't appear to have a dose of the snots. If you see any of these symptoms, you need to take your kitten to the vet.

So that's food and water, scratching posts, three rounds of vaccinations and worm and flea treatments.

Your kitten will also need to be neutered. Six months is the guide in Ireland, but if you can find a vet that does it earlier, do it earlier. Female kittens can get pregnant as young as 16 weeks old. They do not need to have one litter before they're spayed - that's an old wives tale. If your kitten is a female, you need to keep her indoors until she's been neutered, or you will literally have four more kittens two months later.

The last thing is a litter tray. You need to keep your kitten inside at least until it's fully vaccinated, so you're going to need to use a litter tray. If you allow your kitten to roam freely there's a very high chance it will be hurt, especially as a young kitten. Cats don't need to be trained to use a litter tray, it's a highly instinctual process for them. You should clean out your litter tray regularly - I find scooping twice a day, morning and evening as you're feeding the kitten is the best way to keep the tray clean. Cats don't like a dirty tray and if the tray isn't clean they can start using other things in the house, like duvet covers, beanbags, piles of clean laundry, baskets and boxes and so on.

There is a lot of information already on these forums - what to feed your kitten, which is the best litter, and where can you buy good quality food cheaply.

Please ask as many questions as you have, and enjoy your new kitten when they arrive - and it's compulsory to post pictures...

shamrock55

The Sweeper wrote: »

Hey shamrock55

Sorry to hear the kitten passed. It happens a lot when they're that young - even if you were doing everything absolutely right under supervised veterinary care from the moment she landed in your lap, they can still go downhill suddenly and die.

If you're getting a kitten from a rescue, since you're a first-timer, some of this information might be useful to you.

Kittens are ready to leave mum from about 8 weeks of age. Sometimes if she's a feral mum she'll kick them away earlier, like 6 weeks, but they'll stay with her up to 8-10 weeks if they can, and they'll hang around with their siblings for months after that.

At about 8 weeks of age, your kitten will weigh around 800g (could be 650g if she's a small female, could be 1kg if it's a big boofhead male). They'll need solid food and water. You should feed them a few times a day - when they're that small, you can put food out up to five times a day and they'll tuck in happily. They don't need milk - even whiskas kitten milk is a treat, not a vital item.

In terms of what they'll eat, cats seem to do really well if there's some raw meat in their diet. When they're small kittens that's the best time to introduce them to the concept - I've put down a dish of kibble, a dish of fishy catfood and a dish of raw beef in front of kittens before and they make a beeline for the raw beef, then the catfood and they ignore the kibble. I reckon they're trying to tell me something.

Your new kitten will need something to scratch, so get them a scratching post or a cat tree. You can try buying them a bed, but they'll use everything except their bed so it can be a waste of money. The cat tree or scratching post, however - if you don't get them something to scratch, they'll rag your couch. It's natural cat behaviour and you can't stop it, so better to redirect the scratching to something designed to take it.

Your kitten will need three rounds of vaccinations - usually delivered at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. They are not fully vaccinated until after the last round of jabs, so please don't allow them outside until a week after the last round.

When you get your kitten, check whether it's been wormed and flea-treated. Even kittens that don't have fleas will usually have worms. You should get a worming treatment suitable from kittens and treat your kitten once a month up to six months of age (this is to kill the parasites at every life stage and ensure your kitten is clear). After six months they can be wormed every three months or less.

Your kitten should be bouncy, playful and interested. They should never be huddled up like they're freezing when it's warm (this is a sign they're running a temperature), they shouldn't squeak or growl when lifted up (also a sign of a temperature), they shouldn't be trembling or holding their third eyelid closed (cats have their top and bottom eyelids and a nictating membrane that comes from the inner lower edge of the eye, which you'll see often when they yawn or when they're tired, and often it'll start to cover the eye if they're ill or have an infection in the eye). Their eyes should be clear and bright with no gunk or discharge. They shouldn't cough or sneeze and they shouldn't appear to have a dose of the snots. If you see any of these symptoms, you need to take your kitten to the vet.

So that's food and water, scratching posts, three rounds of vaccinations and worm and flea treatments.

Your kitten will also need to be neutered. Six months is the guide in Ireland, but if you can find a vet that does it earlier, do it earlier. Female kittens can get pregnant as young as 16 weeks old. They do not need to have one litter before they're spayed - that's an old wives tale. If your kitten is a female, you need to keep her indoors until she's been neutered, or you will literally have four more kittens two months later.

The last thing is a litter tray. You need to keep your kitten inside at least until it's fully vaccinated, so you're going to need to use a litter tray. If you allow your kitten to roam freely there's a very high chance it will be hurt, especially as a young kitten. Cats don't need to be trained to use a litter tray, it's a highly instinctual process for them. You should clean out your litter tray regularly - I find scooping twice a day, morning and evening as you're feeding the kitten is the best way to keep the tray clean. Cats don't like a dirty tray and if the tray isn't clean they can start using other things in the house, like duvet covers, beanbags, piles of clean laundry, baskets and boxes and so on.

There is a lot of information already on these forums - what to feed your kitten, which is the best litter, and where can you buy good quality food cheaply.

Please ask as many questions as you have, and enjoy your new kitten when they arrive - and it's compulsory to post pictures...

thanks so much for all that info i am collecting a kitten from a rescue centre tomorrow and want to be ready i didnt know they didnt need milk so much:eek: when i think of cat i think milk:D what about water??
another thing will i feed her some wet food (ie)whiskas aswell as dry food or is it one or the other and what quantity thanks again ill try and get a pic up when i get him;)
oh yea and regards to raw meat could i just get some diced beef and cut into small pieces would that be ok and how often would you give them raw meat?

thanks again!!

portgirl123

also ive heard not to use clumping litter as it can kill kittens, i presume wat happens is that the kitten nibbles on the litter and of course it clumps in their belly. how true this is im not 100% certain but it sounds like it could be true so i use the litter that is like wood chippens, find this is also much easier to clean as it dont go like cement in the tray. good luck with your new kitty

Solair

We ended up with a marmalade kitten of that age a few years ago as its mother had been run over.

It was a hell of an intense job to keep him alive and get him to the age where he could eat.

We had to feed him warm kitten formula every two hours, including during the night. We had to physically bring him to the cat litter and massage his belly,and mimic a mother cats actions or he would simply not go to the toilet at all and began to dehydrate!
We had to clean his fur regularly with a warm facecloth.
Keep him warm etc etc

It was as or more hard going than raising a human newborn!

Eventually, he started eating tiny flakes of salmon and gradually was weened off the kitten formula and bottle feeding.

It took a good month!

We had to teach him how to climb trees, play hunt etc etc

He's now a large, extremely friendly, normal, fully grown cat.

All I will say is kitten rearing is a 5 person job and it was very full on!

The Sweeper

shamrock55 wrote: »

thanks so much for all that info i am collecting a kitten from a rescue centre tomorrow and want to be ready i didnt know they didnt need milk so much:eek: when i think of cat i think milk:D what about water??
another thing will i feed her some wet food (ie)whiskas aswell as dry food or is it one or the other and what quantity thanks again ill try and get a pic up when i get him;)
oh yea and regards to raw meat could i just get some diced beef and cut into small pieces would that be ok and how often would you give them raw meat?

thanks again!!

First, give the shelter a call and ask them what they've been feeding the kitten and what brand of litter they've been using. Buy the same. You can introduce a change gradually.

Your kitten should have constant access to a clean supply of fresh water. Change the bowl daily, and use a ceramic or steel bowl, not plastic. (Plastic holds smells that can be offputting). If you buy a steel bowl with a rubber rim around it, take the rim off - they stink to high heaven and can put your pet off eating or drinking from the bowl.

Also, check if they're going to give you a cardboard carry box to take the kitten home, or if they expect you to bring a crate. You shouldn't bring the kitten home loose on your lap in the car. Given you'll have to travel to the vet a bit in the first year for vaccinations and neutering, it's good to have a crate to carry the cat so you might as well buy one before you go to collect the kitten.

Even if the shelter was only feeding kibble, I recommend you add some wet food to the mix as well. If Whiskas kitten is all you can access or afford, so be it, but there are other brands out there that are better. There is a LOT of information about catfood out there it's complicated. Whiskas contains colourings that are added to make the owner feel better, not the cat.

With the raw meat, trim a piece off whatever meat you're cooking yourself - be it beef, lamb or chicken. The meat needs to be fresh, raw, from a reliable source of human food, and have no odour or discolouration. With an 8 week kitten, start with a thin slice about the length of your thumb. You may find the kitten begins to 'attack' it, throwing it all over the place madly before settling in to eat it. (Dinner and a floor show!)

angelfire9

The Sweeper wrote: »

Your kitten should have constant access to a clean supply of fresh water. Change the bowl daily, and use a ceramic or steel bowl, not plastic. (Plastic holds smells that can be offputting). If you buy a steel bowl with a rubber rim around it, take the rim off - they stink to high heaven and can put your pet off eating or drinking from the bowl.

Our cat (who is now 3.5yrs will NOT drink water from a bowl or plate
Cat milk yes, water no way!
He will drink rainwater outside though
He's a weird cat!! :rolleyes:

The Sweeper wrote: »

With the raw meat, trim a piece off whatever meat you're cooking yourself - be it beef, lamb or chicken. The meat needs to be fresh, raw, from a reliable source of human food, and have no odour or discolouration. With an 8 week kitten, start with a thin slice about the length of your thumb. You may find the kitten begins to 'attack' it, throwing it all over the place madly before settling in to eat it. (Dinner and a floor show!)

I do this all the time for our ball of fur and he'll chase it around the kitchen for a good 10 minutes before settling down to eat
It is quite cute to watch

Solair

Some cats and people find chlorinated water smells gross and won't drink it.

Try giving the cat Brita filtered water or cheap, still, mineral water.

Our vet has a weird tendency to try and push dry food at me. We feed our cat some of whatever meat we are having ourselves and some good quality, wet, cat food. He is a healthy, fit, happy 7 year old cat at this stage.

I've found the vet quite obnoxious though. He runs a cattery and despite my request and supplying food, they fed our cat dry food when we left him in once when we were on holiday.

The cat was in bad shape when we came home. He was vomiting, had a raw rear end from passing dry food and looked like he was underweight and had a cat bite on his backside too!

Took him a few weeks to get back to normal at home. I was absolutely furious with the vet!

Also, the same vet ran expensive, unnecessary tests because he heard a heart murmor. Turned out the cat was just so freaked out by the vet he was having palpitations!
Echo cardiogram etc.. Cost insurance co about 700 euro!

He also was checking the cat over because he was vomiting and carried out exploratory surgery, quite invasive stuff, to rule out cancer without discussing it with me!

I was convinced it was a food allergy and, it was!

Utterly bizarre vet!

lubie76

Solair wrote: »

I've found the vet quite obnoxious though. He runs a cattery and despite my request and supplying food, they fed our cat dry food when we left him in once when we were on holiday.

The cat was in bad shape when we came home. He was vomiting, had a raw rear end from passing dry food and looked like he was underweight and had a cat bite on his backside too!

Took him a few weeks to get back to normal at home. I was absolutely furious with the vet!

Also, the same vet ran expensive, unnecessary tests because he heard a heart murmor. Turned out the cat was just so freaked out by the vet he was having palpitations!
Echo cardiogram etc.. Cost insurance co about 700 euro!

He also was checking the cat over because he was vomiting and carried out exploratory surgery, quite invasive stuff, to rule out cancer without discussing it with me!

I was convinced it was a food allergy and, it was!

Utterly bizarre vet!

Sounds like your vet was taking advantage of the fact that you had pet insurance.

I changed mine cause I was getting charged twice as much for my cats routine procedures as another (less fancy) vet a few miles away.

EmZZZ

shamrock55 wrote: »

thanks for replys guys i will take her to the vet reason we got her so young was because person just wanted rid of them it was either this or the river id say she has been to the toilet the missus wiped her bum and that she is here beside me on the couch now in a blanket and she is just sleeping away and is purring which i imagine is a good sign thanks again;)

I've just started reading this thread and see you received helpful answers. This makes me so angry :mad: This kind of blackmail is just what rescue people hear on a daily basis. Fair dues to you for taking her in!
As mentioned above, cats are lactose intolerant. It gives them diarrhea and dehydrates them. You can imagine the effect it can have on a tiny kitten. Any good vet practice and some pet shop will sell powder milk for kittens and kitten bottles. Sometimes you need to use a syringe. Feeding should be in small quantity and every two hours at first.

now, I'm off to read the rest of the thread or bits of it.

PS: purring is a way of communication but does not necessarily means that a cat is happy...

EmZZZ

Deleted User wrote: »

Whiska's Kitten Milk is available in the supermarket. It's not perfect but it's probably the best you can get off the shelf in an emergency.

Edited to add: Despite what my dad swears, they don't milk cats to make it!!

There are also many concoctions that you can find online and that work in case of emergency. Goat's milk is also an acceptable alternative.

EmZZZ

shamrock55 wrote: »

just got a phone call from the vet to say she passed away:( thanks again for all your help anyway i am going to have to try and replace her now with an older kitten cos my little girl will be heartbrocken

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that...
I was really hoping. I will now follow this forum, although I can see there are some very clued people on here. Thankfully!
You shouldn't have a problem finding the kitten(s) of your dream. There are so many looking for a home...

EmZZZ

Solair wrote: »

Some cats and people find chlorinated water smells gross and won't drink it.

Try giving the cat Brita filtered water or cheap, still, mineral water.

Our vet has a weird tendency to try and push dry food at me. We feed our cat some of whatever meat we are having ourselves and some good quality, wet, cat food. He is a healthy, fit, happy 7 year old cat at this stage.

I've found the vet quite obnoxious though. He runs a cattery and despite my request and supplying food, they fed our cat dry food when we left him in once when we were on holiday.

The cat was in bad shape when we came home. He was vomiting, had a raw rear end from passing dry food and looked like he was underweight and had a cat bite on his backside too!

Took him a few weeks to get back to normal at home. I was absolutely furious with the vet!

Also, the same vet ran expensive, unnecessary tests because he heard a heart murmor. Turned out the cat was just so freaked out by the vet he was having palpitations!
Echo cardiogram etc.. Cost insurance co about 700 euro!

He also was checking the cat over because he was vomiting and carried out exploratory surgery, quite invasive stuff, to rule out cancer without discussing it with me!

I was convinced it was a food allergy and, it was!

Utterly bizarre vet!

What I do about water is to fill a few bottles and let them settle for a day. It's supposed to be a lot better and to help against cristals as well.

Your vet's attitude is shocking!