Found stray kitten-help!

BumblebeeGirl

Hey all,

Need abit of help- Ive had cats all of my life but this story is slightly different to what I have experienced before- sorry if post is long

Afew days ago we were visiting my boyfriends parents when we noticed a tiny kitten under one of their cars in the driveway. When we asked about it, his parents said she had been there afew days and always seemed to be alone. Supposadly the neighbours next door have been away for quite some time and a feral cat had had kittens under the decking in the back garden. But in the last week, the side gate of that house had been opened and the kittens had wandered out onto the road/neighboring houses.

So anyway, this kitten was tiny, and looked in pretty poor shape, so we caught her and took her home. The next day, we brought her to the vet and he thought she was about 8 weeks old but was severely underweight and was possibly the runt of the litter (we saw one of the other kittens and they were twice the size of our little girl). She also has catflu and one of her eyes was quite swollen and gooey.

Seeing as she had eaten solids for us the night before, the vet said she just needed to gain abit of weight and she would be fine, just let her sleep for as long as possible to recover.

So we brought her home and she slept solidly for afew days, getting up occasionally to eat and drink water. She seemed to tame quite quickly and didnt mind us picking her up for cuddles etc. Even last night she was following me around and letting me tickle her belly whilst purring.

But it all changed this morning when we went to check on her. She has started to go to the bathroom frequently (I'm guessing from the quick change of diet), and her poo is getting stuck on her bum along with the gravel from the litter tray-which is distressing her as she keeps rubbing her bum on the floor.

Took her back to vet- he gave her an enema and seemed happy with her progress as she had already gained weight. But since then the clumping on her tail and bum has gotten worse leading her to hiss at us whenever we try to wash her. So I decided to properly wash her in the sink with a cloth. It took everything off her bum, but since then it has stressed her out severely. She doesn't mind me petting her when shes in her basket but struggles out of our arms when we try to pick her up.

I understand she is so young and has had an awful time, what can I do to gain her trust with us and what is causing this toilet problem? She was starting to become so friendly and now this little mishap has taken us back two steps.

She is a beautiful kitten, and will probably turn into a wonderful pet, and worried she will always associate me with bathing her from now on!

Has anyone has ths experience of gravel from the litter tray clumping so much? And how can we make this experience the least stresful for her?

Sorry again for the long post, any advice much appreciated

anniehoo

Shes associating being handled with the uncomfortableness of being washed basically. So first thing until her digestive system regulates itself is change the cat litter. You can use little plastic washable balls or shredded newspaper for example. Cats just need something to dig with, it doesnt have to be gravel based litter. These wont stick to her and it'll be much easier to clean her.

Use warm moist cotton wool to clean her off and be as gentle as you can. She will get over the fact its not very nice eventually but right now its essential shes kept clean.

What food have you got her on? Make sure its properly formulated kitten food thats easily digestible, no milk only water and no other treats until her stool samples become normal.Have you dewormed her? Its vital at her age.If she has parasites (more than likely) this can cause diarrhoea,bloating and illthrift.

Good luck with her!!

BumblebeeGirl

Thanks for the reply.

I have her on whiskas kitten food and the vet recommended a small bowl of dried food which she seems to suck on and then eat.

What food do you recommend?

As I said, Ive always had cats but this is the first kitty Im properly looking after myself as Im now living out of home. I have her on water only which I am giving through a syringer every few hours although there is a bowl of water beside her food at all times.

She hasnt had any vaccinations yet as the vet wanted her to gain weight first, hopefully in two weeks we can sort her out. He seemed happy that she didnt have any worms.

Shes now starting to work the gravel out herself which is a good sign, but since she had the enema she has diarrhoea:(

Poor girl. Should I wash her evrytime she goes to the bathroom? Which is about twice every hour at this stage.

Thanks for the help.

anniehoo

You'll get a mixed bag of opinions on whether Whiskas is ok, but i know plenty of cats who do fine on it, so if its all you can afford see how she gets on.If you can afford better id recommend Natures Menu with 70% meat content for example.

I'm surprised the vet said he didnt think she has any parasites. Id nearly guarantee most if not all stray kittens would have a worm burden of some kind. Id be deworming her anyway as it will do her no harm.

Change the gravel litter anyway. She's liable to ingest some of it while cleaning herself and you dont want the risk of impaction by swallowing too many pellets.

Its early days and you have her on the right track. If theres no improvement in a week or so give your vet a shout again.

BumblebeeGirl

I dont mind about money- just want her to be ok. I will look into that tomorrow.

The vet didnt mention parasites, he just said he didnt see wormsin her stools and she should come back in 2 weeks for vaccinations.

Will change the litter too- I didnt realise you could get non-gravel ones, my last kitten was 8 years ago!

Just wondering, am I in danger of getting these parasites at all? I am aware of toxoplasmosis alright.

anniehoo

BumblebeeGirl wrote: »

The vet didnt mention parasites, he just said he didnt see wormsin her stools and she should come back in 2 weeks for vaccinations.

Just wondering, am I in danger of getting these parasites at all? I am aware of toxoplasmosis alright.

Im a bit shocked a vet would say that. Determining parasite burden almost always require a faecal microscopic examination to check for eggs and oocysts. Parasites can live quite happily for a long time in a body,only excreting eggs invisible to the naked eye. If you're seeing "worms" either its Taenia (tapeworm) excreting their egg packets or Toxocara cati (Roundworm) which has reached such high numbers it has no choice but to come out. Isospora felis is another organism that causes diarrhoea in kittens and can be fatal in certain cases.

Anyway, sorry im probably freaking you out. Theres always a risk that animal parasites will cause illness in humans but following good hygiene standards is pretty much enough to prevent any infection. With regards to Toxoplasmosis, believe it or not its been reported 30-50% of the worlds population tests positive for Toxoplasma titre. Its only really a problem in immunosuppressed people and an issue for previously unexposed pregnant women. Its not routinely screened for in many countries and the biggest risk is from eating undercooked meat than cat faeces, as we're not likely to ingest it. Toxocariasis also has a negligible risk and i think there was a study recently where something like 8 possible cases were reported between Ireland and the UK and not all were actual Toxocariasis.

With regular deworming and good hygiene you've pretty much nothing to worry about healthwise. Worming is essential though and im still so surprised a vet of all people would say that. Its easy and cheap and id literally start it asap if i was you.

BumblebeeGirl

Thanks for the info- I am also surprised the vet didn't start worming tablets straight away if that is the case. I presumed the kitten needed to be in good health to start treatment as he said to wait two weeks for her to gain weight. Would her having cat flu be a reason to halt medication? Maybe I missed out on some information although I am very thorough when visiting vets due to experience from my other pets in the past.

Can I get de-worming tablets in a pet store? If so, I will start immediately.

I really appreciate your advice, thank you!:)

Themadhouse

I agree with the other poster she needs to be wormed. If she is trying to put weight on I would suggest parazole which you can get in a chemist or petshop or vets. Its easy on the tummy. You give it over a few days via a syringe and it shouldnt upset her tummy at all. I would wait on vaccinations and a full worm tab until she is 100% healthy. ( when we have kittens we start worming at 6 weeks with parazole, its given every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old and then we give them a kitten worm tab once a month until they are 6 months old).

With the food. Personally if she is ill or needing to gain weight or had poo issues i would find a gentler food than whiskas. If she is about 8 weeks old I would look into getting a small bag of Royal Canin baby cat. Its a great food for young kittens, we use it for weaning and it is brilliant.
Alternatively applaws kitten is good. Keep the food as simple as possible until her tummy settles.

Chick crumb that you feed baby chicks is a good litter and wont hurt if it sticks, its also safe for kittens to eat ( small kittens tend to eat the litter when they have jsut trained or a are training)

Ailishcrehan

Usually the first thing I would do with a stray kitten/cat is worm them...some of the wormers can be harsh on a tiny kitten, so a milder worm treatment is parazole (standard tablets can't usually be given unless kitten is over 0.5kg but parazole can be used for anything weighing less than this and requires daily treatment for three days). Everytime I bring a stray kitten to the vet, the first thing that they ask is 'have you wormed it' so it is strange that the vet didn't suggest this. Parazole is gentle on the tummy, so I would strongly recommend getting a bottle and starting the treatment. At the same time, I have brought very poorly kittens to the vet and they told me to hold off worming for a little while as they feared it may be too much on the system.

The wood pellet cat litter is good and its the only one I use, but some cats don't like it and some kittens find the pellets uncomfortable to stand on as they are large enough...the pellets break down into sawdust when they are wet. They can also result in teeny tiny kitty paw prints on your floor

BumblebeeGirl

Thanks for the great advice.

This kitten was under 0.5kg when we found her but has put on weight since then.

Shes better today, her stools are normal but still alot of gravel stuck on her legs and bottom. A visit to a pet store is definitely the plan for today.

SillyMangoX

I found that even though my kittens didnt seem to have worms in their faeces once I dosed them the worms started to flow. So it might be worth a try anyway

I find wood chip litter brilliant, it doesnt clump badly, just kinda turns into sawdust once soiled, theres great absorbtion in them so hardly any smell and its big enough to not get caught in paws/fur so they dont track it all over the house. We get tesco own brand wood litter, not sure of the exact price but its cheap enough. Its in a beige/brown plasticy bag if you decide to look for it.

Edit: for now id stick with a low litter tray but when kitties legs get a bit longer it might be worth investing in a hooded tray. Really cuts smells and gives the cat privacy. And put a little mat at the entrance for them to wipe their paws (well for stray litter to get caught in :P) as far as I know we got ours in the petshop.

Themadhouse

Are you sure she is 8 weeks old? even being small 0.5 kg is really, really small, that is on par with a kitten 4/5 weeks old. It sounds like she should have momma cat there to help and clean her which would be normal up to 8 weeks old.

a low litter tray is best, maybe try shredded newspaper as litter for a little while until she gets up an running and then introduce a proper litter.

BumblebeeGirl

I cant be sure shes 8 weeks, but she is able to eat solids and the other kittens from the litter were twice the size of her.

The vet weighed her in at less than half a kilo, which is why I think he didn't want to start worming or vaccinations.

I don't mind cleaning her if needed, its the gravel lodging on her bottom and legs which is the most stressful for her (I think).

Shes sleeping alot too, only getting up to eat and use the litter tray, the vet predicted this would happen due to her having cat flu.

Poor kitty.

BumblebeeGirl

I got large wood chips in Pet Stop, abit pricey but if that makes her more comfortable that it's worth it. She has used it already and didn't seem bothered it had changed.

Today was the first day her little personality started to come through-she was following us around and playing for about an hour. Tired her out pretty quick so she's asleep again now! I didn't buying the worming formula as I am concerned she might be too weak to take it. Maybe I will ring the vet tomorrow to discuss it.

Thank you so much for your help, much appreciated

ameee

I would give her a week or two to get a bit bigger before worming although see what your vet says because if she does have them they wont help her put on weight. As for the whiskas I would stay well away never did my cats bellys any good in fact if it was a toss up between that and cheap own brand I would honestly go for the own brand.My cat and kitten have wet and dry food with a lot of scraps of meat raw or cooked and they are doing great on it.The kittens dry is hills kitten science plan its a bit pricey but we got her at four weeks as she was abandoned and like your own kitten very small and skinny so we are trying to catch her up,I have been afraid to worm her as she was so small when we got her she had trouble walking straight but ill have to do it this week now she is bigger

BumblebeeGirl

Yeah I have abandoned the whiskas and got Royal Canin kitten sachets. I actually fed her those the first day we had her and she was fine.

She has gained weight since we found her which is great.

Your kitten was only 4 weeks? Wow that's young. Was she able to eat solids at that age?

ameee

she was so tiny she just slept most of the day for the first two weeks she would get under our duvet and stay there she was on special milk from the vet and the hills science plan dry food though she only picked at it I thought she had only a tiny stomach until one day she got into our one year old cats bowl of lovely wet food and she scoffed loads poor thing had hiccups for hours so we just feed her as we do our other cat now and she is getting bigger she is still quite small though she has a huge personality

mymo

I was handed 2 kittens mid june, they were barely 4 weeks and very thin, I fed the royal canin wet kitten food and the dry baby cat too, the first thing the vet did was worm them.
He gave a dose of parazole and I had to give two more doses over 2 days. His reasoning was that they would thrive faster without the worms, and parazole really is very mild.
The runny eyes and cat flu can be worse with worms, so I would worm them asap. Its one less drain on their systems.
My two are now thriving and look like they will be fine cats, quite big and healthy looking for their age.
I am just weaning them onto kitten food as the baby cat is running out, highly recommend the Royal Canin for a good start.

BumblebeeGirl

Just rang vet and asked about worming, am collecting some parazole from them this aftrnoon.

Still unsure why they never brought it up in the first place, but I'm happy to get it started.

What is the most effective way of administering it as quick as possible? Is it a case of holding her mouth open? She was drinking water from a syringe from me when she was very ill but has no interest now that she is feeling better!

Dublin21

Our kitty was so funny when the Vet was trying to administer the worming tab.. He basically played dead and held the tablet in his mouth! She had to take it out and try again but eventually he swallowed it! Cute little thing!

We just did it ourselves there on Thurs though.. opened his mouth, popped it in, gently hold his mouth shut and massage the throat. You can try gently rubbing or blowing on its nose lightly to encourage him to lick his nose and therefore swallow the tab!

We initially thought about putting it in his food but hes too cute for that!!!

Good luck

BumblebeeGirl

Ha they're clever little mites aren't they!

It's the liquid dose I have to give her with a syringe, have a feeling it will be tricky!

SillyMangoX

I usually lift the side of the mouth and slot the tip of the syringe in a gap in the teeth, squirt a small bit, wait for them to swallow and repeat. I find if you squirt a load of it at once more of it ends up on the floor! Hold their head up slightly, not dead straight but so gravity will help the liquid pour back their throat. Thats what works for me anyway, it can be trail and error. My little freak whos 3 years old likes to drink from a syringe, just plain water like, no meds!

BumblebeeGirl

Got it into her quite easily- phew!

She seems a little sluggish after it, not really interested in playing..I'm guessing this is normal?

Themadhouse

How much did you give her? 0.25 ml?
Just keep an eye on her and make sure she drinks water.

BumblebeeGirl

Yeah 0.25 ml. Will do - thanks!

Themadhouse

She will be fine. Its gentle on her tummy, prob doesnt taste very nice tho!

BumblebeeGirl

I can imagine. It doesn't look very nice!

W gave her a little piece of chicken after to calm her down. She forgot about it pretty quick!

BumblebeeGirl

Update: Little kitty has colitis and is going to the bathroom frequently.Trying to keep her as clean as possible- she also has bleeding on her bum due to inflammation. She's not drinking water but is still eating full meals (wet food) so Im hoping she is getting enough moisture from that.

She is getting her last dose of Parazole tonight, so far I haven't seen any signs of worms in her faeces. Does this mean she will need a second dose?

Themadhouse

See how she is feeling, you dont want to over dose her. I would re do it in 2 weeks time and then at around 12 weeks old plus she should be good for a worm tablet