5 Week Old Kitten.. Please Help..

[kuhle225]

I have a 5 week old kitten. His name is Oliver and his mother refuses to feed him and the enviroment he was in was just awful.. the owners of the mother lost the kittens in their house at one point and let their 4 year old son just grab them so i took the kitten to my house yesterday. im feeding him wet kitten food which petco suggested to me. he wont take it though from a bowl so i added water and mixed it and put it in a kitten bottle but he fights me to take the bottle but ive been winning its just he doesnt take much. hes peed twice since hes gotten here. im not sure how to check if he has a fever but he isnt very playful at all. hes incredibly small for his age. hes confined to my room for now as i have a jack russell terrier. he starts meowing whenever i get up and wants to stay near me. any suggestions? im not sure if my vet is even open. i know of an emergency vet quite a distance from my house and w\quite expensive as i took an old dog of them there when she had a stroke but i thought maybe this could give me some suggestions...

[HDrydr]

I'm glad that you took the kitten in!!!

What I've done in the past is get a syringe (local pharmacies like walgreens etc have them on a rack by the meds) and mix up the soft food very very very well with water you can also buy the powder milk replacement at the pet store (since he is that little.) and just hold him and place it in the corner of his mouth and slowly "force" feed. Don't give it too fast that he coughs though...... keep doing that every couple hours until the little one starts eating on his own.

you also need to do that same thing with just water or milk replacement to get him rehydrated. dehydration is really bad for a kitten that's mom is not feeding him. You really need to get fluid in him.......

Poor little guy no wonder he wants to be near you he knows that your saving him. He'll be a great cat once he feels better. the lethargy is most likely because he doesn't feel good and has no energy food and fluids in him.


Keep up the good work and yes it is work feeding a little one soo much. It will pay off in the end. I would go to the vet as well to rule out any other health issues........ and to get him vaccinated...... He's due for some. I have 3 cats and my latest is 9 weeks old.

[Bente]

You're doing a great job helping this poor kitten! Maybe you can call the vet and ask for advice on what to feed him, and what to do?

[vene]

Hi and welcome! Please keep the kitten very warm (carry him around under your clothing if possible), use KMR (kitten replacement milk) and KMR mixed with moist foods, have karo syrup handy (perk him up if he becomes lethargic), feed every 3-4 hours, gently rub the lower belly to expel wastes after meals.

These articles are very helpful:

http://www.ccasnj.org/resources/resource-files/FosteringKittensInstructions.pdf

http://www.forgottenfelines.com/v4/foster/botbabies.shtml

Yes, calling the vet for advice would be best before you can take Oliver there.

[Mary_NH]

at 5 weeks of age this kitten should be able to eat kitten food with no problem. KMR would be a good supplement but wet kitten food should be fine.
I've fostered motherless kittensd at 4 weeks of age and they didn't require any intervention on my part at all whether it be food or litterbox time. One litter was trapped w/out a mother and the other litter were kittens whose mother was PTS by the shelter that had them. Both sets were only 4 weeks old when I got them.
I would get this kitten vet checked pronto. Also are you sure he's 5 weeks old? He might be younger than that.
Glad you are working to offer him a better life.

[kuhle225]

I got the kitten to eat on his own this morning before i let for school but when my mom tried, she was unable to get him to eat later on. He just lays around alot. his eyes are slightly closed. He was born July 31.. he'll be 6 weeks old this week. When he walks, hes unstable and barely ever runs. ive never had a cat before in my life but im pretty sure this isnt kitten behavior. my kitten has complete run on my bedroom but thats it because i dont want my 5 year old jack russell to think it's a toy. He's going to the vet tomorrow so hopefully things will be straightened out then

he likes to clean himself so i guess thats a good sign

[Mary_NH]

there's something going on....a 6-week old kitten should be full of life and play. I once brought home a 6-week old kitten just to get her out of the horrendous place where she was living and although small she was fine and she was full of parasites and flea eggs - oh was disgusting.
Please please let us know what happens with the vet visit.
Maybe she's just full of parasites that are dragging her system down. Tell your mom to be sure to bring a fecal sample with her for testing as if she does have intestinal parasites they'll need to know which kind in order to get the correct meds.
I hope she does okay.

[vene]

The 5 week old kittens that I've fostered before were very lively too. They were self sufficient except for 1 that went downhill really quick due to congenital kidney failure. I pray that Oliver will be alright. Good luck at the vet's.

[Lovemykitties!]

I can't wait to hear what the Vet as to say. Keep us posted!

[kuhle225]

his eyes and nose are stuffed up and he has ear mites because his mother was an outdoor cat. they gave me supplements and we have more checkups so things look good! he wasnt eating because he could smell

[Lovemykitties!]

Well, hopefully that will help him. I know it is a lot of work to do so many feedings, but it will be worth it once he gets healthy again. It is my personal experience that cats that seem to come from the worst possible “kittenhoods” can make the best long term companions. My cat Aries had a rough first year before we crossed paths and I took him in. He had some health problems due to abuse and neglect, but after medical treatment and with a lot of love, he has been the best cat I have ever had! We have been inseparable for 10 years now. He is super affectionate to me and very smart. Oliver “Twist” will do very well I am sure, now that he has been taken in by a kind person.

Be sure to post a picture once he is feeling better!

[Mary_NH]

something good to use while his little nose is clogged up is baby nasal spray. The saline only stuff (no chemicals). It does help relieve a stuffy nose so they can sleep better at least give them an opportunity to eat