Hi everyone, I've found a kitten that's barely a week old and he's refusing the bottle. How can I feed him? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Thanks everyone for your replies!
Everything’s back to normal now; he’s drinking and eating well. I think he just needed a bit of time to settle in.
Sadly, it was already too late for the mum.
Here’s a little photo of the kitten.
Thanks for your help! :)
Well done, great job!
It’s true that kittens usually drink quite a small amount at a time but very often (every hour and a half to two hours).
As for him pooing, since he’s only recently changed milk, I reckon it’s linked to that. Mind you, 3-4 days without a bowel movement seems a bit long to me... personally, I’d try the thermometer trick by tomorrow evening if he still hasn't done anything!
Kittens can also get constipated if their environment is too hot... (it needs to be nice and warm, yes, but not too hot – we’re not trying to cook him! XD). Don’t let it get above 38/39°C in his bedding, otherwise he might get blocked up and then you’ll have to get him cleared out with a little tube...
Oh, poor mummy cat... Was it too late for her, was there nothing that could be done? :(
If your kitten still hasn't passed any stools after 3 or 4 days, you can try to stimulate them with a lubricated thermometer—it’s a good old vet’s trick :-)
However, don't insert it too far!!
To help things along, add a drop of liquid paraffin to every bottle or meal. Don't worry, kittens often have fairly soft stools anyway.
Hi, thanks for your replies.
I took this kitten in because the mum was hit by a car... He was the only one in the litter, so I decided to take him in to save him.
I went to the chemist to buy some kitten milk replacer.
I got the kitten yesterday around 2pm and I managed to get him to take the bottle at 11pm, then again at 4am and 8am, and now he’s waking up roughly every hour and a half for a feed. Maybe he just needed time to adjust, but I think he’s got the hang of it now. Last night he weighed about 0.32 lbs and by 4pm today he was 0.34 lbs, so I think that’s within the normal range.
I went to the vet this morning and she explained exactly how I should be doing it.
I’ve managed to get him to wee, but no poo yet... Could this be down to the change in milk (switching from his mum’s milk to formula)?
Hi there,
Are you definitely using kitten milk formula?
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