# help for poorly kitten?



## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_got home today and was checking all the babies, and we noticed that one of mo's babies mouth was stuck shut, looks like it was stuck with kind of sticky spit. he was really weak and when i pinched the scruff of his neck it took a while to go back down which i think means he is dehydrated? we tried to get him to suckle form his mum but i guess he was just too weak.so we went and got some lactol and a feeding syringe, we are trying to feed him a little bit every few minutes and we are keeing him nice and warm. are we doing the right thing???_


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

I'd ring the vet for advice as well - no idea about the stuck together thing. Have all their palettes been checked?


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I have to say it doesn't sound good, but you are doing the right thing. Be careful when you feed him though, just put a drop in his mouth at a time and make sure he swallows it. He does sound dehydrated. I would ring the vets for advice, but they are not that great with tiny kittens. They maybe able to give him some fluids under the skin to help with the dehrydration, or if they think there's a chance for him, try a tube feed, just to see if it perks him up. 
Good luck.


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_we rang the vets earlier for advice and they said that we are doing the right thing and to try to keep him in with mum as much as possible, he is the smallest of the litter so they said that could be why he is being pushed out buy the other kittens. to be honest they didnt seem all that interested and i was kinda left wondering why i bothered ringing them. thats why i thought i would post the question on here in case anyone had been through anything similar.
the vet said his mouth could of been stuck shut just coz his mouth was so dry. after he has been having a few drops of milk his mouth seems sticky again, kind of like when we are thirsty so i have been dipping a cotton bud in some cool water and just rubbing his lips with it, i dont know if it will help but i cant see it being harmfull. 
any advice anyone has will be greatfully recieved xx_


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

Is he actually swallowing the milk you give him ? Sometimes when they are really low, they can't tolerate the milk, so I would either water it down a bit more, or try alternate drips with cooled boiled water with a bit of glucose in. Sometimes they take that better than the milk and it gets fluids into them. Its heart breaking, and you feel so helpless, but you are doing everything you can for him. At the very least you are making him feel more comfortable, but you are also giving him every chance possible. They go down hill so quickly, but they can also go the other way just as quickly.

Vets are next to useless with any kind of tiny kittens, I am sorry he was so dismissive.


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## Angeli (Jun 2, 2008)

Sticky gums is one of the symptoms of dehydration.

All you can do is to carry on with what you are doing and hope for the best. Vets usually are reluctant to treat very young kittens - at best they could have given the kitten a shot of saline which would have rehydrated a lot quicker.


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

oh dear hun...I took in a mum and her kittens...she sadly died and i had to hand feed them...and 1 by 1 they sadly died due to dehydration...mouths open and very week...so good luck hun...you are doing a great job...xxx


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## shortbackandsides (Aug 28, 2008)

dont forget to rub his bottom with a warm piece of cotton wool after feeds to stimulate going to the loo


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## ChinaBlue (Feb 3, 2008)

All above is sound advice but you could perhaps try a little tiny drop of Nutridrops on his lips/tongue to see if this would give him a little energy.


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_hi, little chap seems to have perked up a bit, mo(his mum) however has turned her back on him, we were trying to put him with her like the vet said to and twice she attacked him . luckily though, eeny one of our other cats had her kittens last wednesday and she is the most amazing mum, and she has accepted him sleeping with her for warmth and she cleans him so he can wee and pooh. he baby shows interest in suckling from eeny but i think he is bit weak at the mo, im going to carry on with the syringe feeding but keep trying him with eeny, hopefully when he is stronger she will take him on and be a fab foster mummy  
_


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_here are a few pics of our poorly chap























_


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _hi, little chap seems to have perked up a bit, mo(his mum) however has turned her back on him, we were trying to put him with her like the vet said to and twice she attacked him . luckily though, eeny one of our other cats had her kittens last wednesday and she is the most amazing mum, and she has accepted him sleeping with her for warmth and she cleans him so he can wee and pooh. he baby shows interest in suckling from eeny but i think he is bit weak at the mo, im going to carry on with the syringe feeding but keep trying him with eeny, hopefully when he is stronger she will take him on and be a fab foster mummy
> _


Aww bless him..yeh thought the mum will go off him..some do that...i use the tiny bottles for hand feeding tend to be easier for me...least hes having abit tho...:smilewinkgrin:


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2009)

Ooh Good luck with him! Your doing the right thing, and its great to know he's coming on.

Best wishes for all your cats x


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_we bought syringes and bottles, didnt know what would be best, we have tried both but he didnt show any interest in the bottle, i think it was coz he was a bit too weak to be bothered. im planning on putting him with eeny as much as possible(while we are supervising) in the hope that she will take him on fully when he is feeling better, is that the right thing to do? im not too keen on the idea of putting him with his own mum seeing as she has attacked him twice _


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## SeaThreePeeO (Sep 15, 2008)

I don't have an experience of this I just wanted to send loads of positie and healing vibes your way xxx


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _we bought syringes and bottles, didnt know what would be best, we have tried both but he didnt show any interest in the bottle, i think it was coz he was a bit too weak to be bothered. im planning on putting him with eeny as much as possible(while we are supervising) in the hope that she will take him on fully when he is feeling better, is that the right thing to do? im not too keen on the idea of putting him with his own mum seeing as she has attacked him twice _


I always cut the top of the teat a little, so they dont have to suck hard....if you are unhappy with the way mum is treating him then keep doing what you are doing hun...


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_we have given up on the syringe, it was a nightmare, one min it was mega hard to push then it would go in really fast and milk would go everywhere :cursing:
we decided to snip a tiny bit off the top of the teat on the bottle, little chap is still not sucking but ive just been squeezing the bottle slightly so he gets a drop at a time. hes taking the milk really well and when hes not being fed he is in eeny's box with her and her babies. she gave him a really good wash earlier and has no problems with him being there so hopefully he will settle in as part of her litter ........fingers crossed. will update in the morning 

_


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _we have given up on the syringe, it was a nightmare, one min it was mega hard to push then it would go in really fast and milk would go everywhere :cursing:
> we decided to snip a tiny bit off the top of the teat on the bottle, little chap is still not sucking but ive just been squeezing the bottle slightly so he gets a drop at a time. hes taking the milk really well and when hes not being fed he is in eeny's box with her and her babies. she gave him a really good wash earlier and has no problems with him being there so hopefully he will settle in as part of her litter ........fingers crossed. will update in the morning
> 
> _


yeh i cant use the syringes, they are crap...bottles best...yeh just gently squeeze it, hopefully he will build his strength up...all you can do is hope and pray hel get better...


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_had a restless night last night, up every hour to try to get little chap to have a few drops of milk. he started to pick up a bit but seems to have gone back down hill again now. he is hardly moving and has got no energy at all. he is laid on the hot water bottle at the min and is wrapped up to keep him warm coz he gets very cold very quickly which im guessing is a bad sign  
he seems to be breathing ok which is good and occasionally he has a little cry, i just hope he pulls through, its heartbreaking to see him like this _


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _had a restless night last night, up every hour to try to get little chap to have a few drops of milk. he started to pick up a bit but seems to have gone back down hill again now. he is hardly moving and has got no energy at all. he is laid on the hot water bottle at the min and is wrapped up to keep him warm coz he gets very cold very quickly which im guessing is a bad sign
> he seems to be breathing ok which is good and occasionally he has a little cry, i just hope he pulls through, its heartbreaking to see him like this _


oh dear, that little cry is his body giving up...its just letting you know hun...i had that with all of the ones i lost...mine towards the end had the milk coming out of their nose...so watch out for that...vet said the milk wasnt going down into their tummys...


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_he has done that a couple of times when i have been feeding him, with it coming out of his nose i assumed it must mean that rather than swallowing the milk its going to his chest? is there anything else i can do for him, other than try to keep him comfy and warm? should i stop feeding him if the milk is going to his chest?wont it in effect end up drowning him? would it be better to keep his mouth moist with a damp cotton bud just to keep him comfy?
sorry for all the questions, i just want to make sure im doing whats best for him.
after the way the vet was yesterday when i rang, i dont want to take him there for him to be left in a cage on his own x_


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _he has done that a couple of times when i have been feeding him, with it coming out of his nose i assumed it must mean that rather than swallowing the milk its going to his chest? is there anything else i can do for him, other than try to keep him comfy and warm? should i stop feeding him if the milk is going to his chest?wont it in effect end up drowning him? would it be better to keep his mouth moist with a damp cotton bud just to keep him comfy?
> sorry for all the questions, i just want to make sure im doing whats best for him.
> after the way the vet was yesterday when i rang, i dont want to take him there for him to be left in a cage on his own x_


The vet would take one look at him and end up putting hin to sleep....yes in effect it is drowning him...Its coming out of his nose because its not reaching his tummy..poor thing...keep him warm and comfy...but there isnt much more you can do for the little mite...

The milk isnt helping as hes not really getting any...your gonna have to prepare for the worse in this situation..sorry....it prob would be kinda to take him to the vets...cause believe me it gets very upsetting towards the end...his lips will go blue and he is prob in pain now...


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## clueless (May 26, 2008)

If the milk is coming out it nose It has aspirated. Aspiration usually occurs only after the milk comes out of the nose and a quick response can save the kitten. I always keep a suction ball close at hand when feeding puppies


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2009)

Aww! Best wishes for him xx  

Hopefully he'll get better.


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I think cutting the end off the teat would make the milk come out too fast, and if they don't swallow quick enough it is aspirated which you need to avoid at all costs as it can also cause pneumonia. I would stick with the syringes. What ml have you got, or its it ones from [email protected]? Ask the vet for some 1ml syringes. In the meantime, take out the plunger and rub the end in a little olive oil or butter, just to lubricate it a bit, work the plunger up and down a bit and you should find it flows better.


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_unfortunatly we lost little chap earlier :sad: it was the sadest thing ever. he took a turn for the worse so i rang the vets, i was waitin for my friend to come to take me to the vets and he died as i was holding him. at least he is out of pain now, poor little thing 

_


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_we are going to find a nice spot in the garden to bury little chap(the name he just seems to have adopted) funnily enough, im not looking forward to myny having her babies now  i really dont know how breeder do it, respect to you all coz this is hard x_


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## SeaThreePeeO (Sep 15, 2008)

I am so so sorry for your loss. I know everyone was rooting for little chap to get better. At least he's free from pain now. Rest inx Peace Little Chap! xx


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_i know its not my fault but i cant help feeling like i let him down. maybe if i had pushed for the vet to see him and admit him then he would be ok, but the vet wasnt interested, just said to carry on with what i was doing. i dont regret taking the pregnant cats in, i couldnt of let my friend dump them, but i never expected to get so attached and for it to be so hard. _


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## SeaThreePeeO (Sep 15, 2008)

It maybe that there was something wrong with Little Chap and that could be why his mum attacked him. Even if you had got him to the vet sooner I sadly think the out come would have been the same.

Nature is sometimes very cruel ((((hugs))))


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I doubt very much a vet would have been able to do anything for him, and you did absolutely everything that you could. Mother Nature can be very cruel at times and she always has the upper hand. All you can do is try everything to give them every chance possible and the rest is in the hands of Mother Nature.

When babies are this young, they can go down hill so quickly, its probably some fundamental issue inside, you never know. Some times you can bring them back, but thats usually in the rarest of circumstances, but it never stops you trying. Little Chap was just a soul who came back before his time.


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## Dozymoo (Feb 26, 2009)

Really sorry to read this thread.  It looks like you did everything you could, and then some! But the poor little chap just wasn't to be. Take comfort in the fact that he was loved and cared for by you during his short time. I hope you feel better soon!  xx


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## SeaThreePeeO (Sep 15, 2008)

I'll lend you, for a little while, a cat of mine," He said.
"For you to love while he lives, and mourn when he&#8217; s dead.
It may be six or seven years, or maybe three,
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and shall his stay be brief,
You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, as all from Earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there I want this cat to learn.
I've looked the whole world over in my search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you.
~
Now will you give him all your love - not think this labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call, to take him back again.
I fancied that I heard them say, 'Dear Lord, thy will be done.'
For all the joy this cat shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shower him with tenderness and love while we may,
And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay.
And should the angels call for him much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand.

RIP Little Chap xxx


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

really sorry to read this post,


R I P little chap,xxxxxxx

You done everything you could,nature can be cruel sometimes,


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

Aww hun so sorry...I didnt think he would make it...i was trying to be a gentle as poss with my other posts for you, but i knew what was coming...im so sorry...it will be hard for a while...but try and be strong for all the other cat/kittens...


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## Cat_Crazy (Jul 15, 2009)

I am so sorry to hear that he didn't make it!

RIP LIttle Chap


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

What a sad thread I am upset just reading it.

So sorry for you.


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_thank you all for your kind words, that poem was lovely, so sad but true. little chap has been burried, and as people have said, he is in a better place now. i cant believe how upset it has made me, he was only born on sunday, i knew when i took on the pregnant cats that if anything was to go wrong with any of the cats or kittens it would be upsetting, i dont think i imagined it being quite so bad. im glad i found this site a few weeks ago. alot of my friends wouldnt understand so its nice to know there are people here who do. i would def do it all again in a heart beat, our efforts might not have worked this time but we gave it our best shot. thanks again for the kinds words. i guess now i need to look forward to myny having her babies abd hope that all goes well xx _


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

mypets said:


> Aww hun so sorry...I didnt think he would make it...i was trying to be a gentle as poss with my other posts for you, but i knew what was coming...im so sorry...it will be hard for a while...but try and be strong for all the other cat/kittens...


_i think we both knew hun, i just maybe didnt want to admit it. id said to my OH before he left for work that little chap was alot weaker and it wasnt looking good. its def worth the hard work and upset to see eenys babies and mo's other 3 doing well. just a pity little chap didnt make it x_


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## mypets (May 23, 2009)

donna81 said:


> _i think we both knew hun, i just maybe didnt want to admit it. id said to my OH before he left for work that little chap was alot weaker and it wasnt looking good. its def worth the hard work and upset to see eenys babies and mo's other 3 doing well. just a pity little chap didnt make it x_


you did your best, we all know that...and little chap was pleased to have you as a mummy and trying to help him...just when things like that happen they tend not to get well again esp with him being so weak...

He died in your arms where he knows he was loved very much and will live forever in your hearts..


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_i feel like such a girl lol, every time i read something nice that someone has put it makes me cry, just when i think ive finally stopped lol. you'd think that by 27 id have got my head around the whole life and death thing!  _


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## ellie8024 (May 4, 2009)

you never get your head round it i am 29 and i still get heart broken every time and my mum used to help rehome cats since i was 3 or 4. I did cry a lot when graycie had a live kitten as she lost the 1st 2. you get so attached to the little ones it is like losing a family member. On the lighter side at least the poor little thing wont have to struggle any longer


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

Do you weigh the kittens? If you weigh them at the same time everyday, that can sometimes give you a heads up on any problems. If they look completely normal but suddenly drop weight, then you know somethings a miss, and you can try intervention of some kind before it gets too bad. It doesn't always work, but it gives you a few extra hours to try and turn things round.


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## donna81 (Jul 12, 2009)

_i hadnt been weighing them, this is the first time i have had kittens.and to be honest, i never really thought of doing that. its def something i will do when myny has her babies._


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## JoWDC (Jan 11, 2009)

I've just caught up with this and i'm so sorry to hear about the kitten. Sleep well Little Chap.


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## Elmstar (Apr 7, 2008)

So sorry about the little chap Donna. 

You did all you could. We've been through this many times and it never gets easier.


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