# Orphaned kitten advice



## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

The rescue we are fostering Molly and her kittens for has picked up an orphaned kitten last night, 2-3 weeks old, eyes just opened. He has hand fed through the night but we're all keen to try Molly with him to give him a better chance. Her kittens are 5 weeks old tomorrow. Does anyone have any ideas, thoughts or advice?

Thanks!


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

ps: The little tidger who is coming has been named (by me) Sol as it is Summer Solstice today. He is a little all black boy. Probably a bad idea naming him given his situation but please can you all root for him for me please!


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## Momo12 (May 11, 2010)

KathyM said:


> ps: The little tidger who is coming has been named (by me) Sol as it is Summer Solstice today. He is a little all black boy. Probably a bad idea naming him given his situation but please can you all root for him for me please!


Aw bless him well I'm rooting for him

Mo xxxx


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## Purrrrfect (Sep 10, 2008)

Keep fighting Sol, Before introducing the mum to a new baby
use a dry cloth and rub round mums scent glands just
above her eyes (you will see a slight bald area)
Then rub it all over the kitten. This scent swapping
will help mum accept the orphan. You can also do the same
with the older kittens then rub the cloth on the new baby.
Good luck with her. It's always a tense time with orphans.
They can go down hill rapidly. But he does stand a better
chance with a surrogate mum.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

keep fighting little man, i have every thing crossed for you,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

Or you could talc them all or cover kitten in something that Mum likes so she will start licking him and then take him on. 

Lots of luck!!! x


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks all of you. He has apparently fed well (handfed) throughout the night and is making his way here tonight, apparently flead and wormed. I will try the things you suggested and thanks ever so much! I will update once he is here.


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Sol is here and has been accepted. I think he is a lot older than he looks as he licked wet food too. He is tiny, less than half the size of the other two, but noisy as anything. He's in with Molly now, will update tomorrow when things are more settled xxx

ps: Can anyone tell me how long the other two can spend without Molly? They are 5 weeks tomorrow, female is eating solids, male isn't. Thanks! xx


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

If he is licking solid food he is at least 4 weeks, i'd say.

Your five week olds can safely be left even overnight if necessary - let Mum decide.

Liz


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks ever so much. If you saw him you'd say he was a maximum of 2 weeks old, his ears are barely unfolded and his eyes are bright blue. The story is the mum has 4 other kittens and has abandoned this one, so it's possible from that that he is "special" or a runt. He doesn't half have a pair of lungs on him! When he arrived he was crawling like a 2-3 week old but since he's had a feed and a wash off Molly he has been walking upright so I think he is closer to 4 weeks than 2. Can't believe it given the size of him. I will weigh him tomorrow as he's too settled to shift tonight. Bet he's twice as heavy by then lol! xxx

ETA: Neither of the other two kittens purr for me at all, but this little man sounds like a Harley Davidson when he's with me or Molly.


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

ETA: Neither of the other two kittens purr for me at all said:


> My kittens don't usually purr for me either but the one I have just now does.


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

More info on him now it's morning! Sol was one of 5 kittens found in hay in a shed with a mum feeding them. When the owner of the shed checked in on them a couple of days ago, Sol had been left behind. After being alone for over 24 hours, Amy at Poor Little Pets took him in and hand fed him til he could be got to Molly here. Going on his size, she thought he was about 2 weeks old initially - he wasn't walking, his ears were only just unfurled and his eyes have a "new" tinge to them. However, since he's been here, he has shown he must be a lot older than that. He is eating solids with Lactol mixed in and now he has been regularly fed, he can stand on his legs and walk and even try to play a little. He is still very weak and his legs are thinner than my little fingers. He is less than half the size of the other two (although they are big for their age). I would put him at 3 weeks on size and body shape, 4-5 on mobility and feeding. I am far from experienced though - so any guesses welcome!

More pics to follow, attachments are playing up!


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

More pics...


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

Oh he looks big or is that more fluffy than large? Poorlittleboy being left all alone.  Glad you have him.


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## delainew (May 15, 2010)

ahh he is gorgous, and very lucky to have you,:001_cool:
he looks about 4 weeks old to me from the pics,


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

mellowma said:


> Oh he looks big or is that more fluffy than large? Poorlittleboy being left all alone.  Glad you have him.


It's he angle, he's smaller than theother two were at 3 weeks. His legs are thinner than my little finger. He is full now, so weighed even less when he came yesterday, but I've just had him on the scales and he is 340g. Poor little thing would've starved to death in no time at this tiny size. 

He sucks my fingers bless him, he is such a baby compared to the others. He's down my top as we speak lol. :lol:


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

awww bless him how cute is he, gorgeous.xxx


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Well done Molly-Moo. So is her full name now Molly Octomum Tokyo Drift Binks? Gonna need a bigger tag...


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL Lisa, yes!

Well little Sol is doing really well. He laps much better than he bottle feeds, so we have moved onto Hilife kitten food mixed with Lactol, and Molly is feeding him too. I have dropped the bottles and he doesn't even seem to have noticed. 

I have been helping him with wees just to be on the safe side as I haven't seen Molly do it (although she probably is doing as she's feeding him and cleaning him and I haven't been watching all the time). I haven't seen him poo yet, but I suspect that's been taken care of by Molly. 

Yesterday morning he was using his legs much more than when he came, today he's even stronger, so something's working. He is still tiny but thanks to Verbal *still* not weaning, he's getting plenty of food and not being bullied for it. God knows what to do with Verbal, but he has his own thread for whinging on about that lol. 

Purrsonality wise, he doesn't seem to think he's a feral cat, he is just a complete purr machine and washes me and plays with me like any other kitten (in fact he's more affectionate than the other two). I wonder if mum was a pet after all, at this age I would expect to see some feral behaviour.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

You're doing a fantastic job Kathy - good on you for helping these cats out. 

I cant wait for Molly to come home, I'm so proud of her for being such a good foster mum :thumbup:


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks Lisa! I'll have to guess from the lack of responses that I'm doing ok with him lol.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Maybe if you were less responsible - you might get some cute kittens comments


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> Maybe if you were less responsible - you might get some cute kittens comments


lol he *is* boomin cute, very cute and yes you are doing well, very well.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

I'd say about four weeks. Sounds as if you are doing a great job.

Liz


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Hi everyone

Sorry to not have been around much, I'm not in good form at the moment and it's made me a bit groggy with the meds and that.

I am very pleased to say Sol is now weaned, and weighs 620g. He is not as developed as the other two, so must've been well under 4 weeks when he came, or very stunted development wise. He has just started to run, in a wobbly fashion. He tries to join in on rough play with the other two but just isn't up to it, bless him. He does like to play rough, well as rough as he gets which is fairly gentle, with my hands. I do wonder if he will always be a little fragile thing, as he really is much "softer" than the other two who are hooligans now. I also wonder if there's a bit of a "special needs" aspect to him.

I am sad and yet happy to say he hasn't had any interest at all in the homing front. I am disappointed for him (as he can't stay, much as I want him to) but very glad for me to get more time with him. I don't know how I'll part with him!


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## sootisox (Apr 23, 2009)

Oh he's adorable!! Give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done! He wouldn't be here without you! I'm sure he'll find "mr/s right" soon enough! He looks fabulous!


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

You're doing fine with him .
Size wise he is small but not alarmingly so -my rescue Burmese weighed 70g at 24 days old -she is now 9 and still a small cat but she survived against all odds.
he is semi longhair so can look bigger in pics than he is in reality.
the fact he was left behind may indicate there is a problem with him or may be mum was startled and simply never got back to collect him.
from his adorable little face and especially his eyes I think he could be brain damaged -kittens born with this are often smaller than normal kittens -the cause can be delayed birth -lack of oxygen or the mother cat having the FIE virus or having been vaccinated while pregnant with a live vaccine for FIE (feline infectious enteritis )
his wobbly movement is a good indication of this as it often involves lack of coordination -there is a certain look to the eyes of these cats which i can't describe but once you see it you can recognize it.
If he is brain damaged he will need an indoor home as these cats often have no fear and as he develops he may lack the ability to run quickly or jump.
but he doesn't know and is able to live a happy healthy life 
I know we have had our differences in the past but please feel free to pm me about him if you are worried at all -I do have lots of experience with special needs cats.


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

Aww he is very very sweet! I must look away, I cannot have any more kittens.


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Hi again

Valerie - thanks for confirming what I was thinking, and for your support and advice. I think he has CH and have thought that for a while, which is a strange coincidence with my previous concerns about Molly. I had these feelings but kept thinking I was being silly, he would get energy and catch up. He certainly has progressed, but not to the point where I would consider his development normal for his age. How I can best support his development is what I need to look into now, I'd appreciate any heads up on potential veterinary or alternative/complementary therapies or dietary needs. I've had a mildly braindamaged cat here before but not at this level and not with the same issues. Any advice and support is much appreciated. 

After much discussion with my partner and the rescue, Sol is no longer up for homing, we were not planning on having permanent cats again due to my partner's sight problems, but we are soon moving to a flat where the problems of having a cat and being blind (ie. stairs lol) will not be an issue, and given Sol's needs we will keep him as an indoor cat with us. In the meantime I will have to find him a luminous kitten collar with a really loud bell lol. :arf:


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

Hi Kathy -glad you are keeping him -Ch kitties vary a lot in disability but they all like a pattern to their lives -they like things they know and get into routines so now he knows you it is best for him to stay with you.
this is an interesting website Welcome to the CH Kitty Club
Diet wise their needs are no different but Boris has difficulty with eating due to his head shaking so I use one of the special shaped bowls with a higher back as he tends to push food forwards and also for dry food he eats off a woven mat as otherwise the bikies escape him -he also has biks that are larger shaped as ball shaped he can't pick up.
The condition doesn't normally get worse in fact as they grow and get stronger it helps with mobility a little .
Boris is very healthy and never needed any treatment yet -however they can suffer seizures but you won't know until it happens if it ever does and I think they can be treated -there is always more risk with brain damaged cats under anaesthesia so the vet will need to do a quick castrate but tbh a good vet does anyway and as long as the vet is aware then should be fine.
You will learn what he needs help with as he develops -Boris cannot use a tray he lays on his side to go and uses puppy pads and yes as a kitten it was hard work keeping him clean if he accidentally did head over heels in it but as he grew he became more used to it and is a very clean cat even if he does sometimes fall in it .Boris is now 2 and I had him from a rescue at 12 weeks.
they are also often fiercely independent -Boris is dtermined to do stairs and can be a stubborn little monkey.
Kathy they are very special cats and can be hard work but the love they give back and the fulfillment you will get out of watching him develop and achieve normal cat skills is well worth it 
this is Boris (ignore the silly mummy voice )


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Hi Valerie

Thanks ever so much for sharing your experience with Boris. He really is a fantastic cat, he looks very special. 

Sol moves more "normally" than Boris, but I can see some similarities. Sol's head wobbles when he's focusing on something, and his back legs aren't quite as coordinated as his front legs. He props himself up in the litter tray, he shovels his food away from him. Sometimes he'll be playing with something and his back end will just go over to the side, and he will struggle to right himself. I can imagine, with some support, that Sol will be "nearly normal" in adulthood. I can imagine his coordination will improve as he ages too. 

I didn't know about the anaesthetic issue, and am grateful you warned me. Like you said it shouldn't be an issue with a neuter as they take literally two minutes, but it's handy to know none-the-less! I am so grateful for the tips on how to help him manage and I will keep you updated on his progress. No doubt I'll be back onto you for help!

I do have a couple of questions now - the first is what is it about their faces that you can tell it Valerie? I have my feeling about this but I'd be interested in hearing your viewpoint first. The 2nd question is whether any of this explains why Sol doesn't miaow? He very rarely makes any noise, and does "silent miaows" where he opens his mouth and only a whisper comes out. He has never properly miaowed and has only made highpitched chirps that don't sound feline at all. 

Kathy
xxx


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

Well Andrew who was also brain damaged but probably from a road accident (he was found wandering but had a flatness to the top of his skull ) used to chirrup not miaow however Boris is a chatty little soul and is always talking however his Mum was probably half Siamese so it might be in his genes to be noisy 
As far as looks go -it's hard to define it's in the eyes they have a kitten like look even in adult cats -a kind of far away look -innocent and almost questioning
this is a younger Boris








this was Andrew


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks Valerie - I think I see what you mean! I just thought Sol was a bit bog-eyed (lol bless him), but I think that "faraway" look might be down to differences in perceptual ability in some CH cats too? I spent most of yesterday thinking I was wrong about him as he managed to jump upwards onto the cat tree without falling or flailing, but he's had a few topsy turvy moments today where his back end just flips out from under him, mostly as he gets down off things or turns his head slightly. He is still head wobbling and just "different" to other kittens his age, quieter, calmer, less daredevil, and more cautious. That probably hails well for him if he is a bit CH-like. 

I have found a company that handmake personalised cat bowls that are completely gorgeous, I am going to ask them if they can make him a special one. 

I was wondering if there's a risk to vaccinating him? He is so tiny that I'd rather wait to get it done until he's a suitable size. I was planning on neutering him as young as my last cat (8-10 weeks) as I'm a big fan of paediatric neutering, but after reading of a CH cat dying under anaesthetic, I'm a bit nervous about getting it done. Is there a particular anaesthetic to ask for? We just use to use injectable anaesthetic on male neuters when I was a VN, but that was eons ago. Don't want to get anything wrong!


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

I would talk to vet about vaccs tbh probably do 12 -14 weeks to allow him to grow a little --most cat castrates are now done under gas after injectable sedation-most use Sevoflo gas or similar but he can be done without the sedation probably wait till he is about 4-5 months .
and just masked down if really needed in vet's opinion 
Some CH cats wobble head end more than others it varies a lot.
this is an example of chatty Boris


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Valerie you are going to have to watch Boris like a hawk, because the more I see him the more I fall in love! 

I will try and get Lisa to film a video of Sol for you, he's so little and delicate looking compared to big strong Boris! 

Thanks for the advice on vaccs and neutering, I feel that over the years any knowledge I had has "worn out" and I really appreciate the help.


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

He wasn't always quite so big -at 12 weeks he was all gangly legs


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

I shall bring the camera round later if you like, Kathy.

As we speak, Molly is chasing Wicca (who is carrying part of a Kinder egg - god knows where she got it - in her mouth, and miaowing) round the house...


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks Lisa - glad Molly had fun! I have some things to talk to you about what's happening with her and the kittens later xx


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Vids for Kathy....

Mini eating...


Mini and Verbs getting a slight shock (this beats sneezing panda for me lol)...


Mini and Sol eating


Sol eating...


There's a couple more but they're taking a while to upload...


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

:001_wub::001_wub:


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Here are the others (yes, they took THAT long to upload!)...

Sol attempting to scratch the sofa (and falling on his bum)


Bookend


Wishy washy wobbly


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

awwwwwwww how cute.xx:001_wub::001_wub:


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL bless him - thanks for uploading Lisa. That last one shows his "Sollywobbles".


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

He's such a gorgeous boy :thumbup:


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## KathyM (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL that he is! He is currently trying to keep up with the other two, who are careering round the living room biting everything they come into contact with. Ow.


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## mango#123 (Oct 21, 2015)

Milly22 said:


> Oh he looks big or is that more fluffy than large? Poorlittleboy being left all alone.  Glad you have him.


Hi just read ur post..I have just posted a help request about a three week old kitten..Just rescued today. How did u get yours to pooh and wee?


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

mango#123 said:


> Hi just read ur post..I have just posted a help request about a three week old kitten..Just rescued today. How did u get yours to pooh and wee?


This particular kitten was fostered onto another cat. To do by hand you need some damp cotton wool or stroke g when wet paper towel and rub the genital area back and forward. I tip my kittens upside down and turn bottoms away and heads against my chest to do this. They should wee fairly quickly, but may not poo after every feed. Are you using proper kitten replacer milk made up to correct concentration, not Whiskas cat milk off the shelf?


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