2 wk old kitten

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

My friend dropped off a kitten this morning. Her eyes are open, but she's still very small, we're guessing she's around 2 wks. Anyway, i picked up KMR fourmula at the vet clinic and a nurser bottle and i see if she's hungry whenever she wakes up and starts crying (which is often). after she's done eating i stimulate her to make her go potty, which she does like a good kitty. Is there anything else i can do for her? She is living in a box with old rags and a hot water bottle, but she cries a lot. I think she might be lonely because she is currently sleeping curled up in my hair on my shoulder as happy as can be. Is there anything else I can put in her box to make her more comfortable and make her feel like she isn't alone?
thank you

 

[awashinlove]

My friend dropped off a kitten this morning. Her eyes are open, but she's still very small, we're guessing she's around 2 wks. Anyway, i picked up KMR fourmula at the vet clinic and a nurser bottle and i see if she's hungry whenever she wakes up and starts crying (which is often). after she's done eating i stimulate her to make her go potty, which she does like a good kitty. Is there anything else i can do for her? She is living in a box with old rags and a hot water bottle, but she cries a lot. I think she might be lonely because she is currently sleeping curled up in my hair on my shoulder as happy as can be. Is there anything else I can put in her box to make her more comfortable and make her feel like she isn't alone?
thank you

Best thing you could possibly, possibly do for her physical and cerebral health is get her into a fostering program so a nursing cat can rear her; formula just does not suffice and you can't give her the cognitive stimulation she needs. If you're looking to keep her, with most programs you'd have first dibs on adopting a wonderful, healthy kitten back.

Blessings,
awashinlove

 

[Dagna]

I agree with awash. Ideally, the kitten needs a foster mom cat. Since it's kitten season, it shouldn't be too hard to find. You can call around to animal rescue orgs in your city to try and find a nursing mom. They should be able to help you out. Until then, the kitten should eat every two hours at least. You also need to be on the look out for respiratory infections. One thing that may help is to find an old clock that makes the ticking noise and wrap it up in a towel and put it with her. That simulates the sound of a heartbeat and can help in some situations.

Again though, a nursing cat is an ideal situation for her and shouldn't be too hard to find at this time of the year. Good luck with your kitty

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

i would love to find a foster mom for her, but you have to understand where i live. It's a small town in a very small county. We don't have a humane society, we don't have any rescues, we don't have anything like that. It's pretty much either i raise the kitten, or the kitten dies.

 

[country woman]

If thats not possible try to put an old fashioned clock the ones that tick into the bed ,the sound resembles the mother cat.

 

[bubblegirl23]

Are you planning to keep her, or find her a new owner?

If you're going to keep her, I don't see anything wrong with becoming her mother. Why not put her basket by your bed or let her sleep with you with your mattress on the floor.

She's feeding so she trusts you.

My little dog needed such care as a 7-week under-developed pup. Now she is 1 1/2, she is semi-dependant, but still considers me her doting Mummy.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

i would love to keep her, but i'm leaving for college soon so i can't take her with me. My parents will probably keep her

 

[bubblegirl23]

Ask if Mum will take little puss in her room. She just wants someone there.

 

[whitmorris]

Also stuffed animals work. We have a four week old puppy that was doing the same thing but then we put the little beanie baby in there and now she sleeps just fine.

 

[country woman]

Thats a great idea you have.You should try it.

 

[fieldlily]

My friend dropped off a kitten this morning. Her eyes are open, but she's still very small, we're guessing she's around 2 wks. Anyway, i picked up KMR fourmula at the vet clinic and a nurser bottle and i see if she's hungry whenever she wakes up and starts crying (which is often). after she's done eating i stimulate her to make her go potty, which she does like a good kitty. Is there anything else i can do for her? She is living in a box with old rags and a hot water bottle, but she cries a lot. I think she might be lonely because she is currently sleeping curled up in my hair on my shoulder as happy as can be. Is there anything else I can put in her box to make her more comfortable and make her feel like she isn't alone?
thank you

I think the suggestions here are all good, but two weeks old is really too young for a kitten to be weaned from it's mother. Makes me wonder what ever happened. And I agree that the best thing is to take her to where there is a mother cat with kittens. They usually take care of others as well as their own. I am praying you get the help you need for her and that there is a way for her to survive. She must be constantly warm and she needs a lot of stroking, but careful handling. The hot water bottle is a good idea or maybe an electric heating pad turned down to low. But careful she doesn't lie right on it..just have it near. If she does live she will eventually be old enough to play and respond as a normal kitty does. My prayers and thoughts...of concern for kitty.

 

[pentecostalgirl0414]

When I got my kitten, we had to put a clock wraped up in the pillow case with a stuffed animal and a soft baby blanket. She really took to the stuffen animal. (It was a cat doll) Try that. Make sure that she eats at least every 2 hours. That is what we had to do with my vat. Now she is a year old and weights 10 pounds. SO your kitten should do fine. Just watch out for any signs of illness. Hope this helps.

 

[awashinlove]

Well if you must keep the kitten, then a water bottle is not enough. You need to get a heating pad, set it on low, wrap it in a thin blanket, and place it flat against one side of a large box. The box needs to be lined with either soft tissues or very soft paper towels that can be changed frequently. Get a hanging thermometer to make sure the inside of the box never goes above or below 85-90 degrees F. Then, of course, the kitten needs to be fed and, yes, burped (she's going to be taking in a lot of dangerous air being bottle fed). She also needs her temp taken rectally to ensure she's a healthy 97-100 degrees F.

She should also have her first vet visit. Most vets work with rescue groups, so while there I'd see if your vet knows any nursing mommies.

Blessings,
awashinlove

 

[CottonCandy]

oh, poor kitty! I hope she does well for you, and it certainly seems like you are taking care of her best way possible - under the circumstances.

 

[judy]

My friend dropped off a kitten this morning. Her eyes are open, but she's still very small, we're guessing she's around 2 wks. Anyway, i picked up KMR fourmula at the vet clinic and a nurser bottle and i see if she's hungry whenever she wakes up and starts crying (which is often). after she's done eating i stimulate her to make her go potty, which she does like a good kitty. Is there anything else i can do for her? She is living in a box with old rags and a hot water bottle, but she cries a lot. I think she might be lonely because she is currently sleeping curled up in my hair on my shoulder as happy as can be. Is there anything else I can put in her box to make her more comfortable and make her feel like she isn't alone?
thank you

You can do it. I was 12 when a stray in our neighborhood gave birth to one single puppy in our family dog's doghouse (she and our dog were best friends). Two weeks later the stray was hit by a car and killed. My mom let me raise the puppy. Her eyes weren't even open yet when I started bottle-feeding her. She grew up thinking I was her mom. She lived to the ripe old age of 15. I still tend to think of her as my first baby, even though I now have a couple of human children.

 

[bubblegirl23]

I'm the same with my little dog. She runs to my lap constantly, particularly if someone says, "where's Mummy?"

 

[awashinlove]

You can do it. ... My mom let me raise the puppy... She lived to the ripe old age of 15.

Cats and dogs are hardly alike, especially when it comes to their bodily systems. Unfortunately, kittens aren't so resilient, nor do they relate to humans the same. While feeding a young animal has worked for some, the number of tragedies from this practice far outweighs anyone elses' positive outcome. It certainly can be done, but in the best interest of an animal people should exhaust every single alternative before forcing this unnatural rearing on a poor creature.

Blessings,
awashinlove

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

update on my kitty. We have named her Turtle, much to my mom's disgust. She's doing well, we had to get a bigger box for her because she kept climbing out of the old one. She gets along very well with the dog. He hasn't tried to eat her yet, but they're never alone together and he gets in trouble if he starts messing with her to much, so we'll hopefully not have any problems with them.
Awashinlove-why are kittens temps so much lower than adult cats? I didn't have any problems keeping her box warm. The first week she was here it didn't get below 90, but she was inside in the air-conditioner.
Please, don't take me for a complete idiot. I have raised a kitten before and she is currently 7, maybe, years old and doing fine. It has just been a few years since i've done it and i was asking for suggestions from people who have done it recently.
Where i live, we don't have rescue groups, which i believe i stated earlier, so finding a replacement momma kitty wasn't really an option. And please don't tell me that the vet would know of one. My mom has worked at the local vet clinic for 26+ years and i've worked there part time for 4 years. we would know if there was a rescue group

 

[bubblegirl23]

I think you're doing great. Keep it up. Turtle with grow and thrive. Love the name!

Your dog may never hurt Turtle. Our German shepherd would never harm my Cognac. In fact, she bosses him around!

 

[judy]

alwayz, thanks for the update. I've been thinking about your kitten and wondering how it was doing. I agree with bubblegirl, your dog and cat might grow to be good friends in time, although for now it's a good idea to keep a watchful eye on them.

We have a Shepherd mix named Sasha and a Siamese mix named Khleo who have loved each other from the time we adopted Khleo as a tiny kitten about 2 years ago. They chase each other around the house and wrestle, and Khleo will hold Sasha's head with his paws and groom her ears.