Saturday, August 2, 2008

Kitten Update 1

The kitten is now five days old. Each feeding -- every three hours or so -- gives some new cause for alarm. Wiggle/squirm/cry can mean anything among "I'm too cold"; "the milk is too cold"; "the milk is too hot"; "I'm constipated"; "the Archbishop of Canterbury is a jackass"; "I'm still hungry"; "I'm too full"; "my claw is stuck in the towel"; "I just want to cuddle"; "I'm suffering from some mysterious ailment which you are powerless to diagnose or prevent".

And I have to guess which one.

Based on all of four days of experience.


This afternoon an unexpected squirt of milk from the tiny bottle went down the wrong pipe, and the kitten started to choke to death. I had to hold it upside down, heels over head, and pat its back repeatedly until it coughed up a few drops of milk.

The saga continues...


Yesterday:



Today:



UPDATE: I'm worried. The kitten refuses to eat very much despite acting as if he's hungry; his energy seems down and his belly seems to have gotten distended. I'm wondering if he's constipated and that none of the food I've been giving him is actually getting into the system. Infant kittens often have this problem. I hope he has a better chance of making it through the critical first two weeks than the Anglican Communion does of surviving reasonably intact!

UPDATE 2: The kitten made it through the night. Since it never seemed to want to eat enough -- and since the emergency vet said on the phone that indicactions were that it wasn't constipated -- I took to feeding it every 2 hours. Feed the kitten; sleep 1.5 hrs; warm the bottle; feed the kitten; sleep 1.5 hrs; warm the bottle... all night. Ugh. This kitten had better make it!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck, LP.

John Dixon said...

LP

Kittens sometimes are born with a bacteria or virus that causes this condition I live on a farm and there are always volunteer cats around. You need to give it a strong antibiotic like tetracycline in goodly doses. I have a buddy who raises goats and have he has given me some in the past for this purpose and it worked. If you know anybody with livestock they will have it.
John

Zana said...

My prayers are with you (and the kitten!) Keep us updated!

Allen Lewis said...

Keep it up, LP.

As one who has brought a cat back from death (his heart stopped while he was being neutered and we got back a shell) and had to teach him how to be a cat again (at six months, no less), I know what you are going through.

With a kitten so young, it will be touch and go. But we will be pray8ng for you and your charge to make it.

Blessings to you and your kitty.

Allen

Anonymous said...

Hang in there - don't give up.
-Smurf Breath

John Dixon said...

Gee I never considered that the AB of C being a jack ass could be the problem... in that case a large glob of fur ball medication may be the answer. Make sure that kitty has no access to fudge as well.

If that does not work I have five kittens in the garage and will gladly send you some.

Anonymous said...

What a labor of love you are making. My son really likes your kitten pictures. All the best for success with the tiny little thing -

Anonymous said...

Just to give you a heads-up.
Tomorrow is Friday.
You have a Cat.
This is a Blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have raised a couple of tiny abandoned kittens - one just born with the umbilical cord still attached. I used a kitten formula that I got at Petsmart. Also you need to be the kitten's mother by using a warm wet cloth or cotton ball to wipe around its bottom after the kitten eats to get them to eliminate waste. Best wishes from a fellow cat lover.