HELP! Newborn kitten found. What do.

[xSkyDrAx]

I found a newborn kitten this morning in what could be called a bush this morning. I heard it crying there yesterday night but I could not see it after I tried to look for it it stopped crying so nothing I could do. Was about to leave for work this morning when I heard it again and saw it immediately. It was a lot smaller than I thought. Eyes are still closed and the umbilical cord was still there.

I'm planning to take it to a vet after work but for the time being it's with my brother. Does anyone have any idea what he could do for it before I get home? It's currently in a shoebox with some old shirts. I'm sure it hasn't eaten or drank anything at least overnight. How would he be able to at least give it some water?

Thanks

Link to pic is up:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=8a4aa9fa9bf38b28&page=play&resid=8A4AA9FA9BF38B28!138

 

[Krazy4Real]

I would have your brother call the vet and ask them what to do until you can take the kitten in.

 

[Zeze]

Give it some water. How hard is that?

http://cats.about.com/cs/kittencare/a/kittencarethree.htm

Tada! 5 second googling!

Warmth:
A chilled kitten can die quickly, and is considered a veterinary emergency. You can warm the kitten by holding it next to your own skin, or by using a heating pad, set to "Low", well-wrapped with a thick towel or flannel sheet. Make sure there is plenty of unheated surface in the box so the kittens can move away from the heat source if they become too warm. Feeding a chilled kitten can be fatal, so wait until its temperature is up to its normal range of 95° F to 99° F before attempting to feed it. If a kitten's temperature falls below 94° F it must be warmed gradually to avoid metabolic shock. At the same time, give it Pedialyte (the same stuff sold for human babies) to hydrate it and prevent shock.
Nourishment:
You'll need K.M.R. or equivalent, available from pet stores, and a feeder of some sort (either a bottle, syringe, or eye-dropper.) The K.M.R. box will include instructions for feeding by weight of the kitten. Tiny babies will need to eat as many as 12 meals around the clock, so plan on 2 a.m. feedings.

At three weeks or so, you can start training the babies to eat food in a dish. Do so by mixing either dry or canned kitten food with the milk forumula and moosh it until it is a thick liquid. Go ahead and use your blender, and pretend you're making a milkshake. You'll probably need to "prime" the kitty by putting a bit of the mixture on your finger tip, then showing her the saucer. As the kitten learns to eat and enjoy her "mush", you can gradually reduce the amount of milk replacement forumla.

Finally, she can graduate to solid kitten food. Ideally, you should start kittens out with a premium brand of canned kitten food. Canned food remaining in the can should be covered and refrigerated immediately after opening, and the next serving can be warmed in a microwave for just a minute or so. Uneaten canned food in the plate should also not be left out after the kitten has had her fill, as it can spoil rapidly. Since kittens' tummies are small, the best plan is to give four or five small meals a day. Some cat owners provide dry food to be eaten at will, supplemented with a small serving of canned food once or twice a day, however for optimum nutritional benefits, a canned diet is better.

 

[lxskllr]

Start by chewing off the umbilical cord. If you aren't currently lactating, you'll probably have to bottle feed it. I have no idea what to feed it, but if I were improvising, I'd use human baby formula.

 

[Zeze]

Start by chewing off the umbilical cord. If you aren't currently lactating, you'll probably have to bottle feed it. I have no idea what to feed it, but if I were improvising, I'd use human baby formula.

OR you could feed him the KITTEN formula that every pet store sells.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

OR you could feed him the KITTEN formula that every pet store sells.

I'm thinking one would need something like a bottle to give it water. I don't think it would drink from dish? Also my brother is 14 so he doesn't have access to a pet store before I get home. I do plan on getting some formula for it but hopefully it will survive till I get back. It did survive all night outside so it seems like a tough little guy.

 

[TecHNooB]

marinate it in bulgogi sauce. i'll be over in a few hours.

 

[iroast]

marinate it in bulgogi sauce. i'll be over in a few hours.

Korean instincts tingling! :-D

 

[Zeze]

I'm thinking one would need something like a bottle to give it water. I don't think it would drink from dish? Also my brother is 14 so he doesn't have access to a pet store before I get home. I do plan on getting some formula for it but hopefully it will survive till I get back. It did survive all night outside so it seems like a tough little guy.

You better hurry. Yes he will need a bottle and the suckle thing.

 

[Zeze]

Korean instincts tingling! :-D

Koreans eat dogs. You meant Chinese for cats.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Koreans eat dogs. You meant Chinese for cats.

This is why we need a food subforum.

 

[SP33Demon]

Nice save by your brother, be sure to post some pics of it after it recovers.

 

[lxskllr]

Koreans eat dogs. You meant Chinese for cats.

Or Swiss :^D

Cats are eaten in certain rural Swiss cultures;[11] the traditional recipe on farms in some regions involved cooking the cat with sprigs of thyme.[12] In January 2004, Reuters reported that, "Swiss culinary traditions include puppies and kittens. Private consumption of cat and dog is permissible. Swiss animal welfare groups say it is hard to estimate how many pets are eaten in Switzerland every year."[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_meat

 

[sigurros81]

Cats are lactose intolerant, so you need to get kitten formula from a local VCA clinic or petstore, whichever's closer.

If you are able to procure 2 more kittens, you can teach yourself the ancient art of cat juggling. A lot of informative videos can be found on youtube.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Does anyone know how much warmth it requires? I believe it's in the shoebox with a few old shirts but should I have my brother put more?

 

[shortylickens]

POST PICS NAO!

 

[lxskllr]

Does anyone know how much warmth it requires? I believe it's in the shoebox with a few old shirts but should I have my brother put more?

Put a lightbulb over it. Make sure the cat can't touch it. Shielding with a tin can would be a good idea. Clothes don't create heat.

 

[Zeze]

Does anyone know how much warmth it requires? I believe it's in the shoebox with a few old shirts but should I have my brother put more?

It definitely needs more warmth than heat from itself. Kittens depend on their mom's body heat.

As a last resort, I suggest you slowly heat up a skillet VERY CAREFULLY for only about 10-15 seconds until the surface is warm to the touch. Put some cloth to buffer the direct heat and place the kitten.

Now open the pantry and look for some freshly cracked pepper. Season to taste.

 

[TecHNooB]

It definitely needs more warmth than heat from itself. Kittens depend on their mom's body heat.

As a last resort, I suggest you slowly heat up a skillet VERY CAREFULLY for only about 10-15 seconds until the surface is warm to the touch. Put some cloth to buffer the direct heat and place the kitten.

Now open the pantry and look for some freshly cracked pepper. Season to taste.

now you're talkin :thumbsup:

 

[xSkyDrAx]

POST PICS NAO!

Will definitely later. At work now

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Well my brother found some sites and I linked him as well. Currently using a warm water bottle under the shirts for warm and he's looking for a dropper to give it some water. Should be okay till I get back.

 

[Zeze]

Post PICTURES!!! I've never seen a newborn kitten (assuming it's mere hours old).

 

[sigurros81]

You can't let the kitten get too old otherwise the meat won't be as tender.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Post PICTURES!!! I've never seen a newborn kitten (assuming it's mere hours old).

Nah it's not a few hours. I speculate at least a day or two? The eyes are still closed and there's a piece of umbilical cord hanging from its belly. It's about the size of my hand. Will post pics later.

 

[Arik5405]

subscribed to thread awaiting pics and happy outcome. good luck.