Tiny squitty foster kitten

[TailsoftheManyPaws]

We have a litter of kittens plus mum that we’re fostering at present. The smallest (born small and not catching up) tends to get a bit pushed out and today was very noticeably covered in poo, although the mother has generally been good at washing them all.

I rang the charity and then their vet for advice to be told that pragmatically, there’s not a lot to be done at this age other than watch to see if mother cat is rejecting it.

It’s a big litter - six kittens - and the vet said it’s fairly normal for the mother to ‘stop investing’ in the weakest one. But is there more I can/should do , or will interfering upset the bond with the other kittens rather than helping this teeny one ?

I would add the obligatory photo but it’s difficult to get a clear picture in the general black/brown kitten melee.

how old is the kitten?

Kitten milk and a bottle?
I successfully raised many orphan kittens for a charity x

Can you take some kittens away for a bit to give the little one a better chance of feeding and time for mum to clean it up.

They’re two weeks old. Yes, I’d wondered about removing a few to give the little one a chance but don’t want to do more harm than good. Advice from the charity was not to bottle feed unless expert at it in case you drown the kitten.

And thank you!

I’ve quite a few runts and they pulled through with a little extra TLC.
Top-up feeds with the bottle are a good idea to make sure it is well. Before attempting this yourself look up exactly how to do it. Replacement milk can be bought from Pets at Home, Amazon and other places. I like the Beaphar one. Also when they’re nursing, try to move the kitten to the bottom nipples (nearest the hind legs). The nipples nearer the head have less milk. Make sure kitten is warm but not too warm.
Monitor the levels of activity of the kitten, if it wriggles around like his or her siblings, that is a good sign.

Just saw your bit about the charity saying you shouldn’t bottle feed the kitten. Yes this carries some risks but it is possible to do it, also if the kitten is not getting enough milk and possibly getting dehidrated due to loose stools, then bottle feeding is the lesser of two evils.

Have you got a ddog op? I bottle fed - without a hitch - as even a novice - our lovely calm ddog was the bum washer! You have to rub their bums to make them poo! Remember having 4 black ones and having to put nail varnish on a toe each!
I didn't receive any training as such, just patience and determination that they were gonna make it!

Take a look at KittenLady - she has videos on youtube on how to raise very small kittens, covering just about everything. She's also very responsive on Instagram to questions.

Thank you all! Good tip about moving her to the lower nipples - she seems to head for the armpit ones which just don’t look full. She’s clean and wriggly today, but I’ll look up the videos and get some milk in tomorrow in case she gets left out again. She’s the one on the right (if this works)

Oh she looks so rejected, but still gorgeous.

It’s the eyebrow markings! Bet she quickly learns to milk it for attention.

Here she is snuggled up to her biggest brother (he’s the black one).

She does look a bit sad poor girl.

Ahhhhhh!!! This makes me wish I hadn’t had my girls dressed but I know it was the sensible thing to do. They’re lovely

A rather sad update: it looks like Tiny Kitten has a neurological problem, possibly cerebellar disease or a birth injury, as she can't coordinate her walking. She's lopsided - strong muscle tone on the right, not much on the left. We're monitoring but if it turns out she can't acquire enough control for reasonable quality of life (movement and maybe continence), she'll need to be put to sleep.

The difference is quite marked now that her siblings are blatting about the room like furry young hooligans.

I once had a Foster dkitten that didn't grow past 6 week stage. Stayed tiny while his siblings blossomed. We called him Bog Brush as he couldn't groom himself and looked spikey! Vet said he wouldn't make it and he died in his sleep.
What a little character.
Get lots of pics op. You are doing a grand job.

Thanks, Windy. We'll try to make it a happy life if a very short one. (She has the best purr when plugged in and suckling.)

Aaaaaw poor girly!
It will depend on the level she has it.
I’ve had two kittens with cerebellar palsy and one with hind leg issues which we never found out what caused it. They all made it through but it depends on how serious it is. Try to massage the weaker side and just the legs generally as often each day as you can. This improves blood flow. There are also exercises you can do. A taurine supplement in the mum’s food can help strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the little ones.

OK, kitten massage it is!

Currently she can't really stand or walk at all and noseplants or rolls/topples sideways when she tries.

We're seeing the vet again later this week to review progress so I'll ask about supplements. I've checked that it's OK to leave her in with her very lively siblings chewing her tail and hooking her legs out from under her.

The thing that's worrying me is if it's something viral and we lose the whole lot.

Can you prop her up on a soft toy so her legs get a chance to get strong?.

We had a newborn human with brain damage who made what was described by doctots as a 'miraculous' recovery, and have an adult cat with brain damage who manages fine; she's unsteady on her feet, falls over, walks into walls and can't jump, but is still able to demand food and cuddles, and will potter around the garden following the sun. Don't lose hope, brains are amazing.

When our 3 legged dcat went missing for good () I went looking at shelters for a needy dcat. They had one with balance issues. Just needed antibiotics - humph indeed -. Turned out she was brain damaged. Couldn't jump down and land dcat like or run - or be bloody left alone at all! Vet said it was odd she had survived ! Lived a happy - if floppy, lolling life. Had her for about ten years. Had forgotten about her tbh! About 20 years ago!
Jenna - tiny black thing with a huge meow!

I'm not sure whether the symptoms match the disease but could she possibly have rickets?
I hope she turns out alright!

Collecting ideas here! She's back at the vets shortly. Ultimately, it'll be their call (or the rescue's) whether they think she'll have enough quality of life when older, but whatever we can do to help, we'll try it.

Soft toy is a nice idea, though she quite likes lying upside-down in a kitten heap, pummelling her brother.

That's lovely to hear about your baby, Utterly.