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Expert: - 4/27/2011


Question
hi, my cat had a litter of 4 kittens last thursday 21st april. 2 were still born , 1 died on sunday and we have 1 little fighter left. she has been hand reared since she was born but has been feeding from mum for the last 2 days as her milk has arrived...although i still have to put her on mum neither do it of there own accord. she weighs just 53grams but has been gainning weight as on monday she was only 42grams. what do you think her chances are? am i fighting a loosing battle?? she is nearly 7 days old now ...thanks

Answer
What gives you reason that these kittens are early? Most kittens that are stillborn are not early but late or the mother is sick. Cat with leukemia give birth to sick kittens that rarely make it past a week or so. Cats will usually abort their kittens way earlier than this if they are indeed too early. And aborted kittens are a concern because it usually means that the mother has some issues that should be addressed.  

If this kitten is to have a fighting chance then get her some Kitten Milk Replacement and start supplementing her right away. Some kittens actually have a reaction to the mother's milk, such as RH factor babies in humans.

You should get the mom tested then spayed after this little one is weaned. If you take over the feeding completely you can get her spayed sooner.

I can't tell you what her chances are because there is no way any one can predict that at all.
I do hope she makes it and it sounds like you are dedicated to helping her, which is a really great thing! :-)  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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