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Expert: Ali - 11/4/2009


Question
hello....I have a litter of 6 kittens....they are about a month old.....all are up walking and playing and behaving normally.....with the exception of one .....she seems a bit slow....her balance seems off and she sleeps alot. I have been supplement feeding her, not forcefully.....she takes it on her own.....just not alot.....her respiratory and heart rate seem faster than the others......can it be that she is just not as mentally developed as the others?....I love her so much.....so that doesnt bother me at all.....I just do not want to loose her......thank you for any help here....

Answer
Kimberley,

I sent along a question to Dr. Chambreau (a holistic vet on the Ask A Vet portion of this site) and her recommendations with this baby were to seek the advice of a holistic vet who uses homeopathy or a homeopathic practitioner willing to treat her. You can start off quite safely by treating her with Bach's Rescue Remedy (a blend of flower essences designed calm and reassure, a dose of 1-2 drops every 2-3 hours with her supplemental feed should do, but you want to rub the drops into the skin of her ear flap instead of administering them orally since your kitten will not like the taste), other remedies may be recommended by a holistic vet to help this baby regain her strength and vigor. Her issues are most likely related to an imbalance within her system (possibly in combination with congenital issues which may need to be assessed by a holistic vet who also uses conventional medicine to treat his/her patients), but you'd be surprised at how much just using homeopathic remedies to treat potential imbalances may improve her overall function and health. I know it sounds far fetched, but my eldest cat's life was saved through the use of homeopathic remedies, they really do work and when the right remedy is given to the right cat at the right time amazing things can happen. Providing good monitoring of this baby's weight and growth daily as well as offering her more supplemental feedings is also important - since she's weaker than the other kittens in the litter it's quite possible that she's not getting much from her mom. I don't know how much experience you have with bottle feeding kittens, but I can send you information on how to feed her correctly and safely so that she gets the calories and nutrients she needs each day if you're interested. Please feel free to contact me and let me know how this baby's doing, my thoughts are with you and her.

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 3 mixed breed cats ranging from 6 to 12 years old. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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