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Expert: - 5/28/2009


Question
Hello, I have a kitten who is about 5wks old. She plays normally with her siblings and is attempting to eat solid food. Our concerns however are that she has not lost her cord and she is also about the 1/3 the size of the rest of the kittens. I've never raised a litter of kittens therefore I am unsure if this is normal or not. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Aundrea,

I would suggest that your kitten be examined by a vet, normally kittens lose their umbilical cord in the first 7 days of life, I've never seen a kitten keep their dried umbilical cord for 5 weeks before. The fact that this baby is significantly smaller than the other kittens is also a concern - does she still have the opportunity to feed from mom in addition to small portions of solid food given 2-3 times each day? Unlike dogs nursing queens don't require any help to wean their kittens - I recommend allowing mom to do this on her own when she's ready to do it, which is often in the first 8-9 weeks of life. Over the long term in my experience it's best if kittens stay with their mother for a minimum of 10 weeks because she's able to teach them important lessons about how to be a social, well balanced cat and they learn important skills from her such as grooming, defending themselves, potty training, hunting, stalking and killing prey. I'd be happy to provide you with some more information about the social and physical development of kittens if you're interested. If you'd like I can also offer you some information on providing mom and her babies with a high quality diet that will minimize their health issues over the long term and information about spaying/neutering so that you won't have to deal with the time, energy and money involved with raising more kittens. Spaying/neutering has significant benefits for a cat's long term health and prevents/reduces the chances that they will develop certain behavioral issues.

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. 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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