Expert: Ali - 6/5/2009

Question
my family and I have had abandoned kittens for four days. they were doing really well and all of a sudden one of the kittens had fallen ill, it wouldn't eat, it got lethargic and its motor skills became impared. a few hours after trying to save him he died. He was about 10 days old PLEASE PLEASE tell me what have been  i need to know.

Answer
RK,

Unfortunately I can't really provide you with a definitive diagnosis to explain what caused this kitten's death, I'm not a vet. Instead I've sent along some information about how to properly care for orphaned kittens which may help to ensure the health of the other kittens. There are so many things that can go wrong with young kittens, especially if they're not being raised by their mom. In my experience there are sometimes no easy answers or explanations, especially since kittens are so tiny and they're born very immature. I can provide you with a few ideas, but these aren't diagnoses, they're just possibilities. Most kittens are born healthy and don't have any serious health problems or birth defects, but sometimes these issues can cause death to newborn kittens, especially if they're not being raised by mom. I'm not sure where you found these babies, but it's possible that mom is still around and might be willing to finish raising her kittens. It's kitten season so it's quite possible that your local animal shelter, rescue group or veterinarian would have a lactating mom that might be willing to foster these babies until she weans them and teaches them basic lessons that will help them learn how to be a cat.

I've seen kittens die as a result of trauma, they're pretty fragile as newborns and if any of these guys fell even from a couch onto carpet that could cause serious injuries. Kittens do occasionally have congenital heart defects like a hole in the heart or their heart isn't properly formed and as a result unable to function well enough to meet the needs of a rapidly growing kitten. In some kittens things like a cleft palate can cause death because it increases the risk that the kitten will inhale his mother's milk or a kitten milk replacer. Kittens are born with very little resistance to viral/bacterial infections so if these babies had a mom that was sick or came into contact with other cats that could have been fighting off an infection of some sort - some viruses and bacterial infections actually don't cause much in the way of symptoms that would bother a healthy adult cat much. It's extremely important that the kittens be kept in a clean, quiet, dimly lit area to minimize stress on their tiny, immature systems. I recommend handling them minimally at first so that they aren't over stimulated after the trauma of being abandoned. Newborn kittens should be kept isolated from any other pets in the household since they're born with very little resistance to infection, this means it's important for anyone who wants to handle these babies to wash their hands thoroughly (sort of like you're planning to do surgery) with hot, soapy water for at least 30 seconds before/after handling these babies. You can also use a hand sanitizer like Purell if you have sensitive skin that gets dry and cracks with frequent hand washing.

Hand raising orphaned/abandoned kittens is time and labor intensive. I've had the best success in terms of survival rates if I syringe feed the kittens on demand, this usually happens every 1 1/2 - 2 hours when the kittens are newborn and haven't yet been introduced to solids. Human beings make a poor substitute for feline mothers and many folks don't realize just how much of a time/energy commitment is required to hand rear newborn kittens so that they're healthy, growing properly, gaining adequate weight and have all of their physical needs met. Bottle babies require a huge when it comes to providing them with the best possible care.

I tend to keep things as natural as possible when raising any kitten, but this is especially important to have successful experiences with raising young, orphaned kittens. Hand raised kittens should really see a vet as soon as possible, this is important to get an accurate age estimate, also important, the thorough physical exam should reveal whether or not the kittens are healthy, if they require any specialized nursing care at home and whether the kittens are in good condition. Healthy newborn kittens should feel warm to the touch, appear to be plump, be fairly quiet and spend much of their time eating or sleeping.

Orphaned, hand raised kittens from birth to 3 1/2 - 4 weeks of age usually have formula from a bottle/syringe every 1 1/2-2 hours a day and I allow them to take as much formula as they feel they need to. If you're interested in learning about when and how to introduce orphaned kittens to solid foods I'd be happy to send you that information on request. I recommend feeding orphans commercially produced formulas such as KMR, Just Born or Feline Mammalac that are mixed according to the package directions. I normally mix a large batch of formula, pour it into ice cube trays, freeze it, pop the frozen formula cubes out into a medium/large ziploc baggie and store them in the freezer until they're ready to be used. Formula stored in the fridge is only good for 24 hours after mixing while the frozen formula cubes are portion sized and since they're frozen they can last from 3-6 months in the freezer. After each feeding I recommend discarding left over formula, washing all syringes, bottles/nipples thoroughly in hot, soapy water, rinsing away the soap entirely and allowing them to soak briefly for 5-10 minutes in a weak bleach solution - 10 parts water, 1 part bleach. Once you've allowed the feeding paraphernalia to soak for a few minutes I suggest allowing everything to air dry on a clean paper towel until the next feeding.

I've heard many people make recommendations about alternatives to kitten formula and for the most part these homemade recipes and store bought products just don't have enough of the key nutrients for these babies to remain healthy and grow properly. Cow's milk doesn't come anywhere close to a queen's milk in terms of nutrients the kittens need in order to survive. There isn't enough fat, protein, calcium or other vitamins/minerals in cow's milk which means that it's not even an option to use on an emergency basis. I've seen some recipes for homemade kitten formula online, however it's important to understand that these recipes aren't meant as a substitute for kitten milk replacer, they're simply stop gap measures meant to provide the kittens with nourishment for a couple of feedings. Some of the recipes I've seen online aren't appropriate to feed any orphaned kitten because they just don't have the nutrients that newborn kittens need in the quantities necessary to grow, survive, develop properly and ultimately thrive. Another myth I've heard is that you can feed an orphaned kitten concentrated human baby formula, this just isn't true, human babies and newborn kittens have very different nutritional needs and baby formula contains to little of some nutrients and deadly amounts of others. In a pinch it's okay to use organic, full fat goat's milk to feed orphaned kittens however it's important to add 2 tbsps of plain, unsweetened organic yogurt (full fat if you can find it) to each cup of goat's milk. The yogurt contains beneficial bacteria normally found in a healthy digestive tract and it can prevent vomiting and diarrhea which are serious and potentially life threatening in tiny newborn kittens.

It's very important to feed any type of kitten formula at body temperature, I don't recommend using the microwave to do this because microwaved formula loses some of its nutritional value and formula heated in the microwave can develop hot spots that can cause some nasty burns to the inside of a kitten's mouth. Normally I place the number of formula ice cubes that I need into a sandwich sized ziploc bag and float that bag in hot tap water until they melt. Once the formula has melted I dump the bowl of water and refill it again with hot tap water and allow the formula to sit until it's warm enough to feed to the kittens. I would also recommend that you keep the formula floating in hot water rather than pre-loading the bottles or syringes because the formula can get cold, kittens don't tend to like cold food and it can cause a nasty tummy ache for them.

When bottle or syringe feeding newborn kittens it's extremely important not to feed them lying on their back like a human infant because it can cause the kitten to inhale their meal and choke or even cause pneumonia if the formula ends up in the baby's lungs. The best way to position a newborn kitten for a syringe/bottle feeding is to set them belly down in your lap, use one hand to gently hold the back of the kitten's head and the other to gently insert the tip of the syringe or bottle's nipple into the corner of the kitten's mouth. Some kittens aren't happy about the large nipples available for hand rearing, in these kittens feeding them by syringe often works a bit better because the tip of a syringe is closer to the size of mom's nipples. When syringe feeding it's extremely important to be patient, if the kitten decides to suck on the tip of the syringe then s/he will control the flow of formula, if you have to depress the plunger during the feeding do it very slowly, drop by drop to give the little one time to swallow without choking. It's important not to reuse syringes that were used for any human medicine - it's best to either use sterile syringes without the needles sold at medical supply specialty stores or brand new oral syringes bought from your local pharmacy. The syringes you can purchase at a medical supply house will be far cheaper (5-20 cents in Canadian forms each on average) than the oral syringes (2-5 dollars each in Canadian funds) sold in the baby section of the pharmacy.

Hand raised kittens need to be kept in a safe, comfortable environment. You can use a large open litter box lined with old hand towels or receiving blankets, but I normally use a travel cage for cats because you won't have to worry about tiny escapees getting stepped on and kittens become mobile enough to find ways out of a large open litter tray more quickly than most people realize (nobody said they did it gracefully, they often fall out on their heads after standing up on their siblings' heads). I don't recommend adding heating pads to the kitten's temporary nursery because newborn kittens aren't able to maintain their body temperature on their own, this includes preventing it from rising too high. Heat lamps and heating pads can cause heat stroke in young orphaned kittens, I recommend keeping the babies warm by keeping them in a draft free room in a cat carrier or cardboard box lined with soft bedding - if the bedding becomes soiled or wet it's best to change it immediately to prevent the kittens from getting wet or soiled.

I would recommend kitten proofing one room of your home immediately so that when the kittens are slightly older they can play and run around freely in a safe room. When I kitten proof I get down onto the floor at kitten level and look for things that might interest young, playful kittens looking to satisfy curiosity and get into mischief. Dangling electrical cords are dangerous and can get chomped on by sharp kitten teeth with devastating consequences. Anything you don't want a young kitten to eat, chew on, have the occasional potty accident during litter training or exercise their claws on should be put out of their reach. Sentimental items that could get broken if the kittens are boisterous and chasing each other around should be put away for safe keeping.

Bottle babies need to be burped in the middle of a feeding and again at the end. The way that I burp most tiny orphans is to cuddle them against my chest in a vertical position and gently rub and pat their back gently with 2-3 fingers until they burp. You can also choose to hold the kitten in a vertical position while you softly massage his/her tummy until s/he burps. Young kittens don't burp loudly but if they're being bottle fed they should be burped during and after each feeding to make sure that they aren't filling up on air when they should be filling their tummies with food.

If these babies aren't being cared for by a healthy, lactating feline foster mom then you'll have to take responsibility for making sure that these babies are clean and warm. Queens clean their kittens very frequently and because newborn kittens aren't able to empty their bladder or have a bowel movement voluntarily mom also helps stimulate her kittens to use the toilet in the first 3-4 weeks of life. I try to keep cleaning orphaned kittens and stimulating them to pass urine/feces as close to how mom would do the job as I can. I use strips of rough terry cloth to clean the babies - IKEA sells the ideal hand towels, they're white, fairly rough and cheap. It's important not to get the kitten wet, you just want to barely moisten their coats because they can become quite hypothermic very quickly as newborn kittens aren't born with the ability to control or maintain their own body temperature.

I moisten the strips of terry cloth with warm water and gently start off by cleaning the kittens' head and work back towards the kitten's shoulders, sides and back. Once the top and back of the kitten is clean it's time to clean the rest of this baby. I use another strip of terry cloth moistened in warm water to wash the kitten's face, under his chin and over his chest. You'll then want to clean the kitten's belly by lightly adding pressure as you wipe the tummy heading towards the tail. Some kittens will fuss when you put them on their backs, if this happens you'll want to gently use a couple of fingers or your free hand to mimic mom and hold the kitten down until you're done - there's nothing wrong with gently restraining the kitten and queens do it from birth onward to show the babies that they're boss. Once you've reached the kitten's genitals and bottom it's important to be especially careful about how you clean that area because you want to avoid a urinary tract infection if at all possible.

You can use an all natural, unscented baby wipe to gently wipe the kitten's back end starting from his genitals and working towards his bum, this will stimulate the kitten to urinate quite quickly, getting little ones to defecate can sometimes take several minutes - it's important that these babies poop at least once a day so be patient and take your time. If kittens aren't stimulated to use the toilet their bladder and bowels will empty on an overflow basis which isn't good for their health. I'd recommend warming the baby wipe so that the kitten doesn't get a rude shock to the system, the way I warm baby wipes is to place one for each kitten into a ziploc bag, remove all of the air from the bag, seal it and put them onto the chair I'll be sitting in while I'm feeding the kittens and sit right on it.

It's crucial to be able to identify and weigh individual kittens within the litter in order to track their growth and weight gain. I recommend using a kitchen scale that measures in grams up to two pounds. To identify kittens in the same litter I recommend using temporary collars made from colored yarn tied loosely around the kitten's neck in such a way that it won't fall off and be accidentally ingested. Assigning each kitten a color makes it easier to keep track of what they're eating at each feeding, how much they weigh and when they urinate/defecate. Monitoring these basics is important so that if one or more of the kittens suddenly becomes ill or isn't growing/developing at the same rate as his siblings the vet can have an idea of what could be going on. Unfortunately it's quite possible that the kittens haven't been getting as much food as they need in order to maintain their growth and develop properly, the only way to know that for sure is to have a vet evaluate each of the kittens, provide you with weights and the approximate age of the litter as well as an idea of where the kittens are when compared to kittens nursing from their mother.

There's no real way for me to know for sure what's caused this baby's death since I don't have many details about his condition in the days prior to his passing. A vet might be able to determine the kitten's cause of death for you by performing a necropsy (animal autopsy) if you wanted to know for sure. Unfortunately hand raised kittens don't have the survival rate that babies raised by mom do, sometimes there's no easy answer to the question we all naturally have "Why?" I've taken the liberty of including a piece of writing that might help comfort you and your family since this baby has passed on. This piece of writing has provided me with comfort many times over the years when I've lost orphaned kittens, sick strays, foster cats/kittens and much loved feline family members. I hope it helps to soothe your hearts.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Take good care of yourselves and the remaining orphans. If you have any questions or you'd like me to further explain or clarify something in this answer please feel free to let me know. I'm willing to offer you recommendations based on my years of experience. I also have information pertaining to new vaccine protocols, how to choose an appropriate high quality diet for cats/kittens and how to understand a bit more about the pet food industry and what some of the unpronouncable terms on the bag or can actually mean. I'd like to help you provide these orphans with the best possible start in life so that they can lead longer, healthier lives.