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Cats/kitten's front legs aren't moving

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Expert: - 6/15/2009


Question
My kitten is almost two weeks old. The mother had a very difficult time giving birth, and three of her five kittens died. Of the two that made it, one is doing extremely well. He's to the point where he can move around on his own. The other, however, seems to be lathargic. She moves her back legs a lot, but does not move her front legs at all. It seems as though she can only slightly move her head, and I feel she might have seriously been injured. Has anyone encountered this before?

Thanks in advance

- Jes

Answer
Jes,

Is she getting enough to eat? Has she lost weight?  Is she gaining any weight. Is she mostly on her side and seems to "swim" with her front legs? A veterinary examination may very well be in order, but at two weeks, the vets cannot tell you much!

I wonder if you could supplement her she might pick up.  You can get some kind of kitten milk replacer (like KMR or Justborn) and cut it with some unflavored Pedialyte. If she won't nurse, you may have to tube feed her.  If you do not know how to do this, your vet can show you how.  There may be something serious going on, but I have seen this kind of lethargy when the kitten is just not getting enough through nursing.

Please let us know how she does.

Best regards... Norm.



Please let us know how things go.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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