Expert: Jessica - 5/30/2010

Question
Hai Jessica,

I have been adopting 3 orphaned cats , which was left abandoned by the mother as the local authorities had taken away the mother as it was in industrial area. I decided to adopt them. We followed the procedure the ambient temperature ranges between 28 to 35 degC here. One by one the kittens are dying already lost two of them , we are feeding milk slowly drop by drop to them. today i found the one of the leg of the kitten stretched and it was not moving and found the cat breathing through its mouth, how to save the last cat, i feel it as a remote possibility , i think it is the 5 or 6th day from its birth.

Answer
Hi Jeyaraman.  Sorry to hear this.  28 degrees C is a little low for kittens of this age but not so bad.  We like to see it closer to 32 degrees or so until they are a couple weeks old.  When the temperature drops lower than this, you might want to place a hot water bottle near the kitten so he can get close to it if he feels cold.  This is important because kittens of this age can't regulate their own body heat, and if their body temperature drops below normal, they won't be able to absorb nutrients from their food.

What kind of milk are you using to feed the baby?  He needs to have kitten milk if this is available where you are.  Some people make their own, and there are recipes on the internet if you are interested (search for "kitten glop").  I have not used any of them because they are not as balanced as kitten milk you can buy at a store.  They are good for short-term emergency use.  If you are using cow's milk, it would be best to see if you can get to a veterinarian who can provide you with kitten milk.  If there is no possibility, goat's milk is better for kittens than cow's milk.  It has more fat and sugar, which kittens need.  A kitten fed only cow's milk will usually starve to death.

Right now, if you have any corn syrup, rub a little bit of this on the kitten's gums.  The sugar in the syrup will absorb through the gums into his bloodstream.  This may help save the kitten if he's suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  This is a common condition in kittens who aren't getting adequate nourishment for one reason or another.  This can occur if they're not eating often enough, if their body temperature is too low to digest their food properly, or if they're eating something other than kitten milk.  If the kitten seems to get a little better after the corn syrup, try feeding him again.  He should eat every two hours, day and night, and be sure he isn't cold to the touch when you feed him.

Best of luck!

Jessica