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Question
Hi just got a 5 week old kitten today. I know shes way to young to be away from her mother but it was either taking her or the previous onwers were going to put her and her siblings in a shelter. She seems down because shes not with her mom and i feel really bad. She wont eat or drink anything , and just seems to sleep, I havent had a kitten in a long time. I dont know what to do , please help
Jessica,
This baby probably wasn't even close to being weaned. You'll need to be patient with her and gently introduce her to a high quality soft diet (a properly balanced high quality homemade raw diet ~ I can provide you with a reliable website to check out a recipe that I use ~ or a high quality canned food such as Wellness are good bets) mixed with a commercially available kitten formula and a couple of teaspoons of plain full fat yogurt (to minimize her diarrea with such a sudden dietary change ~ the good bacteria in yogurt help). She will need to eat every 4 hours or so because her tummy is really tiny. Most kittens will accept food better if it is body temperature. You may have to gently dab small amounts of the soupy mixture onto her nose (she'll instinctively lick it off and get nutrition that way) until she understands the concept of taking food from a bowl. Make sure that the food is fresh, about the consistency of pea soup or slightly thinner and always test a small amount of the food on the inside of your wrist just to make sure it's not too hot. I generally warm my baby's food in a closed plastic container that's placed in hot or even boiling water and allowed to float there until it warms up. Once you've warmed the food you absolutely can't reuse it, you'll need to discard it. My recommendation would be to only heat up a tablespoon or two at a time ~ you'll gradually get a good sense of how much your kitten wants at any given meal.
If you're interested in learning more about kitten development, holistic health care, a safe vaccine schedule (too many vaccines can lead to a variety of health problems so it's best to only vaccinate based on risk factors, for example an indoor only kitten will have a lower risk of contracting a variety of different conditions than an indoor/outdoor kitten will) and how to provide your new baby with good quality lifelong nutrition I'm more than happy to help you out to the best of my ability. I can also provide you with honest information about spay/neuter surgery and declawing as well as ways to teach your kitten to use a scratch pad/post or cat tree to avoid the excruciating pain of declawing later.
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Answers by Expert:
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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