Expert: Jessica - 8/14/2010

Question
my 2 year old tortiose shell cat recently had 5 kittens deliverd by ceserian due to complications in laboure. 1 kitten died at birth and the other 4 survived, for the first 1-2 weeks she was a devoted and protective mother to all 4 kittens but then changed her behavioure towards the runt of the litter then recently rejected him but none of the other kittens, ive now got the kitten in my care i feed him formuler milk for kittens n wash him how im ment to but he doesn't seem to be growing the other 3 kittens are 4 times his size n running round hes now 4-5 week old n still cant walk his furs come of all up his stomache and on his backend and his skins flakeing and really sore im doing evrything the vet has told me to and im doing it correctly i just dont understand why he isn't getting better can you help me please?

Answer
Hi Jade,

You should get this little one to the vet.  It's uncommon for cats to have true runts.  Most often, when a kitten is smaller than the rest of its litter, it's because it's suffering a medical problem, and I would suspect this is true of this kitten, especially since he's still unable to walk and with the skin problems that are manifesting now.  When given special attention and nursed adequately, most runts begin to catch up to their litter in size after several weeks.  Since your little one's growth is still very stunted, I'm very worried that he's suffering from a health problem, which may have been the reason mom began neglecting him.

I can't say what health problem the kitten might be suffering.  At this age, it can be difficult to diagnose a kitten, but your vet will have the best idea.  I would strongly recommend getting the baby in right away.  Some infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but prompt treatment is required if you hope to save a baby this little.  Your vet might also recommend a vitamin and calorie supplement to help him put on some weight, such as Nutri-Cal.  However, only use this if the vet advises to.

Best of luck!

Jessica