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Cats/Orphaned baby kittens in the rainforest
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Question
Hello,
'))
My wife and I are volunteers in a remote section of Costa Rica. We just found 3 baby kittens abandoned in a box and they look like they've been that way for a few days. Their ears are erect, they can walk on their own... but they won't eat. Since we found them (about 4 hours ago) the one has gotten weaker and weaker and does not have the energy to lift its head. One of them has started to eat some dry cat food soaked in cow's milk, one will not eat or drink, but still walks while the 3rd seems to be slowly dieing.
We do not have access to anything other than cow's milk, dry food, and some table scraps. There is no way we can get any "official" milk for this type of situation.
What can we do? Is there anyway to save them at all?
Please hurry, I don't think they have much time left!
Ryan,
The first thing that needs to happen with these babies is to stop giving them cow's milk because cats don't tend to tolerate the high levels of lactose very well. These guys look like they could be as old as 5-6 weeks - do they have most of their milk teeth? I might be able to help you guys out with getting the kittens as medically stable as possible and eating on their own. Do you guys have access to lactated ringers solution, a 20 CC syringe and needles that are between 20-22 guage? You can give roughly 20-30 CC of fluid under the skin at the shoulder blades to each kitten up to twice daily in an effort to rehydrate them.
These babies can definitely have solid food, meat, poultry and fish would be ideal and since they're awfully thin allow them to eat as much as they'd like in a day, but control what they get at each feeding. I would recommend keeping these babies in as climate controlled an environment as possible since it's likely quite warm where you are and these babies appear old enough to maintain their body temperature and they're probably suffering from heat exhaustion at the very least so if you can place them even in front of a fan that might help perk them up. Try offering food and water fairly frequently in really small amounts, especially to the weakest kitten. If you have access to a food processor or something that will do the job you can create a puree of meat/poultry with water and gently begin force feeding the kittens just til they get the idea that they're supposed to eat but ideally you'd need a syringe minus the needle.
Unfortunately there's a reasonably good chance that you didn't find these babies in time to save the little beige baby, but offer as much love and supportive care as possible and if you're religious this is definitely a time to pray for a miracle because this baby may very well need one! The other two kittens look relatively strong compared to the beige kitten in the photo so they may do okay with the relatively sparse resources you've got available to you. Be sure to give them loads of love and attention because sometimes for kittens in rough medical shape this makes the difference between life and death.
If the kittens have discharge from their eyes or nose or if they're coughing, sneezing or gagging with a wet sounding result they may have an upper respiratory infection and really beyond amoxicillan to deal with any secondary bacterial infections that might happen as a result of the viral infection the only thing that you can do is to provide supportive care - rest, cleaning away discharge, fluids, food and loads of TLC...
I really wish that I could offer more, but unfortunately since I'm not sure what you have available to you in the way of medical supplies and little extra items I'm not sure what else I can suggest....Please feel free to contact me at any time - I'd like to know how these babies do and I'm more than willing to help you to the best of my ability. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.
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| Comment | Thank you so much for the help with the orphaned kittens! 2 seem to be doing better, but sadly the very sick and emaciated one passed away after refusing food and water for several hours. They're eating better, but don't seem to want to drink any water. Thank you so much though, and the kittens thank you too for saving their lives | ||
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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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