How to care for a newborn kitten?

[totallytika]

It's just about 1:30ish in the am and I am holding in the palm of my hand a newborn (1-3 day old) kitten which someone placed in the middle of the road tonight. My neighbour, who is terrified of cats, showed up at my door asking me to help her as she was afraid to pick it up, but couldn't stand to see it run over.

For several hours now, I have been trying to feed it diluted milk through a syringe with little success. I do realize that kittens do not drink cows milk as a rule but it's late and I can't get any formula for him/her. She/he must have someting to eat for the moment. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do to help this poor little creature to suckle?

I am afraid that come the morning, this little one will be dead before I can get it help.

Aside from getting it to suckle, any other ideas as to how to make it more comfortable? I have placed a hotwater bottle under a blanket to keep her/him warm and rubbing it's little bum with a cloth to encourage peeing (to no avail yet). This is going to be a long night...

Damn but I get angry when I see this type of inhumanity...

[grayson]

Ironically I've done this before. (Edit: ironically because I'm allergic to cats)

1) Keep the newborn warm. Most important part. If it gets cold at all.. uh.. not good. The warm waterbottle will get cold relatively quickly. Wrap some towels around the kitten to absorb the heat from the bottle. If you got a heating pad even better. Def. put some towels over the pad.

2) Take a slightly damp (from warm water) cloth and rub it on the kitten's belly now and then. It's the only sure way that the kitten will be able to go to the bathroom. Mother cats use their tongue to stimulate, I doubt you wanna follow.

3) Just give it a little milk for now, not too much. Newborn kittens cant digest milk made for humans that well. Go to the pet store to get some formula is better. That will be the hardest part as I'm not sure they carry it here.

Not sure where you are but... I know of 2 pet stores off the east edge of Tonghua nightmarket in Taipei. Off Guangfu Rd. and LienChiang St. One is completely cat specific, and the other has a really big cat selection. Heating pads are like 300NT I think for the small ones (back sized) at those small chain electronic stores. Sorry can't tell you the name.

Good luck!

[914]

Keep kitty surrounded with towels. If s/he is restless, wrap an alarm clock in towels so that the ticking reminds her/him of mommy. Keep kitty's bedroom in a warm place like beside you when you sleep.

Pet formula and baby bottle will cost around $400.

Enjoy being a parent!

[maoman]

Keep kitty surrounded with towels. If s/he is restless, wrap an alarm clock in towels so that the ticking reminds her/him of mommy.

Yeah, my wife did that with out first puppy. She neglected to turn off the alarm, however, and the slumbering puppy was jolted awake with the cruelest jarring clanging imaginable! I don't think the puppy ever really appreciated the soothing ticking sound of the alarm clock after that.

[Bu Lai En]

Yeah, you have to help it pee. It can't do it by itself. Just wiggle your finger back and forth over its bits.

Stick baby food over your finger and let it suck the baby food off.

You should probably take it to a vet to get more advice. If you think there's a problem take it to a vet as quick as you can.

Good luck. The vet told us more than 50% of kittens will die without their mother, even with the best of care.

Brian

[panda]

I have heard that you can also give it creme but the best is formula from a cat shop. Good luck let us know how it works out.

[Mr He]

Any news? The little guy made it thru?

[MaPoSquid]

Don't forget the teddy bear.

[jlick]

If it is really a newborn it needs colostrum the first couple of days or it may not be too healthy later. Find a good vet or a pet shop that does breeding. They will know what to do.

[totallytika]

Thanks so much for your kind responses, all. The kitten did make it through the night and as the cattery was closed today a friend popped over with a bottle of baby formula which I diluted and (thank goodness) a special nipple and bottle which she used for her baby who required a rather unique nipple which certainly helped a lot.

After my kennel people looked the kitten over tonight they predicted a 50-50 chance of survival. They gave me a special formula for the little guy and a friend who has cats took him (it is a male) home with her to try to raise him - I guess we'll see what happens.

As a side note, it tuns out that another neighbour knows how this kitten came to be abandoned like this. It turns out that a stray had three kittens in someone elses yard yesterday. Two died or were stillborn and the man who owns the property chased off the mother cat and put the surviving kitten into the middle of the street to "give it a quick death" when it was run over. Although none of the neighbours were willing to pick it up they did ask me to. Apparently they are all afraid of cats! I give them credit for at least trying to keep it from being run over however...

Man, oh man, do people need an education! Some days, I can't believe the things I see with my own eyes.