Re: [Homesteadingfamily] Little Kitten in trouble with weaning & illness

When our goats' mama had mastitis, we brought them in the house. They really wanted to be with her, and the two weeks they were separated were very hard on the babies. Love always works. We hugged on them, fed them tasty treats, and never left them alone.

That may help your baby. That said, our kids were eventually returned to mama, and your kitty is old enough to be weaned. Have you tried soaking her food? Can you afford cat milk from the pet store or Farm and Fleet/Tractor Supply, whatever is near you? That may work better than cows' milk. Soak the kitten chow with a little cat milk for a week or so. It will make it softer for her little teeth. Gradually reduce the amount of milk over the course of the next couple of days so that, by day ten or so, she is eating just kitten food. Love on her often. After 5 days or so, I would do the worming, since that will help with her nutrition. If she is still listless and sleep three days from now, I would take her to the vet, since she was healthy and happy and that has changed.

Oh! And call the shelter where you got her. They will probably be able to give you ideas and tips, maybe even vet care. Hang in there.

Melody Peterman

From: pinehavenfarm7
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:01 PM
To: Homesteadingfamily@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Homesteadingfamily] Little Kitten in trouble with weaning & illness

Hello Everyone,
I adopted a Siamese Mama cat and her kitten from the dog/cat shelter in our area. The kitten seemed to be robust and very playful, but in the last two weeks during the time Mama has been trying to wean her, she has taken to it badly. She is about 7 weeks old at this point. She developed a cold last week which she seemed to kick well~no breathing problems now, but is just listless and seems to want to sleep all the time. She will eat a bit of kitten chow in the mornings, but not much else all day. She will walk around outside and try to be with Mama cat, but that goes over badly since Mama wants nothing to do with her now. She looks depressed and still ill, even though she shows no symptoms. We don't quite have the money for a vet at the moment, so I'm wondering if you all have any sorts of recipes or formulas that help with kittens who are having trouble thriving. The Mama cat had her shots/spaying first thing, but this little one was malnourished so badly that I was afraid ! to give her the shots or the worming, until she put on some weight. Any ideas out there? She is in the house now for the night; I don't know what else to do but keep her warm, and let her sleep for now.
Thanks,
Melanie

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