Another feral kitten :/

[miss_thenorth]

WE wer sitting around the campfire last night, and the dogs were going crazy over by the horse trailer. Hubby and sil and dd went to take a look and sure enough, there was a tiny little kitten. Maybe 5 weeks old.

This one is sick. It is sneezing and has weepy eyes. It has ear mites, and his belly feels hard and lumpy. His anus seems to be a bit protruded. We gave him some warm ( straight from the goat) milk, and some soaked cat food. We put him in my unused chicken brooder with blanket, litter box, food and milk, and a toy. That was last night. He hasnt expelled anything. (no pee or poo.) He did drink some milk, but hasn't ( that I am aware of) eatne anything.

Aside from taking him to the vet, is there anything I can do for the little guy?

 

[savingdogs]

Doesn't sound good. Keep it away from your other cats. Good health means eating, drinking, pooping and peeing and this one is doing none of those things. Hard belly/ear mites could mean it has a severe case of parasites, but the eyes/sneezing could be it also has upper respiratory issues, which can be contagious even to vaccinated cats. Wash your hands carefully after handling it.

Does it have a fever? Is it dehydrated? Are its gums pale? What is its general attitude? If it is lethargic, I'd try not to let myself get too attached to it.

I'd take it to the vet tomorrow if you want to save it.

 

[abifae]

Doesn't sound good. Keep it away from your other cats.

THAT!

Wash your hands really well after handling the kitten, too.

Just be aware you are likely letting him be warm and comfortable for his last days. Which is a lovely thing to do But doesn't sound good at all. This wouldn't stop ME from taking him to the vet, either, though

 

[MetalSmitten]

most likely, it needs dewormer, flea treatment and antibiotics. i have seen kittens come back from things like this, but you have to be very vigilant; they tend to go hypoglycemic the minute they stop eating well.

poor kitty regardless, as the others said, at least he's safe and warm for now. thanks for picking him up. (and, agree X3 about the quarantine from your other cats.)

 

[miss_thenorth]

See, that's just it. We have 5 cats already. One feral last year, two the year before. Plus one of our original mousers, and my indoor, turned outdoor cat. I don't want another cat. I don't want to spend money on the kitten, but I can't just leave it to die without doing what I can to save it. And I get really irritated that other people think it's ok just to drop a cat off at a farm down the road. grrrrr. If it can't be saved without alot of money being spent, then maybe the best thing for me to do would be to euthanize it.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Ok, I have cat dewormer here, and I have penicillin, wazine , he doesn't have fleas, but does have ear mites. I have already put mneral oil in his ears. He weighs maybe a pound.

oh, I have ivermectin also.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Have you tried a warm damp cloth to it's bottom? If it's bound up and can't go potty, that might help? If it's 5 weeks, I'd hope it's going potty on it's own by now, but the kittens we found yesterday are only 3 weeks and are already as big as our 5 weekers, so he may still need stimulated for potty time?

 

[abifae]

See, that's just it. We have 5 cats already. One feral last year, two the year before. Plus one of our original mousers, and my indoor, turned outdoor cat. I don't want another cat. I don't want to spend money on the kitten, but I can't just leave it to die without doing what I can to save it. And I get really irritated that other people think it's ok just to drop a cat off at a farm down the road. grrrrr. If it can't be saved without alot of money being spent, then maybe the best thing for me to do would be to euthanize it.

Yep. I've done kitty foster and it's put lots of money and time and energy into making a pet adoptable and then keep it til it is adopted. A lot of places will help with parts of the vet bill on such things though. If you talk to the humane society they might have ideas to help with $$.

I've never had to pay for a cat to get fixed. Or for first shots.

 

[FarmerChick]

if you truly want it to live take it to the vet now

I know, unwanted strays mean trouble in the wallet sometimes, but if you don't truly care if it dies, just give it the 'usual support' and if it lives, then great, if it dies than whatever

your call truly on how to proceed

 

[MetalSmitten]

i would maybe call a vet and ask what meds are okay for a kitten that young and stressed. they can't handle anything harsh. and i'm not sure which antibiotics work on kitty URI's, so i don't know if penicillin etc would be helpful; but a vet should know. usually if you call them up and explain the situation, you can find one that'll answer questions over the phone for free. are there any rescue places or anyone near you who'd be willing to take the kitten? maybe you could put up an ad on craigslist or something, see if there's another softie out there who has the time for a young rescue, and room for another cat.

and i totally know what you mean.. i have 6 cats, all rescues, three were bottle babies (at different times - they're not siblings). i can't just leave them to die, either. and i'm not rich either =/