rescued kitten********oh no i think we're losing him *****ud 1st post

[Catstar68]

Just a thought....a very small kitten can easily be poisoned by flea products. I would consider washing him gently in warm water to get the residual pesticides off him, dry him well and keep him warm. The fleas may have made the kitten anemic so you may want to consider some liquid kitten vitamins you can get at a place like Petsmart.

 

[hunterjumper999]

Kitty update...

he's now on the equivilant of polysol vitamins for children, except that they were way more $$ and my vet made me drive the hour to get it...

it appears to be a help.

the instructions for kittens under 8 weeks old on the spray said to wrap them in a towel sprayed with the stuff. we did that, it killed a few fleas but not nearly all he had. so we did the comb and wet the comb and reverse brushed him.. THAT got 90 % of them and then we rubbed it into him and let it dry. picked the remains off him and bathed him in dawn, because the stuff was sort of greasy. I did not want to leave it on too long and kill the poor guy.

he's flea free as of last night and he's still not eating a TON but according to the KMR can he shouldnt be eating that much if he's strictly on milk. Tomorrow we start kitten food (wet) with KMR mixed in.

he sleeps alon on our chests but other than that no complaints. He does cry when we put him in the bathroom when we go to bed but hes so tiny he can get under our doors and roam ( if he had the energy) and im afraid he'll end up crossing paths with my pit bull hailey who is very prey driven. . . he curls up with his bean filled penguin that we microwave for him so i guess he's alright. He does appear to be at least moderately deaf.


his eyes are NOT as injured as i had thought. they did have a red discharge that has cleared up with a little eye medicine and i thought it was blood from them before. I think it was just goobers and flea dirt.

 

[Lothiriel]

Awwwww!! he's adorable! I can hardly wait til I get mine!!

Wishin' ya the best of luck with him!

 

[Catstar68]

It sounds like you have everything well in hand.

Very cute kitten!

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Oh my...that is one precious little baby kitty. He looks so happy in that picture. Just content and sleeping away. Sounds like you are doing all the right things.

You deserve a pat on the back for all you have done for him!!!!!

Hoping all works out for both of you!!!

 

[katheria]

Quote:
Using dawn is the best thing for a kitten under 8 weeks old...I vol for a rescue and take kittens under 7 weeks old...Dawn is what we use to kill fleas

there is no chance of him being hurt by the dawn

be sure and sud it up really good, and wait atleast 5 mins before you rinse him

id suggest washing him every other day with dawn, until you see no signs of fleas...

more than likely he does have anemia, which can kill kittens, if the fleas are not removed...

once the fleas are gone he will recover very quickly

be sure and check his ears also for mites, if found a drop of olive oil, in his ears will kill them

Im glad to find someone else that FIV status doesnt matter too

I have 4 cats that are all FIV+ and they lead healthy and active lives dusty the oldest is 11 years...
its not a death sentence, like most people think...


hes a beautiful baby, and very lucky that someone like you came along to give him a great home!!!


HUGS...

 

[Casey3043]

He's a doll! I love kittens--that's how I ended up with seven cats! Maybe the deafness thing will resolve itself--fluid or dirt in his ears, or just too young to alert to sounds right now. Keep us updated with pix and progress reports. What did you name him?

Bless you for taking him in.

 

[welasharon]

What a sweet face! It just takes some time to recover, esp from fleas. If he's been wormed and you keep the fleas picked his chances are good. He will eat the amount he needs as long as plenty is offered. Good luck!
sharon

 

[justbugged]

I'm so glad that the kitten has a safe place. even if the hens weren't killing him the fleas sure seem to have been doing the job. It's been my experience that fleas become overwhelming the more health compromised that the animal becomes. I have a pack of neutered and spayed former feral cats, that I rarely ever treat for fleas. I look for fleas regularly, and just don't see them. They are eating a 40% protein, high quality cat food. As far as I can tell this has made the difference. It is the same thing with the dogs (high quality grain free dog kibble). I know that it helps that I am on the west side of Western Washington. We don't have the heat and humidity that a lot of the country has, but I still think good food is paramount for basic health. The other thing I know that is that the more stressed out a cat is, the easier it is for the fleas to kill it. (That was a hard lesson my younger sister learned) I will say that this kitten is clearly not stressed out any more.

The deafness could also be linked to the white gene in the kitten. A lot of white cats are deaf, it makes them much more entertaining in my book. You could call him Beethoven.

It is interesting about the FIV information. I have to say that my only experience with IT was in the very early 1980's. The first thing we knew about it was that our cat was in a lot of pain. He could barely lift his paw to wash his face. We were given pills for it, and that cat truly loved his pills. We would rattle the bottle and he would come running to us. But with just a few months it became clear that he was fading fast, and the pain wasn't under control any longer. We let him go rather than watch him suffer more. So I am assuming that is apparently not normal for most cats with FIV?

It will be fun when this kitten gets old enough to decide that it was GOD that sent him, and told him that he must live with you peons, all while he direct your household in a manner befitting his royal personage status. I think a lot cats still wish that the had Egyptian royal status. I know mine do.

I have also learned about another use for Dawn soap. I can't say that I would have thought about using it under these circumstances. Which goes to prove that we all have something to learn still and we all need to keep sharing our experiences.

 

[welasharon]

All my cats have leukemia. Some succumb to it rather fast, others live longer and still others are carriers and do not manifest symptoms. My original cat lived to be 22. I lost her this past winter. It is a horrible disease and if you have a cat that does not have it please get it protected. Their immune systems are very compromised and they are susceptible to a lot of illnesses that normal cats do not have. It is a constant battle.
sharon
ETA: most of mine die slowly from respiratory illnesses that do not respond to treatment. they just kinda withdraw into a hump and wither away. They usually have to be put to sleep. I cannot stand to see them suffer.