What should I do for my kitten?

Question

I have a 6-8 week old kitten. He is the only one of the litter that survived. The others died about a week ago from unknown causes. The kitten that is left has always been the most healthiest. He was bigger than all the rest and ate the most. The mother stopped feeding him about 2 weeks ago. I think it could've been because of the sharp teeth. We started to feed him soft canned kitten baby food and he did eat. He got tired of it so we searched for alternatives. Online many people said that Gerber chicken and rice baby food would be good. So we tried it and he loved it. He loved it and ate it up until about 2 days ago. He hasn't been eating much. He'll just lick it and climb up my shirt to be held or refuse to stop getting up on my lap. I woke up this morning and I checked on him he was meowing loudly and wanting out of his box so I warmed him up some food and kitten milk and he did eat more than I expected but he is still acting strange. He still won't eat that much. I sat him on the floor and he was shaking and just layed down. He can usually walk pretty good. I don't know if it's fleas or not. I have been giving him warm baths in the sink every few days and coming him out with a flea comb, I keep his bedding clean. I do what I can for him and now he just keeps to be getting weaker since he refuses to eat as much as he should. Any tips?

Update:

There's nothing wrong with bathing him. I'm no longer bathing him since he seems to be sick right now. I'm not going to risk it but before I did it because of fleas. Many online sources said there's nothing wrong with giving kittens a bath and even shelters online said that it wouldn't be a bad idea. Flea medicine isn't good for kittens his age so bathing him is really the only way to help him.

askcallie · Answer

May have to bottle feed. Ask your vet about what type of milk or formula you can give him. Cats wean off mothers milk to canned food and hard food. May have been too early for him to wean yet.

Another idea is that he could be sick. Does he have any other symptoms?

? · Answer

You can apply half a dose of topical flea treatment, if you are sure your kitten has fleas.  But, if he has had fleas he is subject to flea anemia and tapeworms.  Both can kill kittens.  He needs a vet for an evaluation and maybe subcutaneous fluids.
I have fostered kittens too many years.  Flea combing is good, but when I receive a really flea infested kitten, I will wash him with Dawn detergent in a very warm bath.  Lather up,  wait 5 minutes with the kitten wrapped in a heated towel, then rinse in warm water.  Then pick off the remaining fleas.  Then dry the kitten with a warm towel and put in a heated bed.  A kitten cannot digest food if it is cold.  Stop the kitten milk and just give a good quality kitten food.  Weigh him daily to be sure he isn't losing weight. I will often syringe feed my weaker kittens to make them stronger when they will only eat a little and are loosing weight.
My best advice would be to get your kitten to a vet.  Keep him warm with watered down kitten food and watch his weight.

molly · Answer

Take him to the vet. The poor kit could have so many things wrong with him! A vet will help you know what to feed him and if he has any conditions. I urge you to take him to a vet and if you can't afford one you need to find someone to take him who can. You can't let him suffer. Also unrelated but important I just have to add this please get him fixed and have him be an indoor cat. It's so so much safer. My cat was hit by a car and another one was attacked by a dog ever since no kits out side. It's so so much better for them

Elaine M · Answer

He could be getting chilled from the bathing, they're not supposed to be bathed at all.

Kittens have no staying power when they get ill, he NEEDS to get to a vet today or tomorrow or you'll lose him.

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What should I do for my kitten?

4 Answers