The Life of Bobo (among others)

I'm 16 soon turning 17 in September. On June 20th, I recieved a blessing whom I later named Bobo. He was found in the front of my home in the cold weather aparently abandoned by his mother. I took him in and immediatly got on the computer to find out what to do. He was about 3 days old or so- he still has somewhat of a ambillical cord and his eyes are closed. The first night was the worst. I would wake up about every hour to his meowing. The next day I called the animal hospital and they said my options were to take on the challenging task of rasing it without knowing if he'll make it or she encouraged me to bring it in to 'put it down humanely". I cried and decided I woudl take on the task. He deserved a chance to live. Well it is one week later and he is eating greedily and sleeping most of the time- acting pretty normal. A few days ago he was constipated but I followed a tip and gave him 3 drops of mineral oil per ounce of weight every 3 feedings. This worked 12 hours later.
There are still a few things I'm worried about. I read about kittens getting low blood suger and a symptom was muscle twitching. He does this sometimes while he sleeps. I've given him 3 drops of corn syrup for about 4 feedings and I don't know if he needs it. When he crawls around he is kind of jerky back and forth. I don't know if this is normal or not. Also his stomach is constantly bloated. I read that this could be worms. I'm very concerned about this too. Also based on his weight, I'm only supposed to feed him 5ml of milk per feeding but he is still wanting more right after. I usually give him about 7ml or so. Am I depriving him? Feeding him more could bloat him more.
Help!!
Thanks

 

hi christina...good luck to you. i think it is very admirable that you have been doing so much research, and are being so responsible about feeding and caring for your baby. there are alot of people on the forum who will be able to give you advice on newborns....so you will probably get responses in the next few days. generally speaking, it is always good to see your vet first, so he/she can do a thorough exam and get to know the kitty. aside from that, i would also recommend that you go through some of the old posts from the past...there have been other posts on newborns.

good luck...keep us posted. do you have a picture of your little one??? that you can post?

 

I don't have any advice but I wanted to say that it sounds like your doing great so far. If its been a week, you must be on the right track.

 

It sounds like you are doing wonderfully so far.

I am surprised that a vet clinic would tell you to put him down. Most clinics have techs that will try to hand raise kittens if they come in. I wouldn't ever go to that clinic.

If the kitty does start to get sick in anyway, go to the vet immediately for antibiotics. They can go downhill really fast with infections. In fact if you had a good vet, it would be best to have some antibiotics on hand in case you need them.

As far as feeding, you should feed him as much as he will eat. I had a little orphan girl who would eat 3 or 4 times as much as she should. At 10 days she was eating about 12 or 13 ml at a time. Now she is a healthly normal weight grown up cat. Some kittens need more food b/c of higher metabolisms etc...

About low blood sugar, I have never encountered that problem. As long as you feeding a kitten formula, I recommend KMR, it shouldn't be a problem. The formula should have everything they need in it. Cats and dogs often twitch in their sleep when they are dreamy. Unless he is to the point of having seizures, I wouldn't worry about it. Also, kittens are very wobbly when they are learning to walk. It sounds like he is only 10 days old or so, so he can't walk very well yet. He will get more steady as he gets older and walks around more.

About the bloated tummy: it is hard to say without looking at the kitten if it is bloated or not. A lot of kittens have fat tummy's, just like babies are chubby. That is normal, especially if he is a little pig. My orphan had a huge tummy b/c she ate so much. He could have worms, but that's not really likely. He wasn't out on the street very long, and he wasn't really eating things to get worms. I would keep an eye on the tummy, but more likely than not it is normal kitten fat. He is too young to be wormed anyway, that would have to wait a few weeks.

A few other things:
Most kittens that die die from bacterial or viral infections; when they are abondoned they don't get the antibodies that they need from their mother. They have a product at Petsmart called Bilbac, it is good bacteria that is made for orphaned kittens. I have never used it, but it might help your little guy not get an infection.

You can age your kitten by when his eyes open and when his teeth develop. You didn't mention in your post if his eyes were open or not.

Let us know if you have any other questions. It sounds like you and Bobo are doing great.

 

Sorry no advice here- I never raised kittens this young. I just want to say that you are wonderful for taking up the challenge of raising a newbie. Does Smokey like him?

 

Bobo

Well Bobo pooped today..I kno its gross but I get excited b/c he's been constipated again.
His eyes are still closed and his belly big.
Smokey doesn't like him too much. When I show him to her she hisses at him and runs away but I caught her sniffing the basket when she thought I wasn't looking. I was hoping she would like him so she could teach him to clean himself and clean him to help me out. I think he'd be more comforable if he had a mom to cuddle up to. Right now there is a stuffed animal in his basket-hedgehog- which he climbs on and thinks is his mom. I also have a dog-Pookey, overweight terrier. I'm afraid to let Bobo around her b/c my brother was holding Bobo and Pookey jumped on her hind legs and tried to grab the baby with her mouth. I'm not sure if she means it harm or sees it as a toy or wants to take care of it. I'm not taking any chances until he gets bigger.
I'm worried about taking Bobo to the vet. I don't have the money to pay for appointments. I've been trying to get a job but I've put it off because feeding Bobo every 4 hours would make it impossible to work 7 hour days or more.
I guess I will start feeding Bobo as much as he wants. Just until he seems disinterested. I was just worried his little tummy couldn't handle so much.
I have taken pitures of him but I haven't gotten the developed yet. As soon as I do I will scan them and post them. He is the cutest little thing yopu've ever seen. He has one white spot on his back and the face of a monkey-i.e. Bobo.
Thanks you for all your help. I know I will have more questions as time goes on. PLease check up with this forum and see.
Thanks again

 

hang in there. cant wait to see the pics!!!

 

would anyone know how much the vet visits would cost? Oh and I was also thinking about getting a microchip put in him- just incase. I hope I can come up with all the money?! Maybe they'll let me pay installments. :?:

 

the best time to get your kitten microchipped is when you get her/him spayed. I'm looking through my foster handbook on when you can start worming kittens - the rescue I volunteer for uses Pancur for kittens.

here are some weight charts so you can keep an eye on your baby's progresss
1 week old 4 oz.
2 weeks old 8 oz
3 weeks old 12 oz.
4 weeks old 1 lb
5 weeks old 1.25 lbs.
6 weeks old 1 lb. 8 oz.
7 weeks old 1 lbs. 12 oz.
8 weeks old 2 pounds.

A good way to stay on top of things is to weigh your kitten often. A kitchen scale is good for this - when kittens start to fail they'll lose weight very fast.

Before undertaking any meds I would suggest taking a stool sample to the vet to check for parasites...you could do that without an office visit to save money. With a kitten that age i wouldn't even take it to the vet as it's too young for vaccines and you don't know what it'll be exposed to at the vet so I would wait awhile unless an emergency comes up.

But I would take in a stool sample.

You are doing a really really nice thing :y_the_best:

 

I found it....what Siamese Rescue does with kittens is start worming at the age of 3 weeks with Pancur. 3 days in a row every two weeks for a total of 3 wormings. They do this without doing fecal checks as they don't want to pay the extra for the exam and it doesn't hurt the kittens to take the meds even if they don't have worms. I have 5 kittens for them right now and the fecal exam x 5 would be expensive so I have to give the babies pancur (what fun that is).

But again...I would get a stool exam done and go from that. I would get it done cause the one you have to watch for is coccadia (I might have spelled that wrong) - they get it from their mothers and it can be fatal. Better safe than sorry at this point.

 

Thanks for all the info.!
Good news: Bobo's ambillical cord totally fell off today. I've been feeding him 10-15ml a feeding now(it says to feed him 5ml) and he seems content. I will call the vet tomorrow and see an estimate for the stool exam. Target called me back for an interviem tomorow. I applied before I found Bobo so I'm going to have to see about the hours I work since Bobo needs to be fed every 4 hours- any suggestions?
Thanks again. I'll update with more progress later.

 

Do you have a family member or friend that would help with the feedings while you are working? Best wishes.

 

Hi Bellack and welcome. I have no advice for you, but I wish you best of luck on your journey with Bobo. You're doing a great thing. Keep us all posted.

 

I woke up to feed Bobo at 8am and found he pooped in his bed and crawled through it :roll: I washed him off with a soapy papertowel. I don't think I can give him a bath-I've never ggiven a cat a bath cuz they seem to hate water and Bobo is so small and fagile he could catch a chill. He is eating well and rejects it when he';s full. He's eating 10 ml. I think I am going to teach my brother or mom how to feed him while I'm gone. I've just been doing everything for him by myself. I'm a little relustant to let someone else do it.
I have noticed def growth since I first got him. He used to fit in my hand last Sunday but now his back end hangs over my hand. HIs eyes are still closed and I think they should be opening any day now seeing as I've had him for 8 days and I guessed he was 2-3 days old when I found him and they open around 10 days old.
I weighed him about 3-4 days after I found him with a friends scale and he was 3.67oz. I haven't gotten a chance to weigh him recently cuz I don't have a scale. I ordered one off ebay friday so it should be com ing soon.
On our block there are a lot of strays. There was a lady living in the house a couple houses down about 4 yrs ago. She had about 4 cats and when she moved she just let them all free. It's bad b/c our block is between 1st ave and 5th ave-two busy streets. Never the less the cats have had a bunch of litters and now there are about 6 or 7 adults with Bobo'sl litter somewhere. Yesterday I also saw 2 kittens in our bushes. They are about4 weeks old I would guess. We tries catching one but he darted off. The neighbors and us put out cat food for the cats and we also see them feasting on squirrls and birds Smokey is from a past litter and watches her brothers and sisters outside everyday.
Well I have to go get ready for the interview. Wish me luck! More later
Thanks again for listening

 

what a shame about all the cats. Can you contact a feral cat organization to see if they'll do a spay release program? So sad...

Glad to hear your baby is doing so well. You can always just use a dampened washcloth to clean the baby.

 

hi christina. good luck in your interview. you sound really responsible, and seem to have alot of common sense. what a teeny one bobo is. 3.6 oz. that is tiny. im sure he has grown with all the food he is getting.

i do know the feeling about letting someone else take over...maybe your mom would be best unless your brother is super responsible.

we are here for you. youre doing great with the kitty.... :wink:

 

Well I had the 2 interviews today and I had to go to a clinic to take a drug test. After they get the results and run a background check I'll be scedualed for orientation!! Today I ran through my "routine" for Bobo with my mom and we'll do it again later. She will take care of the feedings while I'm working. She loves the little guy just as much as me. I couldn't think of anyone who would be better at it then her I don't know how soon it will be until they call me back. However long those tests take.

I looked up info on the feral cat thing for my neighborhood. I filled out this thing called "Ask Callie" and I asked where I could get help for the problem-not a problem really I'm just worried they will get killed by cars on the 2 highways we're inbetween. They're more like a blessing-that's where we got smokey and Bobo!! :lol:
The question I asked will be posted soo with a reply. If anyone wants to see it this is the link it will be on:
http://www.chicagolandstrays.org/ask.htm

Bobo is eating more-10ml. I've gone through almost 2 cans of milk replacer now. I'm really pleased with his progress....and to think I had the option to put him down :? I knew I could never do that. I dropped of the camera to get developed yesterday and they should be ready tomorrow. There are a few pics of Bobo and Smokey so I'll post them. I also bought another disposable camera today and already I'm down to like 13 pics left-I went camera happy with Bobo, Smokey, and Purrdy. I don't think I mentioned Purrdy before. She was given to us by a friend-they didn't like cats and locked her in the bathroom all the time. She is very skidish and goes into heat eventho she is neutered. I think the vet really messed her up. That's the same vet that said to put Bobo down :cry: My mom orefuses to take her there in fear they'll screw her up even worse. She's fine the way she is. Her and Smokey are always cleaning eachother when Smokey is not attacking her head-older cats don't really like to play rough.
I don't think I mentioned my rabbit either. Her name is Aida. SHe's clack with a white belly. SHe's awesome.
Well the scale should be here any day now. I'm sure Bobo weighs a lot more. He has definatly grown since last week. I can't wait to see his weight. I ended up cleaning him with a soapy warm papertowel.
Thanks again for all you're help. This forum has helped me so much. I'm always antsy to check on responses. I'll keep up with the updates.
p.s Let me kno if going on about nething is getting annoying :wink:[/b]

 

WOW!!!!!

I just got off the phone with my animal hospital and got the prices for everything.

For the kitten:
exam + 1st shot=$17.50 + distemperment shot=$38.50 + Worms =$53 and add $20 if he has worms for treatment.
Then she told me I should have a blood test done before vaccinations just to make sure nothing bad happens (another $38) And I wanted to do a stool sample and that would be another $14.50.
I want to get a microchip put in (when he's 4 months or so) and that's $48

So everything total would be ABOUT $153.50!!! (without worms treatment)

Wow I hope I start working soon so I can get the money. I have Pookey who hasn't been to the vet since we recieved her (2yrs or so) and she said I'd have to have an exam plus rabbies shot and stool sample and that'd be around $80.

Money creates huge problems for me. :cry:

 

edit/adding on:


She also said I should bring her in at about 4 weeks old.

I will be paying for all of this on my own. If you've been following along, the woman I mention as mom is really my boyfriends (Matt's) mom Di. I've been with him for 3 1/2 years and am always at his house. His family is also my family now. I couldn't possibly ask her for money and, sorry about being frank, my parents are very unreliable and unresponsible and alcoholics (dad is also a drug addict) and my dad would yell if I asked him for money.
I don't know what I am supposed to do. I just want my babies to be healthy and happy. I'm going to start saving all the money I have up from now on. I even had to open my own bank account (cosigner=family friend of matt's that I've gotten to know) so my parents couldn't get at my money. If they knew I had money they'd ask to borrow it without repaying it most of the time. I know we have high rent ($1200) that they have to take care of but their 'habits' take up so much money. They don't see how much it's hurting our family. All my dad does is yell when I'm home (and they wonder why I never am)

I'm really sory for putting this all out there. I don't know how I am going to feel about it later but I just had to get it out. SOrry if I'm bothering you. ou no longer have to check my updates if u dont want.

oh and by the way- Di is the one who took me to the interview and drug test and everything. My parents don't even have a car (dad has dui and got caught driving so they took the car and mom never had a liscense)

Sorry again. Just needed to vent. :|

 

congrats! i raised a newborn kitten. She had a bloated tummy. you say she is poooing, one ting is critical, the mom usually stimulaltes the kitten to go, soo help, you need to rub the kittens rear with a cotton ball, this stimultes them to go poo. and just keep feeding her. I was able to take mine to work, I would a warm bottle of water in her bed to keep warm soundslike you are doing all of right things

honeybear