What do I do if the runt kitten is being ignored by the mother?

Question

The runt is black, orange and white. The others are white.

Answer 1

I just went throught this situation. I ahd to hand raise a kitten from the time she was 1 day old and now she is 10 weeks :) You will have to bottle feed her KMR (kitten milk replacement) available at any pet store. Also pick up a few kitten bottles while you are there. You can find all kinds of sites on how to hand raise kittens. Gl!

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/2969/baby.html

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1388&articleid=912

Answer 2

When you can, take the other litter mates away from mom and allow the runt to feed without the others fighting over the same nipple.After about a week the runt should do fine.If not then go to your nearest pet store and purchase milk and bottle to give some extra milk to the runt.Good luck with the little one.

Answer 3

Dont know how old it is, but I raised one of mine from the day after it was born when the mother abandoned it and moved the others. It was not a matter of being the runt...it she had them where there was construction and was scared in the midst of moving them so to protect the others she left it. I took it to the vet, she said it was healthy because evidentally the mommy had nourished it until the time she intended but couldnt move it. I bottle fed it goats milk (canned or fresh from someone who sells goats milk) every 4 hours, or on demand, around the clock just like a new little baby, until it was old enough to eat and drink by itself. It is 7 years old, healthy AND SPOILED!!! I kept it in a box (even under my desk during the day) with a warm water bottle and soft towels and covered the box and as soon as it woke up, fed and cuddled it. I gave it a warm bath under the faucet every evening and rubbed its bottom to stimulate a bowel movement like it's mommy did. I wrapped it in a soft towel to try, and also swaddled it in a wash rag while I fed it the bottle to keep its paws out of the way, and put it in the litter box at about 6 weeks. They really learn fast, and worth every minute of the effort. Sooo precious. Consult your vet, for an exam and for best advice on what to do. Good Luck.

Answer 4

either place kitten at mothers nipple and sit there and make sure it nurses along with the others or hand feed it with kitten formula and bottle nursers. you must make sure this little ones eat or it wll die and quickly too. if you don't know how to hand feed a kitten properly then ask a vet to show you or email me at
[e-mail] and i will explain it to you.
there are things that must be done by you that the mother would ordinarily do. just because it is the runt(you mean smaller right? not just because he is a different color) doesn't mean he will die. he may just get pushed out of the way by the stronger bigger kittens and you willl have o make sure he eats at the same time as them of of mama until he is strong enough to hold his own against the other kittens. if mama will not have anything to do with him then you will have to hand raise him.
a domesticated mother cat will not abandon a kitten because their humans have touch the baby. you dont wnat to handle them too much unless you need to intervene because mama cat will usually take care of her brood.

Answer 5

bottle feeding, while a pain in the butt, works. HOWEVER mama cats do more than just feed them. you'll need to help the new baby go to the bathroom for a few weeks too. i bottle fed with a heating pad on my lap, and then cuddled with them and petted their tummies to make the food settle better. all four are now HUGE full grown cats, even the runt. good luck!

Answer 6

Be the momma and bottle feed him and make sure he is healty! contact a vet on what you need to do. The runts are always the best out of the littter

Answer 7

Try getting the kitten to latch on by putting it next to the nipple. If that doesn't work, then pet supply stores sell a supplemental formula that you can use to bottle-feed the kitten. That should help, but keep trying to get it to nurse, because that's really what's best for it, nutritionally and developmentally speaking.

Answer 8

AWW i know that is hard to see..but it is survival of the fittest..You may hand feed it..there is kitten formula out there..it depends on how old the kitten is as far as how often to feed it..Call your local vet or animal shelter for more advice.

Answer 9

If the mother won't feed it then you have to try you can go to a pet supply store and get milk and feeders to help the por little thing. If you don't and the mom doesn't feed it you know it will die.

Answer 10

that is totally basic for a cat to reject considered one of her kittens. it is likewise basic for that kitten to die. i'm suprised you have stood via and watched her "caked in waste and depressed" you're able to desire to take her to the vet and get some appropriate advice or therapy else that kitten won't stay to tell the story plenty longer.