abandoned kitten care

Question
Hi,
I've found a kitten (about 2-3 weeks old). The night I found him, I left him in a shoe box hoping that his mom would return but she didn't so the next morning I made him homemade kitten formula that I found on the internet and used a syringe to feed him. Before feeding him I found feces in his box. The second day he only pooped a little on his own. On the third day he didn't poop and I tried stimulating after feeding him but he only peed, and it seem like his anus is sticking out, I'm really worried about him. I also have another question, I think he has fleas what should i do about it? I read that dish washing soap is good (I have a lemon one from the brand fairy) and is there any concern about the health of my family. I'm sorry that my question is so long, but I'm kinda new to this. I forgot to mention that pet care isn't available where I live, vets are really scarce. You can't find cat food, litter, pet shampoo in stores, so I really have to work with what I got at home.

Answer
Hi Isra,
What are you making the cat milk out of? There is some good information here about general care: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=576
Ideally you need to get some kitten formula for them, but at 3 weeks of age you can also start introducing some wet kitten food anyway, so you might be able to skip straight to this if the little thing is able to lap at some milk. You could try just mixing up some wet kitten food with some milk so it is a thick paste and see if it is able to lap at it. If he is able to do this, don't worry too much about supplementing with formula. Get as good a quality kitten food as you can find and feed him 3-4 times per day.

Often they don't defecate every day, every 2-3 days is common particularly when they are just on milk and have had a period of most likely not getting much food. Try rubbing his belly in a circular motion to stimulate him and of course gently stimulating his anus with a wet cotton ball.

The other big problem with them toileting is dehydration. These little abandoned kittens can easily get dehydrated. Is he urinating every few hours? Is he gaining weight? Often the anus gets a bit red and swollen from all the vigorous stimulation, so nice and gentle with a moist cotton ball is the key.

To protect your family (from coccidia, giardia and parasites) I would keep him in a nice secure, warm, box and clean it daily. Wash your hands after touching the kitten and ask everyone to do the same. He will need worming every 2 weeks, so if you can get a worming paste like Felex from a pet supply store, you can start giving that now.

Hope some of that helps. Please let me know how you go.

Eloise
www.lovethatpet.com