New kitten trembling normal?

Question
Hi, my mother recently brought home a baby kitten the other day. The kitten looks to be about three weeks old or so. I know this because the first kitten my mother brought home was about the same size and had to be fed out of a small baby bottle for kittens. Which is what we are doing for this one. Now, I don't know all the details but my mother and her friend said they found the kitten stuck in a fence. She (I believe its a she) was the last of the litter to be found and saved. But by that time all the other kittens were taken and given away. My mother said the first night her friend gave the Kitten soft cat food, which I know for a fact was not responsible of her. This is what cause the kitten to have diarrhea for the past three days that she was with me. At first I was a bit startled being that blood was coming out with her poop but then my mother reminded me that they gave it soft cat food.

I, of course, stayed up most the nights with the Kitten to make sure that she kept warm and cleaned whenever she would poop or pee. We bought kitten formula and warm it before giving it to her. Now, my only issue is that she wont stop trembling after she finishes eating. At first, she would tremble when she needed to poop, because it was so hard for her to do so. But it has been a two days since she last pooped and I believe all that cat food is out of her system by now. Though, she still tends to shiver a lot. I started to research online about trembling kittens and found they need to be kept warm in at least a 80 degree room temperature. I've done so for the past few days of taking care of her. I keep her in the warmest room of the house. I guess I am just looking for a reassuring answer as to why she trembles after she finishes drinking her milk? The very first kitten we had (which is a cat now) didn't do that when we first got him and he didn't even know how to walk at that time. This new kitten doesn't even know how to walk, let alone hold herself up, though she is trying now.

If you have any advice or a really good answer as to why she trembles so much I would appreciate it so much. I really don't want to give this Kitten up or find out something is severely wrong with her that she might die on me.

Answer
Hi Midori,

While it is normal for kittens at this age to tremble, you need to ensure she is staying at the right temperature.  Buy a children's digital thermometer and use it to make sure her body temperature is what it should be.  You need to get a normal hard shell cat carrier, line it with a towel, buy the plush kitty sack bed available at Petsmart ( http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3077186 ) and keep it in there along with a hot water bottle wrapped securely in a towel.  The kitten should stay in the carrier in the warmest, nondraftiest room in your home at all times when you are not feeding it or it's not laying directly on you.  

Please see the following website for detailed info on hand-rearing kittens:

http://www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm#FKS

And by the way, blood in the stool is not normal.  It can be a sign of a few things, but usually at this age it's due to parasites.  Please have the kitten seen by a local vet to ensure she's progressing and not dehydrated, and to get some Strongid.  Some vets act stupid about it, but it's safe to give at 3-4 weeks old, and necessary because if the kitten has parasites, they are eating most of the nutrition you are feeding it, and the kitten will fade very fast if it can't absorb the nutrients in the milk.  I know you said you bought formula, but be sure you only ever feed the kitten KMR (kitten milk replacer).  I only recommend the PetAg brand in the powder version as the cans of liquid make for very soft, stinky stools, and as you mentioned, you will constantly be cleaning their butts.  Also, bathe the kitten with orange Dawn or Palmolive dish soap (it MUST be orange).  This is to anesthetize any fleas that may be on her so that you can pick them off by hand.  This is safe for all ages so long as you take care to not get it in their eyes.  I don't use chemicals on any of my cats or fosters, no matter the age.  Be sure you do NOT let your resident cat be near or interact with the kitten *at all*; the kitten's immune system is very weak, so not only can your resident cat transmit something it is a carrier of (that does not affect your cat), the kitten may have a virus or disease it is fighting off.  You never let a new cat/kitten interact with yours until you are sure it is flea and parasite free (usually 3-4 weeks of observation and treatment at minimum), has had it's first two sets of shots, and has been tested for FeLV/FIV (usually not done until 4-5 months of age because their mother's antibodies can create a false positive or false negative result).

Best of luck, and if you need further info, don't hesitate to search my previous answers on kitten care or ask another question.  Also, please see the following articles regarding nutrition and switch your cat to holistic if you haven't already.

What's Really in Pet Food?
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?more=1&p=359

Feeding Your Cat (Article)
http://www.catinfo.org/#My_cats_are_now_eating

Gluten and Toxins in Pet Food
http://www.celiac.com/articles/1129/1/Gluten-and-Toxins-in-Pet-Foods-Are-they-Po...

Best regards,

Holly Martin
Cat Care & Behavior Specialist
Texas A&M University
B.S. Animal Science