Question
my newborn kitten
my cat delivered a female kitten @ 3:24 this afternoon and i have been trying to get her to nurse by expressing mothers milk but,there was no progress,the kitten has a head with part of another one attached,she also has three eyes the one in the middle is partially open but,the other two are not.what should i do to get her to feed?
AnswerLinda,
I'd like to start off by letting you know that I'm not a pessimist when it comes to aiming for miracle recoveries in extreme situations and the recommendations I'm about are far from easy for me to make. Over the years I've given so called "hopeless" cats and kittens (whether due to physical or psychological issues) countless hours of 24/7 TLC and home nursing care (as instructed by my veterinarian of course) aimed at rehabilitating them, providing them with happy, healthy, comfortable lives and I hate like anything to admit defeat, to admit that maybe there's nothing I can do, to know that sometimes the best choice for a cat or kitten is the hardest one for me to make. The reality is that your kitten is in life threatening distress at this point - since it's roughly 3 am here she was born almost 12 hours ago if you live in the same time zone as I do - you haven't successfully been able to feed her in spite of prolonged efforts aimed at giving her the nutrients she so desperately needs to survive at this point.
I'm very concerned by the fact that this baby hasn't been able to get a successful feeding in based on what I can only assume has been heroic and prolonged efforts on your part - normally kittens will nurse on their own within 2 hours of birth (most often as soon as their respiratory passages are clear, they're relatively dry and they're able to get to mom's teats) and they generally do very little in the first few weeks of life beyond nursing and sleeping so that they can manage the rapid growth and development that happens in those first few weeks. (Do remember, kittens should really stay with mom until they're 12 weeks old, this will reduce the potential for serious behavioral issues as the kittens become adult cats and improve their ability to relate well to human caregivers as well as other cats *within reason of course, since cats are naturally quite territorial* I can provide more information on normal kitten developmental milestones and the things they'll learn from each other and mom during the first several weeks of life if you're interested).
The power of nature to heal and preserve good quality of life in situations where the odds are stacked against a cat or kitten can be miraculous, unfortunately the other side of the coin is that such wonderful healing power in nature can be just as powerful in orchestrating a heartbreakingly swift loss of life. To be honest your momma cat left to her own devices would likely have done one of two things - she would have killed the kitten and consumed her to recuperate the loss of nutrients and other resources that went into the kitten during the pregnancy so that she could more effectively feed and provide for her other kittens or she would have separated the kitten from the litter entirely and allowed her to die of exposure separated from the litter which newborn kittens can do fairly quickly even in climate controlled environments since they're not born with the ability to regulate their own body temperature.
This baby's craniofacial defects are extraordinarily severe based on the photo you've sent me and as much as I want to provide you with easy, warm, fuzzy answers the reality is that I'm forced to question what other hidden defects this kitten might have ranging from neurological deficits that might cause the kitten to have very little quality of life if she survives the first 24 hours of life, serious malformations of her internal organs or other serious problems that could potentially cause this kitten's death in a relatively short time. It's abundantly clear to me that you love this kitten and that you're dedicated to doing what's best for her, however there's a very real possibility that this kitten isn't going to make it regardless of whether you provide her with care provided by the top veterinary specialists in the US and manage to meet her most basic and pressing need which at this point would be nutrition in any form.
In 24+ years of caring for cats and kittens from birth to old age coming from a variety of situations I've never seen anything quite this severe in terms of craniofacial defects in a kitten born alive (I'm amazed that mom was able to accomplish an unassisted and hopefully uncomplicated vaginal delivery given the size of baby's head). Quite frankly I'm surprised that this baby has survived for a period of several hours, especially since she's not been able to feed in spite of the TLC and effort you've put in to try and help her get the nourishment she so desperately needs. Based on the research I've done on the subject there are two options at this stage of the game and they really depend on what level of care you're financially able to afford as well as how much time you realistically have to devote to this tiny newborn kitten. I know that you want what's best for this baby and I'd like nothing better than to be able to tell you that I have easy answers, sometimes the decisions that are best for the overall quality of an animal's life (regardless of age) are the most difficult decisions to make.
A situation like this goes agains the order of life that we expect, babies are supposed to be born, grow, develop, mature, live a life, grow old then pass away hopefully peacefully and quietly in their sleep at some point in their old age. This situation is especially difficult and my heart absolutely breaks to tell you this, but it's very possible that the most humane option may be to make the decision to avoid subjecting this precious baby to further suffering and allowing her to pass over to the Rainbow Bridge, quietly, calmly, with dignity and all of the love you have for her. I know that you love this baby very much, you've tried incredibly hard to help her survive and as much as I cry with you at the thought of the loss of such a brief life I know that the option of humane euthanasia may be the kindest, most loving thing that you can do for this baby - a final gift of love to prevent further suffering.
I'm not saying that euthanasia is the only option here... Only you know if you have the financial and emotional resources to provide this baby with the ongoing medical care that she'll most likely require for the remainder of her life if she manages to beat the odds and survive beyond the first hours and days of her life. Just in case you do choose to euthanize this kitten or she does pass from this world into the next during the night I've taken the liberty of including a few pieces of writing that I've found comforting when pets have needed a gentle helping hand to guide them painlessly to the Rainbow Bridge or they've gone there of their own free will, I hope they will help to ease the pain in your heart.
Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
This next piece is a precious prayer I found on a website while looking for resources to help a grieving kitty's human companion. As far as I know it's not titled and the author isn't known.
May your whiskers be ruffled by only pleasant breezes,
May your bowls be filled with tuna and sweet cream,
May your dreams be blessed with legions of mice,
And most of all,
May you forever purr in peace.
Amen
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fragile Circle
"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan."
Irving Townsend
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
It's important to understand that if you opt to treat this baby and try to ensure her survival there aren't any guarantees and the ongoing medical care she needs will be extensive, invasive and most likely very expensive and this baby's various medical needs will probably require quite a lot of time consuming home nursing care provided by you. This baby will most likely require having a feeding tube placed down her throat at every feeding then having her meal given by syringe very slowly to prevent regurgitation and possibly having her aspirate her food. She will have to be fed every 1 1/2 - 2 hours, 24/7 at least for the first few weeks and quite possibly for much longer to ensure that she grows normally and puts on weight. The vet may not even perform the procedure in a kitten so small with such severe congenital defects since there's a good possibility that her overall quality of life will be very poor as she grows up. Depending on the extent of this kitten's congenital abnormalities and deformaties it's quite possible that her neurological status is so severely abnormal that it will cause substantial interference with her motor skills meaning that she may need frequent assistance from you to turn her from one position to another if she can't do it on her own (otherwise she may endure the agony of bed sores which would likely become seriously infected and cost this baby her life fairly quickly) - another concern if this baby's mobility is very severely impaired is the fact that she may not be able to eliminate normally in a litter box and having her possibly urinate/defecate on herself when you aren't there to provide her with the help she needs could potentially cause very serious skin problems that could lead to severe skin infections that could cost this kitten her life.
A veterinarian's version of the Hippocratic Oath starts off the same as a human doctor's " Above all, do no harm..." based on that I suspect the immediate recommendation by most vets would be to euthanize this kitten to prevent further suffering, especially if a neurological exam reveals deficits - after all, if such a massive defect is visually apparent what could be hiding within this baby's body in terms of congenital malformations of her internal organs and other basic structures crucial to her survival. Getting nutrition into this baby may be your #1 priority at this point, but you have to realize that kittens are born with little to no immunity against viral/bacterial infections which means that if this kitten's defects progress as far as the lining around her brain being exposed to bacteria through the various open areas on her face she could already be succumbing to a life threatening infection since the outside world isn't sterile and during delivery if the bag of waters she was in broke prior to her face entering the world she's also been exposed to the bacteria that normally live within her mom's vagina without causing harm. I don't know if this baby's skull is intact in spite of the open areas on her face which wouldn't normally be open - there's no way to be 100% certain of that without veterinary assessment and possibly x-rays, a CT scan or an MRI which would need to be done at a larger specialty veterinary hospital.
If you live near a veterinary teaching hospital that has a 24 hour clinic you might be able to have them insert a feeding tube into this baby's mouth, attach it with stitches or surgical staples so that it's not likely to become displaced (or show you how to reinsert it at every feeding which is traumatic for you and the kitten, but about the only way I can think of that this baby could get the food she so desperately needs), teach you how to tube feed while minimizing the risk of accidentally injecting the food into this kitten's lungs which would prove quickly fatal, perform the scans to see if her skull is intact preventing bacteria from ending up in her brain or in the lining of her brain which would very likely result in a fairly painful but quick death in such a young kitten. Once the kitten becomes dehydrated she may need to receive Pedialyte which is an oral rehydration solution made for babies and young children that you can buy in most pharmacies or the vet may need to give her an injection of warmed IV fluids either into a vein or under her skin. If a vet is able to confirm with the use of some expensive high tech medical equipment and extensive tests that her only issue is the obvious craniofacial deformity without any other complicating factors beyond an inability to nurse properly on her own and you can afford the intensive medical care that she needs at this stage then you'll very likely have to make difficult and heartbreaking decisions about her future as she grows, especially if other serious congenital defects become apparent and place her life in jeoprady. This kitten may require several reconstructive surgeries to close open areas of her face that wouldn't normally be open to prevent life threatening infections from having such easy access to her brain and her system overall, as she got older she might require surgery to remove or permanently close the middle eye which was open at birth since it most likely will not ever be functional and may in fact leave her open to discomfort, infections and other issues. This kitten may require constant care that would expose her to many painful and invasive procedures over her lifetime and this is a situation where you have to weigh quality of life above all - a short life free (or as close to it as possible) of suffering is much better than a long life filled with pain, surgeries, medical interventions and other issues. This baby is counting on you to make the best decisions you're able to for her, I know they're not going to be easy, especially since you clearly love this baby and you've already invested so much time and TLC into her care and attempting to get nutrients into her.
Statistics show that up to 20% of kittens born live or dead have major congenital abnormalities which can include defects like a cleft palate, craniofacial defects such as the one this baby was born with, heart defects, gastroschisis (abdomenal wall doesn't close properly in utero and the kitten's intestines are exposed to the air which requires immediate high risk emergency surgery) and skeletal abnormalities. Kittens born with defects such as this baby has don't generally tend to survive for any longer than a few days after birth even with supportive care, this is because severe brain abnormalities often accompany such defects and there's also a reasonably good possibility that the kitten has other hidden abnormalities within her internal organs and body systems. These craniofacial defects can be associated with certain viruses that queens can be exposed to during pregnancy, sometimes different types of drugs or toxins that mom comes into contact with or is given during her pregnancy will also cause serious birth defects. The fact that this baby isn't able to nurse on her own (I'm operating under the assumption that you've tried to allow her to do so naturally on her own directly from her mom) isn't a good sign and is generally an indication of a poor long term prognosis. This baby should be evaluated by a veterinarian ASAP if financial issues are a concern I do keep a binder with several resources throughout Canada and the US that might be willing to offer assistance so that this baby can get the veterinary care she needs as early as possible (***they may not be willing to provide any help beyond subsidizing or paying for humane euthanasia in such a unique situation as this due to the severity of the kitten's defects***). If you need a list of resources in your state that might be willing to provide financial assistance for this baby's vet care, especially since she'll very likely need to have multiple consults with veterinary specialists all I ask is that you provide me with the state that you're writing from and I'll give you any resources that I have for that state so that you can do the leg work and find out where you can get the help you need.
Given that the types of congenital defects this baby has aren't overly common it's possible that a veterinarian would be willing to provide care for this baby free of charge or at a reduced cost, but this may expose the baby to a media frenzy and extensive study by your veterinarian and possibly other vets. Kittens born to breeders with these defects are generally humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering although some breeders do allow nature to take it's course attempting to keep the baby comfortable until s/he passes from this life into the next. In my opinion if the vet isn't able to help you get nutrition into this baby the most humane thing you can do is humanely euthanize her ASAP.I was able to find a website with information about various types of congenital craniofacial defects in kittens that may provide you with helpful information. I do apologize sincerely for the website's title, but I had difficulty finding much information about these types of congenital defects and the information and photos on this site just might help you gain a more complete understanding of this baby's chances and the seriousness of the situation. The website is as follows: http://www.messybeast.com/freak-face.htm
Newborn kittens are quite similar to newborn human beings in that they're born with a number of reflexes and instincts that are crucial for their survival. You should see a rooting reflex which consists of the kitten pushing her head into warm objects like your hand, a sucking reflex should be present and very strong. A normal Galant's reflex consists of the kitten's head and trunk turning to the stimulus side when the flank is touched - you'll see that queens often direct their kittens this way using their paws. Newborn kittens aren't born with the ability to eliminate independently, normally this is something that mom does for them by licking their anal and genital areas until they use the toilet, it's normal for her to consume the urine and feces from her kittens so she can keep the nest clean. You can empty this baby's bladder by using a wash cloth lightly moistened with warm water and repeatedly wiping baby from genitals to bottom until she urinates and defecates. Normally kittens will pee quite readily even for first time human surrogate moms, pooping often takes longer, but with patience, frequent stimulation after each meal and persistance baby should poop with help if she's capable of doing so. If you've tried feeding this baby with a bottle it's possible that she's not able to feed because she lacks the ability to suck on her own, you could try slowly, gently dripping formula or mom's milk from a syringe or small eye dropper into baby's mouth (DO NOT recycle those used for human medicines, many human drugs are toxic to cats and can be lethal in tiny doses). Any utensils used for hand feeding a kitten must be sterilized between feedings and they should be brand new when you start with a new kitten to prevent spreading any bacterial or viral infections inadvertantly because kittens (especially those who haven't gotten crucial colostrum in the first 16-18 hours of life) are born with a very weak immune system that is gradually built up by antibodies in mom's milk and when the kittens are old enough vaccines also play a part in building the immune system as well as exposure to different environmental factors. Vaccinations shouldn't been administered too frequently, in fact some studies have shown that a kitten who is properly vaccinated can be immune for quite a few years if not a lifetime. I can provide you with information about vaccinations and the current information surrounding them. You can wash these feeding utensils in hot, soapy water with handwashing dish soap, rinse them very well to ensure that no soap remains then boil them in hot tap water *do be careful though, often pet nursers and plastic syringes will melt if you leave them in hot water too long*.
If the kitten isn't able to swallow even with being fed very slowly, drop by drop from a syringe she may be able to be fed via a tube placed into her stomach orally. I DO NOT recommend attempting a tube feeding until a veterinarian or veterinary technician has shown you how to do it properly, inserting the tube into the kitten's trachea and introducing formula into the lungs is a fatal mistake that's all too easy to make if you don't have extensive experience in this area. A feeding tube inserted orally at each feeding for the short term, if the kitten still requires such support as she grows older and the vet feels that she'll need long term tube feedings then a feeding tube can be surgically implanted through the neck or abdomen, these are risky surgical procedures that can save lives, however these surgeries don't come cheap, they're invasive and have their own lists of potentially life threatening complications.
Whether you are syringe, bottle or tube feeding the kitten's nutritional needs will be the same, this early in the game a feeding every 1 1/2 - 2 hours, 24/7 of an amount per feeding based on the daily recommendations provided by the manufacturer of the specific name brand of formula you're feeding (I recommend Wysong's orphan kitten formula, KMR, Just Born, Mammalac for kittens OR in a pinch you can use full fat organic goat's milk). According to the information that I've been able to find about newborn and very young kittens the normal stomach volume should be roughly 4-5 CC per 100g of body weight so you'll want to bear this in mind when feeding this baby. At this point I would expect the kitten to be quite weak since she hasn't successfully managed to feed, if she survives the night you can take her to the vet, but if at all possible immediate veterinary attention is warranted in this situation - this truly is a matter of life and death. If your vet is able to get this baby set up so you're successfully feeding any formula I strongly suggest adding a small amount of plain, full fat organic yogurt to help this baby get enough beneficial bacteria in her digestive tract to prevent vomiting and diarrea since she's not had colostrum and overall kittens just aren't really designed for formula of any kind which is why it's considered a last resort. It's not fair to expect mom to handle the stress of having her milk expressed regularly for any length of time, in fact you may inadvertantly set her up for a painful case mastitis if your technique isn't 100% perfect which would leave you to hand rear the entire litter of kittens. I understand that you've got the best of intentions (and an awfully patient queen to allow you to express her milk at all) when it comes to feeding this baby what she's designed to eat, but it's important to realize that it's not realistic to feed baby expressed milk consistently for another important reason - getting enough of mom's milk to meet baby's needs will take quite some time meaning that sleep will be a thing of the past until baby is weaned.
If you are going to be tube feeding the kitten (as per a vet's recommendations or instructions) you will need a supply of feeding tubes and syringes, an accurate kitchen scale (I prefer digital as you get a more precise reading), a pad or notebook to write the kitten's weight in daily to track her growth and progress and a good supply of a commercially available kitten milk replacer such as KMR, Just Born, Mammalac for kittens, Wysong makes a high quality formula for kittens or in a pinch you can use goat's milk (recommended by a local vet in my area, just be sure that it's organic if possible, full fat if at all possible and as fresh as possible) and I generally add plain, unsweetened organic yogurt to the formula to minimize the risk of diarrea or vomiting since the kitten will be eating food that she's not really designed to eat and a simple case of diarrea or vomiting can prove fatal quite quickly with a newborn kitten because dehydration can become life threatening with the loss of fairly small amounts of loose stool or vomit (bear in mind how tiny kittens are, what seems like a small amount of diarrea or vomit can actually be very substantial related to the size of the kitten).
Keeping baby warm is crucial, she's not able to regulate her own body temperature, normal body temperature for newborn kittens is 97-98 degrees Farenheit or 36-37 degrees Celcius when taken rectally. Over the first four weeks of life the kitten's body temperature will rise slowly until it's roughly 100.5-102.5 degrees Farenheit. A low body temperature can be a sign of impending death in newborn kittens, in this case it would likely be related to a combination of factors including the shock of her birth, the severity of a birth defect as well as any complications that may encompass and her inability to get any nutrition into her system. If the kitten gets overheated that will prove just as dangerous as being too cool. I do not recommend using heating pads, hot water bottles or other similar ways to warm this baby since you don't want to overheat her and if she's not able to move well independently she won't be able to get away from the heat source on her own. If baby needs warming then you would be better off to place baby on your chest and cover yourself which will allow your body heat to warm baby gradually lessening the possibility of her going into shock with fatal consequences. Baby should really be evaluated by a vet if she does get too hot or too cool just to be sure that she's not succumbing to shock, a vet's options for treating her if she does go into shock are somewhat limited simply because of her tiny size and the reality that placing an IV line, breathing tube or other such life saving pieces of medical equipment would be impossible or close to it since most clinics simply don't have small enough equipment for such a tiny pediatric patient.
My heart goes out to you, this precious baby whose life has just begun and is already in such jeoprady, the momma cat who probably doesn't understand what's happening and your family. This is a difficult situation from a number of standpoints including the fact that you'll be forced to make some horribly difficult decisions in the next hours and days of this baby's life if she's got the strength to survive beyond her first 24 hours of life. I'm more than happy to provide a compassionate ear and a shoulder to cry on anytime that you need it so please feel free to contact me anytime you need someone to listen and understand. I'm so sorry that I had to provide such awful news about this baby as well as other potential issues that she might have going on, I only wish I had easy answers, but sometimes life just isn't about easy answers and quick fixes. This baby is going to need a miracle straight from heaven, extremely specialized ongoing intensive care (possibly in hospital for some time) and the reality is that financially that would be a burden for almost anyone in today's tough economy, but I'm fully aware that the financial burden is nothing when you compare it to the heartbreaking reality of the emotional pain that goes along with such a difficult situation. I'm here to listen and I'll do whatever I can to help you out from my end, so please feel free to contact me again anytime. God bless, you and baby are in my thoughts and prayers.
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