neglected kitten

Question
Hi Ali, what do you know about Fading Kitten Syndrome..? I have 3 kittens that are 6 weeks old now. 1 out of the 3 is very tiny and fragile. It is three times smaller than the other 2. It does not seem to be gaining any weight or getting any bigger. The mother seems to neglect it and leaves it alone. The kitten is eating soft kitten chow and drinking water from a dish. And uses the litter box. It seems to like laying infront of the fridge on a rug where the warm air comes out. The mother does lick it but not as much as she does the other 2. She will not lay still long enough for this kitten to nurse or be satisfied. She does not cuddle with it like she does the other 2. Mother and the other 2 kittens are always somewhere else while this kitten is left all alone. It breaks my heart to see it be so tiny and not playing. If this is Fading Kitten Syndrome ... what are it's chances of living..? I work and am away for 10 hours 5 days a week... I can not tend to it on a 2 or 4 hour regiment.
 This is the mother cat's second litter. She had 5 kittens in the first litter and 2 of them died for no apparent reason. I have an appointment to have her spayed for I do not want anymore kittens and feel like she must be having a medical problem to have these kittens just die like that. I have kept 1 female from the first litter and 1 male from the second litter......is it possible they also could have future problems..? Should I have them fixed also so they can not breed and bear sick kittens..? The mother is such a sweet and loving cat and it is apparent she loves the kittens .... will having her spayed be an upsetting ordeal for her..? Thanks for any advice on this matter I do appreciate it.
Debbie

Answer
Debbie,

There is a possibility that the mother is sensing a congenital issue with the smaller kitten which could account for her not spending time with this little one. It sounds to me like mom hasnt had much luck with having healthy kittens. I would strongly advise against mom or her offspring being allowed to breed. Spaying and neutering is a good option that has numerous medical and behavioral benefits in addition to preventing your cats from contributing to the serious pet overpopulation worldwide and can help your cats live longer and healthier lives.

It might be beneficial to have this tiny kitten examined by a qualified vet to rule out any congenital health conditions or defects. Your vet may find that this kitten has a serious issue that is preventing her from growing at the same rate as the rest of the litter and there is a possibility that euthanasia may be the most humane option if the kitten is suffering. In the meantime it is a good idea to provide this baby with a warm place to sleep. A cardboard box lined with a clean towel is a good idea. If your kitten seems cold you can try placing a heating pad on the lowest setting under the towel and attaching it to a timer that will turn it on and off throughout the day. I recommend that you begin feeding this small baby a mixture of kitten milk replacer, plain, organic unsweetened yogurt containing beneficial bacteria cultures and a high quality holistic canned kitten food or pureed chicken breast. This will help to provide extra calories and high quality nutrition for this kitten. Commercially available brands of kitten formula include KMR, Just Born and mammalac to name a few. I would also recommend that you mix a vitamin supplement designed for kittens with this little ones food at least until you can get have this kitten thoroughly examined. I doubt very much that the kitten in question has any contagious infections, this sounds much more like a congenital defect.

There are a few simple things you can check out at home to give you an idea of how urgent this kittens need for medical care is. Gently hold the kitten in your lap when you have a few minutes and lift her lip. Apply gentle pressure to her gums and release it. The gums should return to their color immediately, if they dont this could be suggestive of a heart defect. You can assess this little ones hydration by gently pulling the skin on the scruff of the neck up and letting it go, if the skin snaps back into place right away your kitten is properly hydrated, it not she may be dehydrated which would require emergency vet care. Its a good idea to get a scale that measures in grams up to two pounds and monitor this kittens weight every few days, she should be putting on weight quite rapidly at this age. If this little one isnt gaining weight she requires immediate vet care. Your vet can assess this kitten and possibly give you an idea of what the prognosis is for her and what the recommended treatments are.

Just like people, some cats have better genetics than others. The fact that your mother has had this issue with her litters on a consistent basis means that further litters really arent in her best interests. Aside from the obvious pet overpopulation crisis facing animal shelters worldwide there are a number of good reasons to spay and neuter your pets. Cats who are spayed and neutered are at far less risk of developing reproductive and mammary cancers. Female cats who have been spayed are protected from developing a serious uterine infection called pyometra which requires immediate surgery to ensure survival. Spayed and neutered cats are also less likely to develop behavioral issues like using urine or feces to mark their territory. It is far less common for altered cats to fight or require medical attention for serious injuries sustained during fights. I wish that I could offer more hope or advice for this situation, but unfortunately that isnt a possibility. The best decisions that you can make for other cats in the household include spaying and neutering to prevent any further litters that may have genetic predisposition to being weak or having serious birth defects and having the vet investigate why the tiny kitten from the latest litter is failing to thrive. There are several reasons that a kitten might fail to thrive from having serious birth defects or a disability to simply being the runt of the litter and being weaker and smaller than her other littermates. I hope that the vet is able to provide an explanation for what is going on with this kitten and hopefully recommend a course of treatment. Hopefully you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions, concerns, or you would simply like to send an update or some pictures my way, please dont hesitate to contact me again.