My Kitten is acting a bit weird...

Question
QUESTION: I have a 3 day old kitten..it's mother wouldn't have anything to do with it because it was inbred...i have been feeding it, but today i noticed that it was acting a little strange..she is throwing her head back and is reaching out with her front paws...kind of like when a cat is getting comfortable it will dig it claws into what ever is close by?  well that's what she's doing, but with her head back...what is she doing? is this something i should see a vet about? or what?  I'm kind of scared for her...so...if you could...please help...

ANSWER: Erica,

Most mother cats (aka queens) don't usually reject kittens without a reason. Sometimes mother cats can sense illness or serious birth defects in their kittens. I have seen inbred kittens be raised to weaning and be just fine with their mother. I do have a few questions about the scenario that you mention with the kitten reaching out with her front paws and putting her head back. Is the stretching the paws forward and the head back something that lasts for several seconds? Is this something that you are seeing that happens frequently and lasts 10-40 seconds? Is this something that is only happening here and there? Does this look like a relaxed and slightly clumsy stretching type action possibly even accompanied by a yawn or if does the kitten become rigid and seem unresponsive? It is possible that this kitten is doing exactly what you think she is if everything seems relaxed, but clumsy. I should warn you that there is a possibility that this kitten has a serious medical condition such as a birth defect, seizure disorder, hydrocephalus (water on the brain) which can cause seizure activity. If the kitten is seriously ill and the vet is unable to provide treatment that will alleviate any suffering that the treating veterinarian may suggest euthanasia. If the vet is unable to find an obvious birth defect and the kitten seems comfortable the vet will likely recommend that you wait and watch to see if the kitten outgrows it or if the kitten simply has a quirk. I do recommend that this kitten sees a qualified vet as soon as possible for a general exam to rule out any obvious illnesses or conditions that would cause pain or seriously affect the kitten's potential to have good quality of life. If you are able to get a good quality video of the action that concerns you from start to finish it may be helpful for the vet to make a diagnosis (possibly on a cell phone). Since you are caring for this kitten I would like to offer a few helpful tips that will ensure that your baby receives the best care possible. Kittens who aren't being nursed by their mom should be fed a kitten milk replacer. It is important to read and closely follow any instructions regarding how the formula is to be mixed and to be sure that the bottle or syringe used to feed the kitten is kept as clean as possible. Cow's milk isn't properly balanced for a kitten and lacks the proper amounts of protein and fat to support growth in a newborn kitten. I have found that it is best to feed orphaned or rejected kittens on demand so that they get the nutrition that is required to grow properly. Some kittens will want to eat as frequently as every hour and a half to two hours. I would suggest that you consider purchasing a scale that measures in grams up to two pounds so that you can chart the kitten's growth and see any weight loss sooner than you would without regular weigh ins. It is important that you are aware that kittens are born with extremely immature immune systems and they are susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. It is important that you or anyone else handling the kitten wash their hands before and afterwards to  the risk of infection. It is best if your vet can provide  powdered colostrum for your kitten, it would be a big boost to this kitten's immune system since he likely didn't have the opportunity to nurse from his mom to get the first milk with these important antibodies (which is what colostrum is). When you feed this kitten it is important to be sure that all four of her feet are facing the floor. If you feed her like a human infant she may inhale her formula and choke. If this kitten is difficult to feed with a bottle you can purchase an oral syringe from your pharmacy to feed him.  It is important to take your time when you feed the kitten to avoid the possibility of choking. It is important that you realise that kittens who are hand raised are usually a bit on the small side for their age because humans simply can't compare to a mother cat. Hand reared kittens do need to be burped by rubbing their belly or cuddling them against your body and gently rubbing their back or tapping it gently with two fingers to avoid injuring her. Mother cats keep their offspring very clean and newborn kittens must be stimulated to go to the toilet by their mom. Be sure that when you are cleaning the kitten or stimulating him to go to the toilet that you avoid getting them too wet because kittens this age can't maintain their body temperature well. I usually use cotton balls moistened with warm water (not too hot/cold) to keep the kitten clean from head to toe. I start by washing the kitten's face and under their chin to catch formula that doesn't end up being eaten. Kitten formula does get sticky and gross so the sooner you wash it off the better. I try to bathe the kitten like their mother would by washing him from his head and his back being sure to wash in the direction that the fur grows. After their back and face are washed I clean their chest and tummy starting from under the chin moving towards their bottom. I would suggest that you try to keep the kitten as clean and dry as possible because young kittens can't maintain their own body temperature very well. I try to keep things as close as possible to the way the kitten's mom would care for them and the majority of mother cats keep their babies very clean. You will want a fresh cotton ball to clean the bum and genitals. It is best to work from the genitals to their bum wiping from front to back to avoid a painful urinary tract infection. Stimulating a kitten to go for a poop is generally requires patience, some kittens will poop fairly readily and others can take 5-10 minutes. Mother cats are usually good mothers and they keep their babies and nest as clean as possible to avoid attracting predators. It is important that the kitten's mom be kept quiet in a dimly lit room, with minimal handling of her kittens until they are a little older because she has already rejected one kitten and there is a risk that she may decide to reject the rest if she is overly stressed. Be sure that the queen has access to plenty of clean water, a clean kitten sized litter box (thinking ahead to mom potty training her kittens so it should be easy for the kittens to start exploring it in a few weeks). Mom should also be fed a good quality kitten food free choice in order to be able to recover from the birth process and sustain the rapid growth of the kittens. I would suggest that the kittens' mom be offered a cardboard box lined with clean, old towels that she can easily get into and get out of. The other advantage of providing a bed for the queen and her babies is that her kittens are contained and they will also be able to keep warm more easily. If the mother has had her babies under the bed or in a closet don't move them, because you can stress her out. If you provide the bed and allow her to move her little ones if she feels the need she will be less upset. It isn't a bad idea to relocate the food, water into the immediate area where mom has her kittens so that she is able to get food and water and use the toilet without losing sight of her kittens. I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me as soon as possible.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I want to thank you for the time and effort you put into this question..but i do have some bad news...not long after i posted this question, (well wednesday to be exact) my kitten died...it was almost seizering..like, i would think it died, so i would go to touch it, move it a bit to make sure, n it would open it's mouth as to hiss, and make a weird noise...very faint though...almost like a gasping sound...it would do that about every five minutes or so...i left it lay...cause there wasn't a thing i could do for it anymore...i left to go out to eat...(left the kitten in her basket, covered in a wash cloth)...i was gone about an hour n a half, when i returned, she was dead, stiff...well, not completely stiff, i could still mover her head, but her legs were stiff...we buried her out back... but i did want to thank u so much for the information...i will keep it forever, n pass it along to someone else who might need it one day...thanks again...

Answer
Erica,

I am so sorry that you have lost this little one. It is heartbreaking to want to help a tiny little life and be completely helpless...I do think that this kitten had some sort of an issue at birth which is likely why mom rejected him. It sounds very much like this baby was having seizures as the behavior you describe that happened afterwards is a fairly common occurrence as seizures create a sensory overload and when they stop most cats are fairly afraid. Some will even hiss and growl during a seizure...I do wish that I had been able to offer more help for you and your little baby, but in some cases even qualified vets can't offer much more than humanely ending the suffering of such a small kitten if they are terribly ill and in pain...I hope that you find it comforting that this kitten was likely not aware of what was happening and probably didn't suffer at the end...Seizures are incredibly hard on a kitten so young as their systems are so immature so it is likely that the kitten just faded away at the end....There is a great piece of writing that I recommend to folks who have recently lost a pet...I find it hopeful and I truly do believe that all pets go to heaven and that we will be reunited with them again some day. It is called The Rainbow Bridge and it was written by Paul C. Dahm and I truly hope that this helps to offer some comfort to you knowing that this kitten was aware of the gentle hand that cared for him even if only for a short time.

         The Rainbow Bridge


There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge is a land of meadows, hills and valleys covered with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this lovely land. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. There, the old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole once again. They play all day with each other, content and comfortable.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special person who loved them on Earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! Then, the nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring! You have been seen, and that one suddenly runs from the group!
You take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.
Then, together, you cross the Rainbow Bridge, never again to be separated.

Written by: Paul C. Dahm

I really hope that this piece offers some comfort and helps make things a bit easier....I know that you only had this little one for a short time, but it truly doesn't take that much time for an animal to make an impression on our hearts. I have fostered and rescued cats and kittens that have only been in my life for very short periods. Some were quickly rehomed, some were seriously ill or injured and were unable to be saved. I like to think that each one of them remembers the love and kindness that they were treated with as they passed from this world into the next...I am willing to offer support if you need to chat with someone who understands the tough reality of losing this little kitten so soon. If you have any further questions or concerns or you wish to update me on how the mother cat and her surviving babies are doing, please feel free to contact me again.