Tiny kitten

Question
My Doberman Pinscher brought home a kitten after the rains.

We have had it for almost 4 weeks, it appears to be thriving, but has not
grown in height or length by much.

I plan to take the kitten to our vet, but I am unsure of her age.

When it arrived, she was very tiny.  Her eyes were open, its ears erect,
and she moved around very well.  I was able to litter train her that day,
its only problem was getting into the box before it was customized!

I'd appreciate anything you have to add....some have told me it's inbred,
and a dwarf...it may be, it does have some bowing and thickening on it's
front leg joints closest to its paws.

Answer
HI P,

You should definitely take the kitten to the vet for a check, and bring along a stool sample when you go. It's very common for kittens to have internal parasites like worms or coccidia, and these can kill a small kitten if left untreated. The vet can check for any other potential problems as well.

I doubt she is inbred, that is usually only a problem in purebred cats, Regular shorthair cats are very outbred because they breed with no human control and mix populations very well. Some cats do remain very small, especially if they are deprived of nutrients when very young like this baby may have been if she is orphaned - but they should still grow noticably as kittens. I am not sure how little "not much" is unless I saw the kitten it would be hard to say if growth is normal, but a vet can tell you.

Call around to a few vet clinics because prices can vary widely. Don't skimp on early vet care because kittens that are not vaccinated or vet checked can get very sick. She will not require as much vet care after a few months but will need a set of kitten shots and maybe deworming now. Also when the time comes, check www.spayusa.org to get a voucher for low cost spay or neuter in your area.

Congratulations on your new kitten and what a good dog you have to rescue her!