Tiny Kitten

Oh, how fragile, such a tiny thing. I have a tiny kitten also that was abandoned but she's about 7 weeks old. She has an upper respiratory infection so I've had to take her to the vet. She was skin and bonds but is doing well, running and jumping, after one week.

But, if your tiny is healthy, go quickly to a pet store or vet who sells mother's milk for kittens. There are those little hypodermics (with no needle!) you can use if you have to force milk into it. Or, you can use a dropper. Otherwise, there are tiny bottles with nipples if it can suck (hope so).

This is my second wee one this year. Good luck and come back and let us know. You will have to feed this little thing quite often, little bits. When it's ready for solid food, buy Hill's kitten food.

Keep it warm, hot water bottle or heating pad under a blanket will help.

I would try to find a surrogate. Most cats will "adopt" a tiny outsider. Call the vets or a shelter and see if they have a nursing mother that can feed your little kitten.

Make sure they know that you want her back!

Try putting a heating pad under about half of it's sleeping box or pad. They seem to enjoy the extra warmth at that age. Don't put the heat under the entire box, unless the kitten has a way to get away from it. You don't want to cook the darn thing.

I got the kitty to drink some milk but the little guy won't be quiet. Am i doing something wrong with his environment? I have him in a laundry basket lined with a towel, have of it is heated by a heating pad on low setting.

What you have, essentially, is like a baby bird. It has to be fed about every two hours. And, it would help if it slept on something very soft like sheepskin or good fleece (with the heating pad put just so, yes). Is it sucking a bottle with nipple? Like Boomer said, sure would be a good idea if you could find a nursing mother cat.

Has it been OK during the past 2 days? Don't go away.

We had 2 kittens a few years ago, but our cat abandoned them almost right away. So we bought special kittenmilk and fed them with a little bottle. You have to do it very often because they get fed about 6 times a day by their mom. And becase the mom licks their bottoms so they poop and pee, because that doesnt come naturale for them, we had to stimulate their lill bottoms ourselves with a towel! We kept them warm and close to us all the time and fed the OFTEN! And they growed up to be just fine!

So this what I recomend you to do too. "Pet" it often, hold it often. And dont be affraid to force it a little bit when he doesnt want to drink the milk, he needs it wheter he wants to or not! But use a bottle, its much easier than to make him drink from a plate or something.

So, keep him warm, all the time!
Keep him close to you, he knows you´re a living being and he feels safe.
Feed him often, with a bottle!
Help him poop and pee!

And you said you have him in a laundrybaslet, thats great, but keep it around you!

Good luck!

LuckyStar that's a nice story, congrats to you. Our kitten is 9 weeks old now and the cutest. But, I moved into the guest room with it when it was only 7 weeks (looked about 4), slept with it, hugged it, loved it, stayed with it most of the day. Now, she's ready for a home and I'm having trouble with that, naturally. But, outside my office door just now I saw a dog and 3 cats walking down the hall and we are allowed only 2 pets.

Re: Tiny Kitten


Oh, poor little thing!
Please get some good advice on what nutrition it needs (from a vet) & the best way to feed it.

I see this thread is a little old, I hope the kitten is doing well. The kitten at that age cannot regulate its temperature for a few weeks, so a quiet, dark place in a box, with a heating pad would be best. Wrap the heating pad in a blanket as not to burn the kitten. You will need to go get some type of supplement, such as KMR. You will need a bottle to feed the kitten, although at a young age, eye droppers or medicine droppers have always worked best for me. The kitten will need fed about every 2 hours, as it gets older, the feedings will be less frequent. By around age 3 1/2 weeks to 4 weeks you can introduce a high quality canned kitten food such as Nutro kitten. You may have to dilute it a bit, and help him eat the first couple of times introducing it, but in no time the kitten will take up solid foods. After a few weeks, you can slowly start adding a dry kibble to the canned food. By the time the kitten is ready to go to a new home, it will be eating dry food only.
You will want to introduce a small litter box at around age 4 weeks with natural litter as some kittens like eating the litter and it can be bad for them, you can try any litter that is wheat based. Put the kitten in and help his scratch in the box, litter habits come naturally to a cat. If there is an accident outside the box, pick it up and place it in the litter box, so the next time they can smell where they are supposed to go.
I hope all is going well with your baby.

Good luck!

The kitten is about 6 to 7 weeks old and is doing just fine. He is healthy enough to live outside soon as he can eat solid kibble. I live on a farm so there is really is no danger of getting run over. Thanks for all your help.

This is great, gardej. Thanks for following up. I bet you and kitten have really bonded after all this.