Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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I was told before to never adopt the Runt of the litter. Also, I read that in one of my cat books. They said they will have some health problems. Is that true or not. I am not really sure. There is always one kitten that is smaller then the others in the litter. I adopted a tortie kitten from the Humane Society. She didn't looked like a regular kitten. She had giant ears, very tiny paws and a skinny tail. Too me, Sabrina looked like a rat. Her brother was all black and he was twice the size of her. The tortie I see in the shelter are bigger then my Sabrina. I guess Sabrina was the runt of the litter. She had lots of problems with her stool. It was very runny just like diarrhea. Her stool sometimes had blood in it but it all clear up for now.

I was just wondering will she have lots of health problem as she gets older. Should I be concern since she was a runt of the litter. Please reply and let me know. Thanks for your time!

Hi There,

Kittens have very sensitive digestive systems overall. Diarrhea is common and it's important to remember that babies get dehydrated very quickly and can go rapidly downhill.

I think that runts do tend to have problems. Even if they are healthy, they don't get as much milk as the bigger, stronger kittens and this gives them a rough start in life. A very small kitten may also have been born with something like a heart or lung problem. One danger sign would be that the little one isn't as active as the other kittens in the litter.

One of my present cats was the runt of the litter, and she ended up being totally blind. She was born feral and was emaciated and I took her home in hopes of saving her life. She was a very sickly kitten and her first year was rough, but she is now a healthy 8 year-old. She doesn't even know she is blind, although I believe she knows she is special.

Only time will tell if your kitty will have lifetime health issues. The fact is, though, that whenever we adopt a new baby we take a risk. Any cat or kitten can develop health problems.

Regards,
PHKitkat