Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I'm new here. I've had cats in the past, but this is my first house cat. A female mixed breed kitten named Lorelai. I rescued her after her original owner moved and left her, her three siblings, and the mother, as well as three male cats behind....outside in this cold weather.

Anyway, when I brought her home I realized she had fleas, ear mites, and from what I can tell, she has worms. I've since sorted out the flea problem, and am working on the mites and worms, as two of my aunts are veterinarians, and are treating her for free.
mu problem is, she seems extremely thin, which I think may be from the worms, is there anything I can feed her to help her gain weight?
Also, I have purchased her a scratching post, but she seems to like my couch better, how can I get her to use the post?
I also think she was taken away from her mother too soon, as she only has her 4 canine teeth, and the rest have yet to come in, should I give her KMR??
She also seems very insecure, whenever I'm not in her direct line of vision, she cries, how can I help her become more at ease??

Thanks so much!!

It sounds like you've got a kit of about 3-4 weeks old.
Yes, give it KMR, either by bottle or in a bowl. She (he?) needs the extra nutrition, to replace the nursing that a kitten that age would normally be doing. You can mix some human infant cereal into the formula to thicken it (it spills slower that way) and to add some extra calories to it.
You can introduce canned kitten food, but expect the little one to wear more than it eats. You'll need to bathe it after meals since it's too young to groom itself and rub it down firmly after eating. (It'll yell, but they all yell when being licked down or rubbed down.)
Small box lids are the ideal size for litter boxes for the babies. Put just one handful of litter in it.
It most likely will still need a heating pad to sleep on in order to stay warm enough. Cover the heating pad with a towel and tuck it into a kitty cave or condo to create a snug bed.
Finally, recognize that YOU are now mommycat. It will follow you, call for you, try to eat what you eat and drink what you drink. It will climb right up your pant leg to look in your plate.
Good luck and enjoy!

KRM may help her get those extra nutrients to help her gain weight, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is the worms that has to so skinny.
I have an issue with my cats scratching basically EVERYTHING except the scratching post( amazing, isn't it?). They will usually favor a specific spot on the counch to scratch, so if that is the case some tape will do the trick. Put some double stick tape on the place she scratches and it will drive them nuts. She should learn pretty quick that the couch is a bad spot to scratch at!!
Good luck with your kitten!

Have either of you aunts told you a guess at her age?
The others gaves good advice. Along with the KRM a high quality kitten food would help with weight gain. I have heard Innova is the best, but other good brands are Wellness and Nutro.
It is recommended now to feed canned food. Though if you have been feeding dry make sure to switch over slowly or your kitten will have some bathroom issues.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

Everyone has done so well, that I have very little to add. I imagine she will gain weight when she is over the worms and fleas and mites. YOU are now her Mother and they are right, she wants to be with you. Mother cats rarely leave their kits alone so she doesn't get this time away stuff at all. She thinks you should be right there keeping her warm and licking her. And she is telling you so. You are off to a good start and you will have a bond with her that you won't believe. She is now your furchild for life. Yes, she needs KMR, canned food, and dry kitten food too. When she cries either take her to the food or feed her. Make sure you show her to her litter box after she eats, so she knows where to go. Let us know how she is doing and a picture would thrill us to death Here is one of my former ferals, now a house pet with her one and only litter she also has her sisters kittens in the box, they shared rearing duties

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PHWildCat/Tessa and 18 cats, 1 dog and even a hamster
Cat Board Monitor and Chat Host
Pet Hobbyist
A house without cats is like a garden without flowers

As far as her age, she looks about the same age as the kittens in the box in that picture, in fact, from what I can see, she's the same color as the one closest to the wall of the box, but you can't see her face, the one in the front, sort of brown and orange blended?

Thanks for all the great advise!! you have helped me a great deal, my only problem now is, I've taken in her sister, until Christmas eve, then she goes to a new home.

How do i keep from getting attached?? I get the feeling that I'm going to be hurting when she has to go, any help is appreiciated!!

sara

I gotta say it will always hurt when you let a baby go. The key is to remember that she's going to a permenant home where she will be loved forever. And it's also good to remember how much happiness she will bring to her new family! Just make sure they send you pictures as she grows!
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-Martha
Kuma
Bubba, formerly known as "Ducky"
and
Macaroni
And Now
Kola, the new fizzy kitten that has a tendency to go flat!

I am sorry but I know of no way to keep from getting attached to a cute little kitten. How do you think I ended up with 18 house cats?? Trust me, I didn't wake up one morning and say gee, I think 18 is a nice number...let me go find some more cats somewhere. It will hurt when she leaves. I have adopted many out and I know they went to great homes, I still cried when they left and missed them. Those kits are about 3 weeks old in that picture, I think. Here is a picture of Wicca's sister, the other Mother. She is Cali Rebakah, the calico

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PHWildCat/Tessa and 18 cats, 1 dog and even a hamster
Cat Board Monitor and Chat Host
Pet Hobbyist
A house without cats is like a garden without flowers

That ktten looking up at the camera is making my head explode it is so cute.
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Angela and the kids:
**Presley, Gauge, Syren, Rook, Miss Blu, Kitty, Sparrow, Loki, Zeek, Max, Harvey and the rest of the fish, Magic, and Hudini **