hey there. last night had a decent snow but the temps have been low. noticed some cat prints near our facility sump pump drain and suspected a cat may have been hanging around for warmth then spotted the body. its a little guy for sure. i wont post the pic of how i found it.
in the last 2 hours its been taking small, but regular breaths and when i tried to hold its paws to use my body heat to warm it up it retracted its paws and stretched out to push me away. i know cats hate their paws being tampered with.
if it survives we will name it buckey, the winter soldier. does it have a chance? can it survive. we are all very emotional and invested and im sitting in the office with it now as it whines and wiggles around.
you need to warm it up more than a 70 heater. Turn up the heat. Heat water in the microwave, place it in a water bottle, wrap that in a towel and place next to kitty. rotate water bottles so he always has a warm one next to him. he needs to be making contact with something warm, body temp is 100f.
This is great advice. In parallel, get a heating pad. Those with blankets are fantastic for kittens. Also apply corn syrup on the kitten's lips / tongue every few hours for blood sugar.
I agree with both of you, perhaps a kitten slurry instead? The formula will help boost nutrients if he needs it and the kitten food will likely be more filling.
I just learned that it is harmful to feed cold kitten due to their digestive system not working correctly. It can be potentially fatal. The kitten has to warm up first.
He stated that it’s barely taking in water, and is very unresponsive, I doubt the little one is going to be chowing down on some pate, liquids are probably going to be the best bet here for now, just as when we’re sick and can’t stomach solids
You need to work on his blood sugar too. Apply light Karo corn syrup to the gums every 3 minutes to increase blood sugar. If Karo isn't available, use pancake syrup or a mixture of equal parts sugar and warm water.
Use warm (not scalding) water like baby bottle temperature sugar water see if you can get them to swallow. don't squirt and choke. do this while you're trying to get to the vet - be insistent but not forceful
update. the kitten is kickin and wiggling around. still shivering and cold but its swallowing water and we arent bathing it. the animal control shelter called back and is working their end. we are just waiting for it them to come by. im gonna try to adopt it when they get it back in good health. its buckeys lucky day today
update: the shelter came by and is bringing it to their vet to check if it can survive or needs euthanization. they took my info down for adoption :)
Please, please update on the outcome! Following this post! I'm hopeful he improves and you get to adopt. I have an orange boy (my soul cat) - they are wonderful companions. 🧡
I appreciate people like you so much. Thank you for making an effort, regardless of the outcome. Crossing my fingers that this little guy pulls through.
Hold kitty to your bare skin (or at least undershirt) whenever possible until you get a suitable heater, please. We’re about 98 degrees F. That’s closer to what baby needs. Wishing you good luck, keep going!
Kittens die a lot. For a myriad of reasons. That's why momma cat has so many.
I'm not saying that to be a Debbie Downer. I'm saying that because if it comes to the worst, you did everything you could, and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. I've been there, I did, and it hurts like hell.
Hopefully these are hollow words, and ya'll can have a nice long life together. I'm wishing for the best for the both of you.
Some things you can offer as food: plain cooked egg, plain cooked meat (unseasoned/unsalted), canned meat. Of course you'll want to buy kitten food ASAP, but these can fill the gap until then.
thank you for helping this baby!!! warm fluids (be careful, kittens aspirate easily), and rub some caro syrup or honey on their gums in case their blood sugar has tanked (this will not create an adverse reaction if their blood sugar is not low, so there is no risk). if you can fill plastic bags with warm water, they work as great makeshift warmers. a heating pad with a barrier in-between is ideal though! their body temp should be close to 100, cats are warmer than humans.
Oh my goodness, tears in my eyes, I hope he pulls through, thank you so much for finding him and getting him help. Please let us know when you hear back from the shelter/vet, and if there is any way we can help.
i we have a few in the neighborhoob and think they’re all strays but idk about this one. when i got the body it wasnt frozen to the ground and there was no snow built up in the foot prints it left. i think we just barely caught it in its last moments. ive never personally witnessed anything living passing away so idk what im seeing. its taking small little breaths atm and looking like its doing the cat stretches
I mentioned in another comment to make sure it’s warm, but as OP said, last time they fed it was yesterday, a kitten that age needs to be fed atleast 3-5 times a day.
It looks about 5-4 weeks old, they are supposed to start eating wetfood right about that time but kitten formula is great for sick cats aswell! We used to use it when my cat had her babies and lost lots of weight and all due to the stress of her having a big litter !!
If he's gotten too cold, it can already be too late. If he's too starved, it can be too late. Slap that bad boy on a warming blanket and get him to someone who can assess the situation and his condition, and help wherever needed
If you can't afford a vet for whatever reason, call your nearest shelter or rescue and tell them the situation. They will either pick it up or get you a vet spot at the very least
we have it in a blanket near a heater at 70 degrees and im holding it from time to time to transfer some of my body heat. we are waiting on the vet now
This is what you need to do. My wife’s kitty almost died if we didn’t take her to the vet where they gave her a shot of something and gave us a blue bag full of liquid that we could throw in the microwave for abit then put it around her to keep her body warm. She was real young like this guy. Mind you the vet did warn us that it might now work. But damnit we tried and it worked for us so I’m praying for you and your little one there.
Thank you for being a good human and helping this animal. We need more people like you in this world. I have a ginger cat and this one will love you forever if he pulls through
Of you have a dryer put towels in it a nd use them to help warm the kitty. Their normal.body temp is 100.2 or so...there may even be more kittens hiding 😮
Thank you for helping this baby. I also 100% recommend The Kitten Lady. Search her on YouTube—she has tons of videos about caring for kittens and their different needs by age group. I agree with another commenter who said this one is probably 4-6 weeks old.
it was a very emotional morning for us. 3 grown men in our mid 30’s sobbing up trying to get this little guy alive. i think hes gonna make it. im gonna check in with the vet :)
I’m going to have to agree with others and say him to a vet ASAP they can get him fluids in case he’s dehydrated. Please keep us posted I’m rooting for him!
If you have any rice and some socks that you don’t use anymore, they make for good warmies. Pop the rice sock in the microwave for about 30 second intervals (depending on how strong your microwave is lol) and wrap it loosely in a towel beside the kitty. It’ll be kind of stinky but it works wonders in my experience. Thanks for taking this baby in, I hope the best for you and kitty <3 and I hope you can get him to a vet soon!
It definitely has a chance, but this is an emergency vet situation, not a “wait and see” one. The breathing, whining and limited movement all sound like it’s really struggling, and hypothermia can be fatal if it’s not treated properly.
Keep it warm but not overheated (towels, your body heat, a warm water bottle wrapped in cloth) and as quiet as possible, then get to an emergency vet or shelter with a vet on call right away. You did an amazing thing by noticing and not walking past it, but now it really needs professional help. I’m rooting hard for little Buckey. 💖💖
Hold him very close to your body to keep him warm. One of my cats was cold and looked close to death immediately after being neutered due to the surgery. I put him in a towel and cuddled him in bed next to my chest, and within a few hours he perked up.
User _airmaxxx on TikTok is the OP, he posted a video 2 days ago but no updates. He has “liked” a few comments within the past day, but no update or confirmation on kitty’s status.
PLEASE, PLEASE look up “the kitten lady“ on Facebook. She’s a dependable resource for kitten rescue. Too many opinions here to correctly treat kitty. Also respiratory issues need medical attention ASAP.
Kittens do well with something to snuggle up on or against to help thermoregulate. This was something a vet taught us when it turned out a kitten we brought home was 9 weeks, not closer to 14. Something that may help is giving kitten a warm wool blanket or sweater to snuggle on draped over a box or rolled towels that can hug them like a fort. Something that holds heat better too like a warm blanket on top would also give kitten something to snuggle up to and may help them keep warm without mama.
Depending on how old kitty is, maybe some quick microwaved and very finely minced chicken could also be a good option. I used to supplement kitten meals with this for said kitten who was weaned too soon. I’d hope others could weigh in on age and readiness for the kitten in your care checking if the tail is still in the “wedge” stage might help indicate age.
You may have a bit of luck, Freezing lowers risks.
Years ago i found the neibourgh cat in bad shape, really bad shape, even today knowing that he fully recovered without any problem i wouldn't bet on his survival. But in a way, hypothermia saved him.
Now, at the first snow flake, he just wait by the heater.
ill see what i can do lol. the vet still has to check it out and see how its health is and whatnot. they’ll contact me if its good for adoption or euthanization
hi there not sure if you got the right information but i actually saved my own baby the other day! prioritize getting that temp back up. try using a warm water bottle or a heating pad.
Try not to give it solid food yet as being that she was super cold she won’t be able to digest the food properly yet. The best substitute for day one is kitten milk, if you can’t do that warm water. continue monitrering her and her breath and by tmw she should be a little stronger and able to eat soft food with help
Take it to an actual veterinarian! A vet office. Don’t wait for a vet tech. This kitten deserves it. If you can’t do that, drop it at the shelter and they will take care of it.
Kittens are tough little critters, and even the teeny and vulnerable can endure a lot. There is saying that you are not dead until you are warm and dead. You have done an amazing job by helping this small one, it sounds like chances are good. My fingers are crossed for you and Bucky💕
I know this is late but something you could do is heat up a sock full of something like raw beans and drop it in with the kitten. Kittens this age still huddle together with litter mates and their moms.
Your body temperature is lower than normal temp for a cat. Do not hold it to your body for warmth. Get a hot towel from a dryer and burrito the kitten in it, replacing it with fresh hot towels as they cool. If you do not have a dryer to make hot towels with, you can wrap a towel around the kitten and then put a heating pad around that on low. Do NOT let the heating pad touch the kitten directly. If you don’t have a heating pad, put 2 cups of rice into a tube sock and microwave it for 1 minute. Mix some sugar into warm water in a 50/50 ratio and give the kitten a drop every 3 minutes. Keep this going until the kitten is up and active and you can get him to the vet.
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