My new kitten.
 

Hello, someone decided that I'd be the best person to take a little kitten in this apartment where there's no pets allowed. It's all good, I'm moving into a new place in a week where I can love this little adorable guy.

Couple questions about his behavior. At first he was terrified. I've had him for..3 days now. He's sleeping on my chest while I type this lol. He still tries to run and hide under the couch and bed, but when i'm sitting on the couch, he's so calm, but when i'm standing up he's running away. He literally spends most of the whole night under my bed. He wasn't using the litter at first but he's using it all on his own now.

He hasn't been pooing much either. He pooped once, two small nuggets. I can't find any other poops he's might have done. He barely drinks water so i'm encouraging him to drink more. Each day his behavior gets better but I can't help but think he's sick. His nose is always warm and dry, he's sneezing and has gunk coming out of his eyes.

I know i know take him to the vet right? Well the vet is booked until november. My friends dog died because the vet was too booked.

I'm pretty attached to this little guy, and I'm hoping he's not seriously sick. Does he have a small kitty cold? Or is he just scared of his new surroundings?

:( I'm worried about the little guy.

btw he's approx 3 months old. My batch of kittens at my future roomies house are just a tiny but smaller than he is. He's pretty skinny too.

He was found hiding in a back room of a gas station when robbers accidentally let him in. Nobody had the time or energy to love him <3 but the gas station let me be short on 1 dollar to grab litter and food.

[QUOTE=Chelly;624291]I know i know take him to the vet right? Well the vet is booked until november. My friends dog died because the vet was too booked. [/QUOTE]

Sorry, but whether he is sick now or not (which I have no idea about cats so I'll leave that for others to discuss) - he needs to see a vet well before November! A little kitten needs a check-up at the very least, and you need to make sure he's taken care of. Are there other in your area you can try?

Glad to hear you are falling for this kitty :lovestruck:.

Yes this kitty should be seen by the vet. Initial vaccines are very important. It sounds like he may have an upper respiratory infection and needs antibiotics. Kittens can go down hill very quickly so keep calling the vet daily to see if he/she can fit you in.

As for drinking, cats should be eating canned food only as they have very low thrist drive and it is natural for them to get their water from their food. A quality food that doesn't have any wheat, corn, soy, or byproducts, but contains real meat is best. Your kitty is a carnivore and needs meat, not corn.

Good luck.

[QUOTE=Chelly;624291]At first he was terrified. I've had him for..3 days now. He's sleeping on my chest while I type this lol. He still tries to run and hide under the couch and bed, but when i'm sitting on the couch, he's so calm, but when i'm standing up he's running away. He literally spends most of the whole night under my bed. He wasn't using the litter at first but he's using it all on his own now.[/quote]

First of all, welcome to pets.ca! And thanks for taking in this poor kitty. As for the behaviour, this kitten is likely somewhat feral. Cats that have little or no positive human interaction before a certain age tend to be quite skittish. With good socialization, it's possible to lessen this tendency and overcome some of their fears, but there's also a good chance that the cat will always be wary of new people and situations. There are good descriptions [url=http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/socializingferal.pdf]here[/url] and [url=http://www.meowfoundation.com/ourcats/shycats/shyintro.html]here[/url] on socializing ferals.

[QUOTE=Chelly;624291]He hasn't been pooing much either. He pooped once, two small nuggets. [/quote]

What are you feeding him? It sounds like he's a bit constipated, so if you're only feeding dry food, I would switch to canned. Like Love4himies said, canned is way better. Not sure what you have available where you live, but Wellness is a good brand.


[QUOTE=Chelly;624291], he's sneezing and has gunk coming out of his eyes.[/quote]

Outdoor cats are prone to URIs (upper respiratory infection) from either the Feline Herpes Virus or Feline Calicivirus. Some lysine powder (250-500mg/day) from a health store mixed in with canned food might help with the symptoms. Make sure the kitten is eating enough because when they have stuffed up noses and can't smell, their appetite tends to go down. If you put the little guy in the bathroom while running hot water in the shower, that can help break up the congestion. [url]http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_upper_respiratory.html[/url]

[QUOTE=Chelly;624291], I know i know take him to the vet right? [/quote]

He really does need to see a vet, at the very least because I can guarantee he needs to be de-wormed. I wouldn't get him vaccinated though, until his URI has cleared up. Only healthy cats should be vaccinated.

Good luck, keep us updated on his progress.

Is there a rescue organization or SPCA or something in your area that might have some medical clinic? I'm guessing the vet you called is the only vet in your area for them to be so booked, but wow, they really need to get some help there because making people wait until November to get a sick pet in is crazy.

Congrats on taking this sweet little guy in! Everyone here has posted great advice..please try to find another vet..like someone said..SPCA, or a shelter, or even Animal Control, even a Rescue Group may have access to a vet. There's a lot of pet stores too that offer veterinary services as well.

You want to take care of that respiratory infection as soon as possible, he's still so little...let's get him healthy and then you can work on the fun part..loving him and letting him love you.

Good luck, and welcome....you've come to the right place with questions..people here are extremely knowledgable.

He's showing improvement. He's pooing more, he's not sneezing as much. But still I want to get him to a vet. The next vets office is a 2 hour drive and I don't have a car. My roomie has one but he needs to get it fixed. I'll check with the SPCA. Maybe they can help me out with this one, and the other batch of kittens.

I've been feeding him canned food, and using kitty treats to train him for the litter and to coax him out of hiding. Kind of make him realize that you don't get treats if you're hiding under a chair.

He eats about 1 can of food of day. Is this a good thing? Too much too little? :shrug:

He's been getting more playful and not sleeping as much. If the SPCA can't help for some reason I'll get that stuff mentioned above.

It's sad though, the only vet here, booked because of breeding season and my friends dog didn't have a chance.The dog had a broken leg from a car accident and yeah...no help.

Good luck with your kitty. I hope you can find some help at the SPCA or a rescue. I'm sorry your friend lost her dog.

He was really good last night but today his breathing is way worse. I'm going to try that lysine powder, and take him to a vet to get dewormed and maybe they'll have medicine for kennel cough or something.

Chelly,I hope you can get the kitten to see a vet,it must be very difficult when there are not enough vets.
We have one in every streetcorner it seems.
If his breathing is worse,it is an emergency,the vet in your area will just have to see him,if he has any heart at all.
I would bring him,never mind an appointment and insist he sees him:fingerscr

His breathing is getting better, but I don't want to risk it. I think I'm going to take a bus to the next town if they have room for appointments. Plus, I don't want him to infect the other kittens before I move into the new place.
As for his behavior, he is doing so well. He sleeps with me in bed, he's not scared to come visit me, stopped hiding. He eats lots too.
I hope the bus lets me take him. I was also informed that the SPCA just put down a bunch of kittens with the same sickness. So, I don't think they have the medicine.

Chelly,he sounds soo sweet,:pray:you can get him the help he needs..
If at all possible we like a pic and what about a name:cat: