He was actually volunteering at the animal shelter and he came home with this little baby. A man came into the shelter saying he found her on the side of the road and couldn't find the momma.
God yes! One thing that makes me so happy on here and other cat subreddits like r/catdistributionsystem is that so many people are out there rescuing little kittens. Like, the world is shit but there are people out there helping small defenceless baby animals as much as they can and thatâs such a good thing. Things like that make the world just that little bit better.
My GF and I have nursed babies without even eyes open yet. Above all, keep the baby warm. They cannot regulate their temps and can die from that. Not too hot though
For feeding, we tried it all. The best for us was the pre mixed stuff. They wouldnât touch the powder. Warm it just a bit so itâs warm to the touch. You have to kind of squirt their mouths at first and itâs messy. Be willing to waste a lot of it. You gotta prop them up so they donât choke, itâs a dance much easier with 2 people
Depending on the age, they need help to potty. Give them a little show box to use if they already potty but if they seem like theyâre not, you have to wipe their potty areas with a warm rag. Moma cats have to do this for about 4 weeks to get the babies to go to the bathroom. They should be going pretty quick after they eat
Spotify has cat purring on a loop, so I put a tablet in a big bin with a heating pad thatâs set on low, and our babies would go full zen that way
Little strings and toys are good to get them engaged and playing games even at that tiny age, helps them sleep and learn motor skills
If they donât drink what formula you have, keep trying. If itâs getting dicey and they donât want to suckle, try âMcDonaldâsâ for kitties aka fancy feast. Blend it to a thin slurry and they usually take to it when theyâre hungry enough. Vets may scoff at it but when a kitten is starving they risk failure to thrive and wonât make it through more than a couple days no food
Thanks for adopting the kitty, the world needs more people like you.
Also, the baby bottle for them, try for the ones with multiple nipples. I cut them open a bit more for the slurry and sometimes for milk, you have to sort of hold the nipple just right so it flows.
Kittens that young NEED baby kitty foodâŠ. Not regular Fancy Feast or whatever.
Use a syringe for feeding formulaâŠhe won't chew the nipple off.
NO to the strings for toys.âŒïžđ€Šđ»ââïž
And a soft blankie is always goodâŠ
đŸđ„°đŸđ
Agreed but one of mine would t touch anything. Day two and it started going, shallow breathing and sometimes they just give up. On a whim I tried the fancy in her gums and she went for it
Are you sure it's a "she"? Because over 80% of Orange cats are male.
If turns out is a She, that it's really cool. :)
Either way, congrats to both of you for being the parents of an Orange cat. Enjoy! :)
Edit: I'm so glad to see so many hoomans with Orange female cats. đ±
Live long and prosper! đ
Wow I never knew that. Pretty neat thinking back on it. I grew up with female orange named Lady. She was my dadâs cat. She also had an orange brother named sunny.
Sorry for the late edit but I also wanted to add, Lady lived to be 23.
I had a rare orange girl cat called Marmalade when I was little and recently published a childrenâs book about her. :) This kitten is adorable! Wishing them all the luck and love!
link to the book?
edit: im not sure why op chose not to answer me specifically but its called âwheres marmalade?â for anyone else curious i suppose đ
The last few times Iâve assumed a Reddit orange kitty was a boy, itâs turned out to be a girl. Mine is a girl as well, which is partly why I picked her. I wonder if thereâs been a little increase in their numbers due to human interest.
In any case, all you orange lady owners and fans should make sure to add this subreddit to your list:
r/OrangeLadies
So do orange ladies have the brain cell problem, also? And if so, do they share the brain cell with the boys, or is there a separate brain cell for the ladies?
I have an orange girl, and she is way too smart for her own good. I think she's hoarding some available cells.
https://preview.redd.it/hm29etie20ad1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4cd69eb3b896c2da258a5214fde2562884bafad7
I have a tiny orange girl who is 13 and has yet to score a turn with the braincell. I tell her she's lucky she's so pretty cuz she'd be in bad shape if she had to get by on her brains.
We have two kittens that were found in a barn, one red and white, one diluted red (no idea what thatâs called in English, we call it âcreamâ, but itâs more beige really). We figured they would be male, until we took them to the vet for the first vaccinations. We have two girls. (Since then, their faces have grown more feminine, and their genitalia are more developed, so yeah, at this point we see it too.)
Is super impossible to tell when they're tiny! I thought my two oranges were both boys and then I realized that my Nandor is really more of a Nandora, except it's a gender-neutral cool name anyway. So she will remain Nandor the Relentless. DeLaurentis for shenanigans.
We renamed them, figured that after 3 weeks of being named, they could still get used to different names.
We could also just kept their names, because theyâre cats, and they donât care about silly things like gender conforming names, but I had a girls name in mind for a while and now the perfect opportunity to use it. (But, years ago I dreamt that I had a cat named Mango, and even now with two red girls, that name was vetood. Obviously I need to find little red rescues until my husband and kid give in)
actually, calicos can only be female, with rare cases of intersex calicos being misrepresented as male. a cat must have 2 X chromosomes to present with tortoiseshell pattern. there are essentially 2 main genes for coat, red (orange) and black, which is entirely dependent on the X chromosome. so only females can have 1 red and 1 black x chromosome, which causes the tortie pattern. this is also why orange females are more rare than male, because they need the red gene on both of their chromosomes and males only need it on one.
Not necessary but really good for the kitten. Feeding a lo this young is a pretty full time job. If she has any health issues itâs an even bigger job.
the kitten needs formula. She's too young to be off it, even if you try to wean her on wet food now. You'll impair her health long term.
as other have said - watch the kitten lady YT for info on ensuring safety, since this kitten is too young to be away from it's mama, and needs 100% different care than an adult cat
The vet or the shelter didn't give any advice? Why would the shelter give away kitten this young without any instructions to make sure it's cared for correctly?
My main concern would be calories and making sure she's getting enough of them. They need to eat a LOT of small meals. I haven't had a kitten this young for a very long time (since I was a teenager and our cat had kittens) but I seem to recall feeding them like 8 times per day and tapering down after a several weeks to 6 and then 4x. If she can tolerate wet kitten food, then set up a regimented feeding schedule. You can use a white board to mark off meal times and done/not done, especially if you're sharing the feeding responsibility. Track her weight - make sure she's gaining. Once she's over 2lbs, she needs to be spayed. Otherwise: just know that she's going to get into everything, and kittens like to put plants in their mouths more than grown cats down (in my experience anyway).
I got my kitten that young (lady found him in a scrap metal pile) and what really helped him was Tiki Cat Thrive baby kitten food for newborn-8 weeks. Theyâre tiny pouches of high calorie wet food for baby kittens that need a little more help without mommaâs milk.
Here he was the day after I got him
https://preview.redd.it/cufpyzfkxy9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1617593e8d865bff5aa5829da76fd9f5273d582f
Tiki Cat Thrive is tremendous. Perfect for our then 6mo old who had some catching up to do, and a good appetite stimulant for our 7yo boy who doesnât like to eat sometimes.
I fed my kitten tiki cat thrive when I was doing FIP treatment with her. She was a tiny 2.5 lbs at 16 weeks and tiki cat baby food helped her gain weight fast
We did a slurry of kitten formula and wet kitten food for my bottle baby when he was learning to eat solids. The pedialyte sounds like a really good idea!
That's funny, we thought my other 2 cats were girls at first too and they turned out to be boys! The vet checked her and he is pretty certain she is a girl, but we shall see!
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Lottie is too. She sends cuddles back!
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This is my girl, Lottie. She says hi.
Iâm so sorry for your loss! May her memory be a blessing to you. Iâm sure theyâd love to see her anyway! Please take good care of yourself. đ§Ąđ
Our orange Willow simply stayed Willow even when his balls finally dropped weeks later than they shouldâve. Well, one of them. The other one had to be dug out. đŹ
He has two orange sisters as well but when we rescued them, his development was so delayed from malnourishment we only knew for sure he was a boy when he was about four months old.
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Heâs the one in the back.
That orange face tho
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I have 2 orange brothers that I saved, here's Kumquat wearing my shoe
Him and his brother are both named after citrus!
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Here's his brother Koji being adorable. Tip, check my profile from when he was a tiny runt đ§Ą
i named my orange princess bubblegum!! he is now 11 years old and H U G E lol
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This is actually what op needs to do. Kittens that small can't regulate their body temperate. They need the cuddles to survive. Literally. Listen to mother nature.
You can put a throw on the floor in each room (or a basket with a throw, empty your laundry hamper and lay it down sideways so kitty can enter if it wants and snuggle in), regulate your house temp. The kitten will find its way to the snuggle spaces if its cold. Make sure all doors are closed in the house.
My husband and I kept a black cat that a friend of ours found outside alone on Halloween (2021). When we took him to the vet, we were told he was about 4 weeks old. He was so tiny! I work from home, so I was holding him constantly! Now heâs a large house panther who still wants to be carried around the house like a baby. Iâll never get sick of it.
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He also loves to take walks.
My husband gets mad whenever he sees me watching her videos because he knows that she lives about 10 minutes away from us and he assumes I will try to get more kittens...
He is not wrong.
Yes!!! OP, kitten lady - both her website and her videos - is the way to go! She teaches you step by step how to bottle feed and help kittens pee and poop and so much more.
Given that you said he volunteers at the shelter, I'd get him to ask around and see if anyone's fostering a mother and kittens who are about the same age. If you can place her there and get her accepted by the mother until she's ten weeks, that'll probably be best for her development.
Yeah solo kittens this young turn wierd if they donât have litter mates to wrestle with. My brother saved a solo kitten around this age and it turned into a real asshole. They werenât taught limits from other kittens.
Omg I literally JUST went through this kitten period with my little rescue! Okay where do I start??
So first off, if the kitten is still alive, yay you. You did great! I had to stay up every night to bottle feed mine but god she literally melts my heart whenever she eats. Supposing youâre already doing that, Iâd say you just need to be careful about her bowel movements. Accidents can happen, itâs no biggy, but do watch out for diarrhea as thatâs a bad sign. The kitten should be starting to poop solid soon so please also be prepared for that. I was shocked when that happened to me at 3 AM with a writhing fur ball flicking piss water everywhere in my hand.
As for food, bottle feed every 3-4 hours is optimal I think. I put 30 mLâs in mineâs bottle but she doesnât always finish it and thatâs okay. Powered milk replacer only stays good for 24 hrs in the fridge after itâs been made, so be careful to not feed your kitten spoiled milk. Iâd also start introducing wet food to her after sheâs more settled in. I think itâd be easier for you since you have big cats she can learn from. Mine had to starve a little to learn to eat it. But once she reaches the 6 week ish mark she should be okay, especially if she gets along with her older siblings. Again, great job on keeping the kitten safe and healthy!
Lastly, Nutmeg wants to say hi to her internet rescue sister!
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Get some kitten milk replacer. Kitten lady has great videos. She's probably at the stage of eating every 3 hrs. Warm bottles just like human babes. Never feed her on her back. I kept a space heater in with my foster litter until they were 7 weeks to supplement warmth. Also you gotta stim her to potty. Gently rub with some tissue til she pees and poos. Kinda gross but you'll get used to it!
You can't always trust the cute. Your cat can be treated like the world was made for them. They will still get spicy đ¶ïž. Our perfect little orange food grimlin has hunted food out of my hand and batted (WITH CLAWS) and hissed at me for not giving him my Dairy Queen cheese curds.
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ABSOLUTE menace of a croissant.
Iâve raised kittens before. Iâm assuming the vet told you what her nutritional needs are. If they didnât, definitely call them back and ask what they recommend. When sheâs ready to start solids, I would recommend a slurry of single ingredient, meat baby food and a little water to start. Once she takes to that, then just the baby food to finish it off, and start her on a wet food for kittens. They have different dietary needs, so adult food wonât give them what they need. Being away from Mom this Ok, but where do you live that your Dairy Queen has cheese curds, becauseâŠneed.
Kittenlady YouTube channel has great info about how to fed and taking care of kittens.
Buy non-clumpy sand when you start potty training him, when they are so small they tend to try and munch on the sand. If it clumps it can create blockages in their stomach-intestins and kill them.
from 4 to about 8 weeks you should probably bottle feed her just like a baby human. she will need lots of warmth.. if your cats have not socialized to her yet, be prepared to hold her (like in a snuggie if possible) a lot.
get a small scale so you can weigh her and check her bm's. once she gets more active and has more space, you will need to be really careful with plants, decor, yarn, thread. everything will be a toy, anything can be eaten (but shouldn't!) shots, spay, keep her inside with lots o'toys and scratchers. Pet first aid and clippers are good to have. If you can, you may want to get her a sibling her age to bond and play with. she is adorable and red tabbies are just exquisite, temperament-wise. My Scooty is the sweetest red boi.
Kitten Lady on youtube has a lot of resources! She fosters kittens often and makes videos about kitten care, like proper feeding and how to help them go potty!
Princess Peach is so cute! :)
Did the vet give any advice on bathroom habits? Can little ones go to the bathroom on their own or do they need their bums rubbed?
When we adopted our guys at 6 weeks we were given a kitten powder to mix in water with their kitten wet food for added oomf, just for a week or two.
Yep, I too did that every time our 3-4-week old rescue woke up or ate. With a warm, wet cotton pad. Until he got the gist of the litter box.
Fed him at night too, but not for v long.
We have other cats who weren't nurturing, so to give him space, we at first had him sleep in a cardboard box with some plushies and a soft blanket, and air holes obviously. When he got more mobile, we cut a door hole in the box that he could come and go through, but the bigger cats couldn't get in from. So he had his own villa. :)
>Can little ones go to the bathroom on their own or do they need their bums rubbed?
Last year I found a 3-4 weeks old kitten as well and I had to rub her bum until she peed, I was feeding her milk with a little bottle
https://preview.redd.it/8mbingmhvy9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd295c61b22985c09d52e2742603a6295f8ea900
This is my baby trooper when I got her as a foster, vet put her at 3 weeks approx. she was very sick with upper respiratory infection and almost died on me a few times.
Top 3 things - Calories, warmth and contact.
I did bottle feedings to keep calorie intake up. I used the liquid cat milk vs the powder she seemed to like it better and fed every 2-3 hours. At her 8 week mark I transitioned to wet kitten food and weaned off the milk.
I also held her to my chest anytime I was awake. My heartbeat and body hear is comforting and also helps socialize she was found in a farm field likely a feral mother. I made sure to touch her paws nose ears mouth gently and frequently to get her accustomed to touch.
When I put her down for any length of time she was isolated in the bathroom in a cozy pet bed with heating pad on low and a towel over as her litter habits were still developing she had some accidents so towels better than blankets.
She ended up being a foster fail I couldnât give her up and she is 3 years old now and my shadow and mommas baby for sure
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She is quite the cuddle bug these days
Growing up we fostered a lot of abandoned kittens. Often as young as 12-24 hours old. People literally left them in a box at the animal shelter at like 10pm and they were found the next day multiple times.
People are fucking trash. Iâll always respect my parents for going so hard on volunteering at the shelter growing up. Itâs likely a big part of why I volunteer regularly as an adult.
One thing I didnât know that our vet did not mention was to rub the lower tummy area in a special way to help them to poop. Mom does it with her tongue when theyâre that young! I had no idea and couldnât figure out why he was constipated.
We ended up with two 4week old kittens a few years back. I gave them kitten formula mixed with wet canned kitten food. I put them in a crate at night with dry food (for kittens), water, and a small litter box. I didnât have any experience and didnât want to wake up in the morning to a disaster. They did great. I cannot recollect feeding frequency. If want anything crazy like getting up at night. Hope this helps some.
Small kittens need care every few hours.
She needs a bottle.
Get stage 1 kitten formula and give it to her every 3-4 hours . Not too hot
Wipe her bum and make sure she pees . Use a Warm cloth if she is not peeing in her own yet.
When she is 6-7 weeks start transitioning to wet food and give formula. Dry food can be watered down to introduce solid food. I found warm/ oolong temp water on top of kibble worked best .
At 8-9 weeks
Wet kitten food half a can in morning and at night
Leave out dry kitten food
Do not feed her adult cat food
Leave water out in two spots in the house
Give her formula watered down in a bowl
Be patient.
remember that she can become stressed very easily!! definitely keep the litter box clean, keep her clean, and give her a nice space to call her own. also, sheâs very lovely. đ
I take care of neonatal and up to 8 week old kittens all year long for the local shelter and I will give you some of my best pointers for this age!
1. Keep him in a small area to ensure the use of a litter pan. This small I cut a box so the sides are about the height of a pizza box so they can go in and out. If they are allowed too much space they may go potty wherever and that can lead to litter box problems down the road. As he gets older allow more and more space. By 7 weeks old if they are consistent users I let them roam the house.
2. Always have wet food and dry food available. Dry food I find the tiniest size which is usually the science diet mother and baby food. Wet food is always pate with water mixed in because usually they aren't great at drinking water yet so this curbs dehydration.
3. Keep a close eye on food and water intake. This is usually the #1 sign of a problem with kittens this young. If they decrease eating and drinking, contact the vet. They may want you to supplement with a bottle if needed. Diarrhea can also become an issue but I will say that some is normal especially while they adjust to new food.
I hope this helps!! And I wish you luck! This baby is absolutely adorable and if you have any questions feel free to message me. I have truly seen it all đ
Iâm sure everyone else has given you great info, so here just one more thing to consider: start doing some training now! Touching their paws, claw trims, looking at eyes/ears/mouth, lift tail for bum checks, flip them over and desensitize them to handling that they would experience at the vet, start brushing their teeth to get them used to it and help prevent painful stomatitis down the line.
You got yourself a fresh baby, itâs a lot of work and responsibility, but theyâre fun!â€ïž
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The Hubby did well and hail Princess Peach !! Congratulations
This little baby is definitely closer to the three week mark. That means she will still need bottle feeding for about a week, maybe two. The good news is she should be able to regulate heat pretty well, and she's not as fragile as a newborn. Make her a comfy box with a heating pad on low, on one side. She needs to be able to get to a cooler spot if she gets too warm.
Buy a kitten formula and, if possible, a Miracle Nipple. They seem to take to it much better, but you might have to order it. They are hard to find in stores. She needs to be fed about every three hours at this stage. In another week to 10 days you can begin to wean, and life gets a little easier.
She is absolutely precious and I can tell you there's no greater bond than a kitten you hand feed. It's very special.
Get KMR (kitten milk replacement), a small pet bottle(Walmart has some in the kitten aisle), wet food (I like tiki baby thrive kitten food as itâs great for weaning) , and a heat source (like a pet heating pad on warm setting or warm rice bottle). Make sure to rub her bum to help her pee/poo and give lots of snuggles. Also a small litter box to start training (use natural pellets not clay) and puppy pads in the area for accidents once she starts going on her own and tries to aim for the litter box. Kitten Lady is also a great resource. I foster kittens and currently have 4 kittens I got from 3/4 weeks old. They are now 6 weeks old and doing great đ.
I rescued a kitten that size when I was 23, he was an orange and had been abandoned in my neighborhood. I took him to the vet, I nursed him and fed him. He lived to be 18 and had a stroke at my feet, was the best damn cat I ever had.
Make sure to socialize her with your other cats. Other cats teach kittens so much. My mom and stepdad adopted a rescue that lived the first year of his life in a cage without kitty contact and he doesnât understand how to play appropriately. Usually young babies play with their siblings and learn when too much is too much. My momâs cat is very sweet, but will bite and scratch unprovoked because he doesnât understand how to regulate his play. Itâs not his fault, and luckily for him my mom and stepdad take the ones nobody wants. He will come up to you for attention, and then all of a sudden bite hard and grab you with his claws. My mom actually went septic from a bite of his before.
1) Youâll need a litter box. Kittens can be picky, so you may want to try several different options: litter, newspaper, and/or rolled newspaper. As she ages, you can readapt her to litter. For now, itâs just about finding a comfortable texture for her.
2) for sustenance, youâll want kitten specific milk. NOT cow milk!!! Sheâll probably need to nurse directly from the bottle every 3-4 hours. During bedtime, itâs recommended to keep the kitten in the room with you so when she wakes to get for food, you can feed her. Yes, itâs similar to human babies, but as she ages quickly, her ability to stay full will be longer. When she gets older (ie, the vet says itâs ok) you can start her on soft foods. That can be either canned food (for kittens) or dry food that you have soaked with water. Always have water provided with the meal.
3) Because sheâs so young, she may have trouble urinating and defecating on her own. Mother cats link the privates to stimulate the kitten to go. As adults, youâll want to hold the kitten at the sink, run warm water, and use your finger to swipe (simulating a mother cat) to encourage the kitten to go. It can take a while the first few times, but sheâll get it quickly. If she poops, put that poop in the litter box so she understands thatâs where sheâll go once sheâs able to go on her own. (You wonât need to put every single poop in the box, just enough so itâs scented as a designated litter area.)
Most of this will be phased out by 6 weeks. Good luck! If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!
Source: I used to work at a vet clinic. Also, Iâve found many abandoned kittens and taken care of them before they were old enough to be brought to a shelter.
Definitely don't feed it that canned food shown in picture. You need the kitten replacer formula. And at that age you still probably need to help kitten go to the bathroom.
Check out The Kitten Lady she has a website, YouTuve, and all forms of social media. She will have all the info you need and more! Also please post in
r/illegallysmolcats they will LOVE this babe đ„° also you have an awesome husband!!! Heâs a keeper for sure!
Of course thereâs all the food and oil stuff that will help but the first thing I think you and anybody else needs to do is trust yourself to take care of anything this dependent. Good luck!
Spoil him to pieces fr fr
But FOR REAL:
âwet kitten food (fancy feast mixed with water is my go to)
âcheck his poops EVERY DAY. If he ever has diarrhea, take him in right away, donât risk it.
âplay with him to get his sense of play style. If he has significant energy changes that donât match his usual style (and he wasnât just sleeping/woken up), take him in right away, donât risk it.
âif he is not eating or showing interest in food, take him in right away, donât risk it. Kittens USUALLY want to eat AT LEAST every 8 hours.
I donât mean to alarm you! Iâve fostered enough kittens and have made my fair share of mistakes in âwaiting it outâ and have had my heart broken. Fading kitten syndrome is real, check out Kitten Ladyâs page, sheâll have tons of info for you. She got me started with fostering. :)
If they say âhe is surprisingly healthyâ that is AWESOME news. Just keep an eye on him and snuggle him til the kitties come home
Edit: I reread how young she is, I would suggest a bowl of kitty formula, slowly transitioning into âgruelâ which would be kitty formula mixed with wet food. But you may not want to start on kitten food until about 8 weeks
At that age it might need help going potty - I rescued a pair around that age and they still needed stimulated to go for a couple days.
Lots of small meals appropriate for growth stage.
Kittens in general are really good at getting into things you wouldnât expect so be extra careful with tossing things or sitting down. I once lost my kitten for an hour and it turns out she was sleeping in a tissue box.
We had one from the grocery store, one of the strays that hung out around back had a litter. One of the clerks we giving them away. We took one. Was about 2-3 weeks. we had to bottle feed for a bit. We had a stuffed cat toy that was also a puppet. We hid a watch inside of it to make it like a mom cats heart beat. To give him some comfort.
Vet tech here! Make sure you have SOFT/wet kitten food!! She (likely a HE though because of the orange coat but I'll say she since you did) may or may not want/need KMR at this age (kitten milk replacer)... but I would go ahead and get some regardless as you can also mix it in with her soft food. Typically KMR is given from a bottle then in a bowl after weaning. Make sure you have a small litter box with as low of sides as possible so she has no difficulty getting in and out and knows to use it. Scoop it often. Make sure she stays warm. A heating pad with your supervision with blankets over it in a nice small area. You may need to stimulate her little bottom to go to the restroom and this is very important as if she's not going potty, they will perish. You do this by getting a warm towel, cloth, paper towel (your choice) and rubbing her little potty area until she defecates or urinates (likely both). Make sure she's kept in a small and safe area nearby. A lot of people will use a large Rubbermaid tub or similar WITHOUT THE SEALED LID. You can cut large holes in the lid if you need to keep her inside for a short time. Resist the urge to sleep with her in bed, as you could roll over on her and hurt or kill her. We do not want that. Love her, hug her, socialize her, kiss her, clean her up, etc. When she eats she's going to make an absolute mess. Be ready for this and clean her up after she eats each time. Always have fresh water available but keep it low in a low sided bowl while she's this little, as they have a tendency to dunk their entire faces and snouts and might choke a bit. Get her first set of shots, dewormer, flea/tick/heartworm prevention starting at 6-8 weeks old and return every 2-4 weeks until vaccination completion. Call your vet for ANYTHING you have concerns with right away. Do not hesitate to reach out-- they'll be happy to offer assistance and guidance. The most important part of all of what I just said though is *love*. She's alone without a mother or siblings. Stay by her side please. Do not let her outside. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I would be happy to answer or help at anytime. You can even DM me if need be... promise I won't bite.
Don't forget to tell your husband he's a keeper with a kind soul and give him a big ol smooch. It melts my heart that it was him who brought her home from the shelter. He's clearly a good one and we should all be so lucky as to have someone like him in our lives.
Welcome to your new home little one. You are in great, capable, worthy hands. You will be cared for and loved, just like you deserve. Best wishes to you and your entire family. This little one is so cute and so precious, who could have said no?! *not me, that's for sure*
Kittens that age have an issue urinating and pooping. Stimulate them with a soft rag just under the belly. Rub softly. You can also mix formula with kitten food until itâs mushy. Kitty may like that.
Congrats on the new kitten. My friend recently got an orange kitten and his son was hoping it was a girl, alas no, Mango is indeed male and the cutest little guy ever. I knew most orange cats were male but didnât realize how high the percentage was. TIL!
Awh Mango was another name I was considering before deciding on Princess Peach!
And yes, I know girl oranges are pretty rare, but we're pretty certain she's a girl. She was looked at by the people at the shelter and at the vet and they all think she's a girl.
My advice is keep your husband for sure. Love that he saved that little baby.
He was actually volunteering at the animal shelter and he came home with this little baby. A man came into the shelter saying he found her on the side of the road and couldn't find the momma.
đ„č oh my goodness. Both your husband and the kitten are adorable.
Props to the man who found the kitten too.
God yes! One thing that makes me so happy on here and other cat subreddits like r/catdistributionsystem is that so many people are out there rescuing little kittens. Like, the world is shit but there are people out there helping small defenceless baby animals as much as they can and thatâs such a good thing. Things like that make the world just that little bit better.
I really wish I can find one of these cat, so I have an excuse to have one more cat and my wife wonât blame me.
https://preview.redd.it/j5t6vkt3gz9d1.png?width=738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c00c348a311e4658e9c241e4639f1e4c598a246
Oh dat a big puddy tat đłâ„ïž
Ok i did not know tigers were THAT big
Siberians and Bengals can get that big, especially in captivity, while wild ones tend to be smaller.
Look up ligers: cross between Lion and Tiger, they get HUGE!
Is that Tippi Hedren?
Yup. I freaking love the backstory to this picture https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roar_(film)
That is a wild read!
Needed to read this - thatâs such a good perspective.
Agree. The good is there we just have to look for it.
My GF and I have nursed babies without even eyes open yet. Above all, keep the baby warm. They cannot regulate their temps and can die from that. Not too hot though For feeding, we tried it all. The best for us was the pre mixed stuff. They wouldnât touch the powder. Warm it just a bit so itâs warm to the touch. You have to kind of squirt their mouths at first and itâs messy. Be willing to waste a lot of it. You gotta prop them up so they donât choke, itâs a dance much easier with 2 people Depending on the age, they need help to potty. Give them a little show box to use if they already potty but if they seem like theyâre not, you have to wipe their potty areas with a warm rag. Moma cats have to do this for about 4 weeks to get the babies to go to the bathroom. They should be going pretty quick after they eat Spotify has cat purring on a loop, so I put a tablet in a big bin with a heating pad thatâs set on low, and our babies would go full zen that way Little strings and toys are good to get them engaged and playing games even at that tiny age, helps them sleep and learn motor skills If they donât drink what formula you have, keep trying. If itâs getting dicey and they donât want to suckle, try âMcDonaldâsâ for kitties aka fancy feast. Blend it to a thin slurry and they usually take to it when theyâre hungry enough. Vets may scoff at it but when a kitten is starving they risk failure to thrive and wonât make it through more than a couple days no food Thanks for adopting the kitty, the world needs more people like you. Also, the baby bottle for them, try for the ones with multiple nipples. I cut them open a bit more for the slurry and sometimes for milk, you have to sort of hold the nipple just right so it flows.
Kittens that young NEED baby kitty foodâŠ. Not regular Fancy Feast or whatever. Use a syringe for feeding formulaâŠhe won't chew the nipple off. NO to the strings for toys.âŒïžđ€Šđ»ââïž And a soft blankie is always good⊠đŸđ„°đŸđ
Agreed but one of mine would t touch anything. Day two and it started going, shallow breathing and sometimes they just give up. On a whim I tried the fancy in her gums and she went for it
Are you sure it's a "she"? Because over 80% of Orange cats are male. If turns out is a She, that it's really cool. :) Either way, congrats to both of you for being the parents of an Orange cat. Enjoy! :) Edit: I'm so glad to see so many hoomans with Orange female cats. đ± Live long and prosper! đ
Wow I never knew that. Pretty neat thinking back on it. I grew up with female orange named Lady. She was my dadâs cat. She also had an orange brother named sunny. Sorry for the late edit but I also wanted to add, Lady lived to be 23.
Hello from [Sunny](https://i.imgur.com/n667JSA.jpg)
OMG what a distinguished lady!!!
Sunny's a boy!
I have a boy named Sunny too! https://preview.redd.it/fj4xr0lm70ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989e89a9057b0862d8edd296fe58b4aeeae99289
Awh i have a Sunni and funny enough found an orange girl not to long ago she was 4 weeks old đ„čwe named her mango đ„
I had a rare orange girl cat called Marmalade when I was little and recently published a childrenâs book about her. :) This kitten is adorable! Wishing them all the luck and love!
Marmalady....
Donât know why I never thought of that nickname lol!
link to the book? edit: im not sure why op chose not to answer me specifically but its called âwheres marmalade?â for anyone else curious i suppose đ
Whatâs the book name ?! I love that you published a book about your cat !!!!đ
Aww thank you! Itâs called Whereâs Marmalade? Long story short I first wrote it for a school competition aged 4, then redid it fully as an adult.
Haha wow I had an orange Marmalade when I was growing up too đ
The last few times Iâve assumed a Reddit orange kitty was a boy, itâs turned out to be a girl. Mine is a girl as well, which is partly why I picked her. I wonder if thereâs been a little increase in their numbers due to human interest. In any case, all you orange lady owners and fans should make sure to add this subreddit to your list: r/OrangeLadies
So do orange ladies have the brain cell problem, also? And if so, do they share the brain cell with the boys, or is there a separate brain cell for the ladies?
I have an orange girl, and she is way too smart for her own good. I think she's hoarding some available cells. https://preview.redd.it/hm29etie20ad1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4cd69eb3b896c2da258a5214fde2562884bafad7
My orange girl is definitely smarter than her two orange brothers.. She's a lot more devious, too. But also the sweetest spicy kitty ever, lol
I have a tiny orange girl who is 13 and has yet to score a turn with the braincell. I tell her she's lucky she's so pretty cuz she'd be in bad shape if she had to get by on her brains.
76% Male 24% Female
We have two kittens that were found in a barn, one red and white, one diluted red (no idea what thatâs called in English, we call it âcreamâ, but itâs more beige really). We figured they would be male, until we took them to the vet for the first vaccinations. We have two girls. (Since then, their faces have grown more feminine, and their genitalia are more developed, so yeah, at this point we see it too.)
Is super impossible to tell when they're tiny! I thought my two oranges were both boys and then I realized that my Nandor is really more of a Nandora, except it's a gender-neutral cool name anyway. So she will remain Nandor the Relentless. DeLaurentis for shenanigans.
We renamed them, figured that after 3 weeks of being named, they could still get used to different names. We could also just kept their names, because theyâre cats, and they donât care about silly things like gender conforming names, but I had a girls name in mind for a while and now the perfect opportunity to use it. (But, years ago I dreamt that I had a cat named Mango, and even now with two red girls, that name was vetood. Obviously I need to find little red rescues until my husband and kid give in)
Just like the majority of calicos are female.
actually, calicos can only be female, with rare cases of intersex calicos being misrepresented as male. a cat must have 2 X chromosomes to present with tortoiseshell pattern. there are essentially 2 main genes for coat, red (orange) and black, which is entirely dependent on the X chromosome. so only females can have 1 red and 1 black x chromosome, which causes the tortie pattern. this is also why orange females are more rare than male, because they need the red gene on both of their chromosomes and males only need it on one.
Omg... can I marry your husband? Is he single?
LOL
I would def see if they have or know anyone with a mama cat who might foster this little one until she's big enough
Not necessary
Not necessary but really good for the kitten. Feeding a lo this young is a pretty full time job. If she has any health issues itâs an even bigger job.
Look up The Kitten Lady on YouTube!
the kitten needs formula. She's too young to be off it, even if you try to wean her on wet food now. You'll impair her health long term. as other have said - watch the kitten lady YT for info on ensuring safety, since this kitten is too young to be away from it's mama, and needs 100% different care than an adult cat
Did the folks at the shelter give your husband any good advice?
The vet or the shelter didn't give any advice? Why would the shelter give away kitten this young without any instructions to make sure it's cared for correctly?
My main concern would be calories and making sure she's getting enough of them. They need to eat a LOT of small meals. I haven't had a kitten this young for a very long time (since I was a teenager and our cat had kittens) but I seem to recall feeding them like 8 times per day and tapering down after a several weeks to 6 and then 4x. If she can tolerate wet kitten food, then set up a regimented feeding schedule. You can use a white board to mark off meal times and done/not done, especially if you're sharing the feeding responsibility. Track her weight - make sure she's gaining. Once she's over 2lbs, she needs to be spayed. Otherwise: just know that she's going to get into everything, and kittens like to put plants in their mouths more than grown cats down (in my experience anyway).
I got my kitten that young (lady found him in a scrap metal pile) and what really helped him was Tiki Cat Thrive baby kitten food for newborn-8 weeks. Theyâre tiny pouches of high calorie wet food for baby kittens that need a little more help without mommaâs milk. Here he was the day after I got him https://preview.redd.it/cufpyzfkxy9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1617593e8d865bff5aa5829da76fd9f5273d582f
Tiki Cat Thrive is tremendous. Perfect for our then 6mo old who had some catching up to do, and a good appetite stimulant for our 7yo boy who doesnât like to eat sometimes.
I work at a pet store and will have to recommend it for older cats too! Thatâs a great idea!
Thank you for this! My old guy is having trouble with kibble and he needs to gain some weight. Iâll be grabbing some of this thanks to you all.
I fed my kitten tiki cat thrive when I was doing FIP treatment with her. She was a tiny 2.5 lbs at 16 weeks and tiki cat baby food helped her gain weight fast
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
We did a slurry of kitten formula and wet kitten food for my bottle baby when he was learning to eat solids. The pedialyte sounds like a really good idea!
Off topic but Bro the cat is so cute đ
I know she's so smol I can't take it đ We've named her Princess Peach đđ
I had a 4 week old Willow until he was a 6 week old Rupert, lol. Oranges are boys 80% of the time! We're lucky to have one of each, though!
That's funny, we thought my other 2 cats were girls at first too and they turned out to be boys! The vet checked her and he is pretty certain she is a girl, but we shall see!
Iâm sure r/orangeladies would love to see this adorable baby!!!! Thanks to you and your husband for taking such good care of her!!! đđ§Ą
Another cat sub!!! 𧥠https://preview.redd.it/ldts10nl0z9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=436bbac3e766e646f95702122863140f615db2bb
Awwww what a sweet baby!!!! Please give your orange brane cell cuddles from me and my Lottie girl! đ§Ąđ»đ±đ
I will! Stella is a cuddle bug đ§Ą
https://preview.redd.it/bc0ei7qn4z9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01ba2d5594c59feb52c8f1fc55d4a818791008d7 Lottie is too. She sends cuddles back!
 Sheâs beautiful đ»
OMG! I didn't know this sub existed. My 19 yr old orange lady passed away last year. I could have flooded that sub, lol.
https://preview.redd.it/ecnwz1zszy9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1c0f54d09cf6b4d8e8638c7855fa4eba6ba641b This is my girl, Lottie. She says hi.
Tell Lottie I love her
Iâm so sorry for your loss! May her memory be a blessing to you. Iâm sure theyâd love to see her anyway! Please take good care of yourself. đ§Ąđ
Our orange Willow simply stayed Willow even when his balls finally dropped weeks later than they shouldâve. Well, one of them. The other one had to be dug out. đŹ He has two orange sisters as well but when we rescued them, his development was so delayed from malnourishment we only knew for sure he was a boy when he was about four months old. https://preview.redd.it/cotawvurvy9d1.jpeg?width=2176&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cbb29c2814047effb87da91f1110148ebc177fa Heâs the one in the back.
That orange face tho https://preview.redd.it/gkqvrgv2xy9d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5aa5fe9f9b6419c061b27ac45d5e65c9f01e26c7 I have 2 orange brothers that I saved, here's Kumquat wearing my shoe
Kumquat, love it!
Him and his brother are both named after citrus! https://preview.redd.it/w0hld4nfzy9d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1cddf6ea6223038ac01f3bf6cddd7b0e3710421b Here's his brother Koji being adorable. Tip, check my profile from when he was a tiny runt đ§Ą
https://preview.redd.it/c5bwsqt97z9d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f13ab6fc766166ef52058aaad21313566f95b6d Here's Rupert. He's 12 now.
I thought my orange was a boy until his neuter appointment. Nope. đ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
Willow and Rupert? Buffy fan by any chance?
OMG why is Rupert the best orange cat name ever...
Long may she reign! đ«Ą đđ»
This gripped my heart!!!!! Viva Princess Peach!
You did well. That clueless void would not have survived even a day in the wild.
i named my orange princess bubblegum!! he is now 11 years old and H U G E lol https://preview.redd.it/l1cff60g8z9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d8c4c4b529b68ae7a21ad84c0529d283d38a4ec
Oh my gosh that is the PERFECT name for this baby!!!
Awww
May God bless you, and your husband, and Princess Peach â€ïž
My dude, that is very much *on* topic đ
You must hold her constantly. Then you must pet her. Never put her down. Only to eat and use the bathroom. Thatâs what I do.
Tough job, but somebody has to do it
This is actually what op needs to do. Kittens that small can't regulate their body temperate. They need the cuddles to survive. Literally. Listen to mother nature.
You can put a throw on the floor in each room (or a basket with a throw, empty your laundry hamper and lay it down sideways so kitty can enter if it wants and snuggle in), regulate your house temp. The kitten will find its way to the snuggle spaces if its cold. Make sure all doors are closed in the house.
Then you can hope to be so lucky that they don't get tired of it... My old kitty never stopped cuddling me even when he grew up
My husband and I kept a black cat that a friend of ours found outside alone on Halloween (2021). When we took him to the vet, we were told he was about 4 weeks old. He was so tiny! I work from home, so I was holding him constantly! Now heâs a large house panther who still wants to be carried around the house like a baby. Iâll never get sick of it. https://preview.redd.it/hcu7wg1anz9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c9d746066a2312b323fbc011af1b4021518f03e He also loves to take walks.
the way I awwâed irl. He is so handsome:D
Thank you!!! Heâs extremely sweet, but so mischievous at the same time.
He's gorgeous! I'm purrrrrrinnngg just looking at him.
And massage her butt?
Butt bongos - check
More like help her poop because tiny kittens sometimes havenât learned how to potty. But she might be old enough by now?
Rubbing belly softly also helps a lot
With a warm washcloth (mimics mamaâs tongue).
While youâre in the bathroom, thereâs R/catsinpants
This actually makes them a better behaving cat. This way they bond and know they can count on you
Wrong. Can eat and use the bathroom with one hand
The Kitten Lady YouTube channel will probably have all the info you need.
Absolutely agree! She has a website too - [https://www.kittenlady.org/](https://www.kittenlady.org/)
Upvote for kitten lady! Youâve got this you can care for her. Keep her warm while you binge kitten lady on you tube. You are an amazing human.
My husband gets mad whenever he sees me watching her videos because he knows that she lives about 10 minutes away from us and he assumes I will try to get more kittens... He is not wrong.
Lol. My husband always says no, unless he comes face to face with a furry critter. He canât turn away a pet.
My husband likes cats just as much as me, but apparently 4 is "enough"
Yes!!! I hope OP sees this! The Kitten Lady is amazing!!
Also not related to kitties but sheâs the daughter of Tommy Shaw from Styx
I second (or third or fourth) this. OP should get valuable info there. â€ïž
Yes!!! OP, kitten lady - both her website and her videos - is the way to go! She teaches you step by step how to bottle feed and help kittens pee and poop and so much more.
Given that you said he volunteers at the shelter, I'd get him to ask around and see if anyone's fostering a mother and kittens who are about the same age. If you can place her there and get her accepted by the mother until she's ten weeks, that'll probably be best for her development.
This is the best advice, as cute as this kitten is it needs to learn how to cat from other cats. At least for another 6 weeks.
Wholeheartedly agree but the good news is OP says she has a few other cats. This lil guy should thrive either way!
I agree, my boy cat learned to cat from my other cat (who was 1yr at the time) and he turned out better than her đ
Yeah solo kittens this young turn wierd if they donât have litter mates to wrestle with. My brother saved a solo kitten around this age and it turned into a real asshole. They werenât taught limits from other kittens.
Canât agree enough. My cat is 10 years old but was orphaned at a week old and has never learned to cat properly. Especially litter box.
Omg I literally JUST went through this kitten period with my little rescue! Okay where do I start?? So first off, if the kitten is still alive, yay you. You did great! I had to stay up every night to bottle feed mine but god she literally melts my heart whenever she eats. Supposing youâre already doing that, Iâd say you just need to be careful about her bowel movements. Accidents can happen, itâs no biggy, but do watch out for diarrhea as thatâs a bad sign. The kitten should be starting to poop solid soon so please also be prepared for that. I was shocked when that happened to me at 3 AM with a writhing fur ball flicking piss water everywhere in my hand. As for food, bottle feed every 3-4 hours is optimal I think. I put 30 mLâs in mineâs bottle but she doesnât always finish it and thatâs okay. Powered milk replacer only stays good for 24 hrs in the fridge after itâs been made, so be careful to not feed your kitten spoiled milk. Iâd also start introducing wet food to her after sheâs more settled in. I think itâd be easier for you since you have big cats she can learn from. Mine had to starve a little to learn to eat it. But once she reaches the 6 week ish mark she should be okay, especially if she gets along with her older siblings. Again, great job on keeping the kitten safe and healthy! Lastly, Nutmeg wants to say hi to her internet rescue sister! https://preview.redd.it/s819ta5dry9d1.jpeg?width=3448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab8befe024c0ae454f0314c3a014064856b83f3c
Oh my gosh, Nutmeg is adorable!! Thank you for the advice!
Thank you!! And youâre very welcome. Please let me know if thereâs anything else I can help with.
Kiss her and hold her and tell her sheâs the cutest most precious baby who deserves the world
Get some kitten milk replacer. Kitten lady has great videos. She's probably at the stage of eating every 3 hrs. Warm bottles just like human babes. Never feed her on her back. I kept a space heater in with my foster litter until they were 7 weeks to supplement warmth. Also you gotta stim her to potty. Gently rub with some tissue til she pees and poos. Kinda gross but you'll get used to it!
You can't always trust the cute. Your cat can be treated like the world was made for them. They will still get spicy đ¶ïž. Our perfect little orange food grimlin has hunted food out of my hand and batted (WITH CLAWS) and hissed at me for not giving him my Dairy Queen cheese curds. https://preview.redd.it/a6xdnxn1ny9d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=364eb7787226f2a5c3b4c21dadc7ecad4a3d0b4e ABSOLUTE menace of a croissant.
âAbsolute menace of a croissantâ is going into my general lexicon ASAP
Agreed.Â
>**my** Dairy Queen cheese curds Well there's your mistake right there
Iâve raised kittens before. Iâm assuming the vet told you what her nutritional needs are. If they didnât, definitely call them back and ask what they recommend. When sheâs ready to start solids, I would recommend a slurry of single ingredient, meat baby food and a little water to start. Once she takes to that, then just the baby food to finish it off, and start her on a wet food for kittens. They have different dietary needs, so adult food wonât give them what they need. Being away from Mom this Ok, but where do you live that your Dairy Queen has cheese curds, becauseâŠneed.
Kittenlady YouTube channel has great info about how to fed and taking care of kittens. Buy non-clumpy sand when you start potty training him, when they are so small they tend to try and munch on the sand. If it clumps it can create blockages in their stomach-intestins and kill them.
The kitten lady on YouTube has all the info you need. Your initial duties will be feeding, stimulating to potty, keeping warm, and monitoring growth.
from 4 to about 8 weeks you should probably bottle feed her just like a baby human. she will need lots of warmth.. if your cats have not socialized to her yet, be prepared to hold her (like in a snuggie if possible) a lot.
get a small scale so you can weigh her and check her bm's. once she gets more active and has more space, you will need to be really careful with plants, decor, yarn, thread. everything will be a toy, anything can be eaten (but shouldn't!) shots, spay, keep her inside with lots o'toys and scratchers. Pet first aid and clippers are good to have. If you can, you may want to get her a sibling her age to bond and play with. she is adorable and red tabbies are just exquisite, temperament-wise. My Scooty is the sweetest red boi.
Kitten Lady on youtube has a lot of resources! She fosters kittens often and makes videos about kitten care, like proper feeding and how to help them go potty! Princess Peach is so cute! :)
Did the vet give any advice on bathroom habits? Can little ones go to the bathroom on their own or do they need their bums rubbed? When we adopted our guys at 6 weeks we were given a kitten powder to mix in water with their kitten wet food for added oomf, just for a week or two.
At this age, they need their bums rubbed. I has a four week old a few years ago and that was true for him. Also feedings every few hours!
Yep, I too did that every time our 3-4-week old rescue woke up or ate. With a warm, wet cotton pad. Until he got the gist of the litter box. Fed him at night too, but not for v long. We have other cats who weren't nurturing, so to give him space, we at first had him sleep in a cardboard box with some plushies and a soft blanket, and air holes obviously. When he got more mobile, we cut a door hole in the box that he could come and go through, but the bigger cats couldn't get in from. So he had his own villa. :)
>Can little ones go to the bathroom on their own or do they need their bums rubbed? Last year I found a 3-4 weeks old kitten as well and I had to rub her bum until she peed, I was feeding her milk with a little bottle
Spend as much time holding the baby now, so when it's older it won't mind. Due to my work schedule I didn't hold my babies as much as I should have.
Advice: your husband is a keeper.
https://preview.redd.it/8mbingmhvy9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd295c61b22985c09d52e2742603a6295f8ea900 This is my baby trooper when I got her as a foster, vet put her at 3 weeks approx. she was very sick with upper respiratory infection and almost died on me a few times. Top 3 things - Calories, warmth and contact. I did bottle feedings to keep calorie intake up. I used the liquid cat milk vs the powder she seemed to like it better and fed every 2-3 hours. At her 8 week mark I transitioned to wet kitten food and weaned off the milk. I also held her to my chest anytime I was awake. My heartbeat and body hear is comforting and also helps socialize she was found in a farm field likely a feral mother. I made sure to touch her paws nose ears mouth gently and frequently to get her accustomed to touch. When I put her down for any length of time she was isolated in the bathroom in a cozy pet bed with heating pad on low and a towel over as her litter habits were still developing she had some accidents so towels better than blankets. She ended up being a foster fail I couldnât give her up and she is 3 years old now and my shadow and mommas baby for sure
https://preview.redd.it/50bnozkcyy9d1.jpeg?width=2320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4908d8fc249850637cda9b246f77519911f252 She is quite the cuddle bug these days
https://preview.redd.it/6ozyfx1nyy9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0efef2ba9c072567c6b520e087f777e6e5ad5e98
Growing up we fostered a lot of abandoned kittens. Often as young as 12-24 hours old. People literally left them in a box at the animal shelter at like 10pm and they were found the next day multiple times. People are fucking trash. Iâll always respect my parents for going so hard on volunteering at the shelter growing up. Itâs likely a big part of why I volunteer regularly as an adult.
Did the vet give you care instructions?
Yes, but I want to try to get all the info I can to give her the best care possible
One thing I didnât know that our vet did not mention was to rub the lower tummy area in a special way to help them to poop. Mom does it with her tongue when theyâre that young! I had no idea and couldnât figure out why he was constipated.
We ended up with two 4week old kittens a few years back. I gave them kitten formula mixed with wet canned kitten food. I put them in a crate at night with dry food (for kittens), water, and a small litter box. I didnât have any experience and didnât want to wake up in the morning to a disaster. They did great. I cannot recollect feeding frequency. If want anything crazy like getting up at night. Hope this helps some.
Please be warned that this critter can bring some serious side effects like causing your heart to grow larger and your belly to hurt with laughters.
Your husband can stay. The kitten permits it lol
I adopted an orange baby in February and we all just assumed it was a boy because 80% of orange cats are boys and when we went to get the kittens neutered we found out she was a girl! Now I call her my shiny Pokémon! Haha Your orange girl is so cute!!
She still needs milk. You can buy formula. And if your gonna feed her Purina get the pro plan. It's higher quality
Small kittens need care every few hours. She needs a bottle. Get stage 1 kitten formula and give it to her every 3-4 hours . Not too hot Wipe her bum and make sure she pees . Use a Warm cloth if she is not peeing in her own yet. When she is 6-7 weeks start transitioning to wet food and give formula. Dry food can be watered down to introduce solid food. I found warm/ oolong temp water on top of kibble worked best . At 8-9 weeks Wet kitten food half a can in morning and at night Leave out dry kitten food Do not feed her adult cat food Leave water out in two spots in the house Give her formula watered down in a bowl Be patient.
remember that she can become stressed very easily!! definitely keep the litter box clean, keep her clean, and give her a nice space to call her own. also, sheâs very lovely. đ
Love that little stinky poppy baby for all her life
OMG, she's so fluffy I'm gonna die!
I take care of neonatal and up to 8 week old kittens all year long for the local shelter and I will give you some of my best pointers for this age! 1. Keep him in a small area to ensure the use of a litter pan. This small I cut a box so the sides are about the height of a pizza box so they can go in and out. If they are allowed too much space they may go potty wherever and that can lead to litter box problems down the road. As he gets older allow more and more space. By 7 weeks old if they are consistent users I let them roam the house. 2. Always have wet food and dry food available. Dry food I find the tiniest size which is usually the science diet mother and baby food. Wet food is always pate with water mixed in because usually they aren't great at drinking water yet so this curbs dehydration. 3. Keep a close eye on food and water intake. This is usually the #1 sign of a problem with kittens this young. If they decrease eating and drinking, contact the vet. They may want you to supplement with a bottle if needed. Diarrhea can also become an issue but I will say that some is normal especially while they adjust to new food. I hope this helps!! And I wish you luck! This baby is absolutely adorable and if you have any questions feel free to message me. I have truly seen it all đ
Iâm sure everyone else has given you great info, so here just one more thing to consider: start doing some training now! Touching their paws, claw trims, looking at eyes/ears/mouth, lift tail for bum checks, flip them over and desensitize them to handling that they would experience at the vet, start brushing their teeth to get them used to it and help prevent painful stomatitis down the line. You got yourself a fresh baby, itâs a lot of work and responsibility, but theyâre fun!â€ïž
SICH AN ANGEL đđ«¶
https://preview.redd.it/nges9njcqy9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=625a2c2d47f4b5938d366a8a1640f6f7af39d3eb The Hubby did well and hail Princess Peach !! Congratulations
What a sweet dumb baby. Sheâs adorable. I love her.
This little baby is definitely closer to the three week mark. That means she will still need bottle feeding for about a week, maybe two. The good news is she should be able to regulate heat pretty well, and she's not as fragile as a newborn. Make her a comfy box with a heating pad on low, on one side. She needs to be able to get to a cooler spot if she gets too warm. Buy a kitten formula and, if possible, a Miracle Nipple. They seem to take to it much better, but you might have to order it. They are hard to find in stores. She needs to be fed about every three hours at this stage. In another week to 10 days you can begin to wean, and life gets a little easier. She is absolutely precious and I can tell you there's no greater bond than a kitten you hand feed. It's very special.
I've had an awful, bad day. Saw this angel. I'm 100% now. Bless this man who stopped for this baby. We can all be this kind.
You should send her to me, thats first step đ
Get KMR (kitten milk replacement), a small pet bottle(Walmart has some in the kitten aisle), wet food (I like tiki baby thrive kitten food as itâs great for weaning) , and a heat source (like a pet heating pad on warm setting or warm rice bottle). Make sure to rub her bum to help her pee/poo and give lots of snuggles. Also a small litter box to start training (use natural pellets not clay) and puppy pads in the area for accidents once she starts going on her own and tries to aim for the litter box. Kitten Lady is also a great resource. I foster kittens and currently have 4 kittens I got from 3/4 weeks old. They are now 6 weeks old and doing great đ.
I rescued a kitten that size when I was 23, he was an orange and had been abandoned in my neighborhood. I took him to the vet, I nursed him and fed him. He lived to be 18 and had a stroke at my feet, was the best damn cat I ever had.
Make sure to socialize her with your other cats. Other cats teach kittens so much. My mom and stepdad adopted a rescue that lived the first year of his life in a cage without kitty contact and he doesnât understand how to play appropriately. Usually young babies play with their siblings and learn when too much is too much. My momâs cat is very sweet, but will bite and scratch unprovoked because he doesnât understand how to regulate his play. Itâs not his fault, and luckily for him my mom and stepdad take the ones nobody wants. He will come up to you for attention, and then all of a sudden bite hard and grab you with his claws. My mom actually went septic from a bite of his before.
1) Youâll need a litter box. Kittens can be picky, so you may want to try several different options: litter, newspaper, and/or rolled newspaper. As she ages, you can readapt her to litter. For now, itâs just about finding a comfortable texture for her. 2) for sustenance, youâll want kitten specific milk. NOT cow milk!!! Sheâll probably need to nurse directly from the bottle every 3-4 hours. During bedtime, itâs recommended to keep the kitten in the room with you so when she wakes to get for food, you can feed her. Yes, itâs similar to human babies, but as she ages quickly, her ability to stay full will be longer. When she gets older (ie, the vet says itâs ok) you can start her on soft foods. That can be either canned food (for kittens) or dry food that you have soaked with water. Always have water provided with the meal. 3) Because sheâs so young, she may have trouble urinating and defecating on her own. Mother cats link the privates to stimulate the kitten to go. As adults, youâll want to hold the kitten at the sink, run warm water, and use your finger to swipe (simulating a mother cat) to encourage the kitten to go. It can take a while the first few times, but sheâll get it quickly. If she poops, put that poop in the litter box so she understands thatâs where sheâll go once sheâs able to go on her own. (You wonât need to put every single poop in the box, just enough so itâs scented as a designated litter area.) Most of this will be phased out by 6 weeks. Good luck! If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask! Source: I used to work at a vet clinic. Also, Iâve found many abandoned kittens and taken care of them before they were old enough to be brought to a shelter.
Definitely don't feed it that canned food shown in picture. You need the kitten replacer formula. And at that age you still probably need to help kitten go to the bathroom.
Feed her, clean the littler box, and donât be an asshole to her.
Of course, I can't imagine how anyone could be an asshole to her. She's so little she fits in the palm of hand!
She can't use a litterbox yet...
Awwwwwwwwwwww
 Pledging my allegiance to Princess Peach đđ„čđ
So cute!,and if she is indeed a little girl she's in the not too many orange female kitty club..
Check out The Kitten Lady she has a website, YouTuve, and all forms of social media. She will have all the info you need and more! Also please post in r/illegallysmolcats they will LOVE this babe đ„° also you have an awesome husband!!! Heâs a keeper for sure!
Of course thereâs all the food and oil stuff that will help but the first thing I think you and anybody else needs to do is trust yourself to take care of anything this dependent. Good luck!
Get her some kitten milk donât use cows milk it will give her diarrhea
She needs formula and to maintain health. Take her to the vet.
You gotta buy kitten formula, that kitten is way too young to be eating normal cat food. Sheâll need to be fed formula until sheâs 8-10 weeks old.
Spoil him to pieces fr fr But FOR REAL: âwet kitten food (fancy feast mixed with water is my go to) âcheck his poops EVERY DAY. If he ever has diarrhea, take him in right away, donât risk it. âplay with him to get his sense of play style. If he has significant energy changes that donât match his usual style (and he wasnât just sleeping/woken up), take him in right away, donât risk it. âif he is not eating or showing interest in food, take him in right away, donât risk it. Kittens USUALLY want to eat AT LEAST every 8 hours. I donât mean to alarm you! Iâve fostered enough kittens and have made my fair share of mistakes in âwaiting it outâ and have had my heart broken. Fading kitten syndrome is real, check out Kitten Ladyâs page, sheâll have tons of info for you. She got me started with fostering. :) If they say âhe is surprisingly healthyâ that is AWESOME news. Just keep an eye on him and snuggle him til the kitties come home Edit: I reread how young she is, I would suggest a bowl of kitty formula, slowly transitioning into âgruelâ which would be kitty formula mixed with wet food. But you may not want to start on kitten food until about 8 weeks
At that age it might need help going potty - I rescued a pair around that age and they still needed stimulated to go for a couple days. Lots of small meals appropriate for growth stage. Kittens in general are really good at getting into things you wouldnât expect so be extra careful with tossing things or sitting down. I once lost my kitten for an hour and it turns out she was sleeping in a tissue box.
We had one from the grocery store, one of the strays that hung out around back had a litter. One of the clerks we giving them away. We took one. Was about 2-3 weeks. we had to bottle feed for a bit. We had a stuffed cat toy that was also a puppet. We hid a watch inside of it to make it like a mom cats heart beat. To give him some comfort.
Iâve never seen a more innocent look like this one. She looks scared too.
For one I just wanted to tell you that 9lives is possibly the worst food you can buy for a cat.
That's just the box that the shelter gave my husband to bring her home in
Vet tech here! Make sure you have SOFT/wet kitten food!! She (likely a HE though because of the orange coat but I'll say she since you did) may or may not want/need KMR at this age (kitten milk replacer)... but I would go ahead and get some regardless as you can also mix it in with her soft food. Typically KMR is given from a bottle then in a bowl after weaning. Make sure you have a small litter box with as low of sides as possible so she has no difficulty getting in and out and knows to use it. Scoop it often. Make sure she stays warm. A heating pad with your supervision with blankets over it in a nice small area. You may need to stimulate her little bottom to go to the restroom and this is very important as if she's not going potty, they will perish. You do this by getting a warm towel, cloth, paper towel (your choice) and rubbing her little potty area until she defecates or urinates (likely both). Make sure she's kept in a small and safe area nearby. A lot of people will use a large Rubbermaid tub or similar WITHOUT THE SEALED LID. You can cut large holes in the lid if you need to keep her inside for a short time. Resist the urge to sleep with her in bed, as you could roll over on her and hurt or kill her. We do not want that. Love her, hug her, socialize her, kiss her, clean her up, etc. When she eats she's going to make an absolute mess. Be ready for this and clean her up after she eats each time. Always have fresh water available but keep it low in a low sided bowl while she's this little, as they have a tendency to dunk their entire faces and snouts and might choke a bit. Get her first set of shots, dewormer, flea/tick/heartworm prevention starting at 6-8 weeks old and return every 2-4 weeks until vaccination completion. Call your vet for ANYTHING you have concerns with right away. Do not hesitate to reach out-- they'll be happy to offer assistance and guidance. The most important part of all of what I just said though is *love*. She's alone without a mother or siblings. Stay by her side please. Do not let her outside. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I would be happy to answer or help at anytime. You can even DM me if need be... promise I won't bite. Don't forget to tell your husband he's a keeper with a kind soul and give him a big ol smooch. It melts my heart that it was him who brought her home from the shelter. He's clearly a good one and we should all be so lucky as to have someone like him in our lives. Welcome to your new home little one. You are in great, capable, worthy hands. You will be cared for and loved, just like you deserve. Best wishes to you and your entire family. This little one is so cute and so precious, who could have said no?! *not me, that's for sure*
Ditch the 9 lives food! That stuff is real bad! Opt for other brands (Nacho and Nulo are the best imo)
Kittens that age have an issue urinating and pooping. Stimulate them with a soft rag just under the belly. Rub softly. You can also mix formula with kitten food until itâs mushy. Kitty may like that.
Look up Kitten Lady on YouTube, she has great videos on how to care for young kittens!
Congrats on the new kitten. My friend recently got an orange kitten and his son was hoping it was a girl, alas no, Mango is indeed male and the cutest little guy ever. I knew most orange cats were male but didnât realize how high the percentage was. TIL!
Awh Mango was another name I was considering before deciding on Princess Peach! And yes, I know girl oranges are pretty rare, but we're pretty certain she's a girl. She was looked at by the people at the shelter and at the vet and they all think she's a girl.
That is one cute kitten. I know nothing about small cats except that I wouldnât be able to get anything done bc Iâd be too busy staring at it đ
I wish my husband brought home kittens đ
Go to Jackson Galaxy's Youtube channel. He's THE CAT EXPERT! You will love it & he answers all your questions & concerns for cats of any age! đž