Sunday I got a call from Knuckles' foster home that he wasn't doing so well, so I picked him up on Monday a.m. in Ithaca. He had just broken with a pretty serious upper respiratory, and has lost weight. He seems to have overcome the dehydration, but can't smell well enough to eat as much as he ought, so has to be fed by syringe (Science Diet a/d and turkey baby food). I've got him in our guest room (having just moved the last batch of kittens out of our Cats-Are-Off-Limits-Great-Room into the cat facility now that they are big enough).
He's pretty bony, but has a lot of spunk still. He was sitting on my knee tonight and suddenly decided he'd rather be on my shoulder. You wouldn't think a seven-week old kitten who only weighs a scant pound and is lacking certain bones in his front legs could leap up to your shoulder without warning, but that's right where he went.
He's tucked in for the night now. He's such a cutie. Amazing personality.
Note for future foster home packages: Include emergency rations for if kittens should fall ill, plus a syringe. A/D is wonderful stuff, and has kept a lot of kittens on this side of the life line.
Skinniness aside, he's only about half the size of his littermates. Poor Knuckles!
Post Note: His littermates, who were also in the same foster home, are doing great. They have no signs of illness, so I'm sure Knuckles--being a special needs kitten and tiny to start--just had a lowered immune system that made him more susceptible to catching something. Thank you, G and T, for taking care of them all!
5 comments:
Poor wee Knuckles. Give him some chicken soup (for the cold), and a kiss on the head from me. Chicken soup optional, of course.
No chicken soup. :) Too much sodium. He's doing good this morning. He's a grown up cat in a kitten's body. Silly boy.
Good luck, Knuckles. Or should I say, continued, good luck seeing as you were lucky enough to land in the care of some of the best in the business!
When we first got our Smudge, he was suffering from "Store Stress". He decided that eating and drinking were not for him. In the week we had him home, he went from 2lbs 14 oz to 2lbs 9oz. We took him to the Vet and had to leave him there overnight. Even the Vet did not know if he would pull through.
Smudge made it through the night and started to eat after the Vet gave him A/D. The Vet said that it stands for Almost Dead. He said that Cats who have given up the will to live and have stopped eating can't seem to resist this food. It got him eating again. It was so sad when we picked him the next day. The Vet had to shave his throat so that they could find a vein large enough for the IV.
OMG. A/D = "Almost Dead" I am laughing so hard I'm sure I woke up my husband. That is so true.
Post a Comment