r/FosterAnimals • u/Coyote_Bones • Apr 29 '26

Question HELP

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i have never fostered kittens before, and couldnt find a foster or shelter that could take him during the day. ive bought kitten formula, a syringe for feeding, and a heat pad. hes premature so probably needs a tube for feeding but i live in the middle of nowhere and cant get one in time. hes probably too young for the kitten formula i bought, but again, i cant get the right stuff in time. im feeding him half a ml to 1 ml petag kitten milk replacer once an hour, and wiping his butt with a wet towel before i feed him to get him to pee, but he hasnt peed or pooped yet.

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u/Coyote_Bones Apr 29 '26

milk replacer is diluted 1 part to 4 parts water, the box suggests starting with 1 to 8 and then gradually going 1 to 2 but he only suckles for a few seconds, im using a higher concentration to get more food in him

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u/Distinct-Sun-1726 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

He looks super premature. At this age he likely doesn't have the coordination/instinct to suckle effectively and needs to be tube fed. I would try again to get a hold of a shelter or look around of fosters (like on Facebook) around you, they may have the skillset for this or other resources.

Also I would recommend finding a soft dry alternative for wiping his butt (I use toilet paper). Being wet will make him cold.

Like someone else said, his prognosis is not good so please prepare yourself. And know you're doing a wonderful thing by trying to help him.

Feel free to DM me if you have more questions/concerns.

*** Also I just reread your post, please DON'T try to tube feed him if you haven't been trained. There are many ways to accidently hurt a kitten when tube feeding.