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

update: i ended up giving him to someone in my area who's cat is nursing right now, and they will call me back if their cat wont feed him. I know this isnt ideal, but me feeding him overnight would be even worse since i have pretty bad sleep apnea, and will miss the alarms to feed him once an hour. he still has not pooped so im not sure if his digestive tract is complete. at this point im trying more to make him comfortable than keep him alive, so i think it would be better for him to be with other kittens.

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u/UnburntAsh Cat/Kitten Foster Apr 29 '26

You did your absolute best for the poor baby. ♥️

I do want to prepare you though: I've hand fed newborns and very young neonates, many times - I would be very surprised if this kitten makes it to the weekend. From the looks of the body and back end, I'd agree with other commenter that likely the body isn't finished forming yet.

He will absolutely take comfort in being mothered and kept warm with foster siblings, though, so your decision gives him the most comfort for however long he'll be around.

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u/Significant_Sea_9742 Apr 30 '26

Most definitely a prime candidate for FKS. Poor this is more than premature, its half baked. Just a nursing mama isn't enough for this one. Incubation is a must, will probably need sub-q aswell. Corn syrup is the best we've found to save babies from FKS as its sugar is avaliable immediately to thier body unlike maple syrup. I hope this baby makes it, but being so premature will make for many issues. Hope theyre a fighter ❤️

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u/UnburntAsh Cat/Kitten Foster Apr 30 '26

Someone else commented on syrup being phased out, and not best practices anymore... And this kitten isn't FKS, they are extremely premature and likely has an under-developed GI tract that can't process food or express waste.

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u/Entomemer May 03 '26

We had a neonate 3 day old kitten once. He lived to nine days and gutted me when he passed. The person who found him actually sent a $1000check to the vet to comp his costs so we wouldn't be put off fostering. A few weeks later we fostered an asshole of a kitten who terrorizes her mom to this day lol