# Two week old bottle kitten- constipated?



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

I have a 2 1/2 week old kitten I've been bottle-raising since the day she was born. Someone found her on their porch, most likely left by a feral cat, and when I got her she was still wet and had the umbilical cord attached.

Anyway, she's done really well and seems to have an incredibly huge will to survive. I syringe-feed her kitten milk replacer, mixed with a little goat milk.

I know about the potty thing (wiping her to help her to go) but several days ago, I noticed she was doing fine on her own - unloading on me pretty good a few times.

She got her eyes open a few days ago.

Anyway, she seems to be having a hard time pooping now. I've noticed very little in her box and very little has come off on the towel I keep between her and me.

It also looks like what she has been passing has been a little bit of liquid, mixed with a little blood.

After her last meal, her tummy got very hard and she was very fussy. I spent quite a bit of time stroking her and giving her tummy some gentle rubbing, which softened it up, and made her happy enough to purr, but still no poop.

Even though she's been pooping on her own, I went ahead and did the potty wipe thing but all I got was some pee.

I've got a couple of calls into vets but it looks like my regular vet is pretty much only available for after hour horse emergencies and the other two vets I've called haven't returned my call. It appears that the closest emergency vet is almost 100 miles away.

There is a vet not far from me who I have heard wonderful things about and they are open tomorrow but not available tonight.

I don't think this is a critical situation - at least, I hope it isn't - she seems to be sleeping peacefully at the moment - but I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me for the time being so that I might get her a little relief.

I am planning on taking her to the vet in the morning.

I looked up information on-line and my initial search doesn't turn up much for a kitten this young. One site suggested a little mineral oil; I don't have mineral oil on hand but I do have canola and olive oil.

Again, with her being so tiny (about six ounces), I want to be very, very careful.

Any help would be appreciated.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Katalax in the milk / 0.5 ml per feeding. Its a mild laxative used in hairball remedys.



"Katalax is a palatable blend of white soft paraffin , cod liver oil and malt extract that aids in the elimination of hairballs. "

Do you have a pet supply store near you ??


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

nancy237 said:


> Do you have a pet supply store near you ??


No. There isn't one even in this county.

Feed stores, yes, but that isn't a product that I've ever noticed on the shelf. Of course, they're all closed now anyway.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

She did just go poop a little bit and seems a little more comfortable.

I'm a little concerned about giving her much to eat until she gets herself cleaned out a little more.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

How is the kitten doing?


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

TJN66 said:


> How is the kitten doing?


She's sleeping right now but I'll be getting her up pretty soon to eat.

She did poop a little but I'm pretty sure it wasn't enough.

I found this interesting:



> Constipation and fecal incontinence can occur in tailless cats, such as the Manx, who have developmental deformities of the spine and incomplete enervation of the colon.


Cat Constipation: Causes and Remedies

This baby is a manx. She has no tail whatsoever. I've had manx before that had at least a stub of some kind; this baby doesn't even have that. She has nothing, not even a little bump.

Anyway, I will call the vet again in the morning. Even if she seems to be somewhat better, I need to know what to do for her when she needs something to get her cleaned out, especially if it turns out to be some chronic thing.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

You can add a little clear Karo syrup to the milk. This was a recommendation given me by my vet when I was bottle feeding kittens, and it worked like a charm.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

This is weird. I thought I had posted once or twice on here this morning, including a picture, but they're gone.

Anyway, I took her to the vet. She wasn't so much constipated as she was filling up with fluids.

Right away, the vet noticed a problem with the fact that her rectum and vulva were too close together.

So, she had genetic issues going on. He gave me about three different possible scenarios, all of them related to her being a manx, and none of them fixable.

I had to have her put to sleep. I just buried her down in the bottom goat pasture under the bay tree.


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

I am sorry to hear that the kitten didn't make it. It's always hard to lose one no matter how short their time with you. I hope you can b e comforted that she was loved & cared for in her short life.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

wanda1950 said:


> I am sorry to hear that the kitten didn't make it. It's always hard to lose one no matter how short their time with you. I hope you can b e comforted that she was loved & cared for in her short life.


Thank you.

You know, when I took her from that woman, I did so knowing that she was very tiny and very fragile, and in fact, I wasn't sure she would even survive the thirty mile drive home.

But I figured that if I could get her to the point of having her eyes open, then her chances of survival would be pretty good.

I didn't anticipate this.

I just hope I didn't prolong her suffering by thinking that a little kitten laxative and maybe an enema was all she needed.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Zilli said:


> I just hope I didn't prolong her suffering by thinking that a little kitten laxative and maybe an enema was all she needed.


Don't worry--you did the right thing. I know it's hard, but you actually rescued her from a lifetime of suffering. The problems Manx can have are often terminal, and reputable Manx breeders will never breed two completely tailless cats together for that very reason.


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## barnyardgal (Sep 21, 2009)

So sorry~~~so much time & effort go into caring for an orphan animal then loose them is heart breaking~~~


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Aww....I'm so very sorry..I went through something similar.
Adopted a manx kitten from someone on CL or Freecycle.....drove 30 some odd miles to get her...she was absolutely adorable. We had her for about 1 1/2 to 2 months before her issues starting manifesting. She was very incontinent...( one of the issues they get  ) she would come up and sit on your lap for cuddles and not be able to control her bladder....After researching the issue I had her put down as you did yours. It is such a sad thing....all because someone irresponsibly let their pets breed.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

So sorry for your loss.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

I'm so sorry. ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks for all the kind words.

I can't believe how much that funny little thing got into my heart in such a relatively short period of time.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

You always love the ones that you work the hardest on the most. Of course you get very attached to them. I'm so sorry you had to put her down, but you did what was best for her all along as far as I can see - you tried to save her, then, when you couldn't, you let her go. It's always hard.


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