I rescued this guy from the roadside yesterday. Can you guys help me determine it’s age? I’m at a very remote location with no easy access to a vet unfortunately…
Yeah that’s not a weaned cat. That kitten needs 24 hour care to survive. And even then, it’s iffy.
Way too young for you to wing it. Take it to a vet ASAP for evaluation and care instructions.
I was suspecting this. Will take him to the city to see a vet tomorrow…
Good on you for taking the baby in and even more for your willingness to get help. We had a crash course in neonatal kitten care ourselves. It’s scary how fast they can crash and you have no idea how long this one’s been without proper milk already.
BTW, definitely don’t give cow’s milk. It’s not only not helpful, it’s actually harmful. Kitten milk replacer is the only thing you can do right now. And these babies have to eat many times a day.
To be clear, definitely feed the kitten if you can’t get help until tomorrow or you will almost certainly lose it. The kitten lady advice is sound. You can get KMR powder and nipples/feeders at big-box pet stores. If none are around, you’re going to have to go to a 24/7 emergency vet. I can’t stress enough, you will probably lose the kitten otherwise.
I’ve been syringe- feeding him a mixture of lactose free, dehydrated milk, egg yolk and a little corn syrup for the meantime. I’m in a developing country and there isn’t really any infrastructure around pet care, unless in the capital city… I truly hope they have the KMR powder… I’ll embark on the journey with him tomorrow, but by the way he’s been drinking the mixture I’m more than confident he’ll make it trough the night.
That’s a great substitute. Very best of luck to you both!
Thank you too for your help, it means a lot :)
Check out the kitten lady’s website, she has a wealth of tips for taking care of orphaned kittens. She has a page specifically in determining age:
She also has an active youtube channel with lots of tips. I really can’t recommend her channel enough to people taking care if very young kittens with no mom.
Thanks! This is exactly what I needed
Awesome, glad I could be of help. Please keep us posted!
I just posted an update… He’s doing very well :)
Maybe a couple weeks old, if that.
Yep. Eyes are open, so it’s at least 10 days old, but doesn’t look to be too much older than that. This kitten will need to be bottle fed and stimulated to go to the bathroom. Kittenlady has a ton of info on her youtube
Poor baby :( so happy you rescued him
