My cat won't nurse her weak kitten. How can I help it survive?

Question

My cat is not feeding her 4 week old kitten she had 2 but 1 died last night her breasts are very swollen with white nipples kitten is weak I've been feeding him replacement milk every hr but he is still weak and mom won't even go to him. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 1 year old

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Some kittens don't make it no matter what we do to help them out, and some cats are just not cut out to be moms. There is also the possibility that there is a congenital internal defect. If the kitten is very weak and won't suckle from the nipple or a bottle, you can try to slowly syringe the kitten milk replacer, but there is an increased risk of it going into his lungs and causing aspiration pneumonia. If this doesn't work, you should take the kitten to get checked out by a vet. The vet can show you how to safely tube feed the kitten to get its proper nutrition. Make sure that the kitten is staying warm and clean, and that you are stimulating urination and bowel movements. Here is a good article on raising orphan kittens: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576

My cat won't nurse her weak kitten. How can I help it survive?

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