Extremely Tiny/Undersized Kitten

[sunkisseddaisey]

I have an extremely undersized kitten , I completely at a loss as to why she is this small. We are undergoing testing to rule out and find the cause.
She literally stopped growing at about 1 week of age (she is 4 1/2wks old) but looks newborn .
we started bottle feeding her around 2wks old when she could not compete with her siblings. She is fed kmr ( nutri-cal 3x daily) we also started her on soft food (vet brand) , she still has no teeth or even nubs yet.
any ideas?

[sunkisseddaisey]

IIt was one of the hardest things I have had to do was having to say good bye to Lil Mouse , I loved her so much I have literally hours and hours of video of her trying her hardest to play, or being fed or just laying there purring , She truly touched my heart in her short little life and if there had been anyway to have fixed her medically I willingly would have paid , She was in so much pain in the end and then finding her internal body was growing like it should but her external body was not , It was to hard to bare knowing she was suffering so much and nothing to do to fix it and the outcome would inevitable be beyond cruel and painful we were left with only one choice and it was to send her to heaven where she can play with other kitties .. Because we loved her we had to let her go and we are so thankful their are people out there like you and everyone else with there kind comments that cared about her too. Thank you so much Everyone.

[sunkisseddaisey]

It really hit me hard losing her , she was so special and quirky and adorable with her silly little personality and the things she would do , she certainly opened a special place in my heart where she will always be , thank you all so much for caring about Lil Mouse , she really was special.

[Jade59]

Deeply sorry for your loss, honey.  (((Hugs)))

[Piparskeggr]

That is so sad, I along with the other folks here had hopes for Little Mouse.  Good on you for loving her.

[sunkisseddaisey]

Thanks it was hard to do but we did not want her suffering anymore than she was  , the vet and staff loved this Lil Mouse as well , they even cried when we all said our good byes but it was for the best for her , Its sad that this had to happen to any of gods creatures especially such a precious angel that touched our hearts so much.

[opus88]

I am so very sorry to read this...Lil Mouse became special to us all:( I guess sometimes deformities happen and these little ones just aren't able to overcome against such odds. I am glad you went ahead with the euthanasia and didn't allow this poor little girl to suffer any longer....she must have been in terrible pain...
again I am so sorry, so glad she had such special care in her short life...♥

[sunkisseddaisey]

It has been an extremely hard last few days , Lil Mouse has crossed the rainbow bridge, On Thursday she was unwell and had seizure after seizure and was not able to walk normal and was favoring the left side of her head like it was to heavy to hold up and she everytime I tried to feed her she would have a seizure , we took her to the vet again. Unfortunatly Lil mouse had not put on any weight not even a gram , her body was not growing but sadly her brain and insides were.. the seizures were caused by her brain continuing to grow while her skull was not we had to have her humanly euthanized as she was suffering , she was unconscious so never new what happened . We will always love her and never forget the little angel she was and cherish the time we had with her. Thank you everyone for all the support and care you gave Lil Mouse it will not be forgotten.

[opus88]

how is Lil Mouse doing?.....we would all enjoy an update b/c we are all pulling for this little girl.

found something interesting..have you heard of dwarf or teacup size cats? theres an article about them that I'll send you

http://messybeast.com/dwarfcats-randombred.htm

[sunkisseddaisey]

Thanks , yes she is definitely not a quitter she keeps on going !! which I am thankful for !!

[nursegirl6572]

I'm sorry to hear about 'Lil Mouse's seizure.  Boy, she sounds like a real fighter though!  Prayers continue for her!  

[sunkisseddaisey]

Just wanted to thank everyone and give them a little update.
We have been on phone all morning with out vet and talking with a specialist. Lil Mouse had a seizure on Saturday it was frightening watching her go through this , after she was unable to get mobile for about 5-6hrs.
they believe its narrowed done to hypothyroidism , or possibly liver shunt but leaning more towards the hypothyroidism as she really doesn't have any other symptons of a liver shunt. But again nothing is 100% without testing and she cant be tested until she is bigger .. its so hard to stand back and not know whats wrong so we can have it treated if it can be. at this time they can not give her anything to treat her. she is still only 4.6oz and hasn't gained anything since her last vet appointment. I am just at a loss with what to do as I want to do more than I am but how lol ..after her seizure and when she was able to move again (5-6hrs) she sat up yawned and then started attacking my finger i love her just so much!! I want her to have a good life whether its only a short bit or if we are blessed a long bit :)

[AppleBr]

Praying and sending tons of love to you and Lil Mouse, she's already one of our babies at MH...
No suggestions about tiny cats since mines are exactly the opposite since 3 m.o :-)

[nursegirl6572]

Lil Mouse......perfect name!

Keep on truckin' lil mouse!  With a kitty mama like you've got, you'll have no trouble pulling through!  <3

[CML2014]

Here's the thing. Just because Lil Mouse is tiny does not have to mean she Is on deaths door, right. She seems to be thriving with your meticulous car, so my suggestion was to find a Teaching school in your area and see if they can help with a diagnosis. They may have seen this before and know it is not something to worry about as long as she is an indoor only cat.

Who knows if she continues to thrive, and you have found some info on how to deal with this, she could be a new Breed---"Lil Mouse".
I would love a little precious Mouse of my own.
Just thinking out loud--I have a way of going off into tangents, LOL!

Waiting for some grown-up pictures of Mouse, so keep us posted.

CML

[sunkisseddaisey]

Thanks everyone , it is a lot of work but everything deserves a chance at life and be loved and cherished right :) Mouse does require a lot of attention but I find I love spending time caring for and mothering her though I am very tired most days lol I was hoping our vet would refer her to a clinic that stay consists of only specialist but we have not as of yet , I don't mind paying the money and what if there is a chance to fix this and even if there is not its something one should know anyways .

[Piparskeggr]

I've no advice, but would like to echo the sentiments of the other folks applauding your efforts.

People who care for the most vulnerable amongst us are my biggest heroes.

[CML2014]

  AWWWWWWW!  What a great name for your baby!

Ya know my Tabby, Meezy, has no teeth either and she doesn't miss them. They were removed to cure her Stomatitis. So sometimes teeth are just overrated.  Meezy eats everything even little kibble bits. Cats really only need teeth to hunt and fight.  Lil Mouse will not be doing any of that so she will make out just fine .

I was thinking, you may want to contact the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School or another teaching institution . I am sure Lil Mouse would be very welcomed. Her condition may even be known by them and they could help you find answers. Not all vets would know about this condition, but their professors would, don't you think.

For her formal wear, might want to try the cotton gloves sold in drug stores for bedtime hand cream users. You may even be able to get her little legs into the finger part....well just a thought, LOL!

Keep those pictures coming--I think I want a little "Mouse" of my own!!

Give Lil Mouse a Big kiss from Meezy and me.
CML

[sunkisseddaisey]

We have named her Lil Mouse , she is currently 6 weeks old and weighs 4.6 oz , unfortunately because of her size she is unable to wear sweaters like her other sphynx friends and the little baby socks we cut into sweaters do not fit her yet either, but fingers crossed she grows a little more and they will fit. I appreciate such kind people here it really helps knowing there are others that care, we keep her well feed (every two hours still with KMR, nutri-cal and she eats soft food when ever she desires, still no teeth yet. her favorite things are snuggling her rice socks (heated) and eating. she has the cutest purr. I am so very attached to her , the vets will not be able to do blood tests until she is 1 lb and I have no idea when that will happen could be a very long time. Im glad she has other people also rooting for her she can use all the love she can get!! :)

[CML2014]

Hi Sunkissed,

Well this little girl is just precious.....and it seems like she is in very good hands. Being loved and cared for by her human mom hopefully will help her thrive. Even the vet is stumped , so you just have to take it one day at a time. You are certainly doing all you can and I can imagine how the waiting is making you crazy.

All you can do is what you are doing, the rest is out of your hands I am afraid. Sphinxes are a difficult breed to deal with because of their inability to maintain heat. Once she gets past this slump --and I sure hope she does--she is going to grow into a gorgeous little princess Sphinx!

Try buying a little flannel coat for   her in addition to the heating pad. This will help keep the warmth confined.

You MUST let us know how your little girl is doing, once her tests come back. I think she has won herself a "Fan Club" . When she is out of the woods --because I am sending positive vibes--you must send us some photos of her..please?

Praying for you and your baby,
CML

[nursegirl6572]

Oh my goodness!  I just saw your pic!  Bless the little baby!  Goodness, she looks like a creature from outer space!  What do the normal sized kittens look like (I'm not familiar with that breed).

I hope and pray you and your vet can come to a conclusion soon and decide what's best for the baby.  God love you for trying so hard to do whatever it takes.  Does she have a name?

Please come back and update the thread...I'll be thinking of that little girl!

[sunkisseddaisey]

I should mention she is exactly 5 wks old but is 4..0 oz just a tiny bit more than a newborn kitten , she is a Canadian Sphynx kitten.

[sunkisseddaisey]

We feed every 2 hours with kmr , plus the nutri-cal , she also is kept heated as she can not retain heat, If we are late in feeding her it goes very badly for her and she goes lethargic , cold ,unresponsive so we have to feed her 2hrs apart no later, She was weighed 4.2oz but is now 4.0 oz even though she is constantly being fed and now eats soft food as well. the vet feels it could be a few things possibly pituitary dwarfism, liver shunt etc we will find out tomorrow but I keep feeling like we are fighting a fight that only has a bad ending , I just dont know what to do honestly that I haven't already tried to do and its hard waiting to find out what could be wrong.

[wonko]

Last summer I took on a bottle baby--a kitten that still needed to be bottle fed with KMR.  Our vet had us feed him every 3-4 hours, even during the night, and we also had to express him (help him go #1 and #2).  The vet estimeated that the kitten was about 4-5 weeks when we found him.  So, I guess I'm a bit surprised it sounds like you only need to bottle feed 3x per day?  Maybe try increasing how often you offer the KMR?  It sounds like you have a vet helping you though, so that might be better advice than what we can offer!