Fading Kitten Syndrome - How To Save A Kitten

Fading kitten syndrome is a collection of symptoms that may result in a failure to thrive. There are many possible underlying causes. Although, in most cases, we will never know exactly what caused a kitten to fade.

Fading Kittens may present with any of the following symptoms:

Lethargy & Weakness
Dehydration (I will explain how to determine this)
Hypothermia (The kitten is too cold)
Open Mouth Breathing/Gasping
Crying Out In Pain

Acting quickly when you see these signs will increase the kittens chance for survival.

In this blog post we will go over the steps you need to take in order to save a fading kitten. You will find links taking you to:

A Correlating YouTube Video With All Steps Listed
A Complete Supply & Resource List With Links
The Parker Protocol
A Guest Blog Post From The Creator Of The Parker Protocol
Feeding Charts
Contact Information For Assistance

WARMTH

The first thing you need to do is warm up the kitten. A towel or a blanket may be used for this. You will swaddle him into a little Purrito with only his face left uncovered. It's important to keep his head and ears covered. Keep him swaddled until he starts to fight the blanket. Next you will place another layer of blanket or towel between the kitten and the heating pad to prevent burning and over heating. Set the heating pad on low. If you have a heartbeat kitty, you can place the heartbeat in the Purrito. Even after the kitten is able to free himself from the swaddle you will need to keep the heating pad under his blankets because young kittens can't regulate their own body temperature.

TIP: This is the heating pad that I prefer because it doesn't have an “auto-off” feature. With this heating pad it stays on until I turn it off and I don't have to worry about remembering to turn it back on every hour.

SUGAR

Now that your kitten is warming up it's time to raise his blood sugar. Give him an immediate dose of Karo syrup. If you don't have Karo (corn syrup) you can use real sugar dissolved into a thick paste, maple syrup or something similar. Don't use something with an artificial sweetener as this will not raise blood sugar levels. You can give the kitten .1ml in a dosing syringe or you can scoop a bit of syrup onto your finger and wipe it into the kittens mouth. Leave the kitten swaddled while you prepare the rest of your supplies.

PROTOCOL PREP

If you are able to administer subcutaneous fluids you will need to prepare your Lactated Ringers now. The kitten will need about 10ml of fluids per 1 pound of the kittens weight (so if your kitten weighs ½ a pound you will give him 5 ml). Draw the fluids into the syringe and set them aside to warm up. I use a coffee cup of hot water and set the syringe inside for a minute. While the fluids are warming you will prepare the Karo/Electrolyte solution. Start with ½ cup of Electrolytes and mix in 3 tablespoons of Karo syrup. If you are able to administer the sub-q fluids, do so now and re-swaddle the kitten. Gather up all of your supplies and get comfortable with your kitten. I like to set the kitten up in a small box so that I have a safe place to set him down if needed. It also makes him mobile. Just unplug his heating pad and plug it back in after you move. This tip is helpful as you could be working the protocol for several hours and it's likely that you'll need to move around during this time.

3 MINUTE DOSES

Fill your 1ml dosing syringe with the Karo/Electrolyte solution and prepare your timer for 3 minutes. The kitten must be held in an upright position for feeding and dosing. A kitten can not be held on his back like a human baby or he could choke on the liquid. Position the tip of the syringe into the side of the mouth and slowly push .1ml of the solution so that it drips into the mouth. Start your timer. You will repeat this step every three minutes. Don't be discouraged if your kitten doesn't respond right away as it can take several hours before you see results. When your kitten is conscious and no longer limp you may move on to the next step.

TIP: The instructions in the protocol use a 1ml dosing syringe. You will be starting with POINT one ML, which is a very small amount. Be careful not to mistake the POINT ONE doses for ONE Whole ML.

Once your kitten is conscious you will introduce a formula/Electrolyte mixture. You will alternate this with the Karo/Electrolyte mixture and slowly increase doses and time intervals. There are detailed charts to help you with the final steps in Protocol. You will find the Parker Protocol here. You continue working the Protocol until your kitten is 'back to normal'.

Carolyn Bishop, the creator of the Parker Protocol, has agreed to do a guest blog post for us. You can find Carolyn's full blog post linked in the description. She focuses much of her attention on the harder cases such as kittens that are failing to thrive and kittens with medical issues. She has a ton of experience in saving fading kittens and has been kind enough to offer support if more help is needed beyond these resources.

This isn't everything you'll ever need to know about caring for fading kittens but it should get you off to a good start. If you have any questions after checking out the protocol, the blog posts and the other resources I'm providing below, you are welcome to contact me for more help. You'll find our contact information, my fading kitten video link, resource links and the supply list below the final tips.

A Few More Things . . .

Heartbeat Mama

The Heartbeat Kitty is a stuffed animal with a removable “heartbeat”. The heartbeat is incredibly soothing and comforting to tiny kittens that don't a mama cat to care for them. You can remove the heartbeat and tuck it into their bedding or leave it in the Velcro pouch of the mama. The pouch will also hold hot packs to radiate warmth from the stuffed animal. You can also purchase the heartbeat by itself. The Heartbeat Kitty is not necessary but it is extremely helpful to have on hand. I highly recommend investing in one if you foster often.

Determine if dehydrated – Tent Test

To determine is your kitten is dehydrated you will pinch the skin above their shoulder blades, behind the neck. If the kitten is dehydrated the skin will stay pinched up or “tented”. The skin on a hydrated kitten will immediately snap back into place after it's released. Use this video for reference - Credit VETgirl, LLC

Pedialyte VS Mommy Bliss Powder

You have a couple options when you choose your electrolytes. You can buy unflavored Pedialyte (or generic brand) in a ready to use liquid or you can packets of powder. The Mommy's Bliss Electrolytes in powder form can be mixed up in small batches so that you don't have to open a whole bottle of Pedialyte. Pedialyte is supposed to be tossed after 24hrs so it can be a bit wasteful.

Miracle Nipples

I highly recommend investing in a Miracle Nipple, especially if you foster often. They are different than the regular nipples you will find with a nursing bottle. They come with a pre-made hole that provides the perfect flow which helps reduce the chance of aspiration. All of my kittens have nursed so much better with the Miracle Nipple. They come in two sizes: Mini and Regular. So far all of my kittens have preferred the Mini. I'm providing shopping links for 2 online stores. Amazon has great prices but sometimes they are suddenly out of stock. Chris's Squirrels and More is the original creator of the Miracle Nipple. Yes, it was originally designed for baby squirrels! But don't worry, you're not in the wrong place. The world quickly realized what a miracle this nipple for the entire small animal rescue community. Miracle Nipples at Amazon

Chris's Squirrels and More

Hopefully your kitten will pull through but, sometimes, despite all of the best care and love you can provide, your kitten may not make it.

I'd like to leave you with some of the best advice I've ever received regarding a loss. “Sometimes we aren't meant to save them all, but we are here to give them love, warmth, and someone to purr for in the short time they are here. Take comfort in the love and warmth you give them“ - Foster Mom Mary, my foster mentor and hero ❤️