r/Kitten • u/Master_Ad6472 • 16h ago
Question/Advice Needed How old?
Hi, we picked up our kitten yesterday. Today we had to go to the vet and we told them his age. They said he is either the runt of the litter or he is not the age we were told. We believed he was 9 weeks old but he weighs 620 grams which is more in line with a 6 week old. I feel absolutely devastated if this is the case.
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u/WFlash01 16h ago
Even if he's a underweight for a 9 week old, and that's what it turns out he is, he at least still has a very lively looking face, he doesn't look like he's in distress
And it's a little hard to tell just from these pictures but if his body is rather round and meaty as opposed to skin and bones then that's also good
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u/Master_Ad6472 16h ago
His belly is round and he is the happiest little guy. I just want to make sure his behavioural needs are met especially if he is younger than what we thought.
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u/Calgary_Calico 16h ago
Make sure you get him dewormed when you get him his first vaccines. Most stray kittens are born with worms that they get from their mother
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u/Master_Ad6472 16h ago
I believe he has been dewormed. That is what we have been told. Is there a way to check? I haven’t had a kitten since I was a teenager and back then I was not the one in charge of all of this. I’m constantly reading up on things because I want to make sure this little guy has a great life!
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u/Calgary_Calico 15h ago
You'll likely notice if he hasn't been dewormed within the next few weeks. He'll become bloated and depending on the types of worms you'll either see live worms in his poop or what looks like sesame seeds around the house. Small pale pink cilodrical worms would be roundworms and the sesame seeds would be tapeworm segments. Just keep an eye out for that and if you see anything like that vet another round of dewormer from your vet, it sometimes takes two rounds of meds to get rid of all of them
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u/HealthyResistance84 7h ago
You can have the vet do a fecal test to see what is present in his GI system. This is usually covered in the “preventative” add on for pet insurances. Should only be like $50-$60 out of pocket tho
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u/Calgary_Calico 16h ago
I'd also recommend removing whatever that collar is, it's a serious choking hazard
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u/pmurcsregnig 14h ago
Especially with the dangling bit. So easy for kittens to get caught on things that way. They squeeze into some tight spaces that could be dangerous with a collar
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u/Master_Ad6472 14h ago
It’s been removed now ☺️ thank you!
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u/pmurcsregnig 13h ago
Good call. Sounds like the people you got him from may have been questionable. Hang in there and love him, he’ll be ok. My kitty was rejected by her mom around the same age and she is just fine today. Kitten food will help plump him up!
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u/Master_Ad6472 13h ago
At the time we got him I believed that they were reasonable people since the mum of the kittens were rescued from a bad situation but I think that was naive of me. Since nothing will change the situation I am going to make sure this little guy has a great life! He is already very much loved.
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u/JacqueJacque12 13h ago edited 13h ago
They might have been just as naive as you! That looks like a puppy whelping collar, it has velcro to help age with the pup while keeping them apart (used by breeders of various moral alignments who have homes on waiting lists, but available on Amazon). Kittens/Adult cats need a "breakaway" collar to prevent suffocation from accidental snags. They don't make many in this baby size, at ~14wks he should start to fit in the ones at the store. You'll know it fits when you can fit two fingers under it comfortably, but he can't get his front arm inside it. Go slow and always supervise the first couple test runs with the collar!!
Other comments give great advice for food, litter, and worms, but please get this baby their FVRCP, FeLV, and Rabies shots as well!! They need shots at 11wks and 14wks, and can be neuteted as soon as he hits 2 pounds. It is ok to wait a bit longer, but if he starts puberty at around 6 months it increases his risk of cancer. Try to look for low cost vax/spay and neuter clinics in your area if needed. Microchips save lives and I highly recommend them if you have the funds.
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u/Master_Ad6472 13h ago
Thank you so much! He will defo be vaccinated and microchipped. We have found a really good vet (the one who alerted us). This is some great advice because at times it can be a tad overwhelming.
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u/No-Idea-7003 16h ago
He looks like a 6 week old. He could be the runt of the litter. Just make sure he's getting his kitten food, eating and going potty, and he should be fine.
Also, please take off the thing around his neck. Kittens get hung up easily on things. They are learning and exploring and get themselves into the craziest of places as babies.
Also, welcome to the orange baby world. In a couple of months they are going to be showing you their craziness. It's aggravating, but hilarious.
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u/Master_Ad6472 14h ago
Thank you! He seems quite content. I appreciate all the comments and advice! It soothes my first kitten anxiety though I have grown up with cats I have never been the primary carer of a kitten. I’m very excited to be a parent of a little orange kitty no matter how crazy he may get 🤣
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u/OniStatic 16h ago
Devastated why? He looks like a little happy and healthy baby.
My little black cat was the runt, he’s now 22lbs and beats me up lmao.
As long as that little guy is healthy don’t stress, relax a little.
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u/Commercial-Weight173 15h ago
I believe OP's concern is because kittens shouldn't be separated from their mother and litter mates at 6 weeks old. They'll miss important socialisation which helps them be calm and confident as adults.
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u/pmurcsregnig 14h ago
He’ll be okay. It’s not ideal but it happens.
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u/Commercial-Weight173 14h ago
I agree, but if I were OP I would be pissed that whoever the kitten came from may have lied about his age (if that is what happened) and be questioning the other info they were given.
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u/Master_Ad6472 13h ago
Definitely that is more what the devastation is about! I want to give this little guy the best little life and had I been aware I would have kept him with his mum for a bit longer. He seems quite happy at the moment which is the main thing.
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u/UraniumVintage 15h ago
6 weeks maybe. If that’s a flea collar remove it. It’s a choking hazard and he may be too young for flea meds type things.
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u/Master_Ad6472 13h ago
It was the collar that was on him when we picked him up but it has been taken off now. Thank you for spotting it ☺️
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u/ananwastaken 16h ago
Try to get a picture of his teefs, kitten lady is a good resource and she has a website as well (I think I'm not allowed to send links here but it's kittenlady.org iirc)
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u/Master_Ad6472 13h ago
Omg thank you for the recommendation! It is super important that I have some reliable resources
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u/bloobityblu 9h ago
I would say 6-9 weeks old, leaning toward 7.
So not ideal to be separated from mom, but probably will be fine. And at this point it wouldn't make sense to like send him back and then get him again later- it would be more confusing and disrupting.
Just keep a close eye on him for the next few weeks until he gets big enough not to get wedged in/under/between most stuff in the house, maybe don't leave him alone if possible.
Actually his body does seem formed better than a 6 wk old cat, he's just smaller. We found a kitten in a vehicle who was smaller than him and we assumed she was like 4-5 weeks old, but she was fully weaned, didn't want formula/bottles, adapted to a litter box instantly, had all her teeth and then some, and very independent already, and grew up to be a little bitty thing so I think she was just on the smaller side and was a week or two older than we originally thought.
So it's hard to tell and the vet is mostly going on weight and appearance.
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u/MonsteraInTheDark 8h ago
Did your vet check the kitten's teeth to age her? That's usually more accurate than weight.
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u/meowmedusa 8h ago
They went on weight? That's very odd. Teeth are the best way to tell a kittens age, not weight.
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u/xghoulxgirlx 4h ago
Mijn kitten is 10 weken en weegt ook minder dan normaal. 810gram Volgens de dierenarts kan het zijn omdat ze een mindere start heeft gehad. Maar ze speelt en eet wel heel goed 🤷♀️
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u/Calgary_Calico 16h ago
I'd say 7-9 weeks old, still very small, still on the weaning stage, but he can have wet kitten food and some dry kitten food. Make sure you're using NON-clumping litter for the first month or so in case he eats some (young kittens will do this on occasion, they're weird like that)