Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Seven day old kitten still has umbilical cord?

I'm assuming he's the runt. The other kittens have tripled in size since birth, but the runt is still small and has his umbilical cord attached.He eats when prompted to and otherwise seems tired, but fine. Should I be worried?

Public Comments

1. No, not really. I've had more litters at my home then I can count. Your right, he probably is a runt. They are hard to take care of. What I found works well is taking the other bigger kittens out of the box, or whereever they are with the mommy, and let the runt gets it feeding in without getting pushed around. Only take the other kittens out for 10-15 minutes at the most. Keep them close to the mom so she can still hear them. The kittens will cry, but 15 minutes away from Mom isnt that long. There Mom will naturally leave them for longer periods then that. If the Mom gets upset that the kittens are gone, try putting something between the runt kitten and the other ones, so the runt can eat. Maybe supplement the runt with kitten milk. You can get it at most pet stores, and it will help keep it strong. More then likely he just struggles for food alittle, and since he's the runt, he loses. Good luck with him!!!
2. Even if he is the runt he should still have gained a similar percentage. I dont like that he seems tired compared to the other kittens. He may have a nipple that is not giving as much milk. (and they always go to the same one) You might get some kitten formula and try bottle feeding him in addition to feeding from his mom. Or take him to a vet.
3. I would be concerned. It sounds like he may not be getting his share of the momma's milk. I also think his umbilical cord should have dried and fallen off by now. Please contact your vet and check with them. Have you considered hand feeding him? I would also check his mouth and be sure he does not have a cleft palate (the roof of his mouth is not open). You can get the KMR (kitten replacement milk) at the grocery store, WalMart or pet stores. You can use an eye-dropper or get the pet baby bottle. Check the nipple on the bottle, I've always had to enlarge the opening so the milk will come out. Here is a link to kitten development week by week up to eight weeks. It will give you the amounts to feed if you choose to. Purrs to you and momma and kittens.
4. No. I have taken care of alot of kittens and i have had a few this has happened too. Give it another week and it should fall off. If not call the vet. I don't think there is anything to be alarmed with yet. If he is eating, etc he is probably ok. Just make sure he keeps eating. Kittens sleep alot anyway so i wouldnt really worry about him being tired. Just keep watch.
5. The umbilical cord is fine, I mean when you have a newborn baby, the end of the cord stays there for quite a while, ie, 2 weeks or so. It should be fine, just give it a little bit of time.
6. No, not really. I've had more litters at my home then I can count. Your right, he probably is a runt. They are hard to take care of. What I found works well is taking the other bigger kittens out of the box, or whereever they are with the mommy, and let the runt gets it feeding in without getting pushed around. Only take the other kittens out for 10-15 minutes at the most. Keep them close to the mom so she can still hear them. The kittens will cry, but 15 minutes away from Mom isnt that long. There Mom will naturally leave them for longer periods then that. If the Mom gets upset that the kittens are gone, try putting something between the runt kitten and the other ones, so the runt can eat. Maybe supplement the runt with kitten milk. You can get it at most pet stores, and it will help keep it strong. More then likely he just struggles for food alittle, and since he's the runt, he loses. Good luck with him!!!