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Is my baby "too" small?

TatyanaMassey

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As a few of you know, we brought home our new addition on Saturday, and I have been a little concerned about his size for the last couple of days. I would like to start off by making it clear that I am open to every opinion and will not get offended by anything anyone has to say.
When we picked him up, he did seem alot smaller than what he looked in the photos. I commented on this to my breeder and they said he was pretty much the smallest of a litter of 8. Which I thought could make sense because that seems like an awfully big litter. Now that weve been home a few days, he seems way too tiny for a 12 week old.
Im honestly not worried about his general "health." He plays, purrs very loudly and strongly, mews, eats quite a bit and his bathroom habits are regular and good. Hes very alert when he is awake, but does sleep most of the day. I guess Im just wondering if I should be worried at all because of his size.

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As you can clearly see, his spine and hips are very prominent. Please tell me what you think!
 

Cinafina

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@TatyanaMassey I'm certainly no expert, but it sounds like he's a healthy wee boy and certainly adorable! It sure was a big litter, so maybe he's just got some "catching up" to do growth-wise? Maybe other members can chime in with some 'bulking up' food recipes if you think that's necessary? You never know, he might turn out to be a BIG boy once he gets growing! :)
 

Yoda mom

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Head smooches sent
Sooo stinkin cute!

I have 3 adult males- ome is very much on the small side

Agree with a wellness check for peace of mind .
You can call ahead and ask about s poo sample check which is often done om the gotcha day wellness check

Wow .. He had a big litter to compete with -
I have no doubt he will thrive and gain some weight now that he is with you .

Keep us updated
 

Yoda mom

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I would ask the vet too to Estimate his age-
We have seen some members adopt kitties that were younger than posted or listed -
With a big litter he may just be a teenie bit smaller

Will be following closely for updates

Check your contract too
Some will void if you give certain vaccines(feline leukemia , FIP )
 

Catzzzmeow

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@Catzzzmeow @Yoda mom
Im calling the vet in the morning to set up his wellness check. Also he hasnt had his first round of shots yet but Im wondering if those should wait until he bulks up a bit. I just wonder if anyone else has had experience with small kittens..

Seems like your gut says there might be a bit of a disconnect from your breeder and what they sharing as far as age and shots etc. Not sure if they had a contract, but at this point it doesn’t matter. This baby crawled into your heart/home and might just need some extra TLC.

Get that vet check, bring a poop sample and just move forward. Is breeder providing papers with proof of birthdate etc? Could be runt of the litter, but everyone roots for the underdog! Babies are very fragile...so first sign of any real issues, don’t wait...for now you are their cat mommy and you need to trust your gut in making sure they thrive. We are here for you.
 

Toa and Ross

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What a cute little peanut. With a litter of 8 it can well be he's very tiny. My girl Foxy was very tiny too. But wooow she did grow like weed in a few weeks.
It's great you go to the vet for a health check and see what he/she says.
It's a good sign he's active and being playful. Curious to see how fast he'll grow
 

Bailey21

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I did notice right when you posted that he looked like an itty bitty boy! But ohhh how sweet the runts of the litter are (if he was). Our boy Finn was tiny to me when we got him, his spine was visible to us as well. He fattened right up in less then two weeks!
I wouldn't be worried, I'm sure if he eats like a sphynx piggy, he'll triple in size in no time :)
 

TatyanaMassey

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@Catzzzmeow @Yoda mom @Toa and Ross @Bailey21
Thank you all for your support. His vet check is set for Monday, we couldnt get him in any sooner as our vet is out for the next few days. Which is ok since Im not worried about his immediate health. He does have a buddha belly so maybe he will chunk up a little before his check up :) we are also going to speak about vaccinations then, to make sure hes all healthy before we proceed with them. Ill be sure to let everyone know the update after the appointment!
 

Zab

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I agree with everyones input. My babies have all been tiny and you could see the spine. They all had a healthy apetite so they gained weight in no time on the kitten food. A vet check is a good idea! Following this thread. Best of luck!
 

Nudie Patootie

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Hi! What a little cutie you have! Definitely on the thin side—so It’s good you are going to a vet for a check!

I sell sphynx clothes and dress hundreds of kittens so I am very familiar with average weights. First thing is that TICA is now recommending kittens stay with their mamas until 14 weeks! This is a relatively new change and kittens are going home at a higher weight (4+ lbs).

Most breeders don’t let their kittens go home until the three pound marker because a high percentage of breeders spay and neuter before they go home. Most kittens at 12 weeks are between 3 and 3.5 lbs. That is what we have seen over years and countless kittens. That might give you a good starting baseline of what is normal for that age. From there, they typically grow about a pound or more a month.

I know several breeders who use Royal Canine Baby Cat food for their young kittens. It’s high calorie and nutrient dense (I don’t think it’s grain free so it’s just a transitional food).

All that said, I had two healthy kittens who were string beans. During a few growth spurts, they looked super thin to me—but they were both big. So big, my vet called my baby a beast lol. So it is hard to tell off of pictures. The vet will definitely be able to guide you the best.

Glad he found a loving home and mama—wishing you the best!
 

susi794

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Twelve weeks is pretty early to bring a baby home in my opinion. Hasn’t had first shots? Why didn’t breeder get that done?
Attached is a recipe for Glop to use with orphaned, sick or thin babies and nursing moms. It will bulk him up.

Kitten Glop
Popularly known as "Kitty Glop" among breeders, this recipe is packed with nutrition for orphaned kittens, nursing mother cats and their babies, cats recuperating from illness and older cats who need nutritional supplementing. Some recipes call for canned goats milk; if you have it readily available it's fine, otherwise canned evaporated cows' milk works well.¹ The recipe sets up to a gelatin-like consistency in the refrigerator, and can be stored there for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen in an ice tray for convenience in serving. To serve, warm to room temperature. Do not pour back unused portions into the mix.

12 oz. of water
1 envelope Knox Gelatin
1 12oz can of whole evaporated milk (not skim)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt, not nonfat

Boil the water, add the gelatin - stir well. Add the following ingredients in order, mixing well after each addition: 1/2 of the canned milk, mayonnaise and yogurt; the rest of the milk. Variations include the addition of kitty vitamins, acidophilus, and/or pureed baby food meat such as lamb, chicken, or beef.
 

TatyanaMassey

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@susi794 Thank you for this! I had heard about the kitten glop and was honestly planning on starting him on this when I found the recipie.
Its kindof a long story Im afraid, we wouldnt call his breeder "friends" of ours but we knew of them for about a year. We arranged to pick him up at 12 weeks before I realized that it would probably be better for him to stay longer (my previous 2 cats, a peterbald and a sphynx, were adult adoptees)
The odd thing is, he did come from a big litter but the rest of his litter are big and healthy, we've seen pictures of all of them and also saw a sibling when we picked him up and she was twice his size. I'm hoping he's just tiny in general. In the week we have had him he seems to have gained a little but not much.
We definitely are not dealing with these breeders in the future, and hindsight is 20/20 as they say.
Again thank you so much for the recipie, I'm starting him on this today!
 

DebZ

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As a few of you know, we brought home our new addition on Saturday, and I have been a little concerned about his size for the last couple of days. I would like to start off by making it clear that I am open to every opinion and will not get offended by anything anyone has to say.
When we picked him up, he did seem alot smaller than what he looked in the photos. I commented on this to my breeder and they said he was pretty much the smallest of a litter of 8. Which I thought could make sense because that seems like an awfully big litter. Now that weve been home a few days, he seems way too tiny for a 12 week old.
Im honestly not worried about his general "health." He plays, purrs very loudly and strongly, mews, eats quite a bit and his bathroom habits are regular and good. Hes very alert when he is awake, but does sleep most of the day. I guess Im just wondering if I should be worried at all because of his size.

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As you can clearly see, his spine and hips are very prominent. Please tell me what you think!
You sound just like me when I brought homePebbles and Keiko. Pebbles seemed so much smaller then they seemed to plump up a little then they got very sick Then after a big scare they are happy crazy little wildlings. Trust yourself. Find a good vet. Your baby is beautiful. Now my two are 31/2 months old they don’t look so boney. You just care a lot.
 

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