[Gem and Tigs]

Please help I've picked the runt of the litter of kittens and I've heard bad things did I do the wrong thing?

[tickle]

Runts need extra love and attention. Get her checked out by the vet to avoid distemper. Keep the little thing warm. I carried my little runt around in my sweater right next to my heart for the first few days. I think that actually gave her a jump start. There is no 'wrong thing' when loving animals, you did the right thing because your heart is in the right place. Good luck and keep me posted of her/his devopment.

[coolcalico]

My younger cat was a runt. It took some additional attention when she was a kitten, but she'll be turning 6 in a few months, and she's as healthy as can be. She's still small though. When people see her for the first time, they still assume she's a kitten and not a full grown cat. I love my little furball!

[xphelper]

I've raised over 20 litters of kittens throughout my life and many times the runt turns out to be the grandest companion of the litter (based on feedback from those who adopted). Of course, this assumption precludes any physical ailment but all of mine were OK. I remember one kitten came out with her legs "twisted backwards." Sensing that deformity, mom wouldn't feed her, so we nursed her until about 5 weeks, when suddenly, her legs began to straighten out. At 7 weeks, while her brothers were tearing up the house, she was quietly playing with a ball of string but a 9 weeks old, she was teaching her brothers a thing or two about playing. Finally, she left us, and as we watched her head pop of the little wicker basket the young girl was carrying, we knew she had found a good home.