Thanks, marboulette. I feel a little better now.
Can you separate the two any further?
Can you provide a toy or distraction to either one?
Can you add anything to baffle or absorb the sound waves? They sell rolls of soundproofing material; you could tape some to your bathroom door. 
And then there’s earplugs.
I just had a thought. I remembered that it’s quite a bit colder in Taipei than where I am. Right now it’s border line here, in Kaohsiung. Any cooler and the kitty would need a space heater. Do you use a heater or anything to keep it warm in the bathroom for him? Maybe he’s cold. Maybe if you bring up the temp he would sleep better. And erm… so would you.
Another thought is find out where Dragonbones lives, wrap the kitty up in a nice big gift box, put him at his door step, ring the bell and run. 
marboulette
BTW, Sox is also perpetually slightly constipated. Advice? Is it ok to add a few drops of liquid paraffin or vegetable oil to his formula, like some websites say?
[quote]BTW, Sox is also perpetually slightly constipated. Advice? Is it ok to add a few drops of liquid paraffin or vegetable oil to his formula, like some websites say?
[/quote]
Sometimes the wee little kitties have very delicate skin and using a cloth to stimulate is actually too rough. Perhaps you could first try to run some warm water over his bottom and stimulate him with your finger. Just dry him well after so he doesn’t get chilled. If that doesn’t work then try the veg oil but only a drop in each feed.
[quote=“marboulette”]I just had a thought. I remembered that it’s quite a bit colder in Taipei than where I am. Right now it’s border line here, in Kaohsiung. Any cooler and the kitty would need a space heater. Do you use a heater or anything to keep it warm in the bathroom for him? Maybe he’s cold. Maybe if you bring up the temp he would sleep better. And erm… so would you.
Another thought is find out where Dragonbones lives, wrap the kitty up in a nice big gift box, put him at his door step, ring the bell and run.
marboulette[/quote]
Should have done that. Kitty now rests in peace. 
He was not himself when I went home yesterday. As he wouldn’t eat, I took him to the vet, who gave him a shot and worked on him for a while. I took him home, and fed him warm sugar water for a while -as the vet told me. Alas, he woke me up at 3am sharp and seemed to be looking better. This morning, he wouldn’t even have the water, and when I passed by to say goodbye before leaving for work, I noticed he was not breathing.
Well, at least he died quietly in a warm place, instead of being squashed like a bug in the middle of the road where I found him. Such a short, painful life. This world was not ready for him.
Now I am going to start a TNR campaign with a vengance.
We’ve been using dry toilet tissues, gently, and it seems to work for all of them, without any irritation. The problem isn’t that we can’t stimulate him to poop, but rather that once it starts coming out it gets stuck – it’s just too hard and dry, and he also doesn’t have a lot of strength so the exertion may be too much for him. It’s not really bad constipation, just mild and consistent. I think I’ll try the veg oil, thanks.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Icon! You know he may have just succumbed to a virus or something. It sounds like he got the very best love and care from you during the time that he had on earth.
Ooh, I hope our three make it! Dragonbabe will be inconsolable if they don’t. I might be too. I’ve grown very fond of them!
[quote=“Icon”]
Should have done that. Kitty now rests in peace. 
…
Now I am going to start a TNR campaign with a vengance.[/quote]
Sorry about that… I know u did your best, maybe it was better for him like this…
V for Vendetta !!! that should be your logo !!! ( i think i have seen or heard about that somewhere… maybe in a movie lol ) 
We’ve been using dry toilet tissues, gently, and it seems to work for all of them, without any irritation. The problem isn’t that we can’t stimulate him to poop, but rather that once it starts coming out it gets stuck – it’s just too hard and dry, and he also doesn’t have a lot of strength so the exertion may be too much for him. It’s not really bad constipation, just mild and consistent. I think I’ll try the veg oil, thanks.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Icon! You know he may have just succumbed to a virus or something. It sounds like he got the very best love and care from you during the time that he had on earth.
Ooh, I hope our three make it! Dragonbabe will be inconsolable if they don’t. I might be too. I’ve grown very fond of them![/quote]
By the way, I used an oversized Q-tip to, ehem, help kitty with his poopoo.
Dunno about the best care. I keep thinking I could have done more: more heated pads on his crate, better quality food. I should have dedicated more time to him. He deserved it. He was a little fighter and tried his best.
No, don’t beat yourself up over this or feel guilty. From what I’ve been reading on the internet, there’s a naturally high mortality rate in abandoned kittens, especially since they’re not getting their mother’s natural milk with all its antibodies, and by the time you pick them up they’ve probably already been exposed to some nasty viruses and stuff. Your job is to give them a good chance of survival and a comfy place to stay, but you don’t have the power to guarantee their survival.
From what I can tell, one hotpad should be enough; you don’t want to cook the kittens, after all. You can put a thermometer in the box to keep an eye on the temperature, anyway.
It’s not unreasonable to ask how you could do it better next time, but don’t let yourself feel guilty! You did a good thing, taking care of this one.
What DB said word for word. Don’t beat yourself up, Icon, and truly sorry to hear that. 
marboulette
Just a follow-up note: The Ormilak ($600-ish) worked fine, and came with a bottle with a very fine nipple that the kittens took easily. [color=#0000FF]It’s a bit pricier but the free bottle actually makes it worth buying, at least for the first can that you buy.[/color]
KMR looks cheaper ($450), but as it has no free bottle, and obscenely overpriced bottles are sold separately in pet stores for up to $200, you’re best off getting the Ormilak for your first can, to get the bottle, if your store carries it (many don’t – ).
Furthermore, the other kitten-sized bottle that we tried was firmly rejected by the kittens for some reason (I had bought another separately). So, that’s my two bits on formula and bottles.
Oh, I went to a vet first to get forumula and he said he didn’t sell it but that if we couldn’t find any we could use human infant formula instead. I’m a bit skeptical, as I have read that the fat and protein requirement of each different species is different. Has anyone had success or failure with any substitutions like that?
Our three rescues are all thriving, and we are just now trying to switch them over to canned food; two are taking it well, and one is reluctant.
May 2010 edit: all three made it, and are healthy, happy young one-year-olds now. We kept one (Sox). He’s now my fave. 