In five years we have lost three kittens at weaning time.  Some would call what we experienced "Failure to Thrive Syndrome". We have learned from these experiences and, I am happy to report, we have just saved two "runts" from what our vet thought was imminent death. 

Two of our babies, Nelly and Izzy, preferred nursing over solid food. However, when their moms had their first heats and their attentions turned from their babies to rolling around on the floor, these teeny girls suffered. Very quickly they became thin and sluggish. They didn't play with their littermates.Their stools were also a bit loose.

The protocol that works for us when we have a kitten that is not eating well at weaning time is to:

- rule out obvious illness at the vet clinic

- weigh kittens twice per day

- start antibiotic treatment immediately

- increase the heat in the kittens' bed

- administer sub-cutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration

- force feed soft food and kitten milk or goats' milk or glop (recipe linked below)

http://www.geocities.com/prairiedawnc/blog.html/16

- deworm Mom and all kittens for three days using fenbenzadole

Some kittens simply don't make it. Every sluggish kitten we have had at weaning time since implementing this protocol has made it through, though.  One week after falling behind, Nelly and Izzy are the same size as their littermates, often the first to the food dish, and enjoy playing with the rest of them.

...Pam