kitten questions feeding/weight, etc

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Ladyrosee

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I put a couple drops of olive oil in the last bottle. I'm trying different motions of stimulating. I do little circles for peeing and I finally got one of them to poop after a day of no poop a few hours ago.. but this poop wasnt his normal soft formed yellow it looked like it might be older poop and was a bit harder and darker, not bloody but just brown. I thought of a mama cat how her tongue would lick it with pressure so I took baby wipes and was swiping and putting pressure on his anus directly in a licking motion and finally he got a tiny piece out and then cried a lot as he pushed more out. The one that I thought was constipated they said they got him to poop about 10 hours ago. So now the runt needs to. She was doing good with poops and had a few one day but now it's like theres nothing.

I just worry with feeding portions. I dont exactly know how much each gets in a day ML wise with formula (its powder too not canned prepared KMR) but they gain at LEAST 10 grams a day. I feel if I wasnt giving enough formulary they wouldnt gain weight, obvious right? But the shelter really really stressed me out and made me think everything I did and thought was wrong. I know you guys know better here. And all my reading and following rescuers on Facebook or instagram with their kittens thriving and instructions for them I've read and memorized them all. The kittens usually do one good long latch and kind of fall over after acting content and tired so I wipe their face, potty them and offer more but usually they decline the 2nd offer during that feeding.
 

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Continue adding olive oil to each feeding. It will help. Also, it’s okay for a kitten to skip a day of pooping. If you get desperate after a couple of days, you can shave a tiny sliver from a glycerin suppository and insert it. This will usually bring on a poop in about 20-30 minutes. That is, wait that long, then stimulate.
 
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Ladyrosee

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Continue adding olive oil to each feeding. It will help. Also, it’s okay for a kitten to skip a day of pooping. If you get desperate after a couple of days, you can shave a tiny sliver from a glycerin suppository and insert it. This will usually bring on a poop in about 20-30 minutes. That is, wait that long, then stimulate.
I'm not sure if the runt and the other like the olive oil. I feel they can taste it. The runt didnt eat very good the last couple feedings with it. Only ate about 5 to 7mls this last feeding this morning. she is 280 g up from 265 the day before. The boys are about 360 g. She is just physically a lot smaller. Smaller head etc. She often gets tired on the bottle and 5mls is all she will want then she'll fall asleep.
 

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She gained 15 grams from yesterday to today - that’s great! See how she does today. You can stop the oil if it’s a problem.
 

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I'm not sure if the runt and the other like the olive oil. I feel they can taste it. The runt didnt eat very good the last couple feedings with it. Only ate about 5 to 7mls this last feeding this morning. she is 280 g up from 265 the day before. The boys are about 360 g. She is just physically a lot smaller. Smaller head etc. She often gets tired on the bottle and 5mls is all she will want then she'll fall asleep.
You can try to give her a little glucose sugar before the feeding, to give the more endurance. In USA it will often be a droplet of white caro syrup, on the gum inside of the lip.
Another alternative may be, to give her more often but less - as she doenst manage a full portion at once.
 

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I agree that the runt may need less more often, even if it’s only on certain days, depending on how she feels.
 
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I agree that the runt may need less more often, even if it’s only on certain days, depending on how she feels.
That's what is worrying me now. I cant tell if I'm hyperfocused now on how much they eat because i was told what I was doing this whole time was starving them or she really is eating less. But I think for sure she is a little bit. My husband fed just her a couple hours ago and she ate about 4 to 5 mls again. Now I'm about to try again with her and feed the boys.
What if shes fading? Would I know other than her just not latching as much? Should I drip it into her?
 
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She just needs to poop. And hasn't. I've stimulated for like 5 mins several feedings ago
 

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My vet doesn't worry if tinies don't poop for a couple days. Mostly, feel her sides and gently & lightly squeeze (like you do a tube of toothpaste). If she is taut like a drum, she is bloated and needs simethicone or olive oil; if there is "give", then her body isn't producing much waste. Are you adding any probiotics? Poop consists of water, then biomass (dead and live bacteria and organisms) and then, lastly, unused food.
On the subject of poop, here is an educational link:
7 things you should know about poop
 
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I'll buy the syrup today. She sleeps more than the others. She was alert when I went to feed them and the boys ate 10ml but she just suckled for a second probably only a few mls and shes passed out dreaming and the boys are rolling around on my lap. the previous foster said the runt often would pass out on the bottle and she'd have to wake her up
20210420_122104.jpg
 

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So precious 💖 Her tummy fur looks thin so I hypothesize that her start was from an egg ovulated at a later time than the others so technically she is younger. Cats can deliver babies at different times - even weeks apart! It is the same with dogs - they mate first and ovulate afterwards. The smaller, more frequent feedings sound like a good idea.
 
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So precious 💖 Her tummy fur looks thin so I hypothesize that her start was from an egg ovulated at a later time than the others so technically she is younger. Cats can deliver babies at different times - even weeks apart! It is the same with dogs - they mate first and ovulate afterwards. The smaller, more frequent feedings sound like a good idea.
She is a very sleepy girl. But very sweet. I might keep her, she seems very delicate and passive. The boys rough around and she kind of just "stares" at me or them with big eyes. She nibbles and licks her feet and purrs a lot. The boys are very much "GIVE ME A BOTTLE AND NO ONE GETS HURT" and she takes about a half hour, a nap, then try again with feeding. She latched on for the last time a few minutes ago for about 5mls. Her brothers are very big in the stomach too they may need some simethicone. I think I have some from my last kitty. How many drops would they get?
I also found the original weights (in oz) on the back of their charter from the shelter.... and the girl gained over 3oz and the boys several oz. So they must have mixed something up at the shelter with another litter to tell me they LOST weight

AND SHE ALSO POOPED! A BIG POOP! I'M SO HAPPY HAHA.
 
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Ladyrosee

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:poop: :poop::clapcat:Great news!! I add 2-3 drops of simethicone per bottle and shake well
It seems that the rescue is hypervigilant but one can only guess why. Perhaps they have had inadequate fosters or just don't deal well with surrendering control.
Okay I'll do that. Yeah I'm not sure. They also commented on my pet friendly carrier. Looks like a nice diaper bag purse but both the flaps on the entire sides were rolled up and buckled back so they had good ventilation and she goes on about how they cant breathe in it and I'm like... look at the sides. and she was like ...OH. okay then that's fine. They probably are over worked and tired there and mixed up weights somehow with another litter. Its very busy there. But they made me feel really bad and I dont like that.
 

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I am so glad that you found TCS! Don't let the rescue lady make you feel bad - just consider the source. Besides, you are getting praise from Sarthur2 and StephanZ - both experts on kitten rescue who are first & foremost, honest with the well-being of cats and kittens the utmost priority.
 
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Ladyrosee

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I am so glad that you found TCS! Don't let the rescue lady make you feel bad - just consider the source. Besides, you are getting praise from Sarthur2 and StephanZ - both experts on kitten rescue who are first & foremost, honest with the well-being of cats and kittens the utmost priority.
Thank you! They didnt all gain 10 grams today. The runt is just a few grams away from 300! The boys gained rapidly the last few days but today it was just about 8 grams. I bought some luer lock 10ml and 20ml syringes. I am going to try using the syringe for more accurate feeding. One sucked down the 10ml on his own without me gently pushing formula.

I do have a question though. Do miracle nipples have a strong chemical vanilla like smell? I have just 2 old ones that are darker and dont have much of a smell at all. Just purchased a package from a squirrel website and they are pale color and smell awful. All the kittens thrashed their head away and wouldnt attempt to eat. I soaked them in hot water and unscented dish soap washing several times and the smell is there still
 

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I’ve not heard this before about Miracle Nipples regardless of whether they are ordered from Amazon or the wildlife site, Henry’s. I do know that kittens prefer a broken-in nipple and their own smell on it. Maybe soak the nipples in kitten formula before using.

Kittens are steadily gaining. It does not have to be 10 grams every single day. Sounds like they are doing fine!
 
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I’ve not heard this before about Miracle Nipples regardless of whether they are ordered from Amazon or the wildlife site, Henry’s. I do know that kittens prefer a broken-in nipple and their own smell on it. Maybe soak the nipples in kitten formula before using.

Kittens are steadily gaining. It does not have to be 10 grams every single day. Sounds like they are doing fine!
Oh that is a good idea about soaking. I got it from Chris's squirrels site or something.
I changed from a bottle to a 10ml syringe. The brothers sucked it down instantly and I cut them off for this feeding. The runt finally latched to suck down 7ml and she was done, is that too little for her? I slowly slowly dripped the rest of the 3ml in her. she just latches and sucks for less time
 

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If the brothers are sucking it down that quickly they may need more. On the other hand, the runt may need less but more frequently as I mentioned before. Slowly dripping when she was full and stopped suckling may not be the best solution.
 
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