bottle fed kittens

[animalgirl]

I'm about to start a project for one of my classes and I thought I'd get some more info before I start.

Have any of you kept track of kittens that were bottle raised over their lifetime? Did they act different than normally raised kittens? If so, how?

TIA!

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by animalgirl

I'm about to start a project for one of my classes and I thought I'd get some more info before I start.

Have any of you kept track of kittens that were bottle raised over their lifetime? Did they act different than normally raised kittens? If so, how?

TIA!

Welcome Tia...what an interesting project....I would suggest you reach out to some local rescue groups to see if they have any information along those lines...you probably will want to reach out to cat rescues that use fosters that keep in touch with the adoptors. Have you tried googling for information on bottle fed kittens..that may have some information.


Also....if you are looking to bottle raise some kittens..contact your local animal shelter as they could probably use assistance...just make sure that if you are under 21 years of age that the shelter is ok with you fostering for them.

Katie

 

[leesali]

I have raised some bottle-fed babies...would love to give you all the information you need but it may get too lengthy for this forum. Feel free to PM me with your email address & I can email you all the info. you need/want.

 

[hissy]

Bottle babies are more accepting of other humans, they are loving, they are a bit on the mischievious side and they grow up quite healthy. Understand that most of us who do bottle babies, don't keep them- if we did we would have to build another house to keep them in! Most go to adopted homes and I check on my kittens when I can, or I get grabbed in public by someone eager to let me know that the kitten they adopted from me is doing grand.

 

[animalgirl]

Thanks for the replies so far! It's interesting to hear a bit about your experiences since much of what I have read so far has seemed to point to the idea that bottle raised kittens end up being more likely to exhibit problem behavior as they mature.

I am thinking about fostering, but I know the shelter in my area has a minimum age of 18 (I'm 20) for adoption, so I would think the same would hold true for foster homes.

btw my name isn't Tia; TIA = Thanks in advance lol.

My name is Erin.

 

[semiferal]

In general, it is more of a challenge to socialize bottle raised kittens normally. At best, they become extremely human oriented and affectionate. At worst, they recognize no hierarchy between themselves and humans and worse, never learn the bite/scratch inhibiting behaviors they would naturally learn from interacting with their mother and siblings.

I have found that, whenever practical, it works well if you integrate a healthy bottle raised kitten with a litter of healthy kittens who are very close to the same age as soon as the kitten is old enough to eat solid food and use the litterbox (usually this is between 4-5 weeks old). I have had really good results doing this.

 

[kittymeri]

i adopted two bottle fed kittens when they were 6 weeks old. their mother had died when they were a few days old and they were hand raised. when we brought them home they were very affectionate and when we would return from work we would walk in and announce our presence, and they would come running! it's been about a month now and we've since gotten two other kittens around their same age and a momma cat who had 5 babies....

momma and babies have their own room so they're not an interaction issue....... as the time has passed and theyve socalized with the others one has remained very clingy and loves to be held and purrs if you so much as look at him!

the other is more independant and likes to be on his own, but when you pick him up and cuddle him close to your neck he will give in almost immediately and begin to purr.

they've also been more accepting of our visitors than the other kittens........ hope this helps!!!