They are gaining fantastically now!!
Sorry! I went to stay at my sister's house for two days (with the kittens, of course) to help her look after the kids so it was a little tough to find free time between kitten babies and human babies.
The kittens, I'm glad to say, are doing well!
Their current weights are
Big Black-- 150g
Big Tabby-- 165g
Small Black-- 152g
Small Tabby-- 169g
Black and white- 150g
so they're all gaining nicely!
Currently my only concern would be Black-and-white sucking on her forearm between meals. The fur there isn't looking so great 'cos she keeps getting it matted by sucking on it. I'm hoping she'll grow out of that, though. Aside from that, everything seems to be going smoothly! Their diarrhea is slowly going away, they're eating well--I was thinking maybe it's about time I increased the amount again? Maybe to 6 or 7ml?
The KMR seems to have gotten delayed, possibly due to it being Chinese New Year, but thankfully they seem to be doing fine on this milk. Side note--while I was rushing to see if a new petshop near my sister's house might have the KMR and get back before it was time to feed the kittens, I ended up running past this awesome lion dance which was really beautiful to see!
Side-side note-- if a video goes viral on youtube of a girl running past two Chinese lions, and squeezing her way through the crowd while apologizing profusely and saying something about kittens waiting back home, that's me.
Do you think it could be that the formula I'm giving them right now IS the powdered KMR, though? I mean, I don't know what it is because it's just powder in a clear package, but seeing as they're doing so well on it, could it be a possibility?
The black and white sucking on his arm, remember my explanation about sucking on each other? Nature dictates the big drive they have to suck, intended for survival, and bottle fed kids don't get to suck nearly the amt that nursing from mom gives them.
If you think about it, babies will nurse for short periods of time on their moms, approx 3 times per hour.
Plus during their naps are often latched on as well.
So this is where that comes from. Later on, they will go for each other, also common will be the litter has a victim, not always the smallest either, but one is chosen somehow to be the comforting kitten, and several will pile up and suck on his neck! He doesn't seem to mind either, almost like a bonding thing. Funny when they first wake up, the victim kitten pops up and has it's fur all soggy and spiked according to however many kittens were sucking his neck
A bit older and divided up, then they no longer have that but some still don't get it out of their system they will suck on a blanket, etc.
Yes, I would up the amt of formula now, the more they want, go for it and allow them to have it. You are no longer forcing it on them, so they know to stop when they are fully satisfied.
