hand rearing and weighing newborn kittens

[kimmycup1]

A soft warm wash cloth works just as well. Is the mom cat still in the garage? I’m not sure I understand why you’ve separated the kittens if mom is in the garage?

kimmycup1

Mom is still in the garage with one baby. This baby got stuck inside mom and she was having trouble getting her out. She then left her other three babies and I put them in a box that I had set up for her. Mom finally was able to properly give birth to baby number 4, but would not go back to the other three, so I took them as it was cold and the first born was not properly taken care of so she was extremely cold. Mom is currently in a spot where I can't get to her, but she is taking good care of the baby she has. My mom and I might try moving things around to try to get to baby and put her in a carrier to see if mom follows, so that I can reunite them all.

 

[kimmycup1]

I have three 9 day old kittens and none of them have had great bowel movements and now two are constipated. They have occasional bowel movements, but they are very hard and dry and can take awhile to get out. Now the male kitten won't really eat, even though he seems to want to. I would prefer to take them to a vet, but I don't drive and my mom would not consider taking me. They are very healthy kittens other than the poop issue, the male was the biggest and gained the most weight everyday up until yesterday when he didn't gain for 12 hours and then only gained a few grams since then. I tried adding a bit more water into the formula and feeding him more often, but now he just fights the syringe and wants nothing to do with it, but when I put him back with his sisters, he will try to suckle. I really don't want to lose them, I lost a litter last year who weren't healthy, and since these guys were doing so great I was hoping they all would make it. I wanted to try a warm bath, but wasn't sure what I could put him in, especially because he is still very feisty and wiggly. So instead, I soaked a washcloth in warm water and wrapped their bellies in it and tried massaging them. I have also been massaging before and after feedings to try to get things moving with no luck. Any advice on how to help these poor babies is welcome.

Another unrelated question I have is if anyone knows when miracle nipples should be replaced? I am using them for the first time, so this is only the 9th day and I feel they have a slight curve to them that wasn't there before and there is a bit of discoloration on the very tip. They still work great, but I was wondering if that is a reason the baby isn't as eager to eat along with the constipation.

 

[Sarthur2]

I doubt the issue is the nipples, but if they are getting worn they should be replaced.

Have you been adding drops of olive oil to the feedings? This helps to soften poop and keep things moving. Begin adding drops to each feeding and it will help.

You can also buy glycerin suppositories and shave off a kitten sized piece and insert it. This will normally bring on a poop withIn about 30 minutes. It sounds like the male kitten would especially benefit from the suppository. Once he eliminates he should feel hungry again.

Also, how are the mom and baby doing in the garage? Are you feeding mom and checking on her? I still wonder if you could lure her into a carrier with her other 3 babies, then add the fourth baby.

kimmycup1

 

[kaitie09]

I bottle-fed a newborn kitten who couldn't really handle the powdered milk well. I switched her to a canned/powdered mix with some Pedialyte and she did much better. 1 week old (ish) orphaned kitten questions

 

[kimmycup1]

I doubt the issue is the nipples, but if they are getting worn they should be replaced.

Have you been adding drops of olive oil to the feedings? This helps to soften poop and keep things moving. Begin adding drops to each feeding and it will help.

You can also buy glycerin suppositories and shave off a kitten sized piece and insert it. This will normally bring on a poop withIn about 30 minutes. It sounds like the male kitten would especially benefit from the suppository. Once he eliminates he should feel hungry again.

Also, how are the mom and baby doing in the garage? Are you feeding mom and checking on her? I still wonder if you could lure her into a carrier with her other 3 babies, then add the fourth baby.

kimmycup1

i tried the olive oil and shortly after the female pooped. the male finally just ate 3 ml so its a little something. my mom is going to bring home pedialyte and glycerin suppositories tonight. can you tell me how to shave it down to the right size? ive never used it before and want to make sure i do it right. last i weighed him he was about 213 grams so hes not tiny but not too big either.

unfortunately i tried the carrier yesterday and it didnt work. the 4th baby that was with mom is also now missing. we didnt realize a male cat was in the garage last night and we think something happened. i go out to check often hoping ill hear the kitten but nothing yet. i feel awful for her but am trying to focus on the 3 that i have.

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh dear! So where is the mom cat now?

The suppositories are human size, so just take a small paring knife and cut a tiny piece off and put a point on it. Tiny as in maybe 1/8th inch thick.

 

[kimmycup1]

Oh dear! So where is the mom cat now?

The suppositories are human size, so just take a small paring knife and cut a tiny piece off and put a point on it. Tiny as in maybe 1/8th inch thick.

Mom spent the night inside and is outside right now. She goes back and forth between being inside the garage and outside when the weather is nice. We will try to get her back in for tonight since she usually sleeps inside.

I've never really heard of these before so hopefully I do it properly. Does it have to be pushed in far or just enough for the whole piece to be in?

About an hour ago he ate 6 ml so it's a big improvement. Still no poop so hopefully the suppository works

 

[Sarthur2]

Are you also adding oil to his feedings?

Push the piece just enough so it’s in.

 

[kimmycup1]

I've been adding oil and the last feeding he ate about 3.5 ml so not as much but I'm just glad he ate. He was in better spirits and more active than just a few hours ago. I'm including a picture of them, the first girl is a tortoiseshell, the second is the boy, he's black/white with some tabby and a little touch of orange on his head, and the orange one is also a female. The tortoiseshell is the only one not dealing with constipation, although her poop isn't perfect either

 

[Sarthur2]

Did you try the glycerin? Has he pooped yet?

 

[kimmycup1]

We have tried but are having a really hard time inserting it and he has not pooped but he's been eating better. He's definitely a little swollen back there due to stimulating and trying to get him to poop and the glycerin is so small and soft that we can't get more than a little bit in. It's hard to cut down and I'm really terrible at that sort of thing. I will have to keep trying to shave down a good piece

 

[Sarthur2]

When is the last time he pooped?

 

[kimmycup1]

It's been over a day again and last time was just a tiny piece. He seems a lot more comfortable than he was so I was hoping he was working on some poop. I'm going to feed them in a few minutes and try again with the gelatin

 

[CharleneWW]

A little bit of coconut oil in the milk will make him go quickly and it does not cramp.

 

[kimmycup1]

I was able to insert a small piece of glycerin and he has pooped a little bit since then but not a lot. If he doesn't start then I'll try to give him a bigger piece. He isn't eating as much now, when earlier he was eating about 8 ml per feeding, but I think his stomach is just bothering him. His eyes started to open today and they are moving so quick that I think they could be mostly open by tomorrow

 

[kimmycup1]

He finally started pooping today. His weight has been back and forth and so have his feedings. Yesterday afternoon he was eating great, then overnight he didn't seem too interested most of the time, and throughout today it's hit or miss. Last feeding he ate 7 ml and since he is starting to poop I'm hoping that will help him.

I have a few questions that I am having a hard time finding an answer to while searching on google and cat forums. I want to buy soap/shampoo for them, but I'm not sure what is safe for kittens this young so any suggestions on that would be great. I'm just looking for something to use when they have messy poop and need a good cleaning that a wipe or washcloth can't do.

I also have been using pedialyte, and it says to discard after 48 hours, so I will have plenty left over. I can't remember the size container it came in, but does anyone know if it comes in different sizes or just the one? I want to buy more but it really adds up when it can be used for only 2 days and most of the product won't be used.

 

[Sarthur2]

Use only blue Dawn soap on the kittens for now and try not to bathe too frequently. Submerge only the back end that needs cleaning.

Pedialyte is actually good for about a week in the fridge; indefinitely in the freezer. Freeze it in an ice cube tray and thaw a cube or 2 as needed. Less waste and ice trays are a buck at the dollar store.

How much does your guy weigh right now and how many days old is he?

 

[kimmycup1]

I weighed him 2 hours ago and he weighed 238 grams, which was down from 242 three hours before that, but he also had just pooped. I am weighing him before every feeding and weighing his sisters twice a day. They are 11 days old and his sisters weighed 278 and 269 grams this morning. I don't like seeing his weight go down and I hope after his big meal earlier that he has gained again. His sisters have also been a little fussy with food today and their poop is loose at times but not diarrhea. I have them all on pedialyte but only the boy on olive oil since I think the looser stool started after the girls started getting olive oil.

I want to start bottle feeding but I've been having issues with it. I am using a miracle nipple, so if I turn the bottle too forward I worry about milk getting into their lungs if they weren't to swallow since I can't see what's going on as well as I can with a syringe, and usually they are really eager to eat with the syringe but then they end up not eating much. I'm using a 3ml syringe, and usually they take the first 3ml really great, then when I refill for the second they act like they want nothing to do with it. I have other larger syringes but the 3ml is the only one I can get to work smoothly. With bottle feeding, I can let them eat what they want without having to put them down and refill but every time I've tried it just doesn't work out.

 

[Sarthur2]

You need to stop worrying so much! All 3 weigh more than 8 ounces already, and 8 ounces is the goal weight for 14 days. The goal for 3 weeks is 12 ounces, and for 4 weeks is one pound. They are clearly getting enough and stopping when they are full. They are all well past average!

If your syringes are not working well you need new ones, which are usually free at the vet and the pharmacy.

 

[kimmycup1]

I always worry too much and it's an issue for me because I stress about everything. I feel that the girls are doing really well, I just need to get the boy to start gaining weight again and eating a bit more. 2-3 times in the last couple of days he decided to not eat anything. Sometimes each will only eat 3ml for multiple feedings in a row and I don't feel that's enough. The red girl acts like she is absolutely starving, then will eat 1.5ml and stop. If I feel they don't eat enough, I always go back to them after I've finished to see if they would like more, sometimes they eat more sometimes they don't. I've been trying to keep in mind that they should be getting 8ml per oz(I think that's correct). They are all happy though and starting to become more interactive. They love to roll around and getting tummy rubs. Once they get to 3 weeks I'll feel a little better since they won't be as fragile.

I will be giving dewormer at 14 days. I already have one that is safe for babies their age and have used it for a litter a couple of years ago, but I don't remember the dosage so I will have to look it up.