Hi, I am back and need advice on hand rearing kittens please.xx

ruthyb

ruthyb

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Hi all, been a very long time since I was on here and not even sure if I have posted in the correct section. My friends cat had kittens yesterday and rejected them, she had 3. I offered to take them and when I went to collect them they were all freezing cold and nearly about to pass over. I brought them home put them in a box on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and have got a feeding bottle and lactose from the vets. Unfortunately one died earlier but the other two are thriving or seem to be, feeding well, lively and making plenty of noise. I am feeding them 1-2 ml every 2 hours, is this correct and anything else I should be doing. Obviously I am stimulating and toileting them too.Just need a bit of help.xxx
 
missymotus

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It can take 24 hours for girls to settle with their kittens, was she given a chance to do this in a quiet, dark space? They don't all click right away with being a mother, and feeding from her is better than formula if possible

She could also reject them if there's something wrong with them

They need approx 25cc over 24 hours, also be sure to weigh them daily
 
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ruthyb

ruthyb

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yes, it was over 24 hours and she didn't go near them once :( the remaining two seem to be thriving at the minute. I am ready for some sleepless nights, these babies have got to make it.x
 
missymotus

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Be prepared they may not, there could be congenital issues. Good luck

Hopefully they'll get mum spayed ASAP, it will help settle her and of course stop her getting pregnant again which can happen soon after birth
 
StefanZ

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You seem to be done it very well. Taking dying kittens back into life isnt the easiest...  And two of them thriving now.   :)

You know about the sites?  Our own article http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens, where you you find www.kitten-rescue.com. 

Others may be:

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/handrearing.html

http://www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm

http://www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm.

Do weigh them daily.

What kmr do you use?

One a little unexpected tip is goat milk, or kmr based on goat milk.

Good luck!
 
orientalslave

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Do read the links Stefanz has posted - they are the best information on the Internet.  And make sure you feed them in the position they fed from their mother in - on their tummies with their head up.  On their back and the milk goes down the wrong way, and kittens this small don't have a cough reflex.

And as said above, it's not easy to bottle-fed such young kittens.  Fingers crossed for you.
 
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ruthyb

ruthyb

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Thank you so much for the advice. Its 8.37 am here and I have been up every 2 hours feeding and they are feeding really well and very active, so fingers crossed. Thank you so much, those links are brilliant.x
 
orientalslave

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To be honest they shouldn't really be that active at this age.  Newborns with their mother do very little except sleep and feed.  Check you are making up the feed correctly - if it's too weak they will be hungry - and feed them a tiny bit more - just over 2cc every 2 hours - and see if they are more settled.  Remember to toilet them before and after each feed.
 
missymotus

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My kittens (with mums) are always very active, roaming all around their bed so I don't think being active is unusual?

Glad they're feeding well, everything crossed for you. 
 
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ruthyb

ruthyb

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Well its 7.30 pm and they have been feeding well all day and seem very content, one takes less milk than the other but is still getting on well x
 
jennyr

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Welcome back, RuthyB - we have missed you. It sounds like the kittens are doing OK, but as said, it is really important to weigh them daily - it is hte only way you can be sure they are thriving. Get a small digital scale in grams, from Boots, and note down their weights every day. It doesn't matter if the gain varies a bit, but as long as it goes up you are doing OK. Good luck
 
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ruthyb

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Scales, I have not got, on the lookout today, my funds are limited so going to ask around see if anyone has any that I can borrow. They are still feeding really well, one of them has problems latching on but when he does, he is fine.x
 
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ruthyb

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Thank you for the pm, will get them on tuesday xx
 
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