kitten questions feeding/weight, etc

Sarthur2

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Why did they get vaccines at 4 weeks old? First vaccines are not given until 8 weeks. Who’s idea was this? They are too young!

You’ll have to let them live through it now. They may be sick for a few days. If they become too lethargic to eat or begin vomiting they may need emergency care.
 
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Ladyrosee

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Why did they get vaccines at 4 weeks old? First vaccines are not given until 8 weeks. Who’s idea was this? They are too young!

You’ll have to let them live through it now. They may be sick for a few days. If they become too lethargic to eat or begin vomiting they may need emergency care.
Oh trust me.... I know. Most shelters in the United states give vaccines starting at 1lb and then again at 7 weeks and again at their neuter at 8 weeks or 2 lbs. I hate this. This picture I posted is from a famous neonatal kitten rescuer and she says the same. I don't believe in that at all but they're not my cats. I gave them 0.2 ml of adored beast antivaccinosis after their shots. It says to do twice a day
 

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Sarthur2

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In my experience vaccines begin at 8 weeks with boosters at 12 and 16 weeks, and in Florida the rabies vaccine is not administered until 6 months of age. Apparently the shelter you foster for is on a rushed timeline that does not place the welfare of the kittens before the issue of getting them adopted and out the door quickly. Shame on them!
 
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Ladyrosee

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In my experience vaccines begin at 8 weeks with boosters at 12 and 16 weeks, and in Florida the rabies vaccine is not administered until 6 months of age. Apparently the shelter you foster for is on a rushed timeline that does not place the welfare of the kittens before the issue of getting them adopted and out the door quickly. Shame on them!
I don't know what to do. Shaming them isn't helping. I'm concerned that's all and they're just so exhausted and not wanting to move. They told me if I took them to an approved emergency vet they would just tell me it was from the vaccine

What you are saying is what all vets do. But shelters are different. Most vets here spay at 3lbs. Shelters do 2
 

Sarthur2

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I was shaming the shelter, not you! What state are you in? Not all shelters vaccinate this young, but you have no choice but to follow the rules of your shelter. Just watch the kittens and see how they do.
 
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Ladyrosee

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I was shaming the shelter, not you! What state are you in? Not all shelters vaccinate this young, but you have no choice but to follow the rules of your shelter. Just watch the kittens and see how they do.
I know you were but I foster for them and it makes me feel so much worse people shaming the shelter I support by caring for these kitties and having no choice doing the things they request I do.. I'm very concerned. They're just exhausted. All breathing fast because I think they're constantly in dream states, twitching etc. The mentor asked if open mouth breathing was happening and I said no and they purr when I pet them but don't want to be moved at all or theyll whine. They act really upset and grumpy when moved. This isnt normal for them at all. I'm in Washington. I'd love to foster for a shelter that had better practices. It's the Tacoma humane society. I have no idea why they didnt wait until 6 weeks of age then do the booster at 8 weeks and the neuters. I feel regret now and wish I would have asked to postpone the appointment. I'm so stressed out and freaking out.
 

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Use honey on the gums for a quick glucose rush and drip pedialyte drops into their mouths if they become ill. Hopefully they’ll feel better in a day or two, and will eat their formula in the meantime. They feel yucky and fatigued right now. Their bodies are just so small. Hang in there. They should recover in 24-48 hours but do hydrate them. It’s just a shame they have to go through this.
 
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Use honey on the gums for a quick glucose rush and drip pedialyte drops into their mouths if they become ill. Hopefully they’ll feel better in a day or two, and will eat their formula in the meantime. They feel yucky and fatigued right now. Their bodies are just so small. Hang in there. They should recover in 24-48 hours but do hydrate them. It’s just a shame they have to go through this.
They are so small. They latched well and ate their 20ml 6 hours ago. They should be frantically hungry right now. I cant imagine giving them fluids they're so small. I have 30g needles half inch but I dont think those will work. I just dont know why they're breathing so fast. I told the mentor and she only said shed be concerned if their mouths were open. I know I see kittens breathe insanely fast while sound asleep and that's what they're doing. Maybe I'm extra paranoid about the breathing because of the vaccine today. Who knows
 

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I did not mean sub-q fluids with a needle. I meant if they will not drink their formula to put honey on their gums for quick energy and use a needle-less syringe to put drops of pedialyte in their mouths.
 
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Ladyrosee

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I did not mean sub-q fluids with a needle. I meant if they will not drink their formula to put honey on their gums for quick energy and use a needle-less syringe to put drops of pedialyte in their mouths.
They meant sub q fluids. I don't feel comfortable but maybe they are okay without them for now. I have Karo syrup I'll try
 
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Hi! My litter has been doing well. Aside from the vaccine reaction they got this week :mad:

They really arent understanding weaning. I've never had to wean a cat before, I've bottle fed and gotten kittens to foster when they were already weaned. I have tiny kibble the shelter gave me and all kinds of kitten wet food. I show them the food and it acts like it breaks their little brain. One kitten freezes up and backs away offended. The other seems sort of interested but wont even lick it off my finger.

The shelter told me tough love and I dont buy that at all. They're all eating 20 to 22ml KMR every 4 hours still and some go 6 hours without wanting food. What can I do? When should they actually be weaned? One was interested in water today and dipped his foot in it and licked it but sprinted away

I'm thinking leaving dry and some wet out over night to see if they even touch it
 

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Don’t force weaning — there’s no hard and fast rule of when to wean. They‘re probably not ready yet. Try again in a couple of weeks, they’re still v young. Starting before 6 weeks is early, imo, and some won’t take till they’re closer to 8 weeks. Depends on how they’re developing.

Also, wouldn’t wean them onto kibble — it’s bad for cats, in general, plus they’re going to have a much harder time transitioning from KMR to dry food. Try mixing in KMR into kitten wet food, or start by putting KMR in a dish, perhaps with a small amount of kitten wet food added.
 
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Ladyrosee

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Don’t force weaning — there’s no hard and fast rule of when to wean. They‘re probably not ready yet. Try again in a couple of weeks, they’re still v young. Starting before 6 weeks is early, imo, and some won’t take till they’re closer to 8 weeks. Depends on how they’re developing.

Also, wouldn’t wean them onto kibble — it’s bad for cats, in general, plus they’re going to have a much harder time transitioning from KMR to dry food. Try mixing in KMR into kitten wet food, or start by putting KMR in a dish, perhaps with a small amount of kitten wet food added.
Oh I dont plan on forcing weaning. They just ideally only have until 8 weeks and they need to be put back in the shelter for adoption so i feel so rushed trying to be a good foster mom. The shelter said no more formula when I took them in on monday but I'm not just going to stop. And I know about kibble. They just gave it to me so I give them what they want. They are out of wet food at the shelter. I got my own it just gets so expensive. I'm not sure if the kittens dont like the wet or it's a new smell they're weird about
 

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I would wait at least another week too. They should be fed every 4 hours and going without overnight. When I started to wean them to real cat food, I watered down some wet pate and smeared a tiny bit onto their lips to make them lick it off, which usually got them going. PS shelters are going to more than likely feed kibble, so really, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get them at least introduced to the idea. They don't have the luxury or the resources to give every cat wet. That is why I bring a case in once in a while, for the poor older cats whose owners have died, that don't like kibble and aren't eating.
 
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Ladyrosee

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I would wait at least another week too. They should be fed every 4 hours and going without overnight. When I started to wean them to real cat food, I watered down some wet pate and smeared a tiny bit onto their lips to make them lick it off, that usually got them going.
See I gently smear it on their mouth and they lick it off and fall backwards. Why are they so dramatic haha! They bite and pull at the bottle nipple and get so aggressive when they dont latch well. I'll feed them and leave some wet out over night.

When you say "going without overnight" how long would you say?
 

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They should be able to go 6-8 hours at night. The aggressiveness with the nipple means they are transitioning to wanting solid food. They should also be ready to use the litter box too, NON CLUMPING litter, because they may eat some of it, in a shallow box, like cardboard flats that canned food comes in. They may be more willing to lick a little of their regular formula off your finger and be lead with your finger to a shallow dish. if they don't, they just aren't ready yet. Get some pate Fancy Feast in turkey or chicken and mix some of their formulae in and see if they will eat that. Once they start, there is no stopping them!
 
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Ladyrosee

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They should be able to go 6-8 hours at night. The aggressiveness with the nipple means they are transitioning to wanting solid food. They should also be ready to use the litter box too, NON CLUMPING litter, because they may eat some of it, in a shallow box, like cardboard flats that canned food comes in. They may be more willing to lick a little of their regular formula off your finger and be lead with your finger to a shallow dish. if they don't, they just aren't ready yet. Get some pate Fancy Feast in turkey or chicken and mix some of their formulae in and see if they will eat that. Once they start, there is no stopping them!
They actually mastered the litter box a week ago yay! The formula on my finger wasnt doing it either. Maybe they just arent ready. I'll just keep leaving a little food out throughout the day (wet) and see if they get curious enough
 
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That should work, they will eat when they are ready, it is like trying to get a one-year-old human toddler to walk before they can.....
Well they havent gained really any weight since I posted. The nipple they liked is too far gone and wont latch on a new nipple and they're barely eating any wet food because they don't understand. So I don't know what to do now. They're not sick at all
 

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Soak the new nipple in kitten formula and see if they will take it. Otherwise, will they lap it from a shallow dish?
 
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