Newborn Kitten Questions.

[DarwinsMum]

Hi everyone! My name is Laura and I'm new to the site. My in laws cat recently had a kitten but she ended up abandoning him, (we waited and watched and she never came back to him) so I took him in. I've been feeding him kitten formula every two hours round the clock and making sure to stimulate him so he poops. He seems to be doing great so far, eating well. I did want to ask exactly how many ml a kitten this age (6 days) should be eating per feed? We've just kind of been feeding him until he doesn't want it anymore, anywhere from 5-7ml per feed. Is this too much or too little?

Also, how much is okay to handle them? Is it okay to let him crawl around a bit and get some exercise? I'm worried about him getting too cold if I do that though.

Next question, pooping. We've been stimulating him with a warm baby wipe because it is the only thing that has worked so far. He's been pooping and peeing at least once per day, but I feel like the amount he's producing is too little. I know they're small though so maybe it's just me. How much is normal? I have a pic for that if it's allowed.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Sarthur2]

You need to weigh the kitten daily. Kittens need to gain a minimum of 6-10 grams per day. Amounts to feed are based on weight. It does sound like he may be getting enough if you are feeding him as much as he wants every 2 hours around the clock, but he should be peeing more often.

Get a digital kitchen scale that weighs in grams. It’s the best way to know if he is getting enough and gaining.

He needs to stay in a nest for the first 3 weeks with a heat source, and not crawl around anywhere else.

Do your in-laws plan to spay their cat? If not, she will be pregnant again soon.

Syringe Feeding

Kitten Development Stages - Illustrated Guide

Thanks for caring for him!

 

[DarwinsMum]

We got a scale and he's only weighing 15 grams. That's super behind right? Do we need to double up on feedings? Why is he weighing so little when we've been feeding him every 2 hours? He's pooping and peeing fine, I think, still wondering about the poop. Should we consult the vet?

 

[Willowy]

I don't think it's possible for a kitten to weigh 15 grams; are you sure the scale is correct? Most kittens are born at 80-100 grams and the smallest I've heard of that survived was 25 grams.

His actual weight isn't the most important part---a steady gain is what you want to see. He should gain an average of 10 grams a day. But definitely make sure the scale is accurate!

 

[ileen]

There are 28 grams in an ounce, so 1/2 ounce kitten doesn't sound viable. Maybe it's 150 grams?

 

[DarwinsMum]

We weighed him in Oz too and it said 1/2oz. Maybe it isn't accurate. We'll take it back and get a different one.

 

[DarwinsMum]

We got the scale calibrated and put it on a harder surface. He weighs 137g! That's good right? We'll make a weight chart for him to make sure he's gaining correctly.

Also, in laws have no intention on spaying momma kitty so I'm going to take her myself.

 

[jen]

If he is 6 days old that seems about right, on the smaller side though. I usually just feed them until they refuse anymore and keep up on weighing him. I think it varies on how much he should be eating. All kitties are different.

Glad you are going to get momma spayed!

 

[DarwinsMum]

He weighs 165 now! So he's definitely gaining weight. His eyes are open now and he's doing great! I'm still a little concerned on the pooping/peeing part. How much should he be doing this? And what does a healthy stool look like? He's been peeing on his own a bit as we've found wet spits on his heating pack. Is this normal too?

 

[Sarthur2]

All normal. Poop should be yellowish brown and of a toothpaste consistency while on formula.

 

[DarwinsMum]

Thanks! So his stool isn't exactly like toothpaste, it's a bit firmer than that. Not dry and hard but not soft either. And he only pooped once yesterday. Is he possibly a little constipated? What can we do?

 

[Sarthur2]

He sounds okay, and one poop a day is okay. But if you’re worried, you can add a drop or two of olive oil to the formula to soften the stool.

 

[DarwinsMum]

Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[DarwinsMum]

Update: Darwin is now 19 days old! He's doing really well and growing super fast. He is starting to pee and poo on his own, can we stop doing it ourselves at this time? Also, when can we remove the heat source? We've been using a clay hot/cold pack and it's been working well, he loves it. He'll be 3 weeks old on Monday. Here he is trying to climb out of his box lol. He's very active now!

 

[Sarthur2]

Keep the heat source going for now. If you feel he does not need stimulating anymore, you can stop, but keep an eye on his elimination because moms usually stimulate for longer.

 

[DarwinsMum]

Thanks! We'll keep it going. He pood on his own yesterday well and has been peeing for the last week. We may still stimulate him a few times a day just in case.

Also, he IS a boy, right?

 

[DarwinsMum]

Darwin is now 6 weeks old, and we're pretty sure he is actually a she, but we're keeping the name lol. Anyway, question on weaning. She is taking wet food and water really well, does she still need formula at this point or is it OK to just transition her completely to wet and water? We also have a bit of dry food we're going to mix in but we will keep her on wet as her main food source.

 

[Sarthur2]

Dry kitten chow is fine to snack on between wet food meals, which should be 4-6 times a day for now.

I’d suggest offering her small amounts of formula in a dish a couple of times a day for a couple more weeks. The calcium is good for her, and many kittens are still nursing mom at this tender age.

 

[DarwinsMum]

Update for anyone interested. Darwin is definitely a she lol and is now about 5 months old! She's doing really great. Very active and playful and so sweet when she wants to be but definitely a ball of sass. She's getting spayed soon and her second round of shots. Here she is on my sons favorite blanket. She and my son get along great and love to run and chase each other. I'm so happy and proud that we were able to raise a healthy kitty from a tiny newborn!

 

[golondrina]

Congratulations.You have done an excellent job. Many thanks for the update.
Has mom been spayed?