Hello,
One week ago I took in 3 orphaned kittens. They were about 4 weeks old at the time of rescue and had been without food/water for over 24 hours. I have had them vet checked and other than a very bad case of round worm (think worms being vomited out of one of the kitty's noses ) they are apparently otherwise healthy. The vet also estimated them at 4 weeks and thinks that they are all boys (although she is not the best at determining kitten gender).
Two of them are thriving - took to bottles straight away, then to wet food mixed with formula/water without any trouble at all......my 3rd is difficult. He will eat but gets distracted VERY easily and has hardly put on any weight. He also proved impossible for us to bottle feed, so we started solids with all sooner than expected. However, he is full of energy and toilets regularly (pee with each feeding, at least one small poo a day) and the vet gave us a concentrated nutritional/vitamin gel that we've been putting on his paws at the end of feeding time for him to lick off (this is the only way we have been able to get it into him). About 2 days ago, after putting them back in their pen, we heard a suckling noise - turns out he was suckling on his brother's genitals. On closer inspection, they were beginning to look quite swollen, so after trying to feed him further, offering a bottle and then the same thing happening as soon as we put him back in the pen, we decided to separate him for his brother's sake
We live in Indonesia (but are Australian) so we have no access to Bitter Apple or anything similar here as far as I know, so rather than separating him, I'm not sure what else to do. As soon as he is separated, he begins to cry and it's heartbreaking. He does stop after about 5 minutes and drops off to sleep (I assume), but he starts again every time that he wakes. I have put a heated rice sock bag in with him and the box he is in is right next to his brothers so he can hear and smell them. Does anyone else have any other suggestions? Do I try him back with his brothers in a couple of days?
Thanks in advance - the level of vet care here is not great, nor is the English, so I don't know who else to ask
One week ago I took in 3 orphaned kittens. They were about 4 weeks old at the time of rescue and had been without food/water for over 24 hours. I have had them vet checked and other than a very bad case of round worm (think worms being vomited out of one of the kitty's noses ) they are apparently otherwise healthy. The vet also estimated them at 4 weeks and thinks that they are all boys (although she is not the best at determining kitten gender).
Two of them are thriving - took to bottles straight away, then to wet food mixed with formula/water without any trouble at all......my 3rd is difficult. He will eat but gets distracted VERY easily and has hardly put on any weight. He also proved impossible for us to bottle feed, so we started solids with all sooner than expected. However, he is full of energy and toilets regularly (pee with each feeding, at least one small poo a day) and the vet gave us a concentrated nutritional/vitamin gel that we've been putting on his paws at the end of feeding time for him to lick off (this is the only way we have been able to get it into him). About 2 days ago, after putting them back in their pen, we heard a suckling noise - turns out he was suckling on his brother's genitals. On closer inspection, they were beginning to look quite swollen, so after trying to feed him further, offering a bottle and then the same thing happening as soon as we put him back in the pen, we decided to separate him for his brother's sake
We live in Indonesia (but are Australian) so we have no access to Bitter Apple or anything similar here as far as I know, so rather than separating him, I'm not sure what else to do. As soon as he is separated, he begins to cry and it's heartbreaking. He does stop after about 5 minutes and drops off to sleep (I assume), but he starts again every time that he wakes. I have put a heated rice sock bag in with him and the box he is in is right next to his brothers so he can hear and smell them. Does anyone else have any other suggestions? Do I try him back with his brothers in a couple of days?
Thanks in advance - the level of vet care here is not great, nor is the English, so I don't know who else to ask