Pregnant Cat Due Soon

[MikyPiky]

They're just babies still, don't worry. You can put him in the box after every meal, but don't be too pushy or it might scare him. I think letting them make a mess while eating is part of their development, but you can put down a puppy pad or towel first.

I raised one litter who were eating solids, but they started suckling on my arm so I let them have a bottle once or twice a day for the comfort. So just try weaning them off the syringe and see how it goes, but be prepared to bring it back if they need it.

Well I've been feeding them in a plastic bin with their wet food on a plate, it's working just great! They've already begun to be cleaner. They don't seem to miss the syringe at all, after they eat the wet food they just sleep, does that mean they are fine?

 

[Willowy]

Yep, sounds good!

 

[MikyPiky]

I have a question about something, cause I don't even know how this is possible.

So one of the kittens (his name is Tux) has been losing a little weight for a few days, all in all, he lost almost an ounce. So today before I fed him he was 13.4 ounces. I fed him and he ate A LOT of wet food. I also gave him a bottle cause he still looked hungry and he drank a lot of that too. After that I weighed him and he weighed 14.4 ounces! How did he gain a whole ounce in just one feeding?! That's almost 30 grams! Is this abnormal or does it just happen sometimes?

 

[Willowy]

If you weigh them right after they eat, the weight of the food/formula is still in them. It's not unusal for him to eat an ounce at this size/age. The question is, how much will he weigh after he's digested it. . .

 

[MikyPiky]

If you weigh them right after they eat, the weight of the food/formula is still in them. It's not unusal for him to eat an ounce at this size/age. The question is, how much will he weigh after he's digested it. . .

Well he weighs 14 ounces now which is pretty good.

 

[MikyPiky]

Okay so since the kittens are over 5 weeks now can I stop feeding them in the middle of the night? I would probably still have to feed the small one though. Here's their current weight, from biggest to smallest.

1 pound 1.6 ounces
1 pound 0.1 ounces
15.5 ounces
13.2 ounces
13.0 ounces

I know some of them are really small for their age, I think it's because at week 3 their Momma wasn't producing enough milk for all five of them. They all act like normal kittens, running, playing with eachother, eating. I hope they will be fine. The smallest one still isn't eating wet food, but he drinks a lot of formula.

So I'm wondering if I still have to feed them at night, and also how many hours between feedings?

 

[Sarthur2]

I would continue to feed the two smallest once during the night. You can also leave wet and dry food out before you go to bed. Ideally at 5 weeks kittens weigh about 20 ounces so they are all a little behind, but should catch up eventually.

For now I would continue to offer food every 4 hours. Perhaps when they are 8 weeks old and closer to two pounds you could move to 4 feedings a day spaced 6 hours apart. I think they still need boosting right now, but it’s good to hear that they are full of energy and playing.

 

[MikyPiky]

Okay thanks for the info. I will put out a dish of wet food before I go to bed, I already have been feeding them some kitty kibble wettened with water, most of them eat it. I'll also feed the two smallest ones in the night. When they are about a pound I'll probably stop feeding them at night, unless the smallest is still not eating solid food. Do you have any tips for getting him to eat solid food?

Some pics for you!

This kitten is the largest of the litter. We've temporarily called him Loudy cause he used to be super loud, now he's one of the quieter ones!

This kitten is Derpy, he's the smallest one that's had some hard times. Sorry for the bad picture, he's 10 times cuter in person!

 

[Sarthur2]

No tips, he just needs to get bigger to be ready to eat solids. Many kittens wean between 6-8 weeks anyway.

 

[MikyPiky]

No tips, he just needs to get bigger to be ready to eat solids. Many kittens wean between 6-8 weeks anyway.

Okay that's good to know! I guess his brothers were just ahead of most kittens!

 

[MikyPiky]

Ok so since the kittens are now six weeks I'm wondering about if I should start feeding them more dry food and less wet food. Here's where the kittens are at in weaning. So the 3 biggest all eat wet food mixed with formula every 4-5 hours. They also eat kitten kibble that I mix with water, I just leave it out for them with a bowl of water. The second smallest eats wet food and kitten kibble, though sometimes he cries for milk so I still give him the bottle pretty regularly. The smallest will not eat solid food still, he just likes his formula. He's almost a pound, and quite chunky compared to before.


I found this paragraph on a website and I'm wondering if this is what I should do for the kittens? I know that I would still have to bottle feed the smallest, this is just for the older kittens that are eating hard food.
"After you have witnessed the kittens eating the dry food in addition to the moistened food for this one-week period, you may feed them the dry food exclusively, unless your veterinarian advises otherwise. Always provide clean water for the kittens so that they will remain hydrated as they make this dietary transition. By the time the kittens are eight weeks old, most easily eat dry kitten food, although some may take a week or two longer."

Also should I still add formula to their wet food? I usually add about a tablespoon.

 

[Sarthur2]

Ugh. What website is that? All cats, and especially kittens, need quality wet food for maximum health. Wet food provides moisture, is easy to digest, and I do think you should continue adding the formula to it. The little guy will likely transition to eating wet food sometime in the next week or two. Kittens really need wet food, particularly the first few months while growing so fast.

My adult cats have dry food available 24/7, and get 1/2 can of wet food in the morning and the other half in the evening. They are indoor only and fairly sedentary.

Many shelters advocate for dry food only because it is cheaper, less messy, and they can tell prospective adopters that the kittens only need dry food. Knowing a kitten will be cheap to feed makes adoptions easier. However, many shelters also do not advocate dry food only.

I am an advocate of a healthy diet, which includes quality wet and dry food.

 

[MikyPiky]

Ok that makes sense. I did think that advice was kind of off, but I wanted to make sure. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, they're thriving really well on what they have! Thank you!

 

[MikyPiky]

So a few of the kittens have began to scratch their ears quite bit, I've looked in them and they're completely clean, no ear mites. There's also no swelling or discharge, and doesn't smell bad. The one kitten is having a hard time with it right now, scratching his ears a lot, shaking His head, and meowing in annoyance. I feel bad for him and want to help him but don't know how. I'm guessing it's allergies, but would it be their food, pollen cause its spring or their litter? I have no idea what to do, please help.

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like mites, even though you can’t see them. You’ll need ear drops for mites from a vet.

 

[MikyPiky]

It sounds like mites, even though you can’t see them. You’ll need ear drops for mites from a vet.

I think we do have a very small amount of hexamite drops left over from our cats when they had ear mites. How many drops should I put in each ear?

 

[Sarthur2]

Since they are small kittens, start with one or two drops in each ear. Then fold the ear between your fingers and squish the liquid around. I hope it solves the problem.

 

[MikyPiky]

Since the kittens are 7 weeks old today, I though I would give you an update!

So they are all doing well, each one is showing his different personalities! They play so much now, they are full of energy and run like crazy! I'm pretty sure their ear mites are gone because they don't scratch their ears anymore, so thats great!

I haven't weighed them today yet, but here's their weight from yesterday! Largest to smallest again.

1 pound, 9.7 ounces
1 pound, 8.6 ounces
1 pound, 7.6 ounces
1 pound, 5.1 ounces
1 pound, 3.4 ounces

I think they are all doing pretty well for their weight, the kitten that would only drink formula started eating hard food before wet food! Just one day he gobbled it from my hands! And he started to eat wet food a couple days ago, though he still mostly drinks formula. I have a suspicion he doesn't want me to know he likes wet food, cause he only eats it when I'm not watching... He's actually eating some right now, I can hear the slurping noises.

And I have a one quick question.
Should I still warm their wet food? I've always done it, and I'm wondering when to stop?

 

[Sarthur2]

If they like it warm, I would continue to warm it. No reason not to. They are still little and need special care!

Ideally they should weigh closer to 2 pounds by 8 weeks, but hopefully they will begin to gain more from eating their wet food. You can also put dishes of formula down for them to lap. Are you feeding wet food 6 times a day? They need it since their tummies are so small.

Thanks for the update!

 

[MikyPiky]

If they like it warm, I would continue to warm it. No reason not to. They are still little and need special care!

Ideally they should weigh closer to 2 pounds by 8 weeks, but hopefully they will begin to gain more from eating their wet food. You can also put dishes of formula down for them to lap. Are you feeding wet food 6 times a day? They need it since their tummies are so small.

Thanks for the update!

I will keep warming their food, I wasn't planning on stopping soon anyways.

I feed them 4 times a day, 5 hours apart. This is what works for me and the kittens, they eat a lot each feeding, and if I feed them any sooner than 5 hours, they just eat a few bites, then walk away. I know my kittens very well, and I can tell that they are completely satisfied with the amount of food they get, so please don't worry.

I did weigh them today, and they all gained a lot!