Pregnant with worms

catsknowme

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What a beautiful batch of kittens! Mama has such beautiful colors, too - such a pretty copper color on her legs. Her baby is a beautiful sorrel red, too. Sounds like everyone is doing great, thanks to your excellent care.
 
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SilentDream

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I hope this weight chart posts in a way that can be read. All weights are in grams. I'm wondering if kitten 8 is alright or if I should be worried. She always gains less than the others. But her total weight is 153. She seems healthy and nurses all the time. But because her weight gain has been 8, 10, 8, and 7 over the last 4 days I needed to check and see what you think. Thanks for looking at this :hearthrob:

DATE
Kitten 1​
Kitten 2​
Kitten 3​
Kitten 4​
Kitten 5​
Kitten 6​
Kitten 7​
Kitten 8​
9/9
109​
130​
135​
126​
98​
126​
119​
120​
9/10
129 (+20)​
137 (+7)​
137 (+2)​
134 (+8)​
118 (+20)​
129 (+3)​
128 (+9)​
128 (+8)​
9/11
140 (+11)​
151 (+14)​
157 (+20)​
152 (+18)​
132 (+14)​
151 (+22)​
136 (+8)​
138 (+10)​
9/12
155 (+15)​
167 (+16)​
180 (+23)​
167 (+15)​
144 (+12)​
161 (+10)​
149
(+13)​
146 (+8)​
9/13
165 (+15)​
182 (+15)​
191 (+11)​
179 (+12)​
154 (+10)​
176 (+15)​
159 (+10)​
153 (+7)​
 

Sarthur2

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Beautiful chart!

Yes, all seem to be doing well so far. They will be 6 days old tomorrow and even the smallest is already over 5 ounces. The biggest is 6.7 ounces.

The milestones are 4 ounces at 7 days, 8 ounces at 14 days, 12 ounces at 21 days, and a full pound at 4 weeks. So, so far so good!

If any kitten fails to gain for more than a day, or loses grams, it’s time to step in and supplement as needed.

It’s a large litter, so continue daily weighing and keep us posted!
 
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SilentDream

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Thank you so much! I feel a lot better after reading this. Kittens seem so fragile and they're so helpless. I guess I over-worry about everything. This morning the biggest one was opening and closing his mouth and kinda twitching, sorta like he had the hiccups. Maybe he did have the hiccups. I don't know, but he's not doing it anymore. They're all doing great and sleeping now, including mama cat.
 
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Yesterday I noticed that mama was out of her nesting area for up to an hour and a half at a time (maybe a little longer). Prior to giving birth she loved to sleep in the bathroom sink, but she hasn't done that since having her kittens...until last night and today. Are one week old kittens okay to be away from mom for a bit while she naps in the sink? If not, I could block off the sink until babies are older.
 

missymotus

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Are one week old kittens okay to be away from mom for a bit while she naps in the sink?
so long as she returns when they fuss a break is fine.

Kittens can get hiccups, they can also hiss which is similar to what you described with the mouth opening.

We feed our (pedigree) mums 5-6 times a day when nursing, this helps keep their condition regardless of litter size.
 
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Just an update and question. Babies will be two weeks old tomorrow. They all seem to be doing great. I have noticed a lot of fighting over nipples and yesterday one only had a 4g weight gain. I'll see what it is today. She keeps getting pushed off nipple by the biggest one. It's crazy how they squabble and scratch and screech. They're also starting to walk now. So cute! So question...is it normal for such fighting at milk time? Should I intervene if weight gain of smallest is only 4 or 5 grams? And here are some pics. Wish I could keep all of them.
babies2weeks.jpg


Polish_20210922_122141229.jpg
 

Sarthur2

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Yes, definitely intervene. As they get bigger they require more milk, so you can try rotating the kittens in groups of 4 every couple of hours during the day, or you can begin supplementing the ones who are not gaining enough.
 
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Update and quick question. All the kittens are gaining weight and are starting to play. I noticed one had tiny little teeth because she was nibbling on my hand and I felt it.
Yesterday one of the babies was crying because she wanted out of the crate and mama reached in and pulled her out by the ear. The other one she carries around by the throat. It kinda freaks me out when she does stuff like that, but she has never hurt them.
They're 3 weeks now. Is it time to offer food yet? Or a litter box? I have them enclosed in a large area with the nesting crate inside that area so they can come out and play. At night I put them in the crate and only mama can get out. Should I just let them come and go into the crate on their own at night or are they still too young? I don't want one to end up out and get too cold. Or idk I just didn't know for sure if I should do that.
20210929_155657.jpg
20210929_153531.jpg
 

Sarthur2

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Let them come and go on their own now. It’s perfect timing at the 3-week mark.

They will most likely not be ready for food for a couple more weeks, but if you see a kitten trying mom’s food, then that kitten may be ready. Start with soft pates when they are ready.
 
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Last night one of the kittens was running and playing and seemed perfectly fine. I picked her up and just like that she started to crash on me. She slumped over in my hand and was just staring. No reaction at all. I got mama Cat and layed her down and placed baby next to baby. She immediately and frantically started looking for a nipple. It seemed like she was sooo desperate to drink. Mom only let her nurse for a few minutes and baby was still hungry. I put some kmr in a saucer and baby drank every drop. It was her first time lapping and she kept sneezing (is that something I should be worried about--can she get that in her lungs or is that how they learn to drink)? Baby seems fine now. Mom has fed all 8 several times.

Do you know what could have caused baby to go from playing to (honestly I though she was dying in my hands) in a split second like that?

Should I begin weaning these babies? One month old today and they're definitely interested in kmr given in saucer. Mom will still nurse, but I'm worried with 8 babies that some are not getting enough milk. Is it okay to supplement in saucer like that? I'm worried about them sucking it up their nose.

Thank you for your help
 

Sarthur2

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Yes, offer formula in a saucer. Also, offer soft, pate-style wet food mixed with KMR to make a mush on a saucer. Do this 3-4 times a day; then 6-8 times a day as they truly wean from mom.

If any kitten is unable to eat / drink from the saucer yet, please supplement with a syringe or bottle.

These babies are desperate. With 8 one-month old babies, mom’s milk supply can no longer keep up. The incident was from low blood sugar from not getting enough food. Have honey on hand to rub on the gums for quick energy if this occurs again.

The sneezing is sticking one’s nose into the milk instead of the tongue as they learn how to lap. It’s harmless.

Here is a weaning video:
 
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SilentDream

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Thank you so much for your help and the video. 4 of the kittens drink from saucer and 4 will not, so I'm using syringe to feed those 4. Is there a certain amount I should feed them or should I just give them as much as they will take 3 to 4 times a day?
 
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SilentDream

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I honestly do not know what I would have done throughout this process without you, Sarthur2 Sarthur2 because I had no clue about what I was doing when I invited this beautiful little cat into my home. And now her babies are doing great. I did what you suggested and all of them (except one) are eating kmr mixed with pate kitten food out of saucer! They also still nurse mom. Yesterday I introduced them to the litter box and most knew exactly what to do on their own. A few are still figuring it out. I'll have to post some updated pics soon. Thank you again :hearthrob:
 
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