Rescue kitty and babies!

white shadow

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No kitten expert here, either - which is why I'm hoping one of them is around and chimes in.

One of my go-to's, Dr. Pierson's site indicates kittens under ~7 weeks should not be using clumping litters - reasons should be obvious.

Anyways, I can't do any more than waive the yellow flag for you.
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CAurora

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They are not much interested in solid food at that age, and mama will keep cleaning them up when they poo until they start eating solid food. I always thinned down the wet cat food (pate) and put a small dab on their lips so they would lick it off, which usually got them started. They will make a huge mess before they get the hang of it. Get some small, dessert sized styrofoam plates and put their food on several of them. She can't eat off of all of them at once. Quickly put a dab on a baby's lips and offer them a plate. The plates can be washed in hot soapy water and reused.
Somehow I missed this reply this morning, but this sounds like a much better system than I’m currently using! What do you dilute it with? I’ve read some sites use KMR.
 
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CAurora

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Mom looks barely a year old, and a bit thin. Nursing is hard work. If you can afford it, she needs 3 cans a day for now. You’ll see her appetite decrease when she is no longer nursing and is spayed, but nursing moms need extra nutrition. This is why she’s eating the kittens’ food - she’s hungry, especially for wet food. You can also offer mom boiled chicken, yogurt, cheese, and scrambled eggs.

Kittens wean more easily at 6-7 weeks, especially when they have a mom. They have baby teeth right now. They will lose those and get incisors in a few weeks. Kittens will eat slurry from a flat plate when they are ready, some earlier than others.

You will want to start putting the kittens in the kitten sized litter box before and after meals, and at other times throughout the day. This is similar to weaning in that they learn the box quickly when they are ready, and it tends to coincide with weaning to soft foods. Like toddlers, they may still have accidents even when they know better. You may want to try a softer litter material, and Dr. Elsey’s Kitten Attract litter is an excellent choice.

Kittens are messy, but you will see improvement in the next couple of weeks on all fronts. Enjoy this stage as they grow up so fast! :)
These are great tips! Mom is older than she looks, according to the vet. I also thought she was still a kitten, but the vet guessed young adult. She is definitely still underweight, she was skin and bones when we found her. She eats a ton of dry food throughout day and has been gaining weight, and honestly as a full time student I’m not sure I can afford three cans a day. :( I wasn’t expecting all this to happen when I adopted her!! Surprisingly she doesn’t like human food— chicken, shrimp, tuna, and cheese are the ones we’ve tried so far. French fries, however she loves which are obviously rarely given to her. They’re the most special treat.
 
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CAurora

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Maybe have the babies in a separate room when letting them explore the food? So Momma can't get to it before them. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.
That’s a good idea, I was keeping them together so they could watch her eat and maybe follow her example, but it might come to this.
 

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A lot of food banks also supply pet food for free. Call around in your area and inquire. You may be able to pick up wet and/or dry food for free to help you out.
 
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CAurora

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These are great tips! Mom is older than she looks, according to the vet. I also thought she was still a kitten, but the vet guessed young adult. She is definitely still underweight, she was skin and bones when we found her. She eats a ton of dry food throughout day and has been gaining weight, and honestly as a full time student I’m not sure I can afford three cans a day. :( I wasn’t expecting all this to happen when I adopted her!! Surprisingly she doesn’t like human food— chicken, shrimp, tuna, and cheese are the ones we’ve tried so far. French fries, however she loves which are obviously rarely given to her. They’re the most special treat.
So, just tried tuna again and she loved it. Cats are interesting creatures. Also picked up some KMR which she liked.
 
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CAurora

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A lot of food banks also supply pet food for free. Call around in your area and inquire. You may be able to pick up wet and/or dry food for free to help you out.
I’ll have to look into that, thank you!
 
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CAurora

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So since I posted, the little boy who occasionally eats the odd dry food has had his first poo by himself, on his blanket and not the litter tray thankfully toothpaste consistency so easy to remove. Its going to be messy these next few weeks, good luck with yours, if you find anything that works in training them please do let me know 😉
Also with weaning has ours are of similar age.
So I got 3/5 of them to eat the canned food/KMR mixture! I did as someone else on the thread said and kept putting it on their lips until they would eat it from my finger, then from there I moved them to the dish of food. They ate until they were full, and now I’m sticking them in the litter box one by one. They haven’t gone, but they’re definitely interested and digging around so hopefully sometime soon!
 
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CAurora

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Okay, my latest question: how much food/KMR mixture should they get at each feeding? Right now I’m just putting it on plates and letting them all eat until they’re full. Is this a good system as long as they all continue gaining weight? Every site I read says something different. Is three feedings enough since they’re still nursing?

Also just to follow up my previous posts, mom is still stimulating them to poop, so they don’t have a secret poop corner somewhere. Phew. The pee on the other hand.. who knows:oops:
 

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Probably around 5 weeks of age they'll use the box more and when they start eating more solids. Also you can show then the box, just sit them down in the box every once in a while.
 

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I think offering food 5-6 times a day to tiny kittens is optimal along with nursing. Their tummies are very small. As they grow you can cut back, but until they are about one year old they need to eat lots of food to grow on. :)
 
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CAurora

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Probably around 5 weeks of age they'll use the box more and when they start eating more solids. Also you can show then the box, just sit them down in the box every once in a while.
Good to know. They’re 5 weeks today/tomorrow (born before and after midnight). I found the first poop this morning so I threw it in the box to give them an example haha
 
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CAurora

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I think offering food 5-6 times a day to tiny kittens is optimal along with nursing. Their tummies are very small. As they grow you can cut back, but until they are about one year old they need to eat lots of food to grow on. :)
Thank you!
 

Sarthur2

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Put them in the litter box before and after meals throughout the day. Take a little front paw and show them how to dig. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they catch on! :)
 
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CAurora

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Put them in the litter box before and after meals throughout the day. Take a little front paw and show them how to dig. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they catch on! :)
I have been doing this for about a week and a half, I think they’re just late bloomers!
 
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CAurora

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So I just had a friend gift me a TON of Iams kitten food. They’re currently eating wellness.. can I mix a little Iams in each feeding without hurting their tummies?
 
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CAurora

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So I just had a friend gift me a TON of Iams kitten food. They’re currently eating wellness.. can I mix a little Iams in each feeding without hurting their tummies?
Nevermind, just opened the bag and it’s pate for adults, I’ll have to mix it with moms food instead.
 
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So lately, like within the last two-three days, Milo (mom) has been meowing so loud allllllll the time. It doesn’t sound like she’s in pain, just being super loud. It wakes us up at night, and I’m worried the neighbors can hear since I live in an apartment.
It seems like she’s directing it towards the babies? They all have a vet appointment for a check up on Monday so I can ask about it then, but honestly it’s driving me crazy!
 

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So lately, like within the last two-three days, Milo (mom) has been meowing so loud allllllll the time. It doesn’t sound like she’s in pain, just being super loud. It wakes us up at night, and I’m worried the neighbors can hear since I live in an apartment.
It seems like she’s directing it towards the babies? They all have a vet appointment for a check up on Monday so I can ask about it then, but honestly it’s driving me crazy!
She could possibly be coming into heat? Or her hormones all over the place?
I've had similar with my mama cat this week, I thought she was in heat, only lasted about 4 days and she's settled down again, Phew.
She didn't really display any other heat symptoms but constant loud meowing and pacing about.
How the litter training going?
 
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