Two Queens Co-parenting Question.

[Sarthur2]

The room looks great!

It should be enough since he's nursing mom too. He should be fed on his tummy though - like he nurses from mom - never on the back.

Hopefully they will start soft foods soon, and perhaps it's just a plateau. We need to see gains soon though!

 

[gtmoy]

Oh that was for the picture. I basically feed him upright, supported, since I have to scruff feed him.

PS see that you're in Florida, hope you stay safe.

 

[Sarthur2]

Thank you! I'm on the Gulf Coast in the Tampa Bay area and anxious to know the path of Irma. We are all very worried!

 

[gtmoy]

Hopefully it turns right and misses ya'll altogether. I'm in San Antonio and have trouble getting gas because of the panic buying and hoarding.

I weighed BW cat today and he was 410g! I didn't feed him this morning and will weigh him tonight. There was some diarrhea on the towels and puppy pads, but not too bad.

I'm up to 12 cans of food a day! Thank goodness for Chewy

 

[Sarthur2]

I love Chewy!

Good to hear he's gaining his weight back. He may need wxtra tonight to keep the pace.

 

[gtmoy]

BW kitty was 420g this morning with no supplemental feeding. 10g in 24 hrs. No diarrhea that I could see, although the younger kittens have taken to peeing next to the litter boxes instead of in them! I added some litter attract this morning, hopefully it encourages them to use the boxes.

Another positive note, I saw 2 or 3 of the younger kittens starting to nibble on wet food.

 

[Sarthur2]

Great news!

I put doggie pee pads around the boxes when mine were learning. Eventually, they all figured it out, though it took some a week or two longer than others. At least the kittens were going on the pads next to the box!

 

[gtmoy]

So the two moms aren't friends anymore. They have been having little skirmishes on and off but always end up fine and would even groom each other. Yesterday they got into a fight and then stayed separate, so I went ahead and put them in separate rooms.

Eliza and her seven kittens are doing fine, but Stella and her four are having poo problems.

I asked the vet to run a PCR test on Stella and it came back negative. I'm wondering if she and her kittens have a food intolerance/allergy. Having spent 8 weeks together if there was anything communicable, you'd think it would've spread by now.

I've started them on S. Boulardii, but wonder if there is anything else I should try. Should I try posting a new thread in a different section?

Thanks!


PCR came back negative for:
Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium difficiletoxins A/B, Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, Cryptosporidium spp. and C. felis, feline parvovirus, Giardiaspp., Salmonella spp., Tritrichomonas foetus

 

[Sarthur2]

This thread is fine. Are they having diarrhea? What color is it?

 

[gtmoy]

Stella in a 24 hour period will have both 100% liquid stool and firm stools. She isn't leaking anymore and doesn't have accidents. She probably goes 5 or 6 times a day, but it's hard to tell since they were combined. It'll be easier to tell now. The "firm" stools are closer to a stiff meringue than rock solid. They are dark brown.

One kitten has diarrhea, very loose, dark brown. Another one yesterday had a loose stool that was mostly yellow liquid with some brown stool mixed in. All are acting normally, gaining weight, energetic.

I just separated them yesterday, so it'll be easier to tell which set of kittens have what poop moving forward. I'm pretty sure all of Eliza's kittens have normal poop.

They're all on Purina One grain free beef wet and feline caviar venison and pea dry. When I was feeding them turkey kitten food Stella had the leaking issues. Now that they're separated it'll make it easier to try different foods since I won't have to buy for all 13 at a time.

I just bought 25 cases of beef food too (maybe Amazon will take it back, it's $500 worth), if I can transition Eliza and her 7 to "regular" kitten food. Combined they are up to about 20 cans a day.

Did you make it through Irma okay?

Edit: Pictured is resident cat and food inspector Steve (manx).

 

[Sarthur2]

Still without power and caring for 2 baby squirrels I found in the debris in my yard, but I'm good!

Give it a couple of days and see how their poop is. Changing wet food may or may not help.

Have you tried mixing a teaspoonful of plain, canned pumpkin into the wet food? It adds bulk and tends to firm stools.

Also, sprinkle probiotic powder into wet meals. It may help the digestive system and colon.

If nothing works, a round of Albon may be in order.

Keep us posted.

 

[gtmoy]

I haven't tried the pumpkin yet. I have started alternatively using S. Boulardii (morning) and probiotics (evening) for the last two days.

I want to get Eliza and Co. switched to less exotic food, so when they are adopted, they'll be more adapted to what they will most likely eat in their new home. (Also cheaper for me, the bag food is $60 for 11lbs).

I'll keep Stella and Co. on the same food and start adding pumpkin along with the probiotics and yeast.

Thanks.

 

[gtmoy]

Since I feed them 3 oz cans, should I put 3 tsp per can?
Stella and Co. I feed about 4 times a day, total 8-10 cans. Should I put in 1tsp in each can?

Thanks

 

[Sarthur2]

Just one teaspoonful per can. Are they doing any better?

 

[gtmoy]

No changes

 

[Sarthur2]

Can you ask the vet for Albon for them?

 

[gtmoy]

I called the vet office today and am going to pickup some Albon tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

 

[Sarthur2]

It should help!

 

[gtmoy]

OMG, I tried to give them their first dose today. 3.5ml for Stella and 1ml for babies. All 5 of them acted like I was poisoning them and started foaming at the mouth. I'm not sure how well this is gonna work for two weeks. I'm guessing they got at most half in and spit out half

 

[Sarthur2]

I know it's hard dosing them. Try to squirt it as close to the back of the throat as possible.

Do the best you can!