Need help about kittens!!

[MyHorseBiggs]

We found a cat giving birth yesterday and we need to find out about feeding because the mom doesn't "accept" the kittens. So we need to feed them how often and what? And do we need to feed them at night and yeah so everything about little kittens and raising them!! Please help!! BTW they're of them and they're really cute!!! Thanks a ton ahead of time!!

[WashingtonBay]

I'd keep trying with momma, if she's tame. If she continues to reject them, you need to get kitten milk replacer at a feed or pet store tomorrow morning. They'll have it both ready mixed and cheaper powder you can mix up in batches for the long run.... and a small dropper or bottle and feed them as often as you can as much as they want. Ask the vet about colostrum on monday, they may have something like that that will boost immunities and it may not be too late then.

[Gypsy Rose]

Can you talk to a vet? I know there is some kind of milk replacer you can use- the only experience I had with bottle feeding kittens was way too long ago to remember. When they're that little, they're going to eat frequently- If I mind right, they should be fed about every two hours day and night, lol!

Hopefully, someone will get on here that has a lot more experience in that area!

[Gypsy Rose]

He,he! See- WB and I just cross posted, lol!:)

[MyHorseBiggs]

I had the vet come out today and they have milk replacer and I think a shot. Their mom is still rejecting them and she's not tame, so we can't really urge her to nurse them. Oh this will be such fun! :doh:

[MyHorseBiggs]

I hope cat will see this thread soon since she seems to know a lot about cats. :)

[HeartofSteel]

I raised two orphan kittens last summer. We didn't have kitten milk replacer so we ended up with one that we found online. It was powdered goats milk and some other things I don't remember off the top of my head. If you need the recipe I can get it for you. I fed the kittens every 2-3 hours, even at night. I fed them from a small dropper for awhile and then got a bottle. You need to make sure the milk is luke warm. They probably won't like sucking on the dropper so you will have to squeeze it really slow. If you go to fast milk will come out there nose. You'll have to get a warm damp washcloth and umm.. stimulate them to go to the bathroom. They also will need something warm to lay against, I used a rubber baby bottle type thing and put new warm water in it everytime I fed and then put a towel over it. I also put a big stuffed kitty in there so they could hide/snuggle under it. You could also use a sock with rice in it for warmth.

[MyHorseBiggs]

Can you go on gabbly so we can chat about it??

[HeartofSteel]

Yup, i'm on right now

[shelsnsaus]

I've bottle raised several litters this summer. My latest litter is currently 7 weeks old. I have had more success with those that I have gotten when they had the benefit of mom for the first week or so. The others that were younger had no immunity to anything, and we had issues with upper respiratories etc with them. I've used KMR (kitten milk replacer) with good results. At first mine would eat about 1 ML or so every 2 hours. At about 1 week to 10 days, I'd get about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon in them per feeding and are up to 3 hours (give or take). If they eat less in one feeding they should make up for it in the next feeding. Watch for dehydration. You can give a bit of Karo Syrup either separately or with their bottles to help keep their sugar levels up. They should urinate / defecate at every feeding in the beginning. Keep track of stools so you don't end up with a constipated kitty (the Karo will help keep that regular as well). After each feeding their bellies should feel full and round, and they should relax and settle well. Extremely active/vocal babies usually means they are hungry or cold. Heating pads in part of their area works well at giving them the ability to heat up or cool down depending on their own comfort. At around 10 days or so, eyes will start opening and they will start being more purposeful in their movements, they may also start eating more, less frequently. Make sure you keep up with round the clock feedings for the first 3-4 weeks. They should double their birth weight by the time they are 2 weeks old. If milk comes out their nose while feeding, the milk is probably flowing to quickly. Usually at around 4 weeks they can go about 6 hours through the night if they are healthy. Introduce a litter box at about 4 weeks. Although at around 3-4 weeks they seem to hit a disgusting kitty period. They get more control over elimination, yet they aren't horribly coordinated about it. Baths will likely become more necessary at this point, at least the behind area. Make sure you dry them thoroughly. If they get red and irritated on the butt from all the stimulation or mess as they get older, use a bit of destine to soothe and treat it.

In litters with more than 2 kittens I've always found it easiest to log how much each ate. It can help to head off problems if they get sick, and when in reality you are feeding kitten after kitten after kitten, it helps you keep track of how much they are getting and who's eaten. Lastly if there are more than one that looks alike, mark them in some way so you know who's who. Nail polish on various parts of the body works well. I'm sure there is much more that I'm forgetting, feeding the babies as been such a huge part of each and everyday since June that its second nature to me by now. I've lost a few this summer, but I've raised many more to be happy and healthy kittens as well. Most importantly, IMO, was sanitizing my hands in between each feeding, in addition to sanitizing the feeding instrument etc. Especially in those that didn't have the benefit of a momma at all. If anyone starts with diarrhea, it can be rapidly fatal in such little guys. This is all based on my own personal experiences and what I've learned this summer. Cat would probably be a really good one to ask as well.

Best of luck and don't forget to post pics!

[MyHorseBiggs]

Thanks for all the advice. I will post pictures tomorrow I need to get as much sleep as I can between feedings... Thanks again!

[WashingtonBay]

Thanks for taking them on! Too bad about the momma. Any chance in catching and spaying her? She will go right back into heat now and this will happen again, unfortunately, over and over. Many areas have low cost or subsidized programs for spaying and neutering ferals.

It was my summer of feral cats and kittens. They can be fun, your kittens will be a blast to watch grow up, and there is even great reward in getting those mommas fixed so they can have an easier life even as wild kitties.

[MyHorseBiggs]

We'll find out about getting a trap so we can take her and get her spayed. I'm sure she'd like some food. :p Thanks I'm going to go take some pictures of them and post them. :) Be back in a bit.

[MyHorseBiggs]

Oh and how often do I need to change the formula? It looks a little bad now and afraid to feed it to them.

[vicklynn]

Awww, I hope the babies make it. So young. Momma, bad bad momma, leaving your babies.

[WashingtonBay]

Are you using mix or the cans or boxes of premixed KMR? I try to seal it up pretty good and refrigerate what doesn't get used. It doesn't have a long shelf life so mix up as little as you can if you're using the mix, and don't fill the bottle more than you think they'll consume that meal.

[MyHorseBiggs]

I'm using a can of KMR. It's powdered, do you think it can stay out of the fridge?

Ah!! This is hard! I feel like if I do something wrong or if I just really want a good sleep, and sleep over the time they need to eat, then they'll die! I started crying eairlier because their lives are on me and if I do something wrong then they... ya know. So sorry for the vent I had to get it out. Pray for me please!

[HeartofSteel]

Just mix the amount you need and put the leftover in the fridge and the powder should be able to be at room temp.

[WashingtonBay]

Their lives had a precarious start and you're doing the best you can. Don't feel bad if this fails for one or all of them. This is not easy under the best of circumstances.

The powdered doesn't need to be refrigerated, just any you've already got mixed up.

[MyHorseBiggs]

:cry: Well one of them crossed over the rainbow bridge last night.. :cry: They were all laying on top of each other and on of them pee'd and he got wet and a little too cold. So I was really sad but I took a picture of him/her. But I gotta go I think but I'll try adding the pictures to my ect album or I might start a new one. And his/her name was Sam(uel)(atha) so now Oreo and Sprinkles are left. So I'll keep you posted..

[WashingtonBay]

I'm sorry for Sam. And you.

Today you might be able to call and see if there is a colostrum option at this point that would give them a boost.

[shelsnsaus]

Sorry for your loss. As WB said its not easy in the best of situations. I've lost several myself this year. One entire litter of 5 - I lost a kitten a day for nearly a week. That was the hardest. I've lost ones I've expected to loose due to their condition, and I've lost ones that I thought were fine. But over all more have lived than have died this summer for me. Things do get a bit easier at the 10 day point, and a whole lot easier at the 3-4 week point, they also start getting silly cute and fun than to. Wait until you hear their first purrs, it sounds kind of forced at first and you feel it more than hear it. With each day they get better and better at purring, and its you they'll be purring for. The excitement when they see you come into a room, the all out run to be the first in your lap. I have on I raised (Jasper), who is now nearly 4 months old (got him when he was 10 days), and to this day he grooms my face. He uses his little paws to push my head around as he perches on my shoulder. You do the best you can and you are giving them a chance they never would have had otherwise. Your heart will want you to save them all, but the reality is you can only do your best and the rest is up to them and God. Best of luck to you, and when you get a chance post some pics. In two weeks or so, you'll have a hard time picturing them as they are now.

[Gypsy Rose]

I'm so sorry you lost one! Hopefully, the others will still have a good chance- you're doing a great job!

[MyHorseBiggs]

Thanks for the encuragement (sp) it really helps me. :) I hope at least one will make it. It sounds like they'll be fun. :) But you never know..

I keep putting it off but I'll go take pictures right now!! So I'll come back with pics!! :)

[WashingtonBay]

Waitin' on them pics :)

[Gypsy Rose]

Wanna see pics!

[JetLagaside]

Still waiting on pictures ;)

[MyHorseBiggs]

I'm still sorry about not getting pictures up I can't find the cord that goes from my camera to the computer. But I do have to say... One passed away Monday night and the other Tuesday morning... :( So there aren't any left. When I found it when I woke up (had fed him at 5am and got up to feed him again at 7am) he was dead, and there was blood by his head and it looked like it came out of his nose. Thanks for giving me a lot of information about the kittens but as you guys said that even under the best conditions its not easy. I hope I can get a cat or kitten of my own from the shelter or something but maybe a little bit of an older kitten. :)

[WashingtonBay]

Oh dear. I'm sorry. I'm glad you know it would have been hard under any circumstances for them to make it without momma.

[Gypsy Rose]

Ooooh! I'm so sorry! At least you gave them a chance.

[starkitten]

Sorry to hear that - such small kittens are so fragile :( That happened to me too and I tried so hard. My vet assured me that sometimes there isn't anything you can do - it still hurts though :(

[oursarge]

I'm so sorry, it is hard, I was afraid to check back because I know how fragile they are. The rescue girl we got our kitten from is an expert at neonatal kitten care and after we adopted Molly she took in 5 orphans. Last I knew there were only 2 left and I'm afraid to find out if they are still there because one is a kitten I wanted to adopt when it got older. She did everything in her power to save all of them but nothing worked. It turned out they all had distemper. I haven't heard how the other 2 are doing, she didn't want to give up on them but really didn't have alot of hope either. They were so tiny. It's very sad and I have been worrying.

It was a good thing you did, not everyone would care enough to try. I really am sorry. I'm sure when you get a kitten from the shelter you will be a very good kitty parent, it will be a lucky kitten.

[JetLagaside]

Awww I'm so sorry to hear that.

[oursarge]

Now I feel even worse, I talked to the rescue girl after I made that last post, like maybe 5 minutes after and all of the kittens died. Just so sad, I don't think they had a real chance with distemper. She now has a mother and more little kittens, they all have colds so she has her hands full.

I guess no matter how experienced a person is they can't save them all. I feel so bad that you lost the kittens but I think that it was so great that you tried, not everyone would.

[MyHorseBiggs]

Thanks it has been pretty sad for me and my friend (we were taking care of the kittens together.. like taking shifts and stuff) but I do have one question, what is distemper?

[oursarge]

I'm not totally sure except that it's a disease animals get and it's bad. It's one of the things they vaccinate against. http://cats.about.com/od/diseasesandconditions/p/panleuk.htm is just one website I clicked on that tell about the disease. I'm sure there are others that know exactly what it is and can explain it.

From just reading quick I'm guessing that the mother was never vaccinated and the kittens didn't have any protection. It's all so sad.

[Gypsy Rose]

Oursarge, from what I can tell, that site pretty much covers all the basics, but I'm no expert on it, either.