general question, 8 babies - support with bottle feeding or no?

magnus

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Any thoughts om the subject, tips or ideas in general?
 

kluchetta

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Originally Posted by Magnus

Any thoughts om the subject, tips or ideas in general?
My formerly feral Elsa had 8 kittens. One of them seemed kind of small and I kept trying to bottle feed her, and I just couldn't get the hang of it. So what I learned was that you should weigh them every day on a little kitchen scale that weighs ounces, and make sure they are gaining a little bit. Also watch those big bully brothers (LOL) trying to get all the good stuff for themselves. Make sure that the little ones don't get crowded out. Cats have 8 nipples, so you're ok, but you might have to micro-manage the placement.

And that little baby kitten did just fine. I was just paranoid.
 
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magnus

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Great getting some input from previous experiences
...We've been keeping track of their weight and all seem to be gaining at a pace which would be expected
 

kluchetta

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That's wonderful! Do you have the "kitten glop" recipe? Even if the kittens don't drink it, mom could use the extra nutrition.
 

gayef

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As my dear father used to say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". If the babies, all 8 of them, are steadily gaining weight, thriving well and reaching the normal milestones, then let Mother Nature do what she does best.

Now on the other hand, if you have little ones who aren't thriving, then by all means, supplement.
 

poohandwendy

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I agree with Gayef, if they are all gaining normally and doing well...no need.

My cat had 8 kittens and I did try to supplement a little bit (just was paranoid that one would not get enough, LOL), but in the end they were better off just feeding from Mama. And they are all healthy and happy now at a year and a half.

I do think it is really important to weigh newborn kittens daily, regardless of the litter size- but especially with a large litter, because weight loss can be the first sign of something going wrong. Early intervention is usually crucial for treatable illnesses in newborn kittens. Weight loss is a sign that something is not right.

I would always suggest having KMR on hand regardless, if only as a supplement for the mother cat. Especially with a litter that large, probably most important thing you can do would be to make sure mama cat has access to quality food and fresh water at all times. I did that and also gave mama cat a can of wet food with some KMR poured over it daily, while she was nursing. After all, her milk production is a reflection of her own health, the pregnancy and then feeding that many kittens is definitely taking alot out of her.

Good luck with your new cat family!
 

momof3rugratz

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Originally Posted by Magnus

Any thoughts om the subject, tips or ideas in general?
Skittles had 13 kittens 8 made it I was so worried about Runtz her weight was slow and she seemed to struggle so what I did was I toold runtz and when all the kittens where asleep I would wake her put her at the nipple and jsut lay there for 20 min and pet Skittles so she would get the hang that Runtz needed more... She did I saw her take runtz with her where ever she went... She climb out to go eat she took Runtz and she nursed while eatting herself.


See the kitten I think moms just know
 

ginava

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is that Runtz, what a cute little baby she was! I wish they stayed little longer than like 30 seconds, hehe.
 

momof3rugratz

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Originally Posted by ginava

is that Runtz, what a cute little baby she was! I wish they stayed little longer than like 30 seconds, hehe.
Taffy is the one licking moms plat at almost 3 weeks Runtz is the baby under her belly look close see the ears. That is how Skittles treated Runtz when she noticed she needed more milk
 

ginava

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Thats adorable, I did the same with a runt foster kitten, Doodle was getting pushed away from the milk bar and starting to fade, I gave her syringes of KMR and private sessions with mom, she got better and she was so smart she would nurse while everyone else slept. Now she is a little tank and belongs to my son, he couldn't give her up she was such a cutie. We are suckers for those lttle runts.
 

momof3rugratz

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LOl Skittles noticed what I did and she took over like o ok mom I got it. So she would take Runtz where ever she went and nurse her.
 
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