3 more foster kittens! Uhhh someone stop me before i go insane!!!!

starryeyedtiger

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Well, long story short- i now have 3 more foster kittens
This is in addition to my other 3 newborn kittens
I will be taking pictures eithor tonight or tomorrow for ya'll to see. Uhhhhhhhhhh! I'm gonna need a margarita by the end of the day!
The newest kittens are approx. 3-4 weeks old (i'm thinking 3) they are just now cutting teeth and their eyes are opening. They were also quite wormy today- so i dewormed them and gave them a Sub Q iv to get some fluids in them and perk them up. They seem to be doing well so far. They were filthy when they were brought into the shelter- so after they get stable and warmed up well i'll try to "baby bathe" them just enough to get them clean then dry them well. All 3 of the new babies are tiger tabbies- they're really cute!
As far as i can tell- two girls and one boy.
I have itsy bitsy collars on each of them so i can tell them apart
This litter is seperate from my other ones (my other ones were just born this week and are itsy bitsy- they are doing AWESOME!
I'll update later! I have to go to the store tonight to pick up some more essentials for all of them. I'm out of baby wipes (haha that's a big "nono" with foster kittens) So far, all 6 of my foster babies seem to be nursing and doing well. I'm praying they all make it and find great homes. I already have one couple that is interested in one of my little newborn white kittens when it's old enough so that's great!
Wish me luck! It's not easy feeding 6 babies every 2-3 hours
Anyone wanna help!
(i've recruited Colin already
)
 

catsrnmom

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Oh bless you for all the help you are giving to these babies..If I lived closer, I would help, but then you wouldn't have to worry about adoptions, I would probably just take them all.
Take care of yourself during this time..
 

crittermom

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Nikki, I am wishing LOTS of luck sweetie! I can't imagine how much work that will be.If I lived closer, I'd help too.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by catsRNmom

Oh bless you for all the help you are giving to these babies..If I lived closer, I would help, but then you wouldn't have to worry about adoptions, I would probably just take them all.
Take care of yourself during this time..
No problem! I'm sure we could arrange that adoption
/ Hehe thankyou! And thanks for my margarita!
I need it! It's about to be "feeding time" here in a few minutes. They think they should ALL be fed at the same time
But they don't understand that feeding 6 kittens at once is just not possible for their foster meowmy
 

natalie_ca

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Wow! I can't imagine bottle feeding one, let alone 6!

Think of it this way...6 baby kitties who might otherwise not have had a chance, will now have a terrific life filled with lots of love
 

white cat lover

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OMG! I don't understand how you can do so many! I can handle two or three, tops. You're an angel Nikki, you really are!
 

lionessrampant

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Oh Nikki! You crazy lady, you!

Well, bless your heart, as I believe you southern belles say. You do so much for these little guys! I appreciate you and your efforts, that's for sure! Remember that when you feel like no one does


Oh, and...can these ones be named Tripoli, Haifa and Cairo?!
Then, i can live vicariously through you since I don't get to name kits any more
 

booktigger

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Wow, crazy but wonderful!! You are such a good person to agree to take on so many needy kittens, I can't imagine bottle feeding one, never mind 6 of them!!! Good luck, and can't wait to see pics.
 

gemlady

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Have you thought of teaching Fosters and Whiskey to hold bottles?


We once had a litter of 5 that needed bottle feeding so I know what you're going through!
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by crittermom

Nikki, I am wishing LOTS of luck sweetie! I can't imagine how much work that will be.If I lived closer, I'd help too.
Thanks Tammy! I wish you were closer too! That would be great! The little ones seem to be doing very well today! I just fed them and changed all their bedding. I'm keeping an eye out on the newest litter (the 3-4 week olds) their bellies are still very big so i might need to give them more dewormer if what i gave them yesterday doesn't work. (The vet will be at the shelter on Thursday so i'm going to have her give them a look then.)

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Wow! I can't imagine bottle feeding one, let alone 6!

Think of it this way...6 baby kitties who might otherwise not have had a chance, will now have a terrific life filled with lots of love
Thankyou, i really appreciate that.That's exactly why i foster- i can not save them all...but the ones that i can- it makes a difference in their life and to me, that's worth everything! I'm just glad i'm in a position that i can foster- i have a job at the shelter that is wonderful about letting me take them to work and get me everything i need medical wise for them....and i'm also really greatful that Colin has been so wonderful to let me keep all my fosters at his house I definitely couldn't do what i do without them
Colin has been sooo wonderful too- he's always helping me feed when he has the time and has built quite a few cages/ scratching posts for them as well!

Originally Posted by white cat lover

OMG! I don't understand how you can do so many! I can handle two or three, tops. You're an angel Nikki, you really are!
I don't really know how i do it eithor
I just sort of make myself
I set my alarm every few hours for their feedings and really don't think about it- i've done it so long i'm used to it. It does get hard when they're ALL screaming and wanting to be fed at the same time- but i sort of just tune it out a bit and try to keep them all on schedule. What's nice is when they've all had their bellies full- then they just go right to sleep. It's soo cute!

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

Oh Nikki! You crazy lady, you!

Well, bless your heart, as I believe you southern belles say. You do so much for these little guys! I appreciate you and your efforts, that's for sure! Remember that when you feel like no one does

Oh, and...can these ones be named Tripoli, Haifa and Cairo?! Then, i can live vicariously through you since I don't get to name kits any more
Thanks Allie- hehe you got the southern belle thing right
/ Remind me of those names for my next litter of kittens! Cairo is a cute name! I've already named these two litters though!
(it's announced in the other thread!
)

Originally Posted by booktigger

Wow, crazy but wonderful!! You are such a good person to agree to take on so many needy kittens, I can't imagine bottle feeding one, never mind 6 of them!!! Good luck, and can't wait to see pics.
Thankyou! I will see about borrowing Colin's or my mom's digital camera eithor today or tomorrow to snap some pictures of them! (Thankfully i'm off work today and tomorrow- lol i needed a break after yesterday! It was madness at the shelter!)

Originally Posted by gemlady

Have you thought of teaching Fosters and Whiskey to hold bottles?

We once had a litter of 5 that needed bottle feeding so I know what you're going through!
I wish they had opposable thumbs! That would be perfect
They've actually been sooooooooo wonderful, as always with my foster babies! I really couldn't have been blessed with better doggies!
They love those kitties as if they were their own babies. They go and sit in front of their carriers if they hear them cry or come get me and "heard me" into the kitchen to check on them.They are forever trying to hold the babies down and bathe them in kisses when i try to feed them (they don't understand that it's hard for me to bottle feed with their slobbery mouths in the way
) but the other good thing about having such gentle dogs around them is that the kittens become socialized around dogs at a very young age- this makes them very adoptable!!Little Kojak the kitten doesn't seem to understand though- he thinks he should be the only baby and the only one i give attention too lol. So i have to give him extra attention when i'm not feeding the babies
 

jaffacake

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OMG! All those little babies! You must be exhausted. I bet it`s worth it though when you see them grown up enough to go to their new homes.
What a kind selfless person you are.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

Nikki honey, you are my hero!!
Thanks Susie
Hey- i still have your St. Patricks card
I really need to mail that out!


Originally Posted by Jaffacake


OMG! All those little babies! You must be exhausted. I bet it`s worth it though when you see them grown up enough to go to their new homes.
What a kind selfless person you are.
It is definitely worth it to see them adopted into loving and wonderful homes
Thankfully i work at the shelter- so i am able to scan most of the potential homes myself and can approve/not approve them
So i feel better knowing exactly where my little ones are going!
 

kittylover4ever

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

Thanks Susie
Hey- i still have your St. Patricks card
I really need to mail that out!
Well for Pete's sake, just scratch out St. Pattys, write Happy Easter and get it in the mail!
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

Well for Pete's sake, just scratch out St. Pattys, write Happy Easter and get it in the mail!
lol ok! i'll do that
i got it before st.patricks day, but when we went out of town, i forgot to mail it
so it can be your St. Easters card!
 

booktigger

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Looking forward to the pics - I was just thinking and we get hardly any kittens in that need bottle feeding, the main ones that come in mumless are 6 weeks old and are eating, so we dont get a lot that need supplementing, so in one way it is sad you get so many, although at least they get a good chance with you.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by booktigger

Looking forward to the pics - I was just thinking and we get hardly any kittens in that need bottle feeding, the main ones that come in mumless are 6 weeks old and are eating, so we dont get a lot that need supplementing, so in one way it is sad you get so many, although at least they get a good chance with you.
That's soo good that most of yours come in old enough to not need their mommy! It ensures that they've had enough colostrum and other vital nutrients to be strong healthy kittens! / There is a perk to bottlefeeding infants tough- especially if their mums were feral- because they will be socialized and used to handling and it will curb some of those behaviors they would have learned from their mum. In my opinion though- the longer the kittens have (at least up to a few weeks) with their mom to get that much needed colostrum and things of that nature- usually the better. Also with bottle babies- you have to get them used to being cleaned after every feeding just as their mom would clean them becuase if you don't they will not learn those good hygeine habits. So i have to try and keep mine immaculant so they learn good habits hygiene wise. So far my favorite kitten milk is Pro-Biolac- it's the best i've found. That's what i use for all of mine- it has colostrum in it along with other great ingredients! My kittens seem to thrive on it. Instead if mixing it with water....i do 1/2 water and 1/2 pedialtye (infant electrolite replacement) it gives them extra electrolytes and helps avoid dehydration- especially at that age, it's soooo important!
Speaking of formula- the kittens should be waking up soon- it's almost time for their next meal
They're just darling! Ya'll are going to love the pictures whenever i get them taken!
 

booktigger

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It is good, we had to supplement some last year as they came in with mum, but mum wanted to give up on them after 4 weeks, wouldn't let them feed or anything, and they weren't too interested in 'proper food' - i am glad that cats like that end up in rescue, as in the wild, if they had been abandoned at 4 weeks old they would have had no chance. Wow, there is so much work goes into hand rearing!!
 

theimp98

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glad you can do this stuff Nikki, i could never do it.
heeh, my sister says i have a rule that if it makes it in the house its mine haha. i would so want to keep any cat or dog i would foster,
 

snuzy

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Good luck with your kittens. Can't wait to see pictures.
I had to bottle feed 6 or 7 kittens once when they were a few weeks old. I had the mom too, but she got sick and the kittens ended up tearing her poor nipples to pieces so mom had to go back to the shelter to recover. It is a lot of work, especially as they get old enough to want to be first all the time. ( I remember feeding one and having another one or 2 crawling all over me trying to have his turn). My DH used to help when he was home too, and so did my younger son. Thank goodness.

I agree about the social part too. Those kittens were very loving with us and our dog. Its much easier on you when the mom is there, but easier to get the kittens to love dogs without the mom. Hmm, what should I wish for for my next batch???
 
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