Aurora, our 5 week old Kitten as of this Tuesday, the 26h of June, is having a bit of difficulty with weaning. We have been trying for two weeks just to introduce her to food in the tiny kitten bowl but she just wont take. I have had one incident where she actually started suckling (I got photos of it, too, of course as I was very excited) but that was the first...and unfortunatly the last event of such good behaviour.
She is getting very fussy when we bottle feed her, scratching at us, digging in her claws, clawing at the bottle, hitting it out of her mouth as she is suckling so hard to trying to get it as if she expects us to take it away, and biting the nipple. The hole is the perfect size, and there is no problem with suckling. But... she also tries to nibble at my fingers between feedings, so I try some softened kitten chow- nothing. I try some baby rice cereal in a dish with several different consistencies including a mix with KMR... nothing. She actually is acting afraid of the dish. She will also refuse to even go near a bowl of water after her first try where she sniffed it up her nose.
I try putting the KMR mixed with baby rice cereal on a spoon, and put some in her mouth.. she isn't too sure about it, but suckles the moisture out of it about 20% of the tries, until she swallows, and I continue this getting her closer and closer to the dish, and then once at the dish, she stops. Dead. No movement other than reverse! sometimes she puts her head in to the dish to suckle, but the most is for about 3 seconds, then she leaves.
The good news is that she is getting close to being 100% litter trained, as She has gone successfuly over 7 times now after setting her in the box in the last while just under a week.. so I was hoping that maybe her feeding skills would develope quicker than it has.
I have also tried leaving a bit of food in a dish in her crate with her, but nothing.. not even a dent in it from a paw. I am sad, as I really think it would help her out a bit to be able to eat on her own.
She is getting very fussy when we bottle feed her, scratching at us, digging in her claws, clawing at the bottle, hitting it out of her mouth as she is suckling so hard to trying to get it as if she expects us to take it away, and biting the nipple. The hole is the perfect size, and there is no problem with suckling. But... she also tries to nibble at my fingers between feedings, so I try some softened kitten chow- nothing. I try some baby rice cereal in a dish with several different consistencies including a mix with KMR... nothing. She actually is acting afraid of the dish. She will also refuse to even go near a bowl of water after her first try where she sniffed it up her nose.
I try putting the KMR mixed with baby rice cereal on a spoon, and put some in her mouth.. she isn't too sure about it, but suckles the moisture out of it about 20% of the tries, until she swallows, and I continue this getting her closer and closer to the dish, and then once at the dish, she stops. Dead. No movement other than reverse! sometimes she puts her head in to the dish to suckle, but the most is for about 3 seconds, then she leaves.
The good news is that she is getting close to being 100% litter trained, as She has gone successfuly over 7 times now after setting her in the box in the last while just under a week.. so I was hoping that maybe her feeding skills would develope quicker than it has.
I have also tried leaving a bit of food in a dish in her crate with her, but nothing.. not even a dent in it from a paw. I am sad, as I really think it would help her out a bit to be able to eat on her own.
