New to this - need help with newborn kittens

adizziedoll

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Hi everyone -

I am brand new here - this is my first posting. I belong to a forum for my ball pythons, and know how helpful this type of site can be. So I sought out one for cats, in hopes of some major guidance.

My buddy found a young cat that looked like it belonged to someone - it had a flea collar on, but that was all. He had nowhere to bring it, so I told him to bring it over to my house and we would try to find it's home. I know what a pregnant belly feels like in rodents, and I noticed that her tummy was very hard like that. I could feel the kittens inside, and they were big.
I left for 3 hours and came back to a goey, crying cat. She showed me her 3 kittens, and a fourth came along in 20 minutes or so. My family of cats went from 1 to 6 in 3 hours! Goes to show you never know what a day can bring. Anyways,

My question is this; She came to us very skinny; I can feel her backbone. I dont think she is lactating, and the fur around her nipples is bone dry. I bought kitten formula, but I have no idea when I should declare war and use it. Any help would be appreciated!
 

barblynnp

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Are the kittens suckling? Even very thin cats will still be able to provide milk for their babies. You should provide the kitten formula to the mother to help her regain her nutrients. Give the momma plenty of the formula and kitten food because it is higher in fat.

I'm not an expert in this area, but just keep an eye on the cats and make sure they are all suckling. It really is not messy and the moma's hair will remain pretty dry, just warm and posibly damp.
 
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adizziedoll

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i managed to get 2 to start suckling. The other 2 seems to not want to or are too weak. Their weights are 72g,62g,and 56g. The 2 smaller ones are the ones not suckling. I wish I had more experience with this.
 

xxtashaxx

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those weights are very low, the mother may not have been eating well enough to support the pregnancy to full term, do you have any pictures of the kittens?
if the kittens have not started to nurse then please start hand feeding them.
this is a great site to help.
http://www.kitten-rescue.com/
please update us when you can.
 
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adizziedoll

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I will get pictures up tomorrow. They are so tiny, I had a feeling they were TOO tiny. I was looking around and saw they should be like 100g. *sigh*

I will be going by this :
http://www.kitten-rescue.com/premature_kittens.html
and start hand feeding the 2 smaller ones
and try to get this guys to live. I have about 2 weeks before I start school full time.
 

xxtashaxx

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hopefully they will get strong enough to start nursing from mum in the next cupple of days.
sending vibes that they grow in to healthy playfull kittens.
 

tortiebaby

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Congratualtions on the new babies. I'm praying that the kittens will be ok.

I too am bottle feeding 2 premie kittens(they are 5 days old), so I'm going through the same sleepless nights as you.
Mine weighed 2 ounces(56 grams) when I got them 2 days ago.

Keep us posted.

P.S.- since they're smalled they will get cold faster. I would recommend putting bottle of hot water(covered in a small towel) in the box with mama and the kittens. That way, when mama gets out to eat/go potty the kittens will have something warm to snuggle against.
 
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adizziedoll

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I put a heat pad underneath about half of their nest - I am going to keep adding/subtracting towels until its about 95 degrees. This okay?

And its helpful to hear that yours are doing well at 5 days
Hopefully we can make it through this!
 

tortiebaby

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I'm not too sure about how to set up the heating pads since I've never used them, but I'm sure someone else will come along and let you know if you did it right.
I just finished "expanding" my kittens area. They were in a little round bed inside of a bod, but the bed was too small so I set up the whole box for them. I put a bag of hot water under one corner and nothing under the other corner. I also set up a cushy bag that I quickly made and then put a bottle of hot water inside. It offers warmth AND a "mommy" to suck on.
 
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adizziedoll

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Thanks for all your replies.

I lost 3 of them
They did not have any swallowing/suckling reflux, and they all passed on very closely to eachother. The one I do have is up to 90 grams now, and doing extremely well!!

52 grammers







and my little mircale kitten - part siamese? I had another one like this, just the black was more gray.



Thanks for the help everyone
 

danad

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Wow, they are such tiny little ones. I am sorry for your loss & will pray the one left makes it.
 
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adizziedoll

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Well-

My kitten is still kickin' - his eyes are starting to open!!
He was 185 grams this morning - it's incredible how fast they grow! Im used to ball pythons where they grown 50-100 grams a month. This doubling of weight in a week thing is outstanding to me!!


see the difference!?




Im still trying to figure out exactly what kind of cat he is .. i've never seen markings like this before, but then again, I dont breed cats. The white hairs are either black at the base or the skin is black - it will be interesting as he grows.
Also trying to find a suitable name for him - something that means miracle, soldier, strength - you know what I mean


thanks for reading everyone - this has been a very emotional week for me with these kitties, and im glad there is someone here to share it with
 

mom of 4

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'm sorry about the loss of the little ones. The survivor is very cute.
How is the mom doing? Some quality kitten food would probably be good for her to help with the calories for nursing and for gaining weight.
 

tortiebaby

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What a beauty! How old is he now?

Mine are 15(well, 16 since it's past midnight here, lol) days old and the largest one only weighs 180 grams.
 
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adizziedoll

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Originally Posted by Mom of 4

'm sorry about the loss of the little ones. The survivor is very cute.
How is the mom doing? Some quality kitten food would probably be good for her to help with the calories for nursing and for gaining weight.
thank you - i am quite smitten with him myself

I am giving momma Purina Kitten Chow along with some tuna here and there. I can feel the difference in her backbone - she's gaining wieght and nursing like a champ!

Kitten was born on 8/20, so that makes him 12 days old so far - i guess he's a porker, Tortie! He weighed 204g this morning

I cant wait to see his little eyes completely open
 

hdizzy

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Wow, what a cutie! I lauged at the note on your hand that said "kitten food." I'd continue to mix up some formula for mom. It'll help her to put on some weight. Also, adding canned food will help.

I have a nursing mom right now who only weighs 5 lbs herself. I can see all of her ribs and spine. I've been feeding her like crazy to help her put on some weight. Nursing moms tend to get skinny as it is, doesn't help when they come to us very skinny.

Keep us updated with new pictures!!
 

tortiebaby

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Originally Posted by adizziedoll

Kitten was born on 8/20, so that makes him 12 days old so far - i guess he's a porker, Tortie! He weighed 204g this morning
Nope, he's not a porker, sounds normal to me, lol. Mine are premies and I'm trying to compare them to "normal" kittens to see how much they SHOULD weigh. haha
 
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adizziedoll

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New pic of the little guy




with mum - she sure loves him.
 

tortiebaby

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I can't get over how beautiful the kitten is! I can't wait to see what he looks like when he's full grown!


Are you going to keep him?
 
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