- Joined
- Jun 13, 2009
- Messages
- 3
- Purraise
- 0
My friend and I have found kittens in her back yard and have taken them in to take care of them (one has an infection we wanted to treat). Mom and dad are feral cats.
We took them to the vet on Thursday and they estimated that they were 4-5 weeks old, two females and one male, and they weighed about a pound each (maybe plus a few ounces). They gave them their first deworming treatment and ointment for the sick one's eyes (We call her Goober).
We have been researching and putting a lot of time into figuring out how to take care of these babies, but I am concerned about them.
Two of them didn't eat all of yesterday or today (at least since we took them away at around 12:30 PM), except for the male, who lapped some KMR out of a shallow bowl I put out after they wouldn't bottle feed. I have warmed the bottle and milk, put it on my finger and in their mouths, and they'll lick it off of themselves and each other if one accidentally steps in the bowl, but won't eat.
I also tried giving them soft food and each of them were able to get down maybe one bite of that. They sniff at the food and show interest, but won't really eat.
Goober has only just now been able to open her eyes fully, so she's a bit behind on development. She took about an ounce of milk from the bottle today, but won't go to the bathroom. None of them have pooped, but two of them have figured out how to use the litter box and have done so themselves.
I'm hoping that their instincts will kick in and they will try the food more readily on their own, especially since they won't bottle feed. They just chew on the nipple and then lose interest.
Also, I'm worried about them because Goober twitches a lot in her sleep while the others don't, and her back legs are a lot weaker than the others. I'm thinking this is because her eyes were stuck shut so she wasn't as mobile as they were, and she is gaining strength. Today she was able to climb in and out of the litter box on her own, so I'm hoping this is a sign of improvement.
They are also very vocal, one of which in particular. She meows at me when I leave the room, or if I am in the room and not paying attention to her. She doesn't ever want food, and she quiets down after she gets some attention or realizes I'm not coming back for a while, but sometimes she is a little more persistent. She's very strong and playful for such a young kitten, as is the boy, and she is very content to sleep and snuggle with me as long as I don't move too much.
I guess my questions are:
1. How can I get them to eat, without shoving it down their throats? Should I try to stimulate their bowel area to try and get them to poo if they are peeing on their own?
2. Should I be worried about the shaking during Goober's sleep and her weaker back legs?
3. Is the meowing an emotional thing, or should I contact the vet?
4. How long can they be left alone? I am out of town and my friend is checking on them three times a day until my mom gets home tomorrow night and can see them more frequently. Today they were fine and were just sleeping when my friend saw them at 6 or 7 PM, and that is when Goober finally started eating, so should they be okay for another day with this amount of attention?
Thanks so much. i'll add pictures of my babies later.
We took them to the vet on Thursday and they estimated that they were 4-5 weeks old, two females and one male, and they weighed about a pound each (maybe plus a few ounces). They gave them their first deworming treatment and ointment for the sick one's eyes (We call her Goober).
We have been researching and putting a lot of time into figuring out how to take care of these babies, but I am concerned about them.
Two of them didn't eat all of yesterday or today (at least since we took them away at around 12:30 PM), except for the male, who lapped some KMR out of a shallow bowl I put out after they wouldn't bottle feed. I have warmed the bottle and milk, put it on my finger and in their mouths, and they'll lick it off of themselves and each other if one accidentally steps in the bowl, but won't eat.
I also tried giving them soft food and each of them were able to get down maybe one bite of that. They sniff at the food and show interest, but won't really eat.
Goober has only just now been able to open her eyes fully, so she's a bit behind on development. She took about an ounce of milk from the bottle today, but won't go to the bathroom. None of them have pooped, but two of them have figured out how to use the litter box and have done so themselves.
I'm hoping that their instincts will kick in and they will try the food more readily on their own, especially since they won't bottle feed. They just chew on the nipple and then lose interest.
Also, I'm worried about them because Goober twitches a lot in her sleep while the others don't, and her back legs are a lot weaker than the others. I'm thinking this is because her eyes were stuck shut so she wasn't as mobile as they were, and she is gaining strength. Today she was able to climb in and out of the litter box on her own, so I'm hoping this is a sign of improvement.
They are also very vocal, one of which in particular. She meows at me when I leave the room, or if I am in the room and not paying attention to her. She doesn't ever want food, and she quiets down after she gets some attention or realizes I'm not coming back for a while, but sometimes she is a little more persistent. She's very strong and playful for such a young kitten, as is the boy, and she is very content to sleep and snuggle with me as long as I don't move too much.
I guess my questions are:
1. How can I get them to eat, without shoving it down their throats? Should I try to stimulate their bowel area to try and get them to poo if they are peeing on their own?
2. Should I be worried about the shaking during Goober's sleep and her weaker back legs?
3. Is the meowing an emotional thing, or should I contact the vet?
4. How long can they be left alone? I am out of town and my friend is checking on them three times a day until my mom gets home tomorrow night and can see them more frequently. Today they were fine and were just sleeping when my friend saw them at 6 or 7 PM, and that is when Goober finally started eating, so should they be okay for another day with this amount of attention?
Thanks so much. i'll add pictures of my babies later.