Impossible to Wean

First time poster, first time foster

I've worked in multiple Veterinarian Clinics and recently received an orphaned kitten. The story goes that a lady was driving home from shopping and heard a curious howl from the back of her car. When she got home she was surprised to find a tiny kitten amongst her grocery bags. She believes that some unfortunate person placed the kitten in her car through her ajar windows during the hot day. Or so she says

Anyway, he never got picked up by the local Animal Control so I joked that if he was still there after my 3 days off I'd take him. Lo and behold, he's there when I return. So I decided to take him in

His eyes were still closed and he was very small. No one could correctly place an age on him. So I've been bottle feeding him since I received him. He now can run, has his eyes fully wide open and can urinate independently also boy does he have some gnashers on him. So it comes to light that he is most probably between 6-8 weeks old which of course raised concern with the fact he's still on the bottle... He gets very impatient and greedy and if he can't get the nipple in his mouth quick enough he will go absolutely banana's on it, clawing biting, howling

For the past few days, after finding our a more appropriate age range for this little fella, I've been trying to wean him and well, it's just not working. It's as almost as if he's blind? (Which he isn't). He completely ignores the 'gruel' I prepare him and ends up covered in it and slip sliding around the crate I confine him in to eat. I've tried dipping my finger in it and gently rubbing it along his mouth and gums, or at least putting it up to his level

He will run around the crate for an hour, covered in gruel, howling and just will not eat. I'm determined no to give him the bottle, I don't want to cave but I'm also starting to get frustrated with the situation

I would extremely appreciate any tips and knowledge from more experienced fosters. I don't want to have a one year old bottle baby on my hands

Yeah, if he's getting mad at the bottle it's time to start him on solids. Have you tried offering a bowl of just canned food, not gruel? Or even dry food? The one time I raised kittens with their mother (usually I have orphans), they started eating her kibble at 3 weeks! They never touched their baby gruel, though. If he still doesn't understand solid food, try adding some canned food to his bottle (you'll have to cut the hole bigger). That way he gets used to the taste. Have you tried offering the formula in a bowl? It's a good first step.

How long ago did you get him? If his eyes were still closed he was under 7-10 days old.

Even after they start eating solids, I still offer the bottle once a day until they don't want it anymore. I think it helps them not become earlobe suckers.

I've had him since June 4th and he opened his eyes literally the end of the next week. I started personally doing the wet food in the bottle with milk a few weeks ago just by nature. I've not yet tried offering him just plain old wet food, only the soupy mixture of KMR and wet food, even witha little bit of KMR second step mixed in. Perhaps the wet food just plain old sucks? It's the generic Veterinarian canned stuff, perhaps I used try something more flavoursome? Any recommendations?
 

Aw, poor little twerp isn't even a month old yet (if his eyes didn't open until the end of the week after you got him, he was probably newborn when he was found. I would guess a birthdate around June first). Don't rush him.

It may be the food. My cats don't like vet brands. Fancy Feast, Iams, Wellness, and Nutro all make kitten-specific canned foods, and they aren't bad quality. I've used the Fancy Feast for lots of kittens, since it's easy to get (and Iams seems to not be as well-liked). And most of the higher-quality canned foods are appropriate for kittens, too. My kittens have never like the Second Step stuff. . .try leaving it out of the mush and see if that makes a difference.

He is only just old enough to start on solids.  When a kitten is with it's mother it will continue nursing up to 3 months if she will let it, and the ones I've fostered have all started weaning by investigating and walking in mum's food.  I've never made any kind of gruel for them, and things like baby rice are totally inappropriate for a kitten.

He still needs the bottle - the following has some information on how much to feed him, and on weaning him.

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/handrearing.html

He is also old enough for worming, and it's important it is done.  Your vet will be able to advise what to use - given the kitten's origins it probably does have worms which will damage it's intestines if not treated.  The US seems to go in for lots of poo peering, in the UK we simply go ahead and treat as the drugs are both effective and safe.

Singletons are often slower, and being without a mum or littermates could slow him down further. It does sound as though he's only around 4 weeks which is when many kittens start to eat.

Try some raw meat, chopped or minced finely. Or forumla mixed with tinned food, Fancy Feast kitten is very soft and mixes well. I just let my kittens start on raw meat, they have the benefit of eating off mums plate though.

Agree with above re the worming too.