It is OFFiCIAL...our 7 week old kittens are Home. Advice or thoughts please.

Last week I joined the site and introduced myself. (longer story in Newbie thread)

We have the 3 siblings. They were hand raised after their stray Mom was found to have Mastitis.

They are much smaller than other kittens born at the same time in the shelter we adopted them from. BUT they are all eating and playing like little troopers. Our Vet (who is also the shelter vet) released them to us sooner than later because they would be loved and nurtured and monitored closely. I bring them in Wed this week for a weigh in. They had their first shots, de wormed and are doing very well for their difficult start in life. They had a full check up before they came home.

2 girls and a boy ... Ella, Cami and Maxwell.  The one problem and only problem that I am praying hard is improving is that there was also another younger orphan kitten in with them a short time who was nursing on Cami's  anus.  That irritated the heck out of her butt. I have done as directed and bathed her butt and applied ANIMAX ointment several times a day. It does look improved over the last 72 hrs in my care. Still not 100% yet. I am a worrier I guess. I just keep wishing it had not happened to her.

She is eating and playing and purring and doing as well in all depts. as her sibs. She was the runt when born and I believe she is the most quiet of the 3. Although she has proven she can play hard with the other two and is very pouncy with toys, climbing the scratch post etc.

Anyone have experience with "nursed on bottoms?" 

Right now they are on Fancy Feast turkey and a little dry kitten food.

Because of the loose stools from deworming / shots and that is just starting to firm up to have some shape...I am not going to change foods to the really good stuff until they are much bigger in the next couple of weeks (they are VERY tiny) but... I am going to make the switch to Life's Abundance and Instinctive Choice ...I would have done it from go if they were "normal" to start with...right now...I am going with the program laid out for me by the Vet.

Just don't want to upset their GI status while they are this tiny. Ella was a pound and Cami and Maxwell were under that...Ella is by far the most advanced. Maxwell was the one the Vet was most concerned with ...he is blossoming before our eyes...You just have to watch him eat so he gets his fair share...he is doing great. Couldn't be happier with his visable progress.  Just Cami's little bottom left to conquer!

thanks for listening....these are our first kittens in 20 yrs...special needs to start but I know MEANT for us.

send healing thoughts...Reiki and any good ideas if you have them!

I guess I must have posted this in the wrong place.  sorry about that.

Thanks for reading, though.  Have a great day!

Hi Carol and welcome to the Cat Site! Definitely the right section. It may be that no one that has dealt with this issue has come along yet. :dk: I have never dealt with it either, but it sounds like you are doing the right thing and taking a smart approach to their nutrition.

I think you did post in the right place, but there must not be a lot of experience with "nursed on bottoms." Sorry you didn't get any responses.

I wasn't familiar with Life's Abundance Instinctive Choice so I looked it up. Are you talking about the dry or wet food? As a general rule, wet food is much better for cats, but the Instinctive Choice wet food has chicken meal as the 5th ingredient. I'm not a fan of any meal in wet food since it's a rendered product which can legally include 4-D animals and waste products.

www.catinfo.org has a lot of great info written by a vet on feline nutrition and related health issues. There is also a very handy chart that compares protein/fat/carbs of common wet cat foods.

Thanks for replying...I will re read the info on the food.

Feeding is important to me...Those were the foods recommended by that Dr Jean (the catsite) that wrote a food list she approved of. The wet food is the main food and the dry was to be a supplement I think. She also likes Raw homemade and Rad Cat.

anyway...things are looking good so far. Wed is weigh-in day for some concrete evidence of their growth. For all they eat I hope it does show! They are really enjoying the play area and each other. They are adorable.

Cami's bottom is looking much better but still not 100% but the oozing stool has stopped and she had a nice formed one today that I actually caught in the act (watching three is a feat!) So things are going in the right direction.

The only kittens we have had were the ones who were "all ready to go" and came home perfect. But we are loving these little tiny ones who are already starting to amaze us!

thanks again...and for reading (glad I put this in the right forum!  ) have a wonderful day, all!

I've not had any experience with a nursed-on bottom, but just wanted to come in wish and you and those things babies the very best of luck! You're doing so well with them!

 I had some orphan fosters yrs ago that nursed on genitals but not on the anus.   It might be that not many people here have had that specific issue

I would just continue to use the Animax as directed,  and then the main thing is to make sure it does not happen any more.  Hopefully it was only the other kitten who was with them temporarily who was doing it.   

It is great to hear she is improving ;  sounds very positive.  

   Thanks for taking care of these little babies.  

Update: Here is Cami the kitten who had the anal problem from another nursing kitten...They were all hand raised but the last kitten was not a sibling...he was orphaned and younger and they just put him in with my three so he would not to be alone. Wanted to tell you all that time and the Animax worked. It took about 3 days after I got them to see a marked improvement. None of these 3 siblings that we adopted have been observed nursing on each other and now  as of today they are 8 weeks old!  Doing very well. Eating like troopers and playing up a storm.

We have only one problem left...Maxwell (the smallest and only boy) tends to NOT lift his tail to poop. So...he goes 9 times out of 10 on his tail!  Baby wipes at the ready...he gets help cleaning. Although we have observed that he is really starting to do a better job at self grooming. And all in all...everything is going great with these 3 adorable kittens.

We could not be happier and are so grateful to have them in our lives and in their "Forever Home" as part of our family.

Oh my gosh, Cami is so cute! I am glad to hear that she's better. I hope Maxwell gets the hang of tail lifting soon. Having a poopy tail can't be fun! Sounds like your trio is doing great. Thanks for the update!