Fostering kittens please help

Hello just an update Jessie's kittens are doing so well eyes open and nearly walking over the moon,well until tonight, I was contacted by a lady who's cat gave birth to 5 kittens but didn't or couldn't feed them as didn't have time to hand feed them, so I collected all 5 kittens got milk and bottles and here we go.

I have put 3 kittens in with Jessie after I rubbed them in Jessie's day old bed blanket,and they have had there first feed and a good clean and as I'm typing this all 7 kittens are in with Jessie the other 2 kittens are with a friend with milk and bottles but I'm asking advice to see if there's anything else I can do?and do I risk added the other two kittens?xx

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about bottle babies, but have asked that your post be moved to another forum where all the newish kitten questions usually get quick answers.

katie1985 said:

and do I risk added the other two kittens?xx

Click to expand...

You ask if you can have ALL the kittens with Jessie?  her original 4 and 3+2 new??

It could be done, but have its risks, laying heavy strain on Jessie.

How used is this your friend to bottle feeding newborns?  This is not easy, and many dont survives, even if they are decently  healthy and the helper tries to be careful.

Btw, a good site for this friend will be www.kitten-rescue.com, for orphan care and hand rearing kittens, there are also good threads and articles at this our TCS-Pregnant and Kitten forum.

You can also google on the phrase hand rearing kittens.

Jessie does OK now with these new and her olds?  The olds arent disturbing the smaller new be´s too much?

You must of course be sure Jessie gots first rate food and nutrition, as the strain on her is heavy.

If you can get goat milk, it is nourishing, esp raw goat milk.  If salomonella in eggs in no problem at your place, raw egg yolk (raw yellow of the eggs) with goat milk, or minced meat, or wet cat food, is very healthy and nourishing.

If necessary, you CAN try and add these two remaining...  But it will of course put an even heavier strain on Jessie.

If she is healthy, well nutritioned from beginning, she should manage.

If she is so so - you cant put more strain on her.  Mothers life goes first.

I do hope my answer helped you some.

Please continue to report and ask.

Good luck!

ps.  I hope the new kittens are healthy, so you dont risk any especial contagion from them.

Hello Jessie has been on wet and dry cat food since and though out her pregnancy and she is still now,she is a healthy cat but of course I wouldn't want her to become ill or something due to me wanting to help,I will leave her with the 3 new ones and her 4 older ones as the other 2 have fed wee and pooed I know that isn't a sign that will all be ok but it's better than what they did have,could I feed Jessie the kitten milk that's been brought for kittens to feed on c

katie1985 said:

could I feed Jessie the kitten milk that's been brought for kittens to feed on c

Click to expand...

yes, you can give Jessie too some of the kitten mothermilk replacement (kmr).  Its nourishing and useful also for moms or other adult cats needing extra nourishment.

Good luck!

katie1985 said:

Hello Jessie has been on wet and dry cat food since and though out her pregnancy and she is still now,she is a healthy cat but of course I wouldn't want her to become ill or something due to me wanting to help,I will leave her with the 3 new ones and her 4 older ones as the other 2 have fed wee and pooed I know that isn't a sign that will all be ok but it's better than what they did have,could I feed Jessie the kitten milk that's been brought for kittens to feed on c

Click to expand...

I give my nursing cat two teaspoons of kmr powder mixed with four teaspoons warm water and my cat loves it. Actually to get her to drink more water I sometimes go with two teaspoons kmr powder and eight teaspoons water and she still enjoys it, I do this during her morning and evening feeding when I bring her soft food. Thy sure do eat a lot! She goes through as much dry kitten food as she wants plus two cans of soft and then the kmr and she's been going strong.

Best of luck!

Hello just to let you know Jessie loves the kitten milk lol and all 5 kittens are doing well x

Great news!

We lost a baby kitten early hours of this morning x

Sorry to hear that katie.    Was it one of the fosters  that you put with Jessie  or one  your friend was caring for?   

Are you weighing kittens?  You might need to supplement some with bottle feeding too;    Jessie might not have enough milk for them all.   

It was one that was bottle feeding,I'm going to try feeding kittens with a bottle now just to make sure there getting enough x

Is there a way I can make sure Jessie has another milk x

Well one way is they often will cry if really hungry.   

But the most sure way is to weigh the kittens daily at about the same time.  If they are not gaining at least 10 grams ( about 1/3 U.S. ounce)  a day ,  one possible reason,   especially with the mom feeding so many kittens,  would be the mom not producing enough milk to support them all.  

 With this many kittens  I would definitely be weighing them. 

But it may just be that kitten had something wrong to start with , even if it wasn't obvious.  

It didn't settle of feeds and would make sure it layed on its own I have started bottle feeding kittens now x

Is it common to lose kittens when hand feeding them x

katie1985 said:

Is it common to lose kittens when hand feeding them x

Click to expand...

Yes, it happens.  Mistakes in handling (wrong position).  Reflux and inhaling the milk in lungs are two common causes.

And of course, bottle feed are often the weak ones, so the toll is always heavy on the weaks.

But we must fight on anyway. As quite a few, otherwise doomed, does survive. Sometimes even quite desperate cases.

Pro rescuers use often tube feeding directly into the stomach.  If you know the exact technique is necessary, as tube feeding not knowing exactly is difficult and very dangerous.

So, the position to use is, them  on the .tummy, head up. Looks awkward but is is the postiion they have nursing mum.

And not too big portions, to lessen the risk of reflux...

Wtih small weak kittens on 55 g it may be max 2 ml, or even less, with big healthy kittens on 110 it may be about 5 ml...

Much to play by the ear, the rescuers instincst and practical common sense are important.

Good luck!