Feeding Kittens / Keeping Them Warm (6 weeks)

Hi guys . 

I just became the owner of two 6 week old rescue kittens (too young to be away from mum, I know ). So far they seem to be doing well, but I just want some input to make sure I'm doing the right thing for them, or if there is anything else I can do that would be beneficial to them health-wise. 

I'm not feeding dry food at all right now (for financial reasons I will have to long-term, at least for the first few years I own them. Maybe when I get a "big-girl" job they can have wet-only but until then they will have to have some dry. I have Orijen for them for when they are old enough to have it).

Right now I'm feeding them Merricks Purrfect Bistro canned, which I bought before learning about carageenans, so when I go to get them some new food I will get something carageenan free (suggestions? I'd like to stay hollistic/grain free. What does everyone like?). 

How much should they be eating? They ate a can last night/this morning (4 meals), and have started on the second for lunch today (they seem to be eating about 1/8 of a can each at each feeding). 

I work pretty long hours 4 days of the week, so if I feed them like this: 5:30am, 7:00am, 7:00pm, 9:30pm do you think that would be ok, or should I ask my landlords to feed them midday? (they offered!). I'm wetting down their wet food a bit with warm water and squashing it up right now so that it's easier for them to eat (one of them was eating way less than the other until I tried this, now she's eating the same amount). 

Also, One of the kittens (the same one that was eating less initially) threw up after her first meal at home, and has a bit of a loose stool, but it seems to be improving consistently with each meal. I'm thinking it was just because of a sudden switch to new food/stress of moving to a new home etc, because it does seem to get better all the time. Should I be worried, or just keep on keeping on? 

They are using their litter box like A+ students (they even cry if they need to use it and are too far away/don't know how to get back to it), but does anyone have tips for easy mess clean-up? Since the one kitten has looser stools, they made a bit of a mess this morning!!! I've been keeping them in the bathroom while I'm out of the house, since its tile and the warmest room in the house (I have a cold apartment ) so it's easy to clean as well but I was thinking of putting papertowels or newspapers under the litter pan and around it. Thoughts? 

Lastly, tips on keeping them warm? They are happy, active, eating and sleeping fine, but their noses and toeses are cold a lot of the time. I have a blankie for them right by the fire place but they choose to sleep under the sofa a lot of the time instead so maybe they are fine and I'm being overly concerned? When I leave them, I wrap a hot water bottle in a blankie and put it in their bed but again, they seem to spend as much time on their other blankie anyways.

I dont have really much to say.  You have seem to think about everything.  It goes not entirely as you planned, but you did had thought about it all....   You can have Orijen for them now too, if you wish. Orijen is a good enough dry food to be OK for kittens too.  But proceed with wet as long as you can, wet canned is usually better.

Good you have two of them, so they can keep each other company.

Good luck!

Thank you! . 

Maybe once Cairo's tummy settles down (they are officially named as of an hour ago lol. Miami and Cairo) I'll start leaving them with dry food during the day, or do you think I might as well start doing that now?

I got two for that reason. I work such long hours I would feel bad leaving one all by itself all the time, so I specified that if I was going to take any, it had to be two. Easier to care for, to be honest. They entertain each other (and keep each other warm! I had them both sleeping by the fire and they were panting so I had to move them away. Guess that answers my keeping them warm question )

You can probably try now, but if you want to be safe with Cairos as now sensitive tummy, you can wait some.  A little hunger isnt fatal to them.  In nature their mom cant always be with them, and often leaves them several hours.

I think I'll wait a bit. I'm going to de-worm them tonight too and see if that helps. Hopefully it resolves soon, both for her sake and mine (I've given more cat baths today than in my whole life lol!)