Premature kitten stopped gaining weight and is has now dropped 6 grams today.

Yes, this is assuming he will still do at least some amt of nursing from momma.

If fed solely, a 4 ounce baby needs about 32 mls of formula per day. As he gains, the amt will increase, and the standard amt can easily be calculated.

For each ounce of weight, they will need 8 mls of formula per day.

So at 5 ounces, needs 40 mls a day. (5x8=40) 

However overfeeding can be dangerous too, so if there is ANY nursing going on, you need to be aware of this and adjust his supplemental feedings a bit.

FYI-he may seem to be nursing but won't actually be, as they appear to be nursing nearly all the time with mom, but yet really aren't, just feeling the comfort and security of momma

Of course dividing the amts into smaller but more frequent feedings is always best, but unless you are home all day long and plan to get up during the night, it can be pretty hard to feed that often. If doable, then by all means go for it! I mean increasing frequency to every 2 1/2 hours at 3 mls per feeding is great if doable.

I think using his daily weight gain as a guide will work perfectly. If he gains a good amt daily with the current schedule of 3 mls x 8 feedings=24 mls, then we know he is also nursing, which is a good thing.

I LOVE hearing about his weight gain!! Yay!!  

This is the first big step in his surviving. 

Now if we just know he is able to breath well. He needs LOTS of free breathing so his body has lots of oxygen and lungs stay nice and clear and never sound congested at all.

More great news!! Another 12 hours have gone by, another 4 feedings given and another 6 grams gained. In total since we've started this 3ml every 3 hours, he's gone from 136g to 147g!! Should I continue at this rate or start doing the feedings every 2 1/2 hours or 2 hours? I can do either, just have to switch around the alarm times on my cellphone. I'm just worried about overfeeding him since he still goes back to the nesting box with mom. I've tried sitting in there to see if he actually gets anything and this morning when I went to get him, I checked to see if he was latched on. He was on there pretty good so I was going to leave it be for a bit and come back a little later. I didn't even get to the door and mom jumped out of the box. But it gives me reason to think he's still trying to nurse from her. 

I've been paying close attention to how he breathes while I'm feeding him. So far, I haven't noticed it getting worse. He's moving around a lot better, using his front legs to stand up. His back legs try to do the same thing but his feet slide out to the side. I'm not going to worry to much over his legs though, at least not right now. He gets around good for being so tiny. 

Thank you both for your great help and support!!

Basically if it's working, don't fix it

Sounds like exactly what we want.

If he is full he won't suck, just be latched on. At this point and with his weight gain he is now closer to 5 ounces, so stick to what you're doing, I think it's perfect.

Yay!!

Since my last update, he's gone up 3 grams. His highest weight has been 150g (earlier this morning) but is 149g as of a few minutes ago. I figured their weights fluctuate because I weigh him so often but in 21 hours, he's only gained 3 grams. Should I be worried? I know premies grow a little slower but he's close to 150g and his sibling is close to 250g. Should I change up the feeding schedule or am I reading to much into this? 

His fur on his tummy is starting to grow and fill in more so that's a good sign. This morning he was nursing from mom so their's another good sign. I'm so sorry I post on here so much! I just want to make sure that if he starts losing weight, I catch it as soon as possible.

JayAngeles said:

 
Since my last update, he's gone up 3 grams. His highest weight has been 150g (earlier this morning) but is 149g as of a few minutes ago. I figured their weights fluctuate because I weigh him so often but in 21 hours, he's only gained 3 grams. Should I be worried? I know premies grow a little slower but he's close to 150g and his sibling is close to 250g. Should I change up the feeding schedule or am I reading to much into this? 

His fur on his tummy is starting to grow and fill in more so that's a good sign. This morning he was nursing from mom so their's another good sign. I'm so sorry I post on here so much! I just want to make sure that if he starts losing weight, I catch it as soon as possible.

Click to expand...

Don't EVEN apologize!! That is what we are here for, caring people like you!

3 grams is def not enough.

Can you be sure the scale is completely accurate?

Have you tested it by taking something and weighing it, then reweighing it several times, each time set it down a bit different?

Thanks

I used a little box of dental floss and weighed it on the scale I use for the kittens. It said 6 grams. So I tested it with the small towel I put over the scale when I weigh the babies and first it said 7 but quickly went back to 6g. Then I weighed the dental floss on a coin scale that I weighed the kittens on when they were tiny (it only goes up to 100 grams) and it says the floss weighs 6.90 grams.  If the bigger scale I use is off, it can't be off by to much I suppose. 

I've been sure to give him all 3mL every 3 hours around the clock. I've made sure formula stays fresh, warm when feeding, and is mixed smooth.

Should I be feeding him with a small heating pad under the towel that he sits on? He doesn't get cold to the touch but by the end of the feeding, he's not as warm as when I first pulled him out of the nest box. He's still fairly warm though.

Sorry, going through my mental checklist to make sure I'm doing everything right. Uhm, let's see... everything I use is always washed in hot water and dish soap after use and left to dry so it's clean for the next feeding, I feed slow, just a couple drops at a time and wait for him to swallow and breath for a minute or two before trying again so his breathing doesn't quicken and he's not hyperventilating. I weigh him before every feeding and after and write down the after weights to compare for overall gains or losses. If he gets the hiccups, I always stop to burp him and only resume feeding once hiccups are gone.

I can't think of anything else, does this mean he's not getting as much as we thought from mom and I just need to feed him a bit more often or a bit more? Do I need to change anything with heating while feeding or feeding technique? I wanted to give a rundown of pretty much everything I do incase their's something I need to change or adjust. Hiccup will be exactly 2 weeks old at 1:52pm (well a minute from now), does his age have any effect on how much to feed or how often to feed?

catwoman707 said:

Don't EVEN apologize!! That is what we are here for, caring people like you!

3 grams is def not enough.
Can you be sure the scale is completely accurate?
Have you tested it by taking something and weighing it, then reweighing it several times, each time set it down a bit different?

Click to expand...

I just finished a feeding with Hiccup. It took an hour because he's so sleepy. I tried perking him up a bit with organic honey (tiny drop) and he was still really sleepy. But we got through all 3ml. Being sleepy throughout an entire feeding, is that normal? Usually he's pretty fiesty or scoots himself around a bit but not so much this time. How much honey do you use to perk them up and how often could you use it if you needed to??

His breathing is still his usual pace. And when he's trying to suckle (whether from mom or sometimes his little foot) it's louder than before. Not sure if that makes any difference but just incase it does, throwing that out there.

JayAngeles said:

I just finished a feeding with Hiccup. It took an hour because he's so sleepy. I tried perking him up a bit with organic honey (tiny drop) and he was still really sleepy. But we got through all 3ml. Being sleepy throughout an entire feeding, is that normal? Usually he's pretty fiesty or scoots himself around a bit but not so much this time. How much honey do you use to perk them up and how often could you use it if you needed to??

His breathing is still his usual pace. And when he's trying to suckle (whether from mom or sometimes his little foot) it's louder than before. Not sure if that makes any difference but just incase it does, throwing that out there.

Click to expand...

Hard to say on the sleeping part. If he was awake for a bit and just went to sleep and you woke him to feed with only a couple mins, maybe he would be sleepier but it's hard for me to tell without being there.

As for the honey, the amt I use is like putting some on a plate and swiping it up with your finger then allowing most of the excess to run off of it.

Like that.

Smeared on gums and/or under tongue is a sugar rush to stimulate, it works after just a few minutes and lasts about 15 mins or so.

Under doing it may not be enough to perk him up, but you can overdo it too, I never have and have re-applied it a second time, but I suppose if you really just put too much in his mouth it might be too much for a baby. 

If he can breath fine, and is gaining, he should not be in the danger zone.

How's his weight doing?

catwoman707 said:

Hard to say on the sleeping part. If he was awake for a bit and just went to sleep and you woke him to feed with only a couple mins, maybe he would be sleepier but it's hard for me to tell without being there.

As for the honey, the amt I use is like putting some on a plate and swiping it up with your finger then allowing most of the excess to run off of it.
Like that.
Smeared on gums and/or under tongue is a sugar rush to stimulate, it works after just a few minutes and lasts about 15 mins or so.
Under doing it may not be enough to perk him up, but you can overdo it too, I never have and have re-applied it a second time, but I suppose if you really just put too much in his mouth it might be too much for a baby. 

If he can breath fine, and is gaining, he should not be in the danger zone.
How's his weight doing?

Click to expand...

I just jumped on here to see your reply just before his feeding. He's dropped to 145 grams, he's sleepy but when I feed him he does swallow and move his head a bit. I used enough honey to barely cover 1/3 of my pinky nail so maybe that's why he hasn't really perked up that much. Should I try feeding 3.5ml every 3 hours? Or increase frequency of feedings?

Oh crap, no we don't want him to lose! Why? I don't understand, is he not really nursing but appears to be?

Ugh.....!

I would try 4-5 mls every 3 hours. Makes me feel panicked right now, half a day he seems to be doing great, then it changes, that fast.

If it takes an hour to feed him then yes, he needs a heat source. In an hour's time his temp can drop significantly, and his organs will go into a dormant state if it gets below his normal range, which is 97-100 degrees. That is also the temp his milk needs to be.

It sounds as if he is not nursing from momma really. 

So we do need to up the amt he is being fed by you.

Let's assume he is not nursing at all. He will need 8 mls per ounce of body weight. So increase his intake up to 5 if possible.

You can use a bit nore honey on his gums too so he will perk up to be fed.

catwoman707 said:

Oh crap, no we don't want him to lose! Why? I don't understand, is he not really nursing but appears to be?
Ugh.....!
I would try 4-5 mls every 3 hours. Makes me feel panicked right now, half a day he seems to be doing great, then it changes, that fast.

If it takes an hour to feed him then yes, he needs a heat source. In an hour's time his temp can drop significantly, and his organs will go into a dormant state if it gets below his normal range, which is 97-100 degrees. That is also the temp his milk needs to be.

It sounds as if he is not nursing from momma really. 

So we do need to up the amt he is being fed by you.
Let's assume he is not nursing at all. He will need 8 mls per ounce of body weight. So increase his intake up to 5 if possible.

You can use a bit nore honey on his gums too so he will perk up to be fed.

Click to expand...

I will definitely try 4 or 5ml from now on. I have a heating pad under him and I'm armed with honey so we're all ready to go. I'll check back in with you when something changes

Okay good.

I will be around for at least the next few hours.

What I fear is happening is that he is NOT nursing despite how it looks, he can latch on and have suction, but not be drawing it in and swallowing, just holding the suction.

So it sounds like he is losing his will due to lack of milk to maintain and grow.

It happens VERY fast.

It's not too late though, I would get his butt back with you and start getting more into him asap.

I really do feel anxious now, it's like you are my next door neighbor!

catwoman707 said:

 
Okay good.

I will be around for at least the next few hours.

What I fear is happening is that he is NOT nursing despite how it looks, he can latch on and have suction, but not be drawing it in and swallowing, just holding the suction.

So it sounds like he is losing his will due to lack of milk to maintain and grow.

It happens VERY fast.

It's not too late though, I would get his butt back with you and start getting more into him asap.

I really do feel anxious now, it's like you are my next door neighbor!

Click to expand...

I got 4.5ml in him (finished at 7:30pm) and by the end of it he was much more active! I don't know if that's because he got more milk or if it's because he was warmer or maybe it was a little bit more honey but regardless, he was much more active by the end of the feeding! 

That was my worry! Since I can't see how much he gets from momma, I'm stressing out like a madman. My family things I'm crazy for constantly weighing and feeding and checking on him and stressing out to tears when he loses. I wish I was your neighbor! But at least I can come on here and you understand how it feels.

I'm going to feed him again in an hour another 4.5 or 5ml and cross my fingers he gains through the next couple feedings! Should I keep putting him back in there with his momma and littermate? She takes care of him, keeps him warm (I put a heating pad on low in the box because lately she's decided she wants to run around through the house like a banshee for an hour at 3am. She's done it the last 2 days and it's been getting really cold here). 

Hiccup's peeing just fine after feedings (it seems pretty clear though, I can't be completely for sure) and his momma covers the rest pretty good.

I'm so anxious for this next feeding to see if it changed even a little! 

SO good to hear you got him perked up! Might have been a combo of all 3, who knows, but getting at least 4.5 mls into him we should see a weight gain.

If you are feeding him 8 times a day, he can gain about 8 gms or more so let's hope from the last 2 feedings at 4.5 we see 2 grams gain.

Isn't it crazy how fast and easily they go down? 

The sleepiness was lethargy, likely due to not enough intake.

But we are going to assume he is NOT getting anything substantial from momma now, so 4.5-5 per feeding every 3 hours should fix him up.

THEN we can see about getting his chest looked at.

Yes, always give him back to mom, he needs her nurturing and gets security from so-called nursing, even if he is not taking in hardly any.

Don't worry about his pee color, unless of course it goes darker or strong smelling/blood.

Let your family think you're crazy, it's a personal mission you and only you have, to do everything possible to save this baby.

Either way it goes, victory or defeat, you will have that in your heart, the satisfaction of knowing you saved his little life, or you did everything you could and gave him love, even if it was not meant to be for him.

Let hope it's victory )

Better news, I walked in there to check on him and he's moving around the box looking for food. Started feeding him a bit early and he's trying to suckle on the syringe instead of me dropping it in his cheeks!!!

I love that!! He just might be a bottle baby afterall!!  

You're a very inspirational person, I'm so glad I found this site! You have a heart of gold for the help you give and for all the work you do in helping cats and people alike and I appreciate this so much!!

Went into my bedroom 45 minutes ago to see riley (mom) coming out from under the bed. Looked inside the nesting box and both babies were gone. She had moved them to the far corner against the wall under my bed. They weren't cold when I found them so I picked them up, checked them over and put them back in her nesting box. I was worried she'd try to move them again if I left the room so I laid on my bed and watched. Not even 5 minutes ago, I look over and she's trying to pack hiccup away in her mouth! She just did it again as I'm typing this.

What do I do? Her nest box is in a quiet room, it's dark 90% of the time because I haven't been sleeping much since starting to hand feed Hiccup, and it's warm curteousy of a heating pad set on low in there.

The only thing that's changed is the last two feedings I took out both kittens and the heating pad to use while feeding hiccup because I didn't want either baby to get chilled since it takes a little bit to feed him. I let mom out and she came along with and propped herself up on the kitchen table next to us, chirped whenever one of the kittens cried but overall seemed fine.

I have a large dog kennel in my room that has her litter box, food and water in it, should I lock her in there with the babies so she can't move them??

She'll try to move them whether I'm in the room or out, what do I do??

The dog kennel MAY be a solution.  Many do feel more secure inside it,  NOT caught and inprisoned.

How is the bedding as such?  You do change it every day, so its not soiled and smelly?

Yes, every day. I just changed it a few hours before she moved them. When a cat tries to move babies and grabs them, she can't accidently hurt them while doing that right?

She hasn't gone back into the box since I took the kitten out of her mouth the last time. She's laying on the end of my bed, staring at it.

Should I try the dog kennel? My closet is pretty much storage for holiday decorations otherwise I'd try that. Thank you for your help!