Momma had her kittens today and I KNOW she is going to have some trouble soon!

Kenzie Riann said:

 
If it was little Black that she placed on the floor, is this her rejecting him?

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Possibly. So you must have your eyes open on this, and if necessary, take full responsibility, warming up, stimulating, etc.

Make a little nest of  fleece (feels almost like moms fur), a plushy toy animal, and preferably a heating pad on lowest setting, under part of the little nest.

Alternatively, you can carry the little one at your chest, (here woman caretakers has some natural advantage over male caretakers.         perhaps in a little sack.

Good luck!

Talked to my roommate.  So what happened this morning, was he walked in and saw just the two kittens in the kennel.  No momma, and no Little Black.  They were both on the floor and Little Black was nursing. 

Is momma just trying to get him to nurse without siblings pushing him out of the way?

Kenzie Riann said:

 
Edit:

Ok, so just got done feeding him.  He threw a fit over the syringe so I figured I'd try the bottle one more time.  He ate a decent bit out of the bottle (yay!) but started throwing a fit again.  He's back in with momma now and nursing and sleeping. 

Also, finally got a picture of him.  I also noticed that his nose is rather dark.  Is that bad? 

 

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Color of nose is partly individual, I dont think this dark nose is something peculiar.  Unless ist bleeding under, but its suspection of this.

What do you mean by throwing a fit over syringe / bottle?  Refusing?  Getting a reflux?

Its not the most common they take bottle when they also nurse the mom.  In that cases a syringe is usually easier.

But if he takes bottle so he takes bottle.  Good, we know he CAN suckle.

StefanZ said:

 
Color of nose is partly individual, I dont think this dark nose is something peculiar.  Unless ist bleeding under, but its suspection of this.

What do you mean by throwing a fit over syringe / bottle?  Refusing?  Getting a reflux?

Its not the most common they take bottle when they also nurse the mom.  In that cases a syringe is usually easier.

But if he takes bottle so he takes bottle.  Good, we know he CAN suckle.

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No blood. 

And he'll turn his head and fight with me, basically refusing it.  BUT.  I tried again and he ate a LOT.  He's preferring the bottle over the syringe now.

Also, weight update since I forgot yesterday.


Wednesday
2.65 OZ
 

Wednesday
2.30 OZ

Today
2.50 OZ

Also a few concerns/questions.

So, we made it through the first week!

Little Black, now named Captain (assuming that he is indeed a boy), is growing!  Siblings are more than twice his size, but he is indeed growing.  Last weigh in, he was 3.50 OZ while siblings are between 6-7 OZ.  He started refusing the syringe, but DID start to accept the bottle.  We're no longer on a full feeding schedule, but I'm still keeping watch just in case.  I think the bottle actually helped him, because he's now nursing from momma with almost no issues, and is even fighting back when a sibling tries to knock him out of the way. 

Now, I know Week 1 was a struggle, and his small size is mostly because of weight, but developmentally, he seems to be a week behind the others.  Will he continue to be a week behind?  For example, late to open his eyes, late to ween from momma, etc.  He's gaining more and more weight everyday and getting stronger. 

Also, his umbilical cord has not fallen off yet.  Both siblings have lost theirs by now.  I'm terrified to touch it, or try to do it myself, for fear of causing a hernia.  Has it not fallen off due to his size?  Also, It is a bit thicker than his siblings' umbilical cords were.

Also, here are some recent pictures.  I think he's starting to show his personality.  You can also kind of see the size comparison between Captain and his siblings.

Can anyone help me sex this little one?  I have a decent idea of what the other two kittens may be, but this one is kind of baffling me.

And I know, not the best picture.  This one is very fluffy, very squirmy, and immediately goes into piggy squealing mode if you lift their tail and Mama just comes and snatches baby away.  Hard to get pictures!

That's a girl. Some of them are a bit confusing with a little bit of extra skin to look like tiny testicles, but the distance of the openings just isn't enough for it to be a boy .

Glad little Black is hanging in there, and mama hasn't rejected him. Keep up the good work! Hopefully she'll keep her milk long enough to get them to the age of eating solids, but if not, it sounds like you've got supplemental feeding figured out well enough to handle it.

Willowy said:

That's a girl. Some of them are a bit confusing with a little bit of extra skin to look like tiny testicles, but the distance of the openings just isn't enough for it to be a boy

.

Glad little Black is hanging in there, and mama hasn't rejected him. Keep up the good work! Hopefully she'll keep her milk long enough to get them to the age of eating solids, but if not, it sounds like you've got supplemental feeding figured out well enough to handle it.

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I know it'll be easier to tell when he/she is older, I'm just holding out hope that this one is a boy.    I don't know how well my own cat gets along with girls, but I know he loves to wrestle around with boys.  And I was telling my husband WEEKS ago that I was thinking about adopting a little black and white kitty.  I've just had my heart set on a black and white kitten and then our roommate's cat gives birth to one!  According to my roommate, out of her four litters, only one kitten has ever been a girl.  D:  Uhg, just my luck.

And yeah, we're good to go with bottle feeding if it comes down to it.  Crossing my fingers!

Update!

So, babies are 3 and a half weeks old now, and everyone is doing great.

Baby #1 (Now named Bucky) is a little adventurer!  She left the nest all on her own today and wandered around their room. 

Baby #2 (Little Black who is now named Ivy) Ivy was the runt and is no longer being bottle fed at all.  She has gained weight steadily and while still smaller than her siblings, she's catching up quickly. 

Baby #3 (Named Schmidt) He is WHINY, and is a momma's boy.  But he's big, and he's healthy.  Not very keen on being handled though.

And momma is doing great as well.  Everyone is healthy, and they're starting to play now, and want to wander around.  Picture updates too!

Going in order of age..

Bucky, Ivy, and Schmidt

Thanks for the update!  It's sooo good to hear they are growing and thriving!  

That picture of Schmidt is just too much!   

MoochNNoodles said:

 
Thanks for the update!  It's sooo good to hear they are growing and thriving!  

That picture of Schmidt is just too much! 

 

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Thanks.    I'm super proud of how well the babies are doing, considering that this is, I believe, her 3rd or 4th litter and she's lost more babies than have survived.

Also, I do have one concern.  Bucky and Schmidt, the two biggest, are doing amazing and are bouncing around already and exploring.  Usually, they're all confined to a large kennel to keep them safe (we live in a very old house where kittens can easily get lost/hurt) and they are let out to explore the empty spare bedroom multiple times a day for about 30 minutes each time or until they tire themselves out.

However, Ivy the runt won't go very far.  She isn't able to leave the kennel on her own, and once she's on the floor, she takes a few steps now and then and eventually curls up next to my leg and stays there and just looks at me and mews, but not like she's distressed.  When she tries to walk, it's like her back legs aren't strong enough to hold her up.  They wobble and she has to sit down after a few steps.

Is this something to worry about?  I've been watching her, and I'll hold a finger under her to lift her up a little and make it easier for her to walk.  Since she's the runt, and still pretty small compared to her siblings, could it just be that she hasn't built up enough strength in her legs yet to really get around?

You should be so proud of yourself for saving that sweet little girl, she owes you! They are all ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!! All the luck!

Figured I should update.

The litter is 9 weeks old today. 

Of the 3, two will be staying here, and the one that you all helped me with went to her new home yesterday.  She is now caught up in weight and development with her siblings, doing amazing, and continues to grow all on her own, without our intervention.  She's healthy and happy.

Ivy the runt, as of yesterday.

Awww! That baby is precious! Are you keeping her? You've done a marvelous job! Kudos! And thanks for the update.

Kenzie Riann said:

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• kenzie riann
• Apr 14, 2015

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She is gorgeous!! She looks like she could be related to my Henry.