How much to feed kittens? and ants in mom's food

magiksgirl · Apr 13, 2015

Hello

So my cat had babies and they turned 1 month old today. Yay!

Inquiry 1:

They started smelling mom's food about a week ago and 2 days ago I saw them try to eat it. I bought them kitten wet food pouches from the store "Whiskas Gatitos". https://loqsea.com/media/catalog/pr...244._whiskas_gatitos_carne_de_res_800x600.jpg

Kitten 1 and 2 ate and ate and ate... and ate, so I touched them and their bellies were so round and hard I took them away from the food in fear they might over eat.

Kitten 3 somewhat ate after some convincing: I returned him over and over to the bowl.

Kitten 4, the runt didn't want anything to do with it even though I put him near the food several times, all he wanted to do was run around and play.

If any, How much and how often should I be feeding the babies?

I'm already struggling between buying dog food (~$80 a month), guinea pig food (~$25 a month), now cat (~$15 a month) and my calculations say I'd probably spend around $50 a month on kitten food, that would be spending more than 30% of my paycheck on pet food.... and that's just food not considering vet and vaccines bills. The little pouches are very expensive, Can I feed them wetted dry food or what alternatives do I have food feeding them?

I don't want to be a downer, but with all the expenses and my dad wanting me to get the babies out of the house even though they are only a month old, I'm feeling very down about the situation right now.

Inquiry 2:

Another problem is that ants arose in momma cat's food. I've been leaving it there for her to eat as much as she wants since she has been nursing. Since I'm not around all morning and afternoon, I don't know if she still nurses the kitts, I would hope she least nurses Kitt 4.

What can I do to stop the ants from getting on her dry food?

She's a stray I kind of adopted after she had her babies under my couch, Should I start her on a feeding schedule?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

mwallace056 · Apr 13, 2015

I just leave food out for them

Tell you dad they need to stay until they 10-12 weeks old because they are learning how to socialize with other cats and they probably not been fully wean yet. Also if they are more likely to cause problems for the new owners who just might giving it up to a shelter or something. If you can't try getting him to agree to 8 weeks, 8 weeks is not great but it should be fine

mwallace056 · Apr 13, 2015

Also welcome to TCS

Sarthur2 · Apr 13, 2015

Hi, mama cat should still be nursing the babies for a few more weeks in addition to their other food. Over the next few weeks the kittens will gradually wean themselves as they eat more actual cat food. Now that they are eating you'll need to put a kitten-sized litter pan near them & show it to them if mama doesn't. The kittens should eat several small meals a day for now. Also try leaving kitten chow out in a dish for when you are gone. The expensive pouches of food are not necessary if your budget is tight. Get Fancy Feast classic instead.

Tell your dad the kittens must stay another month. Perhaps you could confine them to your bedroom with mama cat when you are not home?

Where are you leaving mama cat's food that the ants get in it? You may need ant traps to kill the ants if it's inside your house. Mama needs to graze when necessary while nursing, but you can give her the big meals when you are home.

You sound like a true animal lover! Try not to let your dad's emotions rule yours, even though he could be more understanding. Thank you for caring for this stray cat. You may want to contact a shelter if you need help finding homes for the kittens and getting mama spayed after the kittens are weaned. Do you plan to keep her?

Keep up the good work @MagiksGirl!

Sarthur2 · Apr 13, 2015

Also, always leave plenty of fresh water for mama and kittens!

detmut · Apr 13, 2015

put the food bowl in a shallow pan of water to keep the ants away

magiksgirl · Apr 13, 2015

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mwallace056 said:
I just leave food out for them

Tell you dad they need to stay until they 10-12 weeks old because they are learning how to socialize with other cats and they probably not been fully wean yet. Also if they are more likely to cause problems for the new owners who just might giving it up to a shelter or something. If you can't try getting him to agree to 8 weeks, 8 weeks is not great but it should be fine

They are in the dining room. My dad is very annoyed since he can't leave the door open for fresh air to come in or else they might run off. They run around his feet and mew, so he's also annoyed that he can't "even eat peacefully" and that they mew all night.

Mom cat doesn't help by eating my dad's food. She has unlimited cat food and water, yet she still jumps on the table and eats off his plate when he , let's say, turns his back 30 seconds to get a glass of water.

My family is a weird one, they seem to actually care about the babies, but they think more about themselves, which is understandable.

And thank you!

sarthur2 said:
Hi, mama cat should still be nursing the babies for a few more weeks in addition to their other food. Over the next few weeks the kittens will gradually wean themselves as they eat more actual cat food. Now that they are eating you'll need to put a kitten-sized litter pan near them & show it to them if mama doesn't. The kittens should eat several small meals a day for now. Also try leaving kitten chow out in a dish for when you are gone. The expensive pouches of food are not necessary if your budget is tight. Get Fancy Feast classic instead.

Tell your dad the kittens must stay another month. Perhaps you could confine them to your bedroom with mama cat when you are not home?

Where are you leaving mama cat's food that the ants get in it? You may need ant traps to kill the ants if it's inside your house. Mama needs to graze when necessary while nursing, but you can give her the big meals when you are home.

You sound like a true animal lover! Try not to let your dad's emotions rule yours, even though he could be more understanding. Thank you for caring for this stray cat. You may want to contact a shelter if you need help finding homes for the kittens and getting mama spayed after the kittens are weaned. Do you plan to keep her?

Keep up the good work @MagiksGirl!

I didn't see Fancy Feast for kittens at the store. Only the Whiskas Pouches and Kitten kibbles. How much is a "small meal"? Like a pouch (85 grans) or however much they eat in a time frame?

I can't confine them to my room since over the years I got many collectibles and are in tall, very fall-able glass showcases / shelves, if they fall the items or, worse, the shelves could fall on them.

I'm leaving the food inside next to the nest. I cleaned up as much as I could, but I'm sure they'll be back.

I've already found a family for the gray one, it's the alpha kitten and the most imposing: just how the person likes them. I've known my boyfriend for 7 years and his mom and him always take great care of their pets, so I'm sure they'll be great with him.

Mom has been slowly staying more and more for the last year or so, so she already kinda lives home. I plan to keep one of the babies as well, but I don't know who yet since I love them all. I would kinda feel like I'm rejecting the two left I would give away if I can't find them homes so, sad to say for my dad, they might stay around a while. My main concern with this is my parent's Labrador, he does not like other animals or children.

They have water all day, while reserved, my sister and I think also my mom, refill her food and water bowl when I'm not around. They do like the kitts but are annoyed by mom cat jumping on the table.

Sarthur2 · Apr 13, 2015

Great idea!

magiksgirl · Apr 13, 2015

detmut said:
put the food bowl in a shallow pan of water to keep the ants away

Ahhh! Yes! Great idea! I'll try that when I get home! Thank you!

Sarthur2 · Apr 13, 2015

A small meal is about a spoonful per kitten right now. You can use the Fancy Feast classic adult pate & mix some kitten milk replacer in with it so that it's easy for them to eat. But if you make this glop and put it onto a big plate so they can all eat at once that is okay too, just make sure they are all getting some.

Can you confine mama cat while your dad eats his meals? Maybe in the bathroom? Is mama getting enough protein? Or does she just crave people food? She may want more meat. I boil chicken & shred it for my adult cats. She would also like to lap some kitten milk replacer formula for extra nutrition right now.

Let us know how it's going!

detmut · Apr 13, 2015

i would leave the dry kitten food out for mom and kittens. if the kittens have trouble eating the dry, you can wet it. but throw away whatever wetted dry food they don't eat. and then feed as much wet food as you can afford, preferably at least twice a day. and of course, plenty of fresh water always available for all of them.

magiksgirl · Apr 13, 2015

sarthur2 said:
So far the babies are growing, what I think is, well. They look playful, with full bellies and happy. I've been handling them almost every day and they seem to be getting used to it. They still mew sometimes, but they just may be hungry and I came at a bad time without knowing.

detmut said:

i would leave the dry kitten food out for mom and kittens. if the kittens have trouble eating the dry, you can wet it. but throw away whatever wetted dry food they don't eat. and then feed as much wet food as you can afford, preferably at least twice a day. and of course, plenty of fresh water always available for all of them.

Click to expand...

So they can eat wetted dry food! Thank you, since I've seen tiny teeth in their mouth, I didn't want them to break them.

detmut · Apr 13, 2015

MagiksGirl said:
So far the babies are growing, what I think is, well. They look playful, with full bellies and happy. I've been handling them almost every day and they seem to be getting used to it. They still mew sometimes, but they just may be hungry and I came at a bad time without knowing.

So they can eat wetted dry food! Thank you, since I've seen tiny teeth in their mouth, I didn't want them to break them.

yes. here's the instructions for purina kitten chow. should be similar for your brand. just read the bag.

Full Year Feeding Schedule

Age	Daily Amount*	Frequency
3 - 6 weeks	1/4 - 1/3 cup	3 - 4 times a day
7 weeks - 6 months	1/3 - 3/4 cup	3 - 4 times a day
7 months - 1 year	1/2 - 3/4 cup	2 times a day

*Using a standard 8 oz measuring cup

Kitten Feeding Instructions

:

Kittens generally nibble solid foods at 3 - 4 weeks of age. Keep moistened Purina^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Kitten Chow^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Nurturing Formula available to these kittens at all times. Just add one part liquid to three parts Purina^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Kitten Chow^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Nurturing Formula, changing frequently to ensure freshness. After weaning, at 6 - 8 weeks of age, kittens can eat either dry or moistened food. Start a self-feeding program, leaving food in dish at all times. Because kittens continue to develop throughout their first year, it's important that they get the extra nutrition of Purina^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Kitten Chow^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Nurturing Formula for a full 12 months. After one year of age, transition to the Purina^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} Cat Chow^{[emoji]174[/emoji]} formula that's right for your cat.

http://www.catchow.com/Products/Kitten-Chow

How much to feed kittens? and ants in mom's food

magiksgirl

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mwallace056

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mwallace056

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Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire

detmut

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magiksgirl

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Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire

magiksgirl

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Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire

detmut

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magiksgirl

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detmut

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