Help! Caring for single newborn kitten...

Status
Not open for further replies.

nikkykay

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
190
Purraise
94
Location
US, Arizona
Wait until she's a bit older (maybe 3-4 weeks.) She'll really tell you when she's hungry then. :D Your little scrumptious cutie is getting so big.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,963
Purraise
17,627
Location
Sunny Florida
Hope you are getting lots of pictures of all this cuteness! She recognizes you now as her mommy. You represent love, comfort, and food to her, for which she is developing a special bond with you. I'm so glad you have the time this summer to nurture her along. Isn't it rewarding the way she has just taken off so well? So iffy there for awhile and now look! :)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #83

mindyl3igh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
183
Purraise
120
Location
Georgia
Thanks guys! She starts moving her paws back and forth really fast on my hands when she first gets the bottle, rooting like crazy, from over excitement. It is the cutest thing. 

I know...it really was iffy for a while there, and I was so scared that the worst was going to happen because of how much she was losing. What a turn around! 

Here are some of our morning pictures! I am so glad I caught her mid-yawn! 


 

kstonya

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
220
Purraise
28
Location
Kansas
The paw movement is the same as the kitten would do if she was nursing. It is common and a way to connect with the mommy. As you are the mommy she is doing the same to you. I would try and hold the bottle so it is close to your palm so she can kneed your hand like she would do the mommies teat.
 

nikkykay

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
190
Purraise
94
Location
US, Arizona
Gravity is such a beauty! I see those ears gettinga but bigger too. S/he is one lucky baby.
The kneading on your hand will stay for as long as you bottle feed. My 7 week old still very much loves his 1-2 a day bottle. He still touches my fingers and kneads my palm. Love the update. I'm so glad Gravity is doing fine!

Lol, let us know when you find out if she is a he or not. ;p
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #86

mindyl3igh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
183
Purraise
120
Location
Georgia
I am almost 100% sure boy at this point, so I am going to begin getting used to saying HE instead of she now! lol :) I have three girls and one boy that are grown ages 2 to 6, all spayed and neutered babies, just as he will be as soon as he is able...I am pretty sure my Munchie will love having a boy around in a house full of girls! All of my cats have very sweet temperaments and all welcomed one another with open arms. Munchie was an only cat for 5 years, then I got Chibby...3 months later, I caught her twin sister, Libby, and Little Bitty came a year later and they are all the best of buddies, so I know they will love him the same! 

I love the kneading. It's so adorable. Developing such a personality...so precious I can't stand it! Hubby is finally in love too. He finally told me he understood and that he couldn't keep pressuring me to find a home for him after everything I have done for him. We do not have any children yet, so it is quite an hilarious situation for us to be in, being the only ones in the family without a little one of our own...but I can gladly say, I do have my little one now! 
 

I could bottle feed him for forever, lol, mommy is going to be heartbroken when he doesn't need the bottle anymore! 
 

nikkykay

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
190
Purraise
94
Location
US, Arizona
I know the feeling. Khaos is starting to have less bottles, and I'm really going to miss his ears wiggling, and eyes almost closing when he drinks. I'm already sad just thinking about it.

My dad told me a similar thing. He told me I could never get a cat (because we had one years ago but she died--and no one really got over it,) and then he finds Khaos. He told me I had to find a home for him the first 3 days we had him, but now he goes into room randomly saying "where's my cat?"
We had a total of 3 cats throughout my life. Pookie we got when I was 5, she died in May 2006 (about 11 days after we got Khaos was her 9 yr death anniversary.) Then we got two girl kittens a few years later, only to have our grandmother (on my dad's side) steal them and sell them.
After our luck with cats, my family never wanted another. I always loved cats and wanted more, but now they can't say anything about Khaos. We all love him too much.
 
Last edited:

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
"Hubby is finally in love too. He finally told me he understood and that he couldn't keep pressuring me to find a home for him after everything I have done for him. "

      Will Gravity take a bottle from your hubby too or have you been keeping this hard work all to your self?  
        
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #90

mindyl3igh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
183
Purraise
120
Location
Georgia
@NikkyKay  I know how you feel. :( My experiences with cats have not been as bad as they were with dogs, but I know all too well just how painful it is to where you really feel you will never want another one. Khaos is so adorable. I can imagine how easy it was to fall so deeply in love!

@sarthur2  ...hahaha, no, but I don't mind! I would not want to miss a feeding. Brandon works a good bit of time, so his sleep is sacred most nights. He has never handled a kitten and the couple of times he has held him has made me SO nervous...I can't even relax. LOL, because I know how he wiggles, when he is settling down to stay still, etc. and he doesn't. He loves watching him eat and petting him and talk about how precious he is and watch him grow and hear me talk about his weight and poops, but hasn't tried to do any bottle feedings yet. He probably will once he gets a little older. 
 

nikkykay

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
190
Purraise
94
Location
US, Arizona
Haha! I didn't even trust my mom with Khaos when he was younger. She raised two kids on bottles, but I was--still am--very protective of him. I know you'll be very protective with your little guy. :)

We've had pretty bad luck with dogs as well. Two of our dogs were stolen years back. A rottweiler puppy (we got him a few years after we had gotten Pookie) and a pit bull puppy. We also had a lab/chow mix get hit by a car while him and my parents were crossing the street. Bam, the dog, died on impact. :( We had gotten the 2 kittens kittens taken by our grandmother a few weeks before that.
It took years for us to get any other animals. But now we have a minature poodle, a pit/german shepard mix, their offspring, a chorkie, and Khaos.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #92

mindyl3igh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
183
Purraise
120
Location
Georgia
Question about hungry little Grav! I do not want to overfeed and I am still nervous about that aspect. He is 160g (5.6oz) at 11 days old, averaging out for him to be getting 45cc/day. He is already at 42.5, with three feedings left for today. He's been averaging 4cc+ per meal every two hours and to be honest, I feel like he would like even more (LOL) but I hold back to be safe. I never see milk bubbling out of his mouth or anything, so I am assuming he's not getting overfed and was curious just what overfed would be considered? I try to stick as close as I can to the suggested amount, but he's a hungry baby and want to make sure it is okay to be going over 45cc, as long as he is wanting it. He finishes each meal, no lie, in less than two minutes, sometimes before a minute is up... lol

Like this last feeding, I started out with 4.2, but after I burped, rubbed, and stimulated him, he was still suckling around and rooting, meowing at me, and it got worse when I put him in his nest. He usually does suckle around and purr a bit while we cuddle after feedings, but this time, you could really tell he was wanting some more milk and wasn't satisfied. After I decided to try 1 more cc, he calmed down and went right on to sleep. I just don't want to be doing him any harm, by giving such amounts. Just a bit concerned and want to feel safe with his intake one way or the other and makes changes if needed.

Thanks guys! :)
 
Last edited:

mservant

The Mouse servant
Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2013
Messages
18,064
Purraise
3,451
Location
The Mouse Pad, UK
I'm totally inexperienced here other than reading other threads and advice people have given, but generally with babies of any species including cats my line would be that if they are still hungry give them some more.  Cats especially tend not to over eat, it is very rare that they do.  Mouse was as chubby a kitten as you are likely to see and was the only kitten getting all his mother's milk and cream when ever he wanted it and it hasn't harmed him at all.  Kittens grow and develop constantly and so quickly the most important thing is to make sure they have enough food to do this.   Your instint to give Grav that extra 1cc sounds spot on to me.  
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,963
Purraise
17,627
Location
Sunny Florida
Absolutely give Gravity more! Give him as much as he wants. Kittens his age constantly suckle mama. He needs to weigh about one pound at one month, two pounds at two months, etc. until about six months old. He is growing and developing so fast right now and needs all the nutrition he can get! :)

The rule of thumb is to gain 6-10 grams per day minimum. More is always better! He's doing great. :)
 
Last edited:

handsome kitty

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
6,193
Purraise
1,062
Location
Newark CA
As Gravity grows he need more food.  You should be feed at least 8 ml food for each ounce.  So he should currently be getting 48cc throughout the day.  As he grows you need to adjust the amount.  That's one of the reasons for weighing everyday. 

He will go through growth spurts during the first year where he will just want gobs of food at those times you just keep feeding until they are full.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #96

mindyl3igh

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
183
Purraise
120
Location
Georgia
Thanks everyone! I have been putting 8cc in the bottle and he has drank 6cc and 7cc the last two feedings and is happy as could be with that. I feel so much better knowing his sweet little tummy is full to where he wants it to be. He was 163g (5.7oz) this morning. I will update again tonight with his 12-hour weigh in and some pictures from today as well. :)
 

kstonya

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
220
Purraise
28
Location
Kansas
It appears that Gravity is doing well and as he gets bigger and older you can cut back on the weighing to 1 time a day rather than 2 times. The 2 times is when the kitten is not gaining weight and or not eating.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top