Baby Kitten Rescued Saturday

Hello, Saturday afternoon while my 12 year old was getting ice cream from the ice cream truck, the gentleman said he found this tiny black kitten in the middle of the road and since he new the girls gave him/her to us. Midnight as close as I can figure is around 3 to 4 weeks old, can walk however stumbles a bit, the ears are erect and eyes are open but probably not for long. We have been feeding the baby with a bottle, weve been using kitten milk powder that we got from our local pet supply store. My oldest daughter 15 yr old and I went to the humane society Saturday to look at the kittens since we promised her one for Christmas, I've been telling her to pray and ask God for a cat that he knows would be the best for you. My daughter stated that Saturday she had prayed that God would give her a kitten that either needed her or that she needed and within 8 hours Midnight came into our lives. The kitten was very hungry when we got her, and very skinny...we live in an area of Wichita Falls TX that if she was found by certain people she would have been killed being so close to Halloween. Today she got a warm Dawn bath to get her clean and get the bugs off, I've got most if not all the bugs and will change her little box out. We've been rubbing her little but with a warm washcloth but not until today have I seen some poop, it was pretty firm to a certain degree and she kept having semi liquid come out for a minute or so. She seems to be a very happy baby, likes to play and has or is trying to pounce play with us, she's getting attached to us already and especially my 15 yr old who mothers the kitten like she gave birth to it. Being a Father I know very little about mothering especially kittens, so any advise would be appreciated, she's curled up on my chest with some warm blankets around her as I speak since she just got a bath. I used a blow dryer set on low at about a ft away from her to dry her off, I hope that was O.K., she didn't seem to mind much and the heat wasn't even enough to do much more that warm her up. Midnight is coal black, blue eyes and around 6 to maybe at the very most 8 inches long, she usually sleeps 3 to 5 hours with crying for food and then will play her heart out. So far she has slept through the night so I guess she gets about 5 to 6 good meals a day eating anywhere from 1/2 Oz to 3/4 ounce at each feeding, she's more than satisfied when done. Please reply with any advise on raising her, my daughter is so excited that she gets to raise her own cat from a baby kitten and she's doing a terrific job! Thanks

Sounds like a gift from God to me!

Take it slow and easy for the first few days. Midnight is in a new home with new surroundings and strangers to some extent. Mum & brother and sisters are no longer a part of midnights daily routine. This is her first home without his/her brothers/sisters and mum. Be gentle and do your best to comfort and reassure the new family member's giving plenty of cuddles and love.

Kittens can only take so much excitement before needing a long nap to recover. So be sure she has a nice warm bed or blanket to cuddle up in, some fresh water and a litter tray nearby to avoid starting any bad habits.

Think of midnight as a newborn baby that you just brought home from the hospital. She will need plenty of rest, tender loving care and quiet, in addition to the play periods and meal times.

Ya, told my wife that we could use one of the kids old stuffed animal that we had just washed and let the kitten snuggle with it, that was a great idea she curled right up to it at night and falls to sleep. My daughter also has one of her warm old night gowns in the bed to keep her warm. I've also bend told that bottle fed kittens usually will be tammer than mother cat raised and will attach itself to whoever takes care of it, is there any truth in this?

You should weigh the kitten every day.  This way you will know how much to feed her and if she is gaining enough weight (6-10 grams a day)  

the kitten should get 8 ml of formula for every ounce she weighs in a 24 hour period. Or (Weight * 8) divided by # of feedings, will tell you how much to offer at each feeding.

Here is a link you and your daughter will enjoy reading

 [thread="297529"]Found Abandoned Kitten​[/thread]  

How do I weigh a kitten, I think we may have a small kitchen scale?

Kitchen scales are perfect. Put a tea towel in it first so she don't slip about on there.

Food scales and postal scales are perfect Many people weigh them in grams. I'm used to ounces.
Try to weigh them around the same time each day. Even healthy kittens will fluctuate sometimes and lose a tiny bit so that's nothing to worry about. If they do lose, keep a close eye on them. If they don't gain by the next day or if they begin acting lethargic or different, those are red flags.

 Midnight has been doing fantastic, eating very well, beginning to play a lot and pounce. He/she poops 2 to 3 times a day and when he does it seems to come out for 10 or more minutes and when we think it's done he keeps going. No constipation or real runny stools, but is it normal for a kittens poop to come out for a long period of time? He doesn't seem or act like anything is wrong and when it's done plays like normal. Also since he has fangs is it O.K. to try feeding semi solid food and how would I go about doing it. He is 3 to 4 weeks of age that I can figure, takes a good 110 ml or more of kitten milk that I mix each day. Weve only had him for 4 days and he has already attached to my oldest daughter and myself. I've given him one small complete cleaning with dawn soap on Monday and was thinking about doing another one tomorrow to clean him up again.

Are you stimulating your kitty to go the bathroom before and after he eats?

He does not need a full bath with dawn unless he has fleas. Mom would be cleaning him multiple times a day with her tongue, so you could do the same with a warm, slightly damp cloth. A full bath shouldn't be necessary and can be dangerous since kittens can get chilled

It would have been 4 weeks last Saturday for Midnight, Friday morning he got up playing and then fell asleep under my recliner. I won't go any further than that, I was heart broken and at 53 I flipped out alittle, my wife said she had never seen me cry that way for any animal. I relive that day all the time and blame myself for his death, it's hard when you bottle feed a baby, he got attached to me and my wife and loved climbing up my pant leg when I was in my recliner then play and fall asleep with me holding him. He is missed deeply, I'm not much of a cat lover but he took my heart, we're getting my daughter another one for Christmas, we think it may help my daughters hurt and pain. I know he won't be replaceable but we know of a mother kitten/cat who is ready to give birth, the lady who has her said she was a gentle and friendly cat who looks like she had a good home at one time. We will let her have her kittens and then let my daughter pick one from the batch, we know someone in town who will take the rest. Just a quick question......the momma's mammary glands are starting to swell with milk, about how much time before she has the kittens?

So sorry this happened.

Please be sure to leave the kittens with their mama for at least 8 weeks, and ideally 10-12. They learn important cat skills from her. Also, you might consider adopting two. They aren't much more work from your perspective, they'll do much better together in a new place, and they'll keep each other occupied. Just make sure you can afford to get them both fixed, pay any vet bills, etc.

The milk can come in a couple days before she gives birth.  There are exceptions to the rule. 

Here are some articles to help with your questions. 

 [article="29720"]Pregnancy And Delivery In Cats​[/article]  

 [article="31379"]Pregnant Cat What To Prepare For The Birth​[/article]  

 [article="31414"]Help My Cat Is Having Kittens​[/article]  

Keep using this thread for any questions you have.

The lady stated that the cat wasn't very fat, nipples and mammary area just starting to swell.  The lady said that the cat came to her house around 3 weeks ago, she is a very pretty calico cat and she did restate that the cat was very friendly and gentle.  She is a little worried that the cat should not be moved, however she has dogs in her house and she can't bring her in without the dogs getting to her and the kittens when they come.  Do you think we still have a week or so before the babies come?, she did email and say that the nipples are not leaking at present time which I figure is a good sign she has a little time left.  Being Winter time her in Wichita Falls Tx. it is pretty warm but it still gets real cold at night time, which could kill the kittens.  I was wandering if we get her if a 20 lb. bag of food last a few months for the momma cat?

The mamma cat should be getting kitten food, wet and dry.  She needs to eat a lot so the kittens develop fully and after they are born she will need lots of food to produce milk.

If you have a spare room or a quiet space you can put her in, go get her.  Being outside puts her and her kittens in all kinds of peril.

A pregnant cat's nipples turn pink at day 21. Their sides begin to show at around 5 weeks' gestation. Cat pregnancy runs 65-68 days, so close to 10 weeks.

The cat needs to be brought indoors now, but not around dogs that are going to disturb her. No cat should have to deliver kittens outside in any weather. It's neither safe nor healthy.

If possible, you should get the cat now. She sounds like she has a few weeks left. That way she has time to acclimate to your home and your family.

She needs to be eating kitten chow and wet food for the sake of her growing kittens. Pregnant and lactating cats need to eat as much as they want. They need the nutrition, and they normally eat 2-3 times what a non-pregnant cat eats. So you must be prepared to feed her lots.