Help needed with mom and babies

The kittens can still snuggle with mom, and she can help to stimulate and clean them. They can suckle her nipples for comfort as well. Who knows? It may stimulate milk production after all!

Here is an article on hand rearing kittens. It's a lot of work. Literally an around the clock job until they wean. Will anyone be able to help you?

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/hand-rearing-kittens

Also, you'll need a needleless syringe of about 1-2 mL's, along with bottles and KMR.

Kittens must be fed tummy down, head up, so they do not aspirate formula into their lungs.

Please ask questions as they come up. You'll be living by your alarm clock. Newborn kittens need to eat and potty every 2 hours through the night.

Please keep us posted.

Little babies

Hi as stated previously my cat had to have a Caesarean today. 3 little boys. Unfortunately she has no mammory tissue whatsoever so im having to bottle feed. I do try and put them on her teats for the bond but they don't seek to even try to suckle or can't find the teat .
I have questions.
How long should they feed for?
How do I know If they are eating? They seem to have one suckle where I see there ears moving and then it just sits in their mouth and they push at in now and again and fall asleep .
It says on the formula for it to be 20 ml per day per kitten given they are 80 grams each. Is that correct?
Trying to feed them every 2 hours like my vet said

tiger91 said:

Hi as stated in my previous thread my cat had to have a Caesarean today. 3 little boys. Unfortunately she has no mammory tissue whatsoever so im having to bottle feed. I do try and put them on her teats for the bond but they don't seek to even try to suckle or can't find the teat .
I have questions.
How long should they feed for?
How do I know If they are eating? They seem to have one suckle where I see there ears moving and then it just sits in their mouth and they push at in now and again and fall asleep .
It says on the formula for it to be 20 ml per day per kitten given they are 80 grams each. Is that correct?
Trying to feed them every 2 hours like my vet said

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Im beginning to answer

tiger91 said:

Hi as stated in my previous thread my cat had to have a Caesarean today. 3 little boys. Unfortunately she has no mammory tissue whatsoever so im having to bottle feed. I do try and put them on her teats for the bond but they don't seek to even try to suckle or can't find the teat .
I have questions.
How long should they feed for?
How do I know If they are eating? They seem to have one suckle where I see there ears moving and then it just sits in their mouth and they push at in now and again and fall asleep .
It says on the formula for it to be 20 ml per day per kitten given they are 80 grams each. Is that correct?
Trying to feed them every 2 hours like my vet said

Click to expand...

I dont get the first question - you mean each time?

Yes, 20ml a day on 80grammes seems correct.

For newborn every two hours is the usual - if they are healthy.  If they seem weak, or you think they take just a little, it may be better to give a little each time but more often.  The practical limit is really, how much YOU do manage.  It will be very little sleep for you the nearest weeks. Although the first two weeks are most critical.

Knowing if they eat enough is not easy if you arent very experienced. The easiest is to weigh them on a scale every day - every 12 hours if in not stabilized in crisis.  80 grammes kits shall add 6-8 grammes every day...

As you do have a bottle, you do see if they take all 20ml a day....

DO they take the bottle?  Many kittens whom have access to momma, are very reluctant with a bottle, in these cases its often easier with a needleless syringe.

Also, if they are weak sucklers, or dont have the suckling reflex at all, a syringe is often the answer.  With syringe, they dont need to suckle, its enough they do swallow properly.

You know probably the correct position?  Tummy down, head up, body may be raised up diagonally, but still, tummy down.  If bottle, let is suckle, if syringe or dropper, in the corner of the mouth, a couple of drops at a time, wait till they swallow... If they swallow good, it goes fairly quick. If not, it may take time and patience...   Burp afterwards.

Exactly WHAT kmr do you use?   If you can get raw goat milk - fresh or frozen, its always a good alternative.

Is mom taking care of the washing, and eliminating?

You will ideas on hand raising by some articles here on this site, also, www.kitten-rescue.com is good.

Come back with questions and reports!

I see you got good help here. Pity I didnt send the links on handraising, but you got the most important.   Im not on my home computer now.

The kittens are adorable, this in middle is clearly a classic tabby (marbled, blotched). Righty is probably a classic tabby too, but the white makes its not easily visible.  Lefty is a Harlequin / Van pattern.

Holding thumbs for the whole family!

Thankyou. I mean how long should they feed each time. 5 min? 10min? They seem to just lay there with the teat in the mouth but not actually suckling. They are only 8 hours old though.
Will try a syringe.
Im using thi s. ..

tiger91 said:

s. ..

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I suspect you must be more energetic here, if they dont seems to suckle...   Dehydration is also a danger.  They will soon begin to be weaker if they dont get anything.

Be sure they are warm enough, but not too warm.

Re the kmr,  I dont know that brand at all.  I suppose its OK if you dont have anything else.  At least to begin with.   WHAT alternatives do you have?

The brand made by PetAG, called KMR, in powder, is best.  GNC makes very good products,  Royal Canin cat baby milk is OK...

PetAgs makes also a good probiotic, BeneBac, made especially for small kittens, with colostrum too.

PetAg has also some new brand of kmr - I dont know the name - but is contains colostrum.

The raw goat milk is always an excellent alternative as mentioned, but bottled / cartooned / powdere full fat goat milk is useful too.

We know from reports Hartz and Sargeant brands are not recommendable,

Get home glucose sugar / dextrose - its useful in many emergency situations.  If you cant find glucose sugar proper, you can perhaps find glucose syrup, white caro syrup, or even honey...

So, it's not about the amount of time they nurse for, it's about the amount you get them to eat. If you're trying to give them 20 ml per day, divide that by the number of feedings and you'll need to give them that amount each time. You should aim for around 2 ml per feeding. You have to monitor that they get enough each day so they are all gaining weight. A scale and weighing them every day is a great idea. The amount they eat will need to go up as they get bigger, so weighing is helpful there too.

And I agree that if they are too small to suckle you'll need to start with the needleless syringe. They'll get more vigorous and go for the bottle as they get older.

Is the mom helping them potty and cleaning them? How is she doing?

Mum Is cleaning them and licking their bums so I think we are all good there.
I suspect because I'm in australia that may be why it's a different brand but that is what the vet gave us.
I tried the syringe and they just seem to keep wiping their head over it and not actually wanting it In their mouths but I managed to get a few drops to each . Its 9pm here. I will take them back at 8am to make sure they are feeding ok to them. In the meantime if I try feed them 2 hourly will the be ok until then going the way they are? They wont die between 9pm and 8am?

It does take a lot of work to get them used to feeding at first. It's one drop at a time, in the cheek, and then they swallow and you repeat. It will get easier!

Did the vet get weights on them today? If so, get a scale. You can weigh them yourself, see if they're gaining, and you probably don't need to take them in. If the vet has a lot of kitten experience and wants to show you how to feed them that's ok too. I'm not sure they need to go in.

They are not going to die immediately but it is imperative that they start to gain weight. If not it's an uphill battle. Keep trying. 2ml per kitten per feeding.

If you suspect they're not getting enough, feeding them smaller amounts every hour could work too.

Are you warming the formula? It's important that they are warm and their formula is warm.

They have a hot water bottle under their towel so they are warm and the formula is warm. Will keep trying and see how we go through the night. I just managed to get 2 to suckle on her nipples. They wont get anything but I thought it would be nice for her

The whitish kittens seems a little premature.  Scrawny legs...  So be prepared its a fight uphill.

I hope the tabbies have more fur on their legs? Because from above they seems round and OK.

Anyways, you mentioned 80g - was it the weigh the vet told you was their birthing weigh?  Its quite less than average, but not critical low.  If you fight on, and have some luck, they shall have a good chance.

But to be clear, its red alert on, till you hopefully can downgrad it to call it for yellow alert - and this when you clearly see they are eating, and gaining at least 6g a day.  Or 3-4g every 12 hours - I recommend yout weightitng them so often..

tiger91 said:

20151217_215412.jpg

• tiger91
• Dec 17, 2015

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one more - have some humifidier in the room.  IF they are somewhat premature, a too dry air isnt good for their weak lungs.

As Stefan said, do get a scale. It is impossible to guess how very small kittens are doing unless you weigh them at least once a day. You can get a scale that weighs in grams at Walmarts or many pharmacies. Make a note of each kitten's weight and then do it at the same time each day. If you can't tell 2 kittens apart put a drop of coloured nail varnish on a claw. You are in for a hard fight with these precious little ones, I wish you all the best.

It's probably on the can, but make sure you heat the KMR.  The kittens cannot digest cold food.  They should make it through the night, especially if you get some food into them.

As the kittens grow they will need more formula at each feeding.  The calculation is the weight of the kittens in ounces times 8 ml, divided by the number of feedings in 24 hours.  I'm sorry I'm not sure of the calculation for grams.

Here are YouTube videos of hand feeding kittens. Hope this helps!

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Hang in there! We are all rooting for you and the kittens!

Thanks everyone for your help! It's 6.30 am here and last night was tough .
I managed to get them to drink more each but the little white and black one seems to be taking a little less than the other 2. Taking them back in this morning to get them weighed and make sure how they are feeding is ok.

Unless you think they need to be seen I would caution you against taking them to the vet. You can weigh them by yourself to see how they are doing. Their immune systems are not developed and they are not getting any protection from mom's milk, so I would worry about exposure at the vet.

As long as you are feeding them every hour or two and they are gaining weight they're doing ok!