Pregnant kitty needs a lil help

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chestnut22

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Hi guys. Approximately how much should the kittens weigh by the end of their first week? They are three days old now. And I'm gonna weigh them today. So I'd like to know if they are on the right track
 

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They should ideally double their birth weights by the end of the first week. They should weigh about one pound at 4 weeks, and gain a pound a month until they are 6 months old at least. How are they doing?
 
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chestnut22

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I think they are doing quite well. The youngest one is about 0.18 pounds right now. The eldest is at 0.30 approx. Their average being a 0.25 pounds. Is that okay?
 

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I think they are doing quite well. The youngest one is about 0.18 pounds right now. The eldest is at 0.30 approx. Their average being a 0.25 pounds. Is that okay?
I see you are weighting them daily.  That is good, its the easiest way to see if they gain as they shall, or if they do not.

Also, its an occasion to have a look see if they have problems, for example, got fleas on them.

Could you please give the weight in grammes, or at least, in Oz?  I find pounds bewildering.  Mya be OK to get a rough idea, but when we shall talk about exact weights...

Anyway, a healthy kitten weights commonly around 100g at the birth, and adds about 10+ g a day.

Its about 3.3Oz,  and should gain 0,3+ oz a day...   

They may have less of course, and if much less, its yellow or even red alert.    The very small borne will add less of of course, but they shall add them too, 6g or 0,2Oz or more.
 
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chestnut22

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Yeah i am actually weighing and keeping the record in grams. The youngest Panther lily is at 80gs. And the eldest is at 134gs. Their average being at 116.2gs. They are all healthy thank God. I'm just concerned about Panther lily.
 

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Can you give their birth weight? Sounds like some of them are small, so the question is whether they are gaining enough from mom or if you need to supplement.

It would be most helpful if you could list each birth weight and the current weight next to it.
 
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chestnut22

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I couldnt weigh them when they were born. I was a bit nervous at handling their fragile wiggling bodies. Rest assured, they have grown quite some since birth. I have pictures. That might help show the difference. The close up is a recent picture taken just today
 

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The weights are good on the kittens. You're right that Panther Lily, at 80 grams, is quite small. Is she nursing well? Latching on strongly? She's your runt, and needs to gain every single day. You may want to consider supplementing her with kitten formula if she's not nursing enough and showing gains. Keep a very close watch on her.
 
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chestnut22

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She is latching on pretty well..... And feeds well. Comparatively she is smaller than the others. But just incase what supplement should I administer to ensure good health for her?
 

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You would provide additional feedings of kitten milk replacer, kmr. The kind most often recommended is PetAg powdered. You'll feed it to her, if needed, with a needleless syringe.
 

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Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) We've been recommending Pet Ag, Royal Canin or GNC  avoid Hartz and Seargents.  Use the powder form, the pre-mixed is inconsistent and causes diarrhea in some cats.  You will also need a small needleless syringe (1 - 2 ml).  Nursing kittens will not take a bottle. 

When feeding the kitten keep the tummy down and the head up (like she is feeding at mom).  Put a drop or two in her cheek, wait for the kitten to swallow, breath and repeat.  Be careful not to get any into the kittens lungs.  The KMR needs to be warm for the kitten to digest it.

You can also give KMR to mom in a dish.
 
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chestnut22

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Panther lily seems to be right on track. She has added 10 grams in 24 hours. I don't think she needs the supplement does she?
 

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I think she's fine for now as long as she's gaining enough from nursing. Weigh her every day to keep a close watch though. She's holding her own!
 
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chestnut22

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At six days, the kittens have added quite a lot thankfully. Panther lily is now 122gs and Ginger at 194gs. Average is 166.6gs. They are doing just fine now. Healthy, sleeping, eating and some more sleeping. 
 

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That's great news! Continue to watch and weigh Panther Lily. She's come a long way, but she's still way behind. Are you supplementing her at all?
 
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chestnut22

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Usually how long does it take for the kittens to stop depending on mommy for food?
 

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I've had 6 month old kittens still nursing! They will start eating on their own at about 5-6 weeks, maybe try even younger, but mom will wean them on her own, she'll be with them less, and push them away at times. They really still need mom and their siblings up until 10-12 weeks, this is when they learn their 'limits' when playing with others, how to play nicely, and the 'cat skills' they need to survive. When people adopt them out younger then that, the new cat parents have to teach them these skills and there are a LOT of posts on this site about kittens playing too aggressively and other problems, because as we all know, MOM KNOWS BEST!
 

Sarthur2

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I adopted the pregnant stray I took in, and kept her 4 kittens. Mom was spayed when the kittens were 8 weeks old, but they all continued to nurse until they were about 5 months old. I then thought they were done, and mom's milk had definitely dried up, but I awoke one morning to sucking sounds, and saw that two of the males were still nursing (or pacifying), and they were 9 months old! One of the males still tries to suckle but mom hisses at him. The kittens will be a year old next month.

On the other hand, some kittens are weaned and done with mom much earlier, even when she is around. It's really what the mom cat will put up with. [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 

tsukiyomi

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I adopted the pregnant stray I took in, and kept her 4 kittens. Mom was spayed when the kittens were 8 weeks old, but they all continued to nurse until they were about 5 months old. I then thought they were done, and mom's milk had definitely dried up, but I awoke one morning to sucking sounds, and saw that two of the males were still nursing (or pacifying), and they were 9 months old! One of the males still tries to suckle but mom hisses at him. The kittens will be a year old next month.

On the other hand, some kittens are weaned and done with mom much earlier, even when she is around. It's really what the mom cat will put up with. [emoji]128522[/emoji]
Awww how cute and talk about a patient momma cat wow.
 
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