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Feeding positions

post #1 of 4
1/26/04 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
What is the best feeding position for tiny kittens, on their back, or while they are on their stomach?
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post #2 of 4
1/27/04 at 9:05am
This another really important question!

One day a friend of mine was helping me feed the some two week olds. Ruth is a nurse anesthetist, and extremely qualified in medical care. I nearly passed out when I saw her holding the kitten in the crook of her arm, flat on his back. As humans, that's the instinctive way to feed a baby, any baby. Unfortunately, with kittens it's dead wrong. Kittens can easily strangle on the forumla in this position.

All the books recommend that you leave the kitten laying on his belly and hold the bottle at an angle. For me, this is very awkward unless you have an angled bottle like the Catac nurser. What I do is to sit on the couch with my bottom about a foot from the couch back. Then I lean back and place the kitten on my chest (like nursing a human baby.) The kitten stays warm and they like to hear your heartbeat. And you're close enough to monitor what's happening.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?
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post #3 of 4
1/27/04 at 9:09am
Thread Starter 
When I first started out, I used to do it on top of my dryer while it was running a load. I had no idea if it was right or not, but it worked. The dryer hummed and vibrated- I put the kitten on a towel, knelt down and fed it while it was on it's tummy. There was padding all around so it wouldn't fall off, and the dryer was warm so therefore the kitten was too. I blocked the area around the kitten to keep the cooler air off it.

Now I feed them much like you do in a slant on a recliner with them on my chest.
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post #4 of 4
1/27/04 at 3:12pm
I sit crossed legged on the floor with a warmed towel taut across my lap hammock style. I place them on their tummies, face their rumps towards the center and their heads towards my thigh so that they are leaning slightly upwards, then hold the bottle or syringe near my thigh. Once they start nursing, they typically don't shift very much - too eager to eat!

Note: trying to feed more than one at a time makes this position difficult - they will all climb in your lap to get the bottle. Take them 1 or 2 at a time at most!
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