Iv a rescued cat,has 8 babys, how much shud they gain a day?

I have a (kitten, herself) who gave birth to 9 kittens-1 passed[emoji]128549[/emoji]. How much should they weigh at 10 days old, & how much shud they gain a day(Just got a scale!![emoji]128556[/emoji]) I'm going to weigh them same time every day. What's best, a.m, or p.m.? Should I weigh them twice a day. I have 3 really small ones. Momma is doing good job, but 1st time momma. Wants more attention from us! They are in our downstrs fam rm. she's not staying w/kittens after she feeds, should I have a bigger bed for them? Any advice welcome... My 1st rescue that's given birth here. My last Momma had babys in Wild, but brought them to me at 9 weeks old.. All fixed & homed![emoji]128512[/emoji]
Thank-You!
Dory

Kittens should gain about 10 grams daily, but at least 8 grams.

If mom is not staying with the kittens, they need a heat source to keep them warm. A heating pad set on low is the best option. Cover the heating pad with a blanket of towel so that the kittens are not directly on top of it. The kittens should also have space to get off the heating pad if they choose/get hot.
If you cannot get a heating pad a few rice socks (a sock filled with uncooked rice and microwaved for 3-5 minutes until warm) or a hot water bottle will suffice. Again, make sure they are covered with a blanket or towel so that kittens are not directly touching them.

You can certainly try a larger bed/box for mom and kittens.

With such a large litter, you will very likely need to supplement at least some of the kittens. Do you have kitten milk replacer (KMR)? If so, what brand? If you do not have access to KMR, full fat goat's milk is ok.

Yes! I hav KMR, a little bottle, and some syringes. I'm concerned that the very top nipples aren't making milk(ones right by her under arms-the ones closest to her face), SOO hairy. I plan to shave tonight. My biggest kitten at 10 day is 9.2 oz's, three smallest are 6.8 oz's. So I should definitely be concerned? One kitten's eye cudnt open cuz of green, dried gunk. I put warm/hot cloth on eye-it came off, eye started opening. Most have eyes open-I know its early, & can't see yet. If those teets are dry, after shaving hair away, cud she build up milk supply? I will get a bigger box! And 1/2 heating pad it. I know Momma was hot in w/all babies. It's an insulated Rubbermade cont. originally made for ferals outside in winter. It has cat door on it, but Momma gets too hot if lid is on. They are laying on a Verry fuzzy, warm, fleece-type blanket. I shop a lot online, not a problem to get bigger box. When I tried to move babies to full-size fleece blanket to the floor, she freaked and started grabbing them by the head & taking them back into (original birthing bed). I Sooo appreciate your HELP!! Any more you can give-Pour it on??!![emoji]128521[/emoji] Thx SOO much!! I rescue Abandonded/feral cats, fix them, etc.. & find good (Indoor Only) homes. My small contribution to end euthanasia & over pop. My hubby isn't too thrilled w/amount of $$ I'm ringing up.. Being sorta disabled, this is about all I can do for my Comm/&Animals.

I would hold off on shaving the mom - that sounds stressful for her. You can maybe trim a little if she'll let you. The upper nipples always produce the least, so it's possible the kittens won't use those.

10 days is exactly on time for eyes to open. Make sure they stay open and crust-free using a warm cloth, exactly as you did. Use a new cloth for each kitten and each eye.

The smaller ones are a bit behind on weight, but not terrible. They should weigh between 8-10 oz. I would supplement the smaller ones a few times a day to help mom out. It doesn't matter when you weigh them as long as it's the same time every day. Once a day should be fine.

Thank you so much for all that you're doing! Keep asking questions!

Shaving her isn't going to make her produce milk and is likely just going to stress her out. If there isn't milk in there by now (10 days after birth), very unlikely it will come in.

As far as weights of babies...what were their birth weights? If the smallest ones were born at 80 grams (the lowest "healthy" weight for full-term kittens) and they gained 8 grams per day, that would be 160 grams or 6.35 oz.

If you have not been weighing the kittens daily, start now and weigh them at the same time each day (time of day doesn't matter so long as it is the same each day.)

A general guideline is that kittens be half a pound by two weeks and a full pound by 4 weeks, give or take an ounce or two.

Do the kittens still have green gunk in or around their eyes? If so, they need a vet visit and very likely some Terramycin eye ointment. Eye infections (which are almost always associated with upper respiratory infections) are not something to wait and see on. A kitten's eyes and vision can be permanently damaged if proper treatment is not given.

Definitely supplement the smallest kittens several times a day. They won't take a bottle since they have mom, so you'll have to use a syringe, but they need to catch up. No need to order a bigger box online. Try to find something at a local store, because the kittens will be out of it around the 3-week mark.

I meant that I already have a much bigger box on hand... I had started supplementing the tiny ones, then they seemed to start gaining weight. I will supplimented again. The green stuff was only in one kittens eye. Tonight another kitten seemed frustrated that it's eye wasn't open, I put warm cloth on, wiped a bit (tiny bit) of gunk off, now eye is fine. When I heard that another lady went w/fruit names, i decided to go w/food names, matching their color (or size): littlest gray:'Peanut', the littlest sriped: 'Sweet Pea', next littlest striped(both weigh 6.8[emoji]128521[/emoji]),'Sprout', next striped,'TagAlong', next striped,'Snickers', black (w/wee spot white on lower lip),'Caviar', next Black w/more white on face & chest,'Cupcake' (like a filled Hostess cupcake?) & last black one w/more white on face,'Poppyseed' (He's a real Butter Ball @ 8.9oz's!!!) sometimes we hold him when the others are feeding, so they have a chance...(it's not that much, they are all downstairs, & we are upstairs w/our 2 Persians. They have to be separated, my Nünsa has Leaukimia. Contagious through Sylvia.) thx Sooo much for help..... Keep it coming...[emoji]129299[/emoji]

I had a young momma as well and she only produced milk for a week. The ones on the front never really produced much and were the first to stop. The ones in the back took the longest to dry up. I bottle fed the babies and she cleaned them and kept them warm. Since she has so many babies I would definitely bottle feed since the larger stronger ones will push the smaller ones off.

What was it y'all said they need to gain in a day? I got a bigger box, 1/2 of it is heated w/hearing pad. (The little guys go exploring sometimes, Sooo Tute!! But, today was dat #2 in weighing... All only gained (example: Peanut: was 6.8, today 7.1) is that enough? Plus, more are getting green gunk in the eyes[emoji]128553[/emoji] I'm cleaning each eye with different side of their own rag. HELP!!

Okay, you need to call your vet for terramycin ointment for their eyes. It's clearly an infection they are all passing around. If he needs to actually see a kitten, bring one in with the goop in the eye. But otherwise, keep cleaning the eyes because they need to stay open & not let the gunk build up behind the eye. It's a bacterial infection that won't go away without the antibiotic ointment.

They need to gain between 6-10 grams a day! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

They all pretty much moved up from 6.8 to 7.1-2, and like that w/all of them. We did trim the long hairs around top 4 nipples. Kitty were nursing on the top one this morning... But, Momma just won't stay in there w/them long enuf!! But big or small ones all gained the same, just up .3-5 oz's. I supplimented 1/2 of them this afternoon. Trying to start slow. Do you think I need to bring to vet (&Acosta) if I have the erithymiacin cream? Just don't know? I will bring them in if need be...

Thx for your HELP LADIES!!! I appreciate you SOO much!! Keep it coming...

It's terramycin ointment for their eyes. Do whatever the vet tells you to do when you call in. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Were you able to get the eye ointment?

Since you are using ounces to calculate... they should be gaining around .35 ounces a day (10 grams) but .28 is still a good number (8 grams). If all of your kittens went from 6.8 to 7.1/7.2 they would be gaining sufficient weight!

I have some ointment, yes!! It's helping!! (If Mom doesn't kick off)[emoji]128543[/emoji]... Kittens are all gaining weight wonderfully!!! Not supplementing them!! We're SOO happy!!!
Thx ladies for all your guidance, & help!! I think we are over the 'hump'!!! PTL.
Still working w/eye infections.. Using cotton balls, instead of rags(Vet said). That is even getting a bit better... Tho 1black one got it this am. It was staying w/the 4 striped one, & Peanut, the runt, & gray one.[emoji]128543[/emoji]... S l o w l y getting better!! Thank-y'all soooo much!![emoji]10083[/emoji]

Did you get the antibiotic ointment? They really need it.

YES! Have the ointment. It's only arythamiacin, not the one you mentioned, but it's good enough, right??? I can call my vet tom and pay for it over the phone and have him mail me the other one?? The tube I have is brand new...(?)

The difference is that terramycin is a combination of 2 antibiotics. Ask your vet which one you should use. Terramycin works very quickly.

We have always used erythromycin with our kittens and had great success in them recovering quickly so I wouldn't worry too much unless they are not getting better or getting worse.