11 day old kitten questions

Step by step...it goes step by step...and there is this to be said about bottle-rearing a litter...you notice things about their development that never really sinks in when Mama raises them, although that is by far preferable!  Until my first bottle litter, I had never really noticed at what age they begin to eliminate on their own, or how often they need cleaning, or any of the myriad little details of kitten growth and development.

This morning Prince walked right into the litterbox and peed all on his own! So proud of him!

Mamanyt1953 said:

Step by step...it goes step by step...and there is this to be said about bottle-rearing a litter...you notice things about their development that never really sinks in when Mama raises them, although that is by far preferable!  Until my first bottle litter, I had never really noticed at what age they begin to eliminate on their own, or how often they need cleaning, or any of the myriad little details of kitten growth and development.

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I'm learning! I have noticed they seem to be a bit ahead of some of the info I find online but it's to be expected that each litter and cat is unique. One big difference though, I always read that personality really starts developing in the fifth week. Maybe it's because I spend so much time with them but their personality was developing at 3 days!

Another question though, and this might belong in behavioral, how should I address one of the kittens being possessive or territorial? She can get aggressive when it comes to two things: 1.) me and 2.) her stuffed pickle. I was holding her and her brother (Asia and Prince, respectively) and as soon as I started showing him attention she launched over and bit him really hard! She has done the same when he played with her pickle. If my boyfriend holds them then they are fine....

Ok...there's some controversy about what I am going to suggest, but I've suggested it before, and used it many times.  When the kitten bites, say "OW" not really loudly, but sharply, and TAP her gently on the cheek with ONE finger.  Read and re-read "gently" and "one finger."  You are NOT "hitting" the kitten, but imitating the sharp MEOW and gentle cuff of a mama cat correcting a kitten.  When they are 8 weeks or so, you might use two fingers.  Just a quick tap...hard enough not to be a pat, but not overdone, either! 

And yes, they do start developing personality much younger than I've read, but then...most of those people were watching kittens with their mamas, and didn't catch the fine nuances that bottle mamas do.

Thank you! I have started doing just that. I have raised MANY small animals and I have a very soft touch. I was just worried that cats may respond differently. Trust me, I go psycho momma when it comes to the kitties. They are my babies and I am protective, lol. Just want them to be happy and well adjusted when they get older.

Their nails are getting caught in everything! Should I trim them? If so, with what kind of clipper? Sorry about all the continual questions guys, just trying to get everything right!

chrikc1 said:

Their nails are getting caught in everything! Should I trim them? If so, with what kind of clipper? Sorry about all the continual questions guys, just trying to get everything right!

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Yes, you can trim them.  For example with such nail trimmer for cats and small animals.

Otherwise, fleece and flannel is better here than many other stuff alike towels.

It's mostly on clothes and the trim of their fleece blankets. Trust me, these babies are so spoiled. They have my plush fleece blankets. I went to the thrift store to find them stuff but they were all too rough for my liking. So they have mine They even have a 6 ft cat tree (that they are WAY too small for) that my mother recently brought over for them accompanied by a big box of toys to add to the ones they already have.

They have an entire room dedicated just to them FULL of kitty stuff. And dont even get me started on my dogs, lol. We spoil our babies at our house!

Those kittens are going to be absolutely rotten, and it's my opinion that that is the way it is supposed to be!  Hekitty has a toy box that most toddlers would be proud to own!

Mamanyt1953 said:

Those kittens are going to be absolutely rotten, and it's my opinion that that is the way it is supposed to be!  Hekitty has a toy box that most toddlers would be proud to own!

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We must be kindred spirits! They have a pretty hefty toy box and my dogs have 3. We have decided to keep them so its okay if they are spoiled. They lucked out to land in our backyard. Our animals are our babies and our whole life, lol. I (and they) wouldnt have it any other way!

Just wait till your two-footed kids are grown and gone!  That's when the four-footed ones really come into their own!  And they are such a safe place to put our love.  They give so much and ask so little!  Come to think of it, I've never had to go out at 3AM to bail out a cat who was joyriding with friends after curfew!  I cannot say that about my sons. although they only made mistakes like that once!

Thats okay. You are supposed to make mistakes as a kid/young adult. Thats how we learn and grow! They are lucky to have a supportive parent!

Kitty Update:

Hey guys! Wanted to give you guys an update on Asia, Prince, and little Olive. We have been busy! We are in our 4th week and are working on litter training and solid foods. All are around a pound and have increasing activity levels! They are growing so quickly! Asia is very confident and loves to explore! She loves toys, showers me with kisses and is a little goofball! Prince is very lovey. He loves to snuggle with me and play with Asia and his toys. He doesn't like being by himself and loves it when my boyfriend holds him and hums . Olive is a little wallflower. She joins in play sometimes but prefers to watch from the sidelines or lay in my lap. She is very sweet and very laid back.

Pictures!

Very sweet looking kittens! [emoji]128149[/emoji]

So precious!  But...but...there are no kitten tails in those pictures!  I need kitten tails...I have withdrawals....

Okay guys, Im hoping you can help me figure something out! I have been trying to figure out which cat in our neighborhood left us kittens so I can try to get her fixed. There are 2 contenders. One is a beautiful medium haired grey tabby and the other is a short haired black and white. The kittens that were left we're grey tabby, grey and white, and two solid greys. Two days after we found them, the black and white was outside our house. I brought one of the kittens out hoping it was the mom and it came up, grabbed it and ran away. It was a week before I saw it again. Yesterday I think it was hit by a car. Anyway, I've read all about tabby being so prominent and also that grey is a dilution of black. Any ideas?

Wouldn't they both need spaying?

Ideally, I think one is the mom and one the dad. The dad could get fixed right away but the mom needs to finish with the one kitten first, yeah? I have an extra bedroom that I feel would be safer for her. I'm hoping she wasn't the one who was hit. I was just wondering if the coloring would make it easier to tell.