Trouble weaning orphan kittens? Advice?

I'm fostering 3 kittensfor a shelter that were -we think -about 2 or 3 days into their 3rd week when we got them (mom hit by car the afternoon I got them). They took to their bottles of KMR really well, litter box great immediately. But now they're Early in their 5th week - and weaning isn't going like the weaning of any Foster litter has gone & I'm not sure if I should do something differently.

They all eat KMR formula like champs. We've cut bottle feedings down to 3 times a day - but it doesn't seem to be encouraging non-bottle eating much (particularly for 2 of them). Their bottles do now include some soft kitten food blended in with KMR....so it's not just straight KMR anymore. We've done the usual "encourage lapping/soft food" tricks (putting it on our fingers to lap off - they will once, then no interest...putting some on tip of spoon -nope---warming up to increase smell-nope....putting them over & over again in from of soft food bowl---now way. The biggest one (boy) will take one lick maybe 2 licks of formula or formula "gruel" in a bowl, or of kitten soft food. He laps water occasionally but does really go after Royal Canin Baby Cat hard food (although I think he pushes a lot more around than he eats -but he does eat it). The smaller boy won't touch -except the very occasional licking off my finger - formula, formula gruel, water, or kitten soft food. He snacks very rarely on Baby Cat hard food. The little girl eats almost identically to the little boy - but she does (like the big boy) really try to chow periodically on Baby Cat Hard food but just not sure how much really gets down versus pushed around.

I'm concerned in that, at some point, bottles need to stop (in 2 weeks we're on vacation for 3 days & really hate to pass the bottle duty off). Any suggestions on getting them to be more interested in something other the bottles? Is it a problem to have them go straight to hard? Any way to push lapping of water? Obviously I worry about dehydration once bottles go away (I'll check them daily),

We do weigh all 3 daily & are gaining weight almost every day.

HELP! At this rate, we'll be fostering 17 week old bottle feeds!

  Can you imagine all that Work @ 17 weeks!! Teeth all coming in OK?

Offering warm fresh boiled chicken shredded

works like a charm they love chicken start growling eat non stop then onto warmed up moist foods just like little vacuum cleaners hope this works for You!

Sorry to hear about their mom, they will have wonderful human bonds.

kittychick

Early in 5th week is the key here. They are not ready. They'll do much better in another week, and will probably be weaned by the time you go away in 2 weeks.

I'm wondering though if 3 bottles a day are enough during the transition. That means they are only eating every 8 hours, which is a long time for 5 week old kittens. I might make that 4 bottles for at least this week.

Since they seem interested in the Royal Canin, why not soak the pieces in KMR to soften them? Lots of kittens love this. Mine did!

Good luck to you. I think they just need another week or so. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Happiness!!! As of 2 days ago everyone's officially weaned!!!! Turned out the little girl (a) was on her own time frame, (b) she'd rather play then eat (wish I had that issue!!!) and (c) she HATES soft food. That last one was a new one for me! So once she really felt comfortable nibbling the hard Baby Cat -I realized she was eating way alone, when she was getting sleepy vs when we first put food down (like the other two chow hounds in the litter). Plus I think she really liked the comfort of the holding & bottle feeding. I have a feeling she'd bottle feed till she was 4 She's gaining weight every day (like her two hungry brothers) so we know she's getting plenty of food on her own time---so all's right in our Foster world!

Wonderful! Who will care for them while you are away?

We actually just got back! And unfortunately Dory's weaning came just days after we got back (but at least it did happen!). But luckily we have two very kind neighbors who have both fostered very small kittens before (and put up with my very detailed instruction-leaving habits) so they were willing to split the bottle feeding of Dory/regular feeding of Dax and Dozer.I had hated to ask - but all were very happy to do it. Just glad we had willing and able neighbors!

Pictures are from right before we left...the white one is Dozer, the tabby in the bags is the reluctant Dory (don't worry - the bags were taken away when I left the room - kittens know just what to get into that they shouldn't don't they?)....and the other adorable tabby is Dax. Dozer is really unusually marked - white with what looks like dirt smudges on his head, and then what I'm guessing must be siamese somewhere in his lineage - his tail started out very light and is now gradually going from dark tabby on the tip to cocoa near the body. So stinking cute!

Only a few weeks and all will be ready to go back to the shelter Hopefully they'll all get homes quickly

 

And @sarthur2  meant to mention - I've used the soaking the Baby Cat in the KMR too - Dory just would have (and still won't) anything to do with anything other than the hard Baby Cat (other than when she was loving the formula). No soft....no softened hard...she was definitely a change for us!

They are all just precious! It's so nice that your neighbors were able to help out. Hopefully they will be adopted quickly when they return to the shelter. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

I hope so - - I worry more for the two "plain brown tabbies" than I do Dozer since at least he looks different. I always worry that they'll sit - but especially when kittens go back during heavy kitten season. So much "competition."

But thanks - fingers crossed - they'll go back around end of June/beginning of July so my anxiety over it should ramp up in a few weeks

I worry too! There are just so many kittens in need of homes. I hate when kittens are in cages - breaks my heart. Consequently, when I took in a pregnant stray last spring I kept her and all four of her children, who are now grown. It's just so hard no matter what. The poor kittens get used to their foster homes ... sigh.

They are so adorable!   I'm glad everything got sorted out. For the benefit of anyone who may stumble upon this thread in a future search, here's a link to our article about the topic - 

 [article="33380"]Weaning How To Get Your Kittens To Eat On Their Own​[/article]  

@Anne  What great info! I've never had trouble weaning - and this wouldn't have been as big an issue if I hadn't worried so much about going away (since it didn't end up really mattering bc of our wonderful neighbors). I should have trusted that 99.9% of the time it ends up working out on its own time. 

Thanks so much to this site and its members once again for calming an overly worried cat lover!

kittychick said:

 
@Anne  What great info! I've never had trouble weaning - and this wouldn't have been as big an issue if I hadn't worried so much about going away (since it didn't end up really mattering bc of our wonderful neighbors). I should have trusted that 99.9% of the time it ends up working out on its own time. 

Thanks so much to this site and its members once again for calming an overly worried cat lover!

Click to expand...

So glad you liked it!