Bottle fed kitten

I am in need of advice, we found Tama at a week old. He's mom left him in our garage. His four weeks old now. He just started going pee on his own, he seems to need help with bowels. I can not get him to seem interested in the litter box. Any tips would be amazing. Also, I've been reading they also have a high chance of developing aggression, if there's things I can to prevent that from happening I'd love to know. I've put a picture of him on here so you guys can see the little stink

What a cutie pie!  Welcome to TCS.

So is your problem getting him to poop int the litter box or just to poop?

If it is the litter box, when he goes outside of it put the poop in the box so he not only sees it there but smells it too.  You need to clean up all traces i.e. smell of poop on the floor or where ever he is going.  You will need to use an enzyme cleaner.  He will keep going in those places if he can smell previous deposits.

If you need him to poop, you can add a couple drops of olive oil to his wet food or you can add a little canned pumpkin (no spices) to his food regularly as a probiotic.  Pumpkin helps with diarrhea and constipation.

Keep using this thread for any other questions you have.  I am sure others will be along with more help as well.

He still needs me to stimulate his bowel movements. He can pee on his own and he pees where ever when he needs to. But when I put him in his litter box, he shows no interest in it, even when I dig around with my fingers to give him an idea. When he had a bowel movement, I put it in his box for him to see that's where he goes potty.

Have you started him on solid food yet?  Usually little box training begins when solids are introduced and that changes the consistency of the poop.  4 weeks is just around when they start going by themselves.  He may need more time for his body to get things moving without help.

T tamashi

He's not ready for the litter box at 4 weeks old, especially if he needs stimulating to poop still. And that's fine.

Try again in a week or two. And don't rush him. Weaning is a process. Is he still on a bottle?

Hand raised orphans sometimes take longer to mature anyway.

He will be a sweet cat, not aggressive, because he is growing up with you from a tiny baby. He'll need neutering at 8-12 weeks old though. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

It's important that you set boundaries for him and never play with him with your hands.  He will be a rambunctious kiten and be a handful at times and you will have the role of mother and siblings.  If he tries to play with a body part, redirect with a toy.  If he is aggressive with his teeth or claws, walk away and give him a short time out. Physical punishment or using a spray bottle is never the right choice, as I'm sure you know.  Make sure to wear him 2-3 times a day with really interactive play.  Once yher's a bit older you might consider adopting a second kitten as a playmate for him as well.  It helps a lot with entertainment and boundaries.

Thank you for all that you are doing!  He is in excellent hands!

We started dry food that I've turned into kitty gruel. He eats it, but not enough. He also has been acting as though he is starving all the time. I have been doing both him eating the gruel on his own and a little in his bottle. He's my first rescue. So some times I feel like I don't know what I am doing. I've been reading forums after forums for help. I just decided today to join one.

T tamashi

Get some Fancy Feast kitten wet food in turkey flavor, or Gerber turkey baby food, and mix it with the KMR to make a mush. Give this to him. It should help.

If he likes it, make it more meat and less milk.

How often are you feeding? Kittens need feeding six to eight times a day and especially before bed.

It's almost impossible to overfeed them because they are growing so quickly, but yours needs wet food and more protein.

Wand toys like da bird are a great choice for giving him a work out when he's a bit older!  They put some distance between your body and the toy and he'll really get into play.

You may also want to get a plush toy about his size, something that he can really wrestle and kick.  It will help him to learn how to play and fight appropriately.  You can use it to gently knock him down and play back, like a sibling would.

I have been feeding him about every four hours. So many forums have said different amount of feedings a day for a four week old so I've just pushed it an hour back from what I was doing when he was a week old. I was feeding him every two to three hrs up until this week. Sites I was reading from was at four weeks he should eat every six hours. I didn't know if could trust it, so I just spaced it out with an hour difference. When he eats, if I were to let him eat till he stops it would be the whole bottle. Is that okay? I will try the baby food. You guys are such a great help, thank you so much! I don't feel as overwhelmed with it all.

He can have the whole bottle! It sounds like he needs it!

I would feed him at least every 4 hours as much as he wants. He'll soon learn to eat kitten chow in between.

Please let me know how it goes with the baby food.

I will. Thank you so much for your help

We just tried it. It was was more successful than crushed dry food. He ate it all.

Excellent! [emoji]128077[/emoji]

Keep feeding it to him. He should begin feeling better soon. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

I'm in need help once more. He's been doing great the last bit since we last spoke. Up until today, his feces is no longer solid. It's about inbetween solid and liquid. Could he be dehydrated? He doesn't take interest in the water I have provided him. Should I give him water in his bottle?

Because he is now eating baby food, his poop will be more solid.

Just give him 1-2 mL's of formula without baby food in it a couple of times a day for extra fluid, but all sounds normal to me! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Phew... Thank you. I try to be as observant as I can with him so I can take action the second I see any change with him.

That's a good thing, because kittens can go downhill in a flash!

The liquid poops haven't subsided. It's starting to worry me. He's acting normal and is very energetic. The only change is he now whines when I clean him up in the bottom area. I thought it was perhaps from the antibiotics he was taking from a gash he had when we found him.so I have been feeding him fat free plain yogurt, since yesterday, to build good bacteria in his tummy. I'm worried because I can't get him to the vet till Friday. I know that them having runny like poops can be dangerous, dehydrating and fatal. I have been giving him extra fluids and checking the pull of his skin. He does not seem dehydrated, it bounces back instantly. Any tips to keep him as healthy as I can till we visit the vet?

If he's still having liquid poop, you need to get antibiotics from the vet before Friday. That's too long to wait. You need to call in.

It also sounds like his bottom is sore from the diarrhea. Put a dab of baby diaper ointment on his bum. A&D ointment is good to use.