5 or 6 week old fosters - should I bottle feed them?

Hello! I'm new and I have a question.

I'm fostering a litter of kittens for my local shelter. This is my first time having kittens younger than 4 months, and I'm not sure what to do. They're so cute, but so little. They're all chowing down on solid kitten food, and only three will eat canned kitten food.

My problem is with the two smallest kittens:

The only female is crying almost non-stop, and I think it's because she's hungry for mom's milk. She won't eat canned, but is eating dry and is drinking water. She's inconsolable. She doesn't want held, she doesn't want put down, she doesn't want to play, she doesn't want to sleep. We're at a loss at how to make her comfortable.

Also, one of the males has decided my and my mother's head is it's new mommy, and keeps trying to nurse off our scalps. The moment we step into the room he tries to climb our legs. If we sit down to visit with everyone, we can't get him to stop trying to jump to our shoulders. He refuses to be held - he goes nuts trying to get to the back our heads. And everytime he makes it up there, he starts suckling against our heads. We're getting fed up with it. We don't want to encorage the behaviour, and don't know how to get him to stop.

The other three kittens are great. One will play with anything, one will attack anything, and the other perches on our shoulders like a parrot and rubs our ears. All are healthy and energenic, though they are infested with tapeworms. (They will be given Drontal as soon as they are large enough.)

Would it be a bad idea to start nursing them on a bottle again? Since they are already eating dry food with no problems, I don't know if this will only make their behavioural problems worse. I have a one and a half year old who will occasionally knead and suckle blankets, and it's not a habit that I'm fond of. If I can do something for these kittens now so that they won't have to go through life with the need to suck on things, I'd give anything. I was planning on going to the store tomorrow to get kitten formula and bottles, but once I stopped to think about it, I wasn't sure if it was the best idea.

I've checked every website I can find, and I can't find any mention on wether it's a bad idea to put them back on a bottle after they've been weaned, though these 5 have been weaned way too early. Any suggestions or experiances would be welcomed!

Also, one of the males has decided my and my mother's head is it's new mommy, and keeps trying to nurse off our scalps. The moment we step into the room he tries to climb our legs. If we sit down to visit with everyone, we can't get him to stop trying to jump to our shoulders. He refuses to be held - he goes nuts trying to get to the back our heads. And everytime he makes it up there, he starts suckling against our heads. We're getting fed up with it. We don't want to encorage the behaviour, and don't know how to get him to stop.

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I would get him a snuggle kitten:

http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/snu06

Definately a good idea to discourage the suckling behavior from you. Here is some other good information:

http://www.kitten-rescue.com/kitten_suckling.html

Katie

I agree that a snugglepet or some sort of stuffed animal may help the one that thinks your head is it's mom.

I'm not sure about bottle feeding, but when I get them at that age sometimes I make up a little bowl of kitten formula, or I mix it in with the dry or wet food. The formula is full of all sorts of good nutrients for them, so even if they are already eating wet food it won't hurt to get some formula too.

I realize you are frustrated and I do share your concerns, but honestly, I had a good hard laugh at the kitten who thinks your mom's head is his new momma. Sorry, but it is just so like a little boy kitten to do this and it made me laugh.

But in all seriousness, you might try the bottle with the two who seem to need it right now. The Snuggle Kitty or a larger stuffed animal is an excellent idea! Good going, guys who suggested it!!! Redirect this little boy's attention to the "surrogate" (stuffed animal or Snuggle Kitty) when he goes for your Mom's head (sorry can't help it, this just tickles my funny bone).

As for the little girl, you mentioned they have tapeworms. If I have my information correct, these worms allow the host to feel constantly hungry. It may just be that the little girl is feeling hungry even though her stomach is full (you did mention she is eating dry food on her own - is she getting enough? How much is she eating?).

~gf~

There are actually a few stuffed animals already in the room in comfy spots. All five kittens like to sleep together, though, on a huge fake-lambskin dog pillow. (I don't have a dog, but since there's no furniture or a bed in the room, I wanted them to have something soft to lay on that was big enough for all of them.) He doesn't want a stuffed animal, he won't play with toys or string, he won't eat with his brothers and sis. He won't even eat canned food if we stay in the room. He's climbed up my bare leg to get to the back of my head once, and since then I'm constantly dancing so he won't get a second chance. (Hence the name liddle_spiders. All five are pitch black.) It's like he's fixated on nursing in that one spot. Once we leave, he eats and plays and sleeps, but the second he sees us, it's like someone rang the dinner bell!

The female was finishing her bowl off while still at the shelter. (Which is why they let me take her home, even though she was half a pound too light to be accepted into the foster program.) And now, when go in to check on them every few hours, and she's usually eating when we open the door. She's also pooping up a storm. (They wait until I clean the box, then use it two at a time.)

The tapeworm situtation is something new to me. It's definately tape worms, and all five are loaded with them. The vet tried giving just a quarter of a pill of Cestex to the one boy that seems to be the most lethargic, but it seems like it isn't enough medication to rid the worms, and it's not safe to try a bigger dose until they get larger. According to the vet, it shouldn't be doing them much harm. But I counted 9 segments in one bowl movement. That's got to be having some sort of detrimental effects. I'm going to try and talk them into giving the kittens Cestex when I take them in for boosters. They should be two pounds by then, and it should be safe enough for a normal dose.

One of the ladies at the shelter mentioned trying something called NutroCal, or something close to that. I'll have to ask the vets there this weekend if I can get a tube.

Thank you for all the ideas and advice! I'm going to try bottle feeding the two that are having problems. Maybe even if it's just once or twice a day it'll make them feel more comfortable about being away from their mom. (I really hate people who leave just kittens. If mom isn't fixed, she should be left, too.)

Well, they won't take a bottle. And the pacifier with hunny water didn't work for the little boy.

However, once I put a bowl of formula on the floor, they ate like they hadn't had eaten in months, and promptly fell asleep - Even the little girl! It seemed like they were getting enough to eat, but I guess they weren't.