Hi, new here and a little overwhelmed

Hi, my name is Emily. I found this site while looking for information on bottle feeding kittens. Over the weekend one of my five kitties started going into labor. After about 8 hours we called the vet because the cat, Murry, seemed to be in a lot of pain and not making progress. the doc said that it was normal for some cats to have long labor and we shouldnt worry. He said sometimes it can go on for a day or two. Finally we couldn't wait any longer wether the doc said it was normal or not and we brought her to the emergancy vet. She had been in labor for 22 hours. The vet there said that her body had givin up on passing the kittens and her vulva had shrunk. She would have to have a c-cection or she would die. She was already going into shock. They said she might not survive the surgery and that most likley none of the kittens where still alive. Well after two hours under the knife murry is fine and we now have six beutiful live kittens. Our problem is now murry will not even look at her babies. She isn't producing milk and will not even sit with them at all. I am hoping that after a few days recovery time she will at least take a little intrest in them but I don't truly belive that she will. Feeding has and caring for them has now become the full time job of my younger sister for the next two weeks until she goes back to college and I start my maternity leave (I happen to be pregnant also and due in about six weeks) I don't know how we are going to keep up with all of them. None of us have ever done this and it is deffinatly a challenge. Plus, after the cost of all the medical treatment those kittens have cost us about 115 dollars each, you can bet we want them to grow up big, strong, and healthy!

Some KMR, more than a few nursing bottles and a lot of time. The babies will need to be nursed about every 2 hours and they will have to be manually stimulated so they will poop and pee. This is done usually in a sink with warm water, a wet paper towel, and you have to gently massage the kitten's rears until they eliminate and deficate. You need a warm place to keep them, don't put them on a human heating pad though, if you can buy a pet pad that would be the best, and if mom is showing no interest in them in the next day,then chances are you are going to have to be the mom. There is so much in raising tiny kittens. It really is hard work and you will need help. Can you call around to some vet offices and find out if anyone is around in your area to help you if the mom continues to reject them? You can email me with any questions, I do rescue and have hand-reared a lot of babies, but to explain this to you in one fell swoop is a bit difficult. Good luck

Hi Emily :rainbow:

I don't really have a lot of advice, Hissy is the one to help you. I raised a 2 week old kitten into the beautiful, healthy six month old lady she is now with Hissy's guidance.

It will be frustrating and tiring at times, but trust me, in the end its all so worth it!

Good luck with your little ones, please keep us updated on how they are doing. You're a kind hearted person to be willing to take on this responsibilty

Welcome and wow you do have a handful!!

If you go to the below website the have everything you need to know about hand raising kittens


http://www.hdw-inc.com/tinykitten.htm


Good luck and we do insist on pictures.....
we love pictures .........

pleanty of XOXOXOXOXOXO to the babies

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I have been extremly busy and this is my first chance to get on the computer in days. I wanted to let everyone know how the kittys have been doing. Over the last week we have lost three of them. We got to the point where we where tube feeding one of them. We have been at the vet every day but one and the docter has been so kind in helping us. Murrys milk did come in after a few days and she began to act like a mama. Unfortunatly the kittens still didn't make it. We are not sure why. The remaining three are fat and healthy. We still watch there wieght gain and check on them a lot. On another note, one of our other cats was injured on friday night. He hurt his back hips when he fell out of a tree. He is on antibiotics and pain med. on sat and sun he wouldnt eat or drink and he couldn't walk but I am happy to say that this morning he walked into the kitchen and got himself some food. He is still real slow but he is looking so much better. It has been a hard week but I think the worst is finally over. Thank you for all the information, support, and kind words you have offered when I posted here. I don't know many people who understand why my cats mean so much to me and why I would do and spend so much to try to help them. I feel that all of you do and it makes me happy to know that there are others out there looking out for our furry friends.

Hi and welcome here, Emily!!!!

I am sosorry to hear about what poor Murry had to go through, but also glad the kittens survived and murry is okay.

Hand raising kittens isn't easy. I haven't had the best of luck with it, but some people do, so just do your best, and let us know how it goes!!

Congratulations on being pregnant...I am too!

Glad to have you here!!