new kitten questions

hi. we had kittens 1 week ago, they seem to be doing ok but i cant be sure, as mom is VERY protective and doesn't let me see them too much.

what should the kittens weigh at a week? I realize this is the best indicator of if the kitten is getting enough food from mom, but I'm not sure what the weight should be. They are growing fast, one is a bit smaller than the other but growing at the same rate.

Do they use their back legs much at 1 week? My kittens seem to kindof drag their back legs rather than walk with them. When I pick them up they can put pressure with the back legs on my hand, and they definately can move them, but on their own they don't seem to.

Do they poop much and is it like normal cat poop only littler? I haven't seen much in the way of poop, but it might be from mom cleaning them. As I said she doesn't let me get by them, and they are in a dog carrier so it's kindof dark in there to see so I might have just missed it.

Anything else I should be watching out for? For the most part they just hang out right next to mom all day, so it LOOKS like all is well, but I can't be positive.

Thank you!
tricia.

I do know at 1 week mommy stimulates them to poop and well she cleans it all... I am not sure on the weight. You will however need a food scale to keep an eye on them. I think if they are active and look plump then so far things are good. They made it to 1 week you are doing Good job

I know that some here weigh the kittens regularly, but in my experiences, I never found that needed to be an issue. If they are not constantly crying for food, and if you see Mom is taking care of them and feeding them, and they are growing, I wouldn't worry about it.

Kittens are born different sizes and grow at different rates. There isn't one specific weight; if they they are constantly growing, that's what matters.

You will probably not see much at all in the way of pee or poop. Mom is stimulating them to go by licking them, and she cleans it by swallowing it (gross, I know, but it's a cat thing and to them it's not gross LOL). Shows she's being a good, attentive mother. Deja Vu was a really good mom, and I never saw a bit of it. They went right from that to the litter box.

It takes them a few weeks to get steady on their back legs. They will drag them for a while, and then for a while, while trying to learn to stand, will be wobbling and falling all over the place. You'll see them learning, and improving, little by little. If memory serves me correctly, they were close to 4 weeks before I really thought they were steady on their feet.

Their eyes usually open around 10-14 days.


It's normal for them to hang with Mom. And they should until their eyes open, when they begin to get more curious, and Mom will take more breaks. Most cats are very protective of their kittens, and it is my belief that they should not be taken or handled much away from their Mom until at least their eyes open. If Mom is uncomfortable about that, respect it. After all, they are her kittens.

Deja Vu was very generous with her kittens, but I still would not handle them much. The only time I took them out was once a day to change the layer of paper towels, and then I waited for Mom to go eat or use the litterbox, just put them on a towel right outside their box, changed the towels, and put them right back in.

Not that I didn't enjoy them. I would lay there with them and talk to them all the time. I would use one finger to gently pet their little heads or bellies or sides. Since there were two that sometimes had trouble getting to their nipple (there were 5 of them) I'd sometimes use my finger to gently guide the side of their head over to where their usual nipple was. Once they felt it, they grabbed on and were home!

Once the open their eyes, you'll find Mom is leaving them alone more and will most likely be much more willing to let you play with them, take them out, have all kinds of fun with them. Also regarding pictures, I only took them while they were in the box, and usually while nursing, and when there was enough natural light. While their eyes are still closed they are still developing, and the harsh light can hurt their little eyes through the membranes. Again, once their eyes open, that's when you can really begin to enjoy them. And when they will become more friendly and curious, playful and mischievious.

Watch the Mom for signs. Soon she'll start spending more and more time out of the box, and that's when you know its a good time to begin making friends.

If you're conerned that not handling them that much or picking them up at the beginning will keep them from bonding with people, for the record, I've been through this twice, once with 6 kittens, this last time with 5. Both times I've gotten feedback from the homes they went to, and compliments from the rescue group regarding not only the health, but the friendliness, temperament and how good they were with people.

I spoke to someone just about 3 weeks ago from the rescue about Deja Vu's kittens. She told me that the minute anyone walked by, all 4 of them were jumping up and down and meowing for attention as if to say, "pick me ujp, pic me up, me me me me me." All were almost immediatley adopted. One even by a vet's daughter, who could pretty much have their pick of the best kittens from a lot of places. One from the 1st litter I cared for the vet's assistant at the time took one the minute she saw them, and one went to a severely depressed woman who had suffered many losses. I got a call from the daughter of the woman who told me the kitten was so attentive and loving to her mother, that she had done a 100% turnaround and they were considering taking her off meds.

So, for what it's worth, I must be doing something right.

In fact, I honestly think that by handling them and taking them away too early, they get more nervous. By waiting (and as I said, I did spend time talking to them from day 1, petting them, watching over them, helping if needed) they were more secure and less afraid, at least that's my opinion.

I'm sure you'll hear others, we are all different. But I wish you luck, and hope they are all happy, healthy, and wherever they go, always loved and wanted.

Originally Posted by s0nya

hi. we had kittens 1 week ago, they seem to be doing ok but i cant be sure, as mom is VERY protective and doesn't let me see them too much.

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Hi Sonya! Where did your Momma-girl have her babies? If there is a comfortable place for you to go in and just sit, read aloud in a calm, soothing voice, and get let her get adjusted to your peaceful presence, she may ramp down a little.

what should the kittens weigh at a week? I realize this is the best indicator of if the kitten is getting enough food from mom, but I'm not sure what the weight should be. They are growing fast, one is a bit smaller than the other but growing at the same rate.

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At age 1 week weight should be somewhere in the neighborhood of around 4 ounces, however kittens are very much individuals, some may be smaller, some may be larger. If you see a kitten who is much smaller than the rest and is not getting into position to nurse, you will need to intervene with bottle feeding.

Do they use their back legs much at 1 week? My kittens seem to kindof drag their back legs rather than walk with them. When I pick them up they can put pressure with the back legs on my hand, and they definately can move them, but on their own they don't seem to.

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At one week, kittens are able to "commando crawl" around on their bellies, propelling themselves forward by using their front legs to "steer" and their back legs to push.

Do they poop much and is it like normal cat poop only littler? I haven't seen much in the way of poop, but it might be from mom cleaning them. As I said she doesn't let me get by them, and they are in a dog carrier so it's kindof dark in there to see so I might have just missed it.

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Kitten poop at this age is usually very quickly and very thoroughly disposed of by the Momma-cat. It is usually not formed like adult cat poop. You might see a little bit as time progresses, but usually, until they begin eating solid foods on their own, Momma normally takes good care of "butt duty".

Anything else I should be watching out for? For the most part they just hang out right next to mom all day, so it LOOKS like all is well, but I can't be positive.

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Sounds like everything is going along as it should.

Continued best of luck!

~gf~

Originally Posted by Charmed654321

I know that some here weigh the kittens regularly, but in my experiences, I never found that needed to be an issue. If they are not constantly crying for food, and if you see Mom is taking care of them and feeding them, and they are growing, I wouldn't worry about it.

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Weighing kittens from birth is recommended simply because most people cannot tell if a kitten isn't thriving simply by looking at it. Sure, in more advanced cases of distress, you can plainly see a kitten is in trouble, but to catch it early enough to be able to try and do something about it, knowing each day whether or not the kittens are making progress is extremely important information.

If weighing is not an option (due to a feral or unfriendly Momma), then looking at the skin on the kitten's belly is another good way to tell - if the skin is stretched tightly across a fat, round little belly, then that is good. If the skin is saggy, wrinkled or loose, that is not good. Weighing is the best way to tell though ... by the time the skin on the belly gets loose, saggy and wrinkly, it may be too late to reverse the situation.

... Most cats are very protective of their kittens, and it is my belief that they should not be taken or handled much away from their Mom until at least their eyes open. If Mom is uncomfortable about that, respect it. After all, they are her kittens.

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If you have an unfriendly or frightened Momma cat, then yes, by all means, use a lot of caution when handling her babies. Let Momma's behavior be your guide but don't let her intimidate you to the point where you are afraid of her. You MUST be able to handle the kittens in the event you need to and you will have to reach some sort of understanding with Momma in order to do it. If you have to, then wait until Momma leaves the nest to use her litter or to eat and confine yourself in the room with the kittens to do what you need to do with them before letting her back into the room. She will meow, she will howl, she will claw at the door, but again, you have to be firm about it because there may come a problem which needs your intervention. If you are afraid to put your hand near the kittens, then that is not good for them, nor is it at all in their best interest.

I strongly encourage handling the kittens as much as possible from day one. It doesn't have to be much, but minimum should be to weigh each kitten, examine the umbilical stump for problems, look for signs of discharge from the eyes, nose and ears, check the genitals for abnormalities and kiss little bellies. I also suggest placing them on your chest for a short time, close to your heart so they can "feel" the beats and get comfortably familiar with your scent.

Also regarding pictures, I only took them while they were in the box, and usually while nursing, and when there was enough natural light. While their eyes are still closed they are still developing, and the harsh light can hurt their little eyes through the membranes.

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You can successfully use a flash if you take certain precautions - if your camera has a built-in flash, cut a few thicknesses of tissue paper and tape it over the flash unit. This will diffuse the flash enough not to cause damage. As an added benefit, it eliminates red-eye.

In fact, I honestly think that by handling them and taking them away too early, they get more nervous. By waiting (and as I said, I did spend time talking to them from day 1, petting them, watching over them, helping if needed) they were more secure and less afraid, at least that's my opinion.

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Handling is a large part of what they will experience all of their lives to come. They will be handled by the vet, vet staff, family members, care-takers and others. It seems only right to allow them to feel comfortable when they are handled.

But again, different people have different experiences. I touch and handle my kittens from the moment they are born. I hold them close to my heart, I blow very gently on them, I talk to them, I pet and cuddle them ... and I don't have frightened, skittish kittens. They are allowed to have free roam of my bedroom (after the age of about 4 weeks old) and will normally climb up the blankets to sleep with me after they have nursed. They trust people, they are curious and friendly towards everyone, they do not run away or hide at all, they will climb up on your lap if you let them (which, of course, we always do), they will engage you in play by bringing you a favorite toy, they will hold epic conversations with you. My husband interacts with them very frequently, plays with them, gives them treats and allows them to explore and trust him. I bring over young nieces and nephews to acclimate them to youngsters, my best friend brings her cat-friendly dog over to visit. I even had one little blue point boy baby who would ride around on the canister part of my vacuum cleaner, screaming in delight the entire time as I pulled it around cleaning my floors!

Along with getting them comfortable with being handled, also getting them used to the normal, everyday traffic of your home, noises, people, other pets and children is what makes a well-adjusted, friendly cat. It is a balance of those two things that allow a cat to be confident, trusting and unafraid.