3 Week Old Kitten

[catlady76paws]

I got a 3 week old kitten today. She was abandoned by her mother and these people were raising her but they didn't have time anymore.
I have raised lambs, birds but never a kitten. Luckily it seems to come natural and she has had 10 cc, peed, pooped and cuddled. My other cats thinks she something from outer space, their noses digging deep into the little one's fur.

I started this topic just in case I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Sarthur2]

catlady76paws

Welcome!

Just let us know if you need anything!

Thanks for rescuing her!

 

[catlady76paws]

Aw, sweet. I just took her over. Those other people saved her from a crack in a wall, cold and hungry

The people before me fed her 5 times a day, 4 hours in between, starting at 6 a.m. I weighed the little nugget and she weighs in at 391 grams. Should I just keep the schedule the other people had?

 

[catlady76paws]

Oh and I have got her in a box with a heating pad and a plush cat. Is it save to leave the plush in there with her over night or would it better to switch to a fleece blanket or something? She does love cuddling up to it

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, that schedule has apparently been working well because her weight is perfect for 3 weeks old.

Based on her weight, she needs 110mLs per day, divided by number of feeds.

The box setup sounds fine! The heating pad needs to be under a blanket set on low.

 

[catlady76paws]

The pad I have warms up on touch, so it's only warm when she lies on there.
Thanks for the guide line. She only drank 10 cc last time, but she was also very pot-bellied. She responding like she should so I'm gonna keep an eye on her

The box is in a big pet carrier so the other cats can't do anything to her.

 

[Sarthur2]

Things sound good for now! She's a cutie! I love the plush kitty!

 

[catlady76paws]

Ah plush. That was the word I was looking for. My English is near perfect but sometimes something Dutch sneaks in haha

 

[catlady76paws]

She had a good night, hissed at me when I came downstairs and then I greeted her and she was like 'oh, it's you' and started purring. The glasses and wild bed hair must have thrown her off. After breakfast she had a little nap on my chest.
Getting her to pee was a drama, she's so squirmy I can't position her properly. Any tips on how to hold her when stimulating?
She's also just managing 15 cc, so I'm bringing her to every 3 hours. Weighing is this evening 19:45 cet.

 

[Sarthur2]

She will be able to pee on her own soon. Hold her on all fours and just reach under her if you can.

Has she pooped yet?

When feeding, if she turns her head to refuse it she's full. Does she take the bottle well?

 

[catlady76paws]

I found a way that works, she pooped yesterday evening and this afternoon and had a mini poop just now. She takes the bottle but I thought the nipple was a bit too hard. I went out and got a different bottle and nipple. She seemed to take that better.
Do kittens take breaks in between? So they can down the bottle? I'm used to lambs, they just keep going.

 

[Sarthur2]

Kittens can take breaks, yes. In fact they need to swallow and breathe. Smaller nipples are often better.

Good she's pooping well now!

 

[catlady76paws]

Some pics from today. We've been calling her Amara

She's also attacking her surrogate, feisty little thing.
The woman I got her from told me she pooped every other day or so. I was really glad to get some poop out.

 

[catlady76paws]

How much does a kitten sleep of Amara's age? She wakes up about a few minutes before her bottle, then is awake for feeding time and cleaning and a bit of play. Then she goes in her box, plays with her plush for a while and goes to sleep. Then about 3 hours later we start the whole thing again, during the day that is.
Is that about normal?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, that is completely normal for a kitten. Grown cats sleep about 16 hours a day themselves.

 

[catlady76paws]

Yeah I know, sleeping half the day away.

I just want to keep close tabs on the little girl. To be able to act as soon as something seems off

 

[catlady76paws]

Amara is still doing ok. She is eating her surrogate's 'fur' when she playfights with it. She didn't poop until today and it was little package with a long strand of hair.
She's also getting less wobbly on her feet and attacking the cord for the heating pad. If she keeps doing that, the pad will have to go underneath the box.
Monday I'm going to get her a kitten home I found in an ad. Then she has a bit more space to run free without mummy(me) fretting whether she 's not going to get in trouble. Plus she needs more interaction and visuals of my cats.
I'll put some pics up in her other topic

 

[catlady76paws]

Amara was hungry about every 2 hours this afternoon. Also very active, trying to play and getting other cats to play with her. Maybe a growth spurt of some kind?
She's also tucked away under her plush. I had to put the heating pad outside the box as she started playing with the cord. Maybe it's too cold now?

 

[Sarthur2]

It sounds like a growth spurt. You can use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel instead of the heating pad if you'd like.

 

[Oscar&Copper]

I used a hot water bottle when my kitten was a baby. That way if it got too warm for him he could move away (he never did). I re-filled it with hot tap water at every feeding.

Feeding every 2 hours at her age seems like a lot. Every 4 should be good if she's getting enough at each feeding. Did you mention what you're feeding her? I missed that.