HELP! First time kitten mom

[catmommy22322]

Oh yes I know they are! I unfortunately was stuck at the vet for a very long time and no one could help me with feeding while I was gone. I came home and immediately have started stringing 1.5 mL in each then when I finish I go around again. Burp after each once and the right position. One drop at a time. Luckily have been helping supplement for a while so got it down.

 

[Sarthur2]

You still need to syringe feed them absolutely. This is not going to be enough!

catmommy22322

 

[catmommy22322]

Of course they want to make it as difficult as possible wiggling like crazy. Making me scared half to death. Grr

 

[Sarthur2]

Can you try a bottle? They might be willing to take it once they figure out it's milk. When mom's around they usually won't take it, but just maybe and things would get easier.

Hopefully once their appetite is sated they will be calmer about feeding on the next go.

 

[catwoman707]

Well, first off yes, that the milk goes all up in their noses when diving full face into a dish is the norm. When weaning, this is why we make a mush up for them to help prevent their full faced dive and up their noses.

Aww they were super hungry!

I'll tell you, if you will need to be feeding them solely, while I hate to say this and sure you won't like it either, but I highly suggest pulling them completely from mom so that you will be able to get them on a bottle.

If they nurse from mom, and as long as they can get to her they will, then they will continue to refuse a bottle. 

So if mom is not able to nurse anymore, you might need to fully separate them from her, which is sad, I know.

Sad or not, at this point you have to decide to do what is best for them, and it's not forever either, just about 2 weeks or so, until mom dries up.

You can continue to syringe, but one it's more work and time for you, and two, they don't get their sucking out of their system and will end up turning towards sucking on each other, which is common, for early weaned/orphaned babies.

 

[catmommy22322]

These kitties just will not freaking work with me. I burrito them and they thrash back and forth, hold them to the floor they pull their head back making them more at risk of aspiration. I have tried to bottle and I know they want to suck because they suck my fingers, legs, all of it but not the bottles. I'm nervous to force feed. these babies are starving and I wish there was some way to get them to learn they can suck the bottle but I guess the milk isn't as tasty as mom

 

[Sarthur2]

catmommy22322

Oh boy, you have got your hands full!

Can you try mush? Mix formula with a pate type cat food and see if by chance they might slurp on it from a paper plate? It has to be very slushie though.

 

[Sarthur2]

Or formula with Gerber rice cereal mixed in to make mush.

Keep working the bottle too. What size is the hole in the nipple? Dip the nipple in honey to see if they will suck that and hang on for the milk.

They adamantly want their mama right now. Hopefully they will settle for the bottle soon.

 

[catwoman707]

If they are completely taken from mom and have nothing to remind them of nursing on her, they will take the bottle, but it will not be until about the 4th try. Supplementing is all you can do until then, but each time you feed, start with offering the bottle first of course.

It's not the taste, it's the nipple.

I have no idea why someone doesn't come up with a better, more natural type.....

Also their positioning, I would put a towel on your lap or table, table is my preference, on tummies, left hand tips the head up, right hand works the syringe.

Yeah, it's a real pain at first, they resist like no tomorrow, I know how frustrating this is!!

 

[catmommy22322]

Hallelujah! I got one who has finally learned how to suckle the nipple. I attached the nipple to the syringe since I'm already pretty much trying to get the syringe in there, I thought to myself might as well attach the nipple head so when I feed them they will get used to the nipple that is giving it milk. And it finally worked! Multi started suckling away at the thing. Now just got to get everyone on the same page. Hoping everyone will take the bottle by morning. Going to be a very long night

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes! One down, seven to go. Nipple on the syringe is a good idea. We've had other members do that with success too.

Sending prayers your way. I'll be thinking about you as you feed through the night. Wishing you all the best. If you catch a break, give us an update on Duchess. Wishing her well too.

 

[handsome kitty]

Yay!  Only took four hours.  Hang in there.

 

[jeapa507]

Sending you strength. I pray Duchess is resting and healing from her sickness and is going to be fine. 

 

[catmommy22322]

Hello all. After a very very long sleepless night, all kittens have finally stopped fighting the nipple. Everyone chews/tries to suck on it, so right now everyone is doing the syringe with nipple head. 2 of my babies got the suckling down good! Next feeding I'm going to try the bottle and see if they can take it.
But at the moment I am proud of just getting everyone to feed. I am not going to lie, syringe feeding 8 babies and making sure they are burped and their hineys are cleaned is exhausting. I always hit that point where I just want to bring Dutchess back in so I only need to supplement less but then I snap out of it, realizing this is the best route.

So I finally have time to do the whole story about Dutchess...
we arrived at the vet around 2 and they took her temp and weighed her. She had a very high fever and was very dehydrated. They did blood work, fecal test, as well as Feline leukemia/FIV test. blood work came back saying she has an infection and after the vet looked at her nipples, she has early mastitis on one nipple. Dutchess got a penicillin injection as well as a fluid drip while at the vet and then we were sent home with Clavamox to give her every 12 hours. Gave her her first 1 ml last night and she just slept all evening/night and her meow was just awful. Dutchess did NOT sound like my baby. Then this morning I open the door and there she was, resting and waiting for me. She ate her first can of cat food and went pee in her litter box.
Dutchess defiantly wants to go back to her kitties but her nipple is just awful and I have come to realize after nursing the kittens, their teeth are SHARP. They hurt me when the syringe accidentally slips and they grab my finger instead. I think that's why her nipple became so infected (it was the favorite nipple and 2 always fought over it in each group).
The vet did say she could nurse after 48 hours if the other nipples look good (they are all pink and soft) but I don't want to get them used to the syringe, back to mama, then if she gets sick back to the syringe again.
I want to do whats best for the kitties and Dutchess, and it's hard to know what is the right decision.
On a good note, Mama is negative for Feline Leukemia/FIV which means the babies are too! Hallelujah.
I am so happy Dutchess is feeling better and that she is going to be okay. I was in tears all the way to the vet praying she was going to be okay and she is now. Even though everything cost me all that had, Dutchess went from lethargic and dehydrated to moving around and eating. Thank goodness for vets!

A question about the feeding. How much should each kitten get and how often should they be fed? They are 3 weeks 2 days old.

THANK YOU to all who have sent prayers and have helped me along this journey. I seriously could not have made it this far without all of you and I am now going to need this site and prayers more than ever. I am so happy I found this site and all of you wondeful people :grphug2:

 

[ellieandwinnie]

Prayers being sent for Dutchess to have a speedy recovery! You are such a great kitty grandma!

 

[Sarthur2]

catmommy22322

Can you give us weights so we can advise how much to feed?

The rule of thumb is 8 mL per ounce of body weight during each 24-hour period divided by the number of feedings. So if a baby weighs 12 ounces for instance, the total amount would be 96mL. If fed every 3 hours the kitten should get 12 mL each feeding.

If you post weights I'll tell you how much to feed each one.

So glad to hear that Duchess is on the mend. She must have felt awful from the fever and infection. It sounds like she will be able to return to her babies soon, and she may insist. The mastitis nipple needs to get well first.

You are really a hero here with your non-stop efforts to keep these babies going on your own while Duchess gets well. You deserve a platinum medal.

You are also within days of being able to transition these babies to mush. They will still need to nurse, but life will get a great deal easier. Are their baby teeth in fully yet?

 

[catmommy22322]

Here are the weights of everyone

Stich: 12.2 ounces
Multi: 10.3 ounces
Batman: 10.7 ounces
Little gray: 10.3 ounces
Lilo: 10.6 ounces
Pink Nose: 11.3 ounces
Gray Nose: 9.4 ounces
Gray Dot: 10.0 ounces

I know this sounds silly but how do you know if their teeth have fully came in? They are very sharp and I can see them.

 

[Sarthur2]

catmommy22322

Their teeth are in! Yay! When they are sharp and you can see them - no longer nubs!

Do you have kitten chow? Please pour formula over it to completely cover it in a low dish. Let it sit for about an hour until it's nice and soggy. Put it on the floor and see if it interests any of the kittens! Let me know who eats it and how much. I think you may be surprised.

In the meantime, I will figure your feeding amounts for you (rounding up), and return momentarily!

 

[Sarthur2]

catmommy22322

This is every 4 hours with amounts rounded up. Totals are in parentheses.

Stitch = 17 mL (104)
Multi, Batman, Little Grey, and Lilo = 15 mL (88)
Pink Nose = 16 mL (96)
Grey Nose and Grey Dot = 14 mL (84)

Your goal is for all of the kittens to weigh as close to 16 ounces (1 pound) at four weeks old as possible.

I would be more comfortable if they were all closer to 12 ounces, and most are on the light side. But considering the circumstances they are doing well.

I think early weaning for those who will take to it is in order. Mom isn't well and they need to gain, so you may as well start trying solids.

Pay special attention to Grey Nose.

 

[catwoman707]

Poor momma cat!! She's really been through the wringer with all of these babies, she will be ready for her spay soon and that will be that!!

Meanwhile, depending on how often you feed them, just know that as @sarthur2  said, they need approx. 8 mls per ounce of body weight, per day.

For example a kitten who weighs 10 ounces needs 80 mls a day. If you feed them not going by when you finished feeding the last kitten but by the hour on the clock, at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm, etc then you know they are eating every four hours, and feed them in the same order each time.

This way if it takes you an hour to feed all 8, when it comes time to feed again the first fed will be due again since it is 4 hours since he ate the last feeding, as he was first. Hope you see what I mean.

This way you can figure how much each needs per feeding.

Make up a batch of formula in an empty gatorade or water bottle, store it in the fridge and pour out the amt needed for each feeding session and warm up.

Use a bowl of hot water under it to keep the dish or cup of warmed milk warm so the later kids fed don't get cooled down milk.

If I were you I would go and buy a bag of Royal Canin babycat, it will say mother and babycat on the bag. This is the best way to go when weaning kittens soon, as it is tiny bits they are able to crunch.

Also very good for them!