Help With Nearly Three Week Old Hand Reared Kittens Please

[michellewallis1]

Hello

I am hand rearing six kittens that were born slightly premature and mum cat passed away.
They are three weeks old on Fri and today some have really bad dioreah. I have been looking on internet and says could be due to feeds and realised I have been mixing their replacement milk too weak. Feel awful that I have been so stupid and now made them poorly. I feel so useless at being a foster kitty mom. I have now started mixing correctly so hopefully that will help. My question is as they were premature and still really really small when should I think about weaning them on to solid kitten meat? I've looked but can't see anything definitive on net so thought I'd ask here where you are all so knowledgeable. Thank you for any advice.

 

[Sarthur2]

Kittens wean best around 5-6 weeks old. They are much too young right now.

Which brand formula are you using? How much and how often do you feed?

How much do they weigh?

What color is the diarrhea?

 

[Kieka]

Don't beat yourself up. Did you make a mistake in their formula? Yes. Did you mean to? No. Every mom, step-mom and foster mom across species and around the world has made mistakes. Without you they wouldn't still be alive and regardless of any mistakes that is what matters. You are doing a wonderful thing for them.

When it comes to orphaned kittens I usually look to Kitten Lady for advice, here is her page on Weaning. Her instructions fit with what I normally see which is 5 weeks for weaning. The link I have attached includes some instructions on steps to weaning.

 

[michellewallis1]

Oh thank you so much kieka I will take a look at that. My husband says the same but I feel so guilty it's my fault they are not growing.
I am in the UK and using bephar replacement milk. They have varying amounts sometimes a few sips sometimes around 5ml each? They tend to want food around every two hours sometimes they go a little more through the night but not much. Weight wise they are very small all around the 150 gram mark though two a bit bigger in the 160's. Their poo is yellow. Thank you so much for help x I've attached a pic. Excuse how messy they look I wiped them over with a baby wipe!

 

[Ariel2611]

Awww!
They are so tiny and precious!
You sound like you are trying your best and that is all that matters!
Continue to feed them the kitten replacement every 2-3 hours until they reach 6-7 weeks of age as they are much too young at the moment. Keep them warm and cuddled up.
Weigh them after every feeding using digital kitchen scales and keep track so if they do take a turn for the worst (which hopefully they won't as you are doing a wonderful job!) then at least you know and also help them go to the toilet.
If you need any more information then please do not hesitate to privately contact me by starting a conversation.
keep us updated!
Good Luck!

 

[michellewallis1]

Aww thank you Ariel. I have been feeling so useless I just wish mummy cat was here for them. Daft question but when I am stimulating them to go to the toilet they cry lots is that normal? I am concerned I'm hurting them.
One of the kittens I've named Geoffrey, was abandoned as soon as he was born so he didn't have any mommy milk. He went cold and lethargic n wouldn't wake so I put him in my top and carried him in there all day till he was warmed up and awake to take few sips of the replacement. The others had mum for about a week and a half.
Do u think the poop runs are due to me mixing formula wrong and will clear up now? Feel so bad about it. The vets I've spoken to are not much use, just say it's hard to hand rear 6 kittens let alone premature ones and all can do is continue to feed.

 

[Willowy]

Here's the kittenlady page on diarrhea: Diarrhea

They may need to be de-wormed. Look over the entire kittenlady site; it's very helpful.

 

[Sarthur2]

They are severely underweight for 3 week old kittens. They should weigh double what they currently weigh, and clearly have not been getting adequate nutrition due to the formula being mixed incorrectly.

They each need at least 4mLs apiece every 2 hours around the clock for a total of 48mLs each 24 hours.

The formula should be mixed at a 2:1 ratio - 2 parts water and one part formula. Is this what you are doing now?

Stimulate very gently to pee and poop with a warm, damp cloth. Do not stimulate for more than a few seconds.

They are crying out when you stimulate because their bums are sore. Please apply diaper cream.

Do this before and after each feeding, but realize they may not need to go every time.

The diarrhea is probably from parasites. Insist that a vet give you a round of Albon for them. How long have they had diarrhea?

You can also mix their formula with one part water and one part unflavored electrolyte solution instead of two parts water. This will help with dehydration.

I hope they begin putting on weight soon or they may not make it.

Was their mom the same cat who was pregnant in April?

 

[StefanZ]

The mixing too weak doesnt cause diarrhea by itself. Give them pedialyte against diarrhea - ie glucose salt solution. Ca
N you by any chance get raw goats milk?

 

[Ariel2611]

Hi there,
Your very welcome
Everyone who has replied is right... maybe change the vet and i am concerned about their weight. They should be weighing double what they weigh. I would feed them every two hours, make them go toilet, weigh them and repeat!
Please feel free to start a conversation with me!
You are doing everything you can - don't worry as this will only make things worse.
Watch "Kitten lady" and "MaxluvsMaya" on YouTube. Both have hand-reared orphaned kittens and post videos of it!
Good Luck!

 

[StefanZ]

I want to repeat - as long as they have diarrhea, give them pedialyte. Diarrhea causes they lose lotsa of salts.
Main ingredients is glucose sugar / dextrose and salts. so if homemade you will probably use honey and minerale salts.
Or bought clear flavorless pedialyte for human babies.

Raw goats milk is good if you can find it. Helps also in some sensitive tummy cases, even inflammations.

As others said: more feeding and more often. Of course your mixing out too much contributed to them getting too little, but its not the only cause...

Beaphar kmr you use is OK. Although raw goats milk is better.

 

[Sarthur2]

How are the kittens doing today?

 

[michellewallis1]

Hi all. I made an appointment with another bet today but sadly two passed on the way. i cried my eyes out in the vet. He has given me more electrolytes to feed them and something called promax which is a nutrient paste to put a small blob in their mouth morning and night. He said that they were premature so it's easy to catch stuff. He said there is nothing more I can do than what I am doing but he did suggest starting to wean them onto wet food as well to supplement the milk. This concerns me a little as they so small and weak but I guess he knows best. He said that it is near impossible to keep all 6 kittens going and that if two more of the remaining four die then the chances of two surviving are better. I dont see how though ,I am giving them my all honest. I'm not sleeping and dedicating my time to them much to my children's annoyance when I can't do stuff with them.
No this isn't her sarthur this cat is one we took in as I'm a soft touch and didn't want to leave her on her own such a beautiful loving cat.

 

[michellewallis1]

I forgot to ask him do I give the electrolytes instead or the milk or as well as??

 

[Willowy]

They definitely need the milk most of all. You can add the electrolyte mixture to their milk (or use it instead of water) or give it separately, whatever works best.

If you're having a hard time getting enough milk into them, it might be OK to start introducing solids, but if you can just bump up their milk intake that would be better, until they're 4 1/2 - 5 weeks old. I had a litter of mother-raised kittens who started eatingnher kibble at 3 1/2 weeks, so some are ready sooner than others, but you don't want to rush things.

If/when you want to start introducing solids, start very slowly, add just a bit of chicken baby food to their formula, then very slowly increase the amount. Their digestive system needs to learn how to adjust to meat instead of milk, and they need to get used to the taste.

 

[michellewallis1]

Thanks willow I didn't think of using that to make the milk! I am struggling as they need the electrolytes every half hour and then trying feed them between that means they constantly drinking and it getting harder to get them have it. Also one has got worse dioreah since starting the electrolytes :/ prob just coincidence. He didn't seem too hopeful for my babies to be honest which made me sad. Be said there isn't a lot that vetinary care can do for them and it just up to me.

 

[Willowy]

It's true; with small kittens there isn't much that medical care can do. It's mostly about their daily care. Keep trying, hang in there!

 

[Sarthur2]

M michellewallis1

Please re-read my Post #8. I suggested mixing the electrolyte solution into their formula.

I also told you they were starved of nutrition and how much and how often to feed.

I also told you to ask a vet for Albon for the diarrhea. It needs treating.

And diaper cream will heal sore bums.

Many vets do not know much about raising small kittens. It sounds like yours does not. I suggest seeing another vet if your vet refuses to give you Albon. Vets do not always know best!

I do not suggest wet food if they are barely even taking their milk. They are the size of one week old kittens! They will likely choke to death!

I would not feed them electrolytes in between their 2-hour feedings.

They need to be hungry enough to eat the amount of formula they should be getting. They need the nutrition.

The electrolyte feedings fill them up with fluids but do not offer nutrition. That's why mixing it with the powder is best. They get nutrition plus electrolytes.

Sadly, they've been starving for a long time now and are weak.

 

[michellewallis1]

I asked for something for dioreah and he said the electrolytes and the promax I said he gave me which helps with gut flora. This is the second vet I've seen at a different practice. I am trying to feed them the milk as suggested but I'm doing little and often as I do not want to force them to much and choke them as they gurgle. Their bums have been treated, I have not said I haven't. Ad for wet food I did think they were too little as I said which is why I mentioned to find others opinions, I assumed the vet would know best as he is the most respected in our area and has been the owner of the family practice for many years. I called the vet and he said to do separate?! I'm sorry I've asked for help I'm clearly not doing enough no matter what I do. I really am doing what I can. I asked about goat milk and it a no no here in UK. We don't have raw milk and both vets said would upset their tummy more. I shouldn't have come here, I'm not as good as all of you. I'm sorry

 

[Sarthur2]

Everyone is trying to help you to save the kittens. That's what this forum is for.

My point was that some forum members actually have more experience with hand-rearing kittens than the vets do. This has been discovered through experience and trial and error.

There is nothing to be sorry for. You are doing your best.