Need Advice Feeding 6 Week Kittens

[kashmir64]

I have always fostered for individuals who's queen died for some reason. This is the first time I've done it for a shelter. Usually, the kittens go back to the owner at this age. I have these for another 4-6 weeks. The shelter wants them on dry kitten food only....too bad.

Now my dilemma. I am almost out of KMR and I know they won't give me more.
Should I
1) buy more KMR and keep soaking the dry so they get the nutrients. They are chowing on the dry without it.
2) increase the canned food to more than 1 can a day, and if so how much?

I am adopting 2 of them, so I don't feel too bad for going against the shelter. The tortie has been adopted but I don't know by who. Client confidentiality won't allow me to contact the new owner and find out what they want.
I'm at a conflict as what to do. I don't want to go against shelter wishes, but I want these kittens to have the best start they can have.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Primula]

Give them wet food maybe 3 x a day & leave dry kibble for them 24/7. Also fresh water of course.

Are the ginger ones brothers?

 

[kashmir64]

Sisters actually. All three of them. The gingers are the ones I'm adopting.
That picture was taken last week. (they were 5 weeks old)

 

[Primula]

Sisters actually. All three of them. The gingers are the ones I'm adopting.
That picture was taken last week. (they were 5 weeks old)

Interesting since gingers are usually male. What are their names?

 

[Sarthur2]

kashmir64

They should have access to kitten chow 24/7, and get wet food meals 3-4 times a day at this stage.

I always recommend KMR for 12 weeks if they have no mom. If they had a mom to nurse the earliest they would be separated is 8 weeks, and they would be getting mom's milk until then.

Do what you feel is best.

 

[kashmir64]

The littlest one (walking) is Onsa (long O sound), the one being attacked is Samai.
The tortie I have nicknamed Turbo Terror.

 

[red top rescue]

"Usually, the kittens go back to the owner at this age. I have these for another 4-6 weeks. The shelter wants them on dry kitten food only....too bad."

That is because most shelters only feed dry food, so if your kittens are on all WET food, they would be miserable and probably wouldn't eat. At 6 weeks old, you can offer both wet and dry. Obviously dry food is not something a 6-week-old kitten would be getting in the wild, and not something most of us recommend at least as the ONLY food a cat gets. however, cats can get addicted to just dry food ad then new owners who want them to stay healthy eating wet food have trouble retraining them. Therefore, use BOTH and as any get close to going back to the shelter, you can cut down on the wet just to make sure they will accept the dry. In fact you should probably find out what kind of dry food the shelter is feeding to make the transition easier and start mixing it with the dry you are giving if it is different.

Now my dilemma. I am almost out of KMR and I know they won't give me more.
Should I
1) buy more KMR and keep soaking the dry so they get the nutrients. They are chowing on the dry without it.
2) increase the canned food to more than 1 can a day, and if so how much?

You can actually use goats milk if you still need to soak the dry food some. You can get it in the dairy section of most big supermarkets, and they also have a canned powder version which keeps well refrigerated or frozen, a good thing to have if you plan to foster more in the future. Since you are keeping two of the kittens, it would be fine for them for a long time. I usually give my kittens goat's milk for several months. After all, in the wild the kittens would nurse for several months even while mainly eating solid food. Goat's milk was always a nice bedtime treat for my orphans, and some of the adults like it too. It's fine for cats and does not upset their digestion. Since they are growing, you can also increase the canned food.

Since the calico already has a proposed owner, you can always send a note along with her saying what she has been eating, what she likes, etc. Our local rescue has a complete form to do that and also invites contact from the adoptive home and offers baby pictures etc. if the new parent wants it. They all do get in touch too!

 

[kashmir64]

You can actually use goats milk if you still need to soak the dry food some.

I still have goats milk frozen in freezer. Unfortunately, I can't use it because it was giving them diarrhea.

In fact you should probably find out what kind of dry food the shelter is feeding

The shelter gave me a bag of Meow Mix kitten. I won't feed this. They get Purina One Kitten. They also only had clumping litter, so I supply the litter.
Who knew fostering for a shelter would be this expensive. I don't mind, these kittens need a good start. And they are supplying all shots and spay, so it's working well.

 

[kashmir64]

Thank you all. I may have enough KMR to last until Thurs. when they get their second shots. I'll ask about more then. I will up the canned food. Although, a bit ago when I fed just the KMR in a platter and some canned food in another platter, they wanted nothing to do with it. I do however free feed kitten kibble, so they may not have been hungry. Not too concerned about 1 meal, they all weigh well over 1.5lbs. In fact Samai is 1.83lbs.
So I'll see how it goes with the KMR and up the canned food for now.
Thank you again.

Edit: Just so you don't think ill of me. The reason the others were sent home at this age was because the owners just needed me to bottle feed the babies since they didn't know what to do. They were sent with instructions and anything I still had left. So it's not like I just found them a home and left them to their own defenses at such a young age. They went back to the original owner.

 

[Primula]

At 6 weeks old they should weigh at least 1.5 lbs each so you are doing a great job. Onsa & Sami are lovely kittens. I love gingers.

 

[Rachel Warner]

Keep up the good work sounds like your doing everything you should be doing.. Thanks for being a great mama to theses babies..

 

[kashmir64]

Sarthur2 , can a kitten over exert herself right after eating enough to cause vomiting or diarrhea? Very runny watery diarrhea.

 

[kashmir64]

I may have figured it out. A few days ago I fed Fancy Feast Kitten canned and later that evening I noticed a loose stool. I thought "hmmm". Fed other flavors and it didn't come back. This afternoon I fed FF kitten again. I guess if you can re-create it, then it's a fact and not theory.
She did play really rough and when I picked her up I noticed she was rather warm. She's med hair, so she can get hot fast. (especially in Arizona).
I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she stays hydrated. If she's not any better tomorrow, I'll take her to the shelter for more meds if she needs them.
I think I have a sensitive stomach on my hands. First goats milk, now this.

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, it sounds like a sensitive system. Is it one of your orange kittens?

You'll need to experiment with her and be very careful with what you feed, as you are already figuring out.

I am fostering an adult cat right now who has a sensitive system. She eats Blue Wilderness Sensitive System dry food and has for about 2 years. She still vomits if she gets stressed in the least bit.

 

[kashmir64]

Yes, it's Samai. Late last night I saw a soft stool in the box, and this morning, everything looked fine. For the midnight feeding and this morning, I only let them feed on the kibble. She eats the Purina One Kitten and has no problem. I'm going to have to watch her close. I had a horse and dog like this.
Thank you for replying and confirming what I thought.

 

[kashmir64]

Small update: Took them for their second set of shots today.
Samai gained the least, which was to be expected with the problems she's had. Stopped at the store and bought her some Pure Balance starters. Maybe this won't give her loose stools. She now weighs 1lb12oz.
Sable (Turbo Terror's official name from the new owner) is 1lb13oz
Onsa (the runt) is now 2lb2oz.
Since the shelter person who told me no wet food, was not the manager, I spoke to the manager today.
She said "no KMR, but feed them canned food. Do you need some"? So, I am not going against the shelter's wishes with feeding canned. Makes me feel a little better.

 

[Sarthur2]

This is great news!

Do you think the person who originally said no wet food misunderstood?

 

[kashmir64]

I have no idea. I thought it may be a misunderstanding. But she said "do not give them wet food". Glad I don't listen very well.

 

[Sarthur2]

Lol - it is good!