Pregnant Momma Kitty.. some help?

[poohandwendy]

The scale I use is from Wal-Mart and has a large bowl to place upon the scale. I paid less than $20 for it and it works nicely.

Neener, neener...I think I bought the same one from Walmart for $9.99...LOL (jk

)

Seriously, that type of scale is really convenient because the bowl makes it easy to weigh them. Another thing, make sure you set it to zero with the bowl on it...and make sure in between weighing each one that it is at zero before you put a kitten on it...because we are talking very small changes and accuracy makes all the difference.

I agree though, the grey one is very, very, very small and she will need extra care in order to make it. It is really not uncommon for one or two to not make it when there is a large litter. However, she could be a fighter and if you supplement her and make sure she stays consistently warm...she may prove us all wrong. (not trying to sound pessimistic at all, just agreeing that her being small is a disadvantage)

 

[gayef]

Originally Posted by poohandwendy

Neener, neener...I think I bought the same one from Walmart for $9.99...LOL (jk

)

After you posted the neener neener at me *LOL* I had to go back and check my reciept for the scale I bought. I knew it was on the clearance aisle at my local Wally World but I couldn't for the life of me remember what I paid for it ... and, since it had no box, only the bowl and scale itself, they gave it to me for $4.95.

So BOOP! I win! *giggle*

 

[poohandwendy]

Originally Posted by gayef

After you posted the neener neener at me *LOL* I had to go back and check my reciept for the scale I bought. I knew it was on the clearance aisle at my local Wally World but I couldn't for the life of me remember what I paid for it ... and, since it had no box, only the bowl and scale itself, they gave it to me for $4.95.

So BOOP! I win! *giggle*

LOL...ok, you win....

 

[leto86]

I took away the fatter, bigger ones away from momma for about 10 mins, so the three smaller ones could nurse without fighting for awhile.

I have a small 1 mL(I think it is, it's the really small one) syringe.. but I can't get her to take it.. I've bottle fed many kittens before. Though, all of them were 2 and a half weeks and up. I have to pinch her scruff and slowly do it that way.. and she screams the whole time, and makes momma upset. Gruh. Should I go out and buy a bottle?

I will see if I can get the money for a kitchen scale... I don't work right now and am in school full time.. so x__o But I'll figure it out. My grandma said she'd pay me to vacuum her apartment.. so I'll ask her if I can do that tomorrow.

 

[gayef]

A bottle really is best ... be very, very careful with that syringe. At this tender age, it is so easy to squirt in too much. The kitten could get the formula into his lungs and develop aspiration pneumonia. Just be very careful until you get a proper bottle.

 

[leto86]

Ooof... my grandma has a kitchen scale.. but she doens't know I have the kittens.. :X I could maybe borrow it.. but I'd have to lie.

 

[leto86]

Well I bought a bottle today.. tok me forever to get a hole that would work. Hopefully it will work now

 

[babyharley]

Good luck with that little baby grey one!

They all look so precious in that picture of them all!

Keep us updated on how they are doing -

 

[leto86]

I am getting so frustrated! I can't get the bottle to work! I have spent almost an hour to get this to work. I can't even get anything when I suck on it.

 

[gayef]

OK, take a deep breath, get a sharp razor blade or exacto-knife and cut a small X-shaped opening in the top of the rubber nipple. The rubber is thick so make sure you get all the way through. Just keep trying, you will get it.

 

[leto86]

I used a lighter and went over the needle with it. and poked that ina few times. Works better now. But I can't get them to take to it.. all they do is scream for momma. Which is typical.. blind and deaf, I'd scream too if I was lifted into the air and someone kept poking something in my face.

 

[kluchetta]

I was in the same situation with my smallest baby, to an extent. I couldn't get her to take the bottle, I couldn't get the nipple to work, etc. But I did notice that she seemed satisfied every time she ate, and while the larger ones sometimes took her nipple, she did eat, just a little later than the rest. How is she acting after feeding? Sleepy and round-bellied? Or sad, thin, and hungry?

 

[leto86]

she isn't seeming to fatten up.. but she always wants to eat. Can't realy tell on how they feel right now.. just little squealers. either eating or sleeping. x3

 

[kluchetta]

Is she nursing until she falls asleep? Does she cry a lot? It would be good to get Gaye's expertise here, but I believe that if they nurse until they fall asleep they are getting enough food.

 

[gayef]

Look at the skin on her little tummy - is it flat and stretched nicely across her belly or is is wrinkly and loose? If it is wrinkly and loose, she isn't getting enough to eat. She should fall asleep on the nipple and be fat and round after eating, she shouldn't be fussy at all if she is getting enough to eat.

It isn't unusual for a baby to squeal when picked up like that ... just continue getting her used to the feel of your hands and continue trying to bottle her.

 

[leto86]

Yeah.. she nurses until she falls asleep. Or until somoen tries to shove ehr off the nipple.. shen she starts squealing and karate chops the other kitten. For a little girl, she takes pretty good care of herself, I'm just worried.

Her belly skin was wrinky and loose on thursday evening, but it seems to be normal now.

 

[leto86]

Also, I am going to the vets today to pick up a bag of Hills Presciption Diet PD. Thats good for momma to be eating while nursing the babies, right? She's currtenly on Hills original adult formula.

 

[gayef]

The pd formula food is designed for growth and recuperative assistance, so it should be OK. I normally switch my queen to kitten food about two weeks before I breed her and keep her on it until a month or so after the kittens have gone to their new families or until she has regained her pre-breeding weight, whichever comes first. I feed her Nutro canned kitten food mixed with one of the Nutro kitten pouches. (She likes the gravy from the pounch and will slurp up the canned pate-style better if it has the gravy over it) I normally don't allow her a lot of dry food but when she is nursing, she gets a half cup per day down at all times to fill in if she gets hungry. I am currently using and liking the Maxximum Nutrition kitten dry food. For the costs and ingredients, you just can't beat it.

 

[leto86]

Okay.. so I sat watching the kittens nurse for 45 mins before I had to babysit my nephew.. and Yzma ( not Ema

) nursed for at least 50 mins if not more. She seems to be doing well.. But I keep trying to bottle feed anyway.. just incase.

I also give Checkers some KMR twice a day too.. and I will pick up some wet food from the rescue tonight.