Question about feral cats abandoning their kittens..

[commanderscott]

He's a freaking chubster. And it's not just his belly. He's got a fat face too.

When should I start weaning them? They're both biting very deliberately on the bottle and are interested in trying to lap it up. I've read between three and four weeks is good for bottle raised kittens but I figured you lot would have more experience that I can trust.

 

[Sarthur2]

You can try wet food mixed with KMR anytime now. Put some on your finger and see if they will lick it.

Keep giving bottles, but start offering mush first and see what happens. Many kittens are more ready at 5 weeks, but you never know until you try!

 

[commanderscott]

Thanks! I'll get started on that tomorrow.

 

[Sarthur2]

Let me know how it goes. It's usually a process! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[talkingpeanut]

And make sure you're checking the bottles before every feeding for holes in the nipples. They can easily be swallowed if they are compromised.

 

[commanderscott]

Will do. Thanks!

 

[commanderscott]

I think Herc's stool problems may be done. Went to feed them and he'd pooed in his crate. Nice consistency. Soft belly. Happy and playful kitten.

 

[Sarthur2]

This is good to hear! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[commanderscott]

Yes. I was very relieved. Lucy is also going in the middle of the night. I wake up and have to give her a bath. Both are officially happy and healthy kitties.

 

[commanderscott]

They aren't interested in the wet food and formula soup. But I imagine they will be soon. Shepard is also taking a big liking to these guys. I caught her cleaning Herc earlier.

 

[commanderscott]

i'm worried. Lucille is starting to act JUST like Scottie did before Scottie passed. She just ate about half an hour ago and has since thrown up some formula -- white globs that look like mucus. All day she hasn't moved around much. Her meows are lower now, and she just seems a little distressed to me. She also had a bit of runny poop after she ate. Is it possible I just overfed her? I gave her as much as she wanted, but she just kept going and going until she had about two tablespoons (by my estimate) and I had to cut her off. She will barely move. There aren't any vets open tomorrow and I spent the last of my money getting a checkup for Hercules. Is it normal for kittens to vomit and act like this if they eat too much? I've seen her act lethargic after a particularly big meal before, but this is the largest meal she's had and the first time I've seen her vomit. RPM is 54, if that helps. She's not having any difficulty breathing, doesn't feel hot or cold, and has a normal heart beat.

 

[commanderscott]

Just a bad case of overfeeding it looks like. She threw up more, and it looked like curdled milk. After that, she walked away, cleaned her paws, played with my fingers, and is playing with her brother. I was SO worried. She looked just like Scottie before she passed away. But it seems like Lucille's okay now. I'm just going to make sure she doesn't eat as much next time.

 

[Sarthur2]

Whew! That was scary!

I'm glad it was just an upset tummy!

 

[commanderscott]

I am too!

They're starting to show some interest in the kitten food. Hercules just sucks on the edge of the saucer but I can tell he wants it. Poor babies just make a mess of it right now though.

 

[commanderscott]

4 weeks old, healthy bathroom and eating habits, and responding well to medication. Plus Herc's suckling problem is going away if seems. I think these little buggers are out of the woods. Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[Sarthur2]

You're welcome! Stick around so we can watch them grow up! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[commanderscott]

Will do!

Had another rough night with Lucille. On top of overeating and vomiting it all up again, she also had a loose stool. I had to force feed her Pedialyte and she wouldn't eat for 8 hours. She's okay now; I had her sleep under the covers with me so she stayed warm and had some comfort in case she didn't make it, but she did. Now she's playing with her brother, ate a nice breakfast, and the tent test suggests that her dehydration has gotten better since last night. So once again, she's out of the woods. Meanwhile, Hercules officially has no idea how to use the bottle anymore, gets frustrated, and throws temper tantrums by swinging his paws wildly. He's DEFINITELY ready for weaning -- they both are -- but now I have to figure out how to get him that nutrition while he's transitioning, since he can't figure out the saucer, nor can he remember the bottle. And the sooner I can get Lucille to eat from a plate where she has to pause and wait to see how full she is while she chews, the better.

I emailed the vet to see if I could get her on the same medicine Hercules is on in the meantime since their stool is officially the same color.

I think it's time for me to get some much-needed rest after the time I had last night.

 

[Sarthur2]

Best thing for Hercules is to feed him mushy wet food with your finger. Let him lick it, and smear some on his mouth to get him going. Put the food on a flat paper plate and put him right up to it. It should not take long for him to catch on.

In the meantime, find a way to give him his bottle so that he can knead on a towel with his paws while he eats.

I'm again relieved that Lucy is okay. These spells are worrying me.

 

[commanderscott]

He has no interest in the formula/wet food soup. He prefers the wet food by itself as opposed to the combination. He turns his nose up at just about everything. If his paws are against something he just bites at the bottle. I'm almost ready to feed him with the syringe again because he won't take anything else. I'll keep trying to ween though. I know it's a process and it can be extremely frustrating. I had Shepard show them how to lap up formula from a dish. He tried but ended up sneezing and hating it. Poor baby.

Lucille's problem is that she gets so backed up that it makes her belly full. Her stools are loose -- not watery, but formless -- and she only poos once every two days. So when she does eat it's sitting on top of everything else. I emailed the vet about getting her on the same medicine Herc is on. They believe he may have coccidia and since he and Lucy shared a room I'm thinking it's safe to assume she may have it too. Their stool is relatively the same color but I'm not sure if it's because of parasites or over feeding. Until then I'm going to have to find a way to keep her from getting too greedy. For now though, she seems okay and well hydrated.

 

[Sarthur2]

She probably has Coccidia also. Coccidia is really nasty. I think you said Hercules is on Albon. It works very slowly on Coccidia.

Your best bet is Ponazuril. Your shelter should know about it. One to two doses kills the Coccidia immediately. Ask them about it.

I think you should use the syringe for Hercules right now.

Life will get easier once they are weaned!