My newest project!

SillyMangoX

4 three day old kittens got handed into the vet today so I volunteered to take them home, will need someone else to bottle feed them after next week but for now they are mine!! Has anyone any tips on getting them to suckle? They aren't looking for a feed yet but any advice for when they wake would be much appreciated

toadfly

I have no advice but so cute! You better keep us updated with lots of pics!

SillyMangoX

I'll only have them untill maybe Saturday week as I'm moving away and can't take them but until then, I will post updates!

Nody

Say good bye to sleep; bottle feeding every 4h 24/7h and you may need to use a syringe to feed them at first but oh so worth it once they grow older.

We got 3 bottle fed foster cats at the moment (2 that were fed from first week, one from sixth) and they are soooo cuddly with humans including strangers due to being around them from such a low age.

SillyMangoX

Is it every 4 hours at this age? They told me 2 hours at the vets! :P

Nody

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Is it every 4 hours at this age? They told me 2 hours at the vets! :P

Could be; I've yet to do them at that age so I only got information from the first foster family to go by (but go by what the vet says ).

salsagal

OP where are you based? Do you have someone to take them when you're leaving? If you're Dublin or Lenister based contact Cats Friends Rescue on their site or FB. They can arrange to foster them and then re-home them. Just be sure wherever you surrender them, to ask if they have a no-kill policy as not all rescues have.

Best of luck with the hand rearing!

SillyMangoX

I'm located in Munster, Limerick/Clare area. I have no one organised as of yet but will get on it at the weekend. Still not having any luck getting them to suckle. I've named 2 of them, Tux and Dude. Anyone have any more suggestions?

Edit: They are now Tux, Dude, Thunder (the runt) and Sheldon!

Nody

Return to the vet for a syringe (with out needle) and gently open their mouth and put a bit of it in them. The other way would be to put some on the tip of the bottle to get them to taste it and try to get more.

SillyMangoX

Yeah I have syringes but I'm afraid to be too forceful I would hate to drown them!

Nody

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Yeah I have syringes but I'm afraid to be too forceful I would hate to drown them!

Opening their mouth gently and put in only a drop or two and let them work through it for a starter; you can even put it on their tongue so you see the amount there but going very little and taking time should see you through it (and you'll build confidence for the many sessions to come :P).

SillyMangoX

Okay I got half a ml into the runt, he's the only one I've managed to get anything into but I was most worried about him. My mom is gone to get a new bottle as we made the hole in the teat too big in the one I had. I would prefer if they sucked rather than syringing them!

mymo

Try wrapping a warm hot water bottle in a towel (not hot just warm) place them on it, and stroke the heads then syringe in a drop or two, it can take a while to get them started by once you do they are easy feed.
Oh and did the vet explain about toileting them?

SillyMangoX

Yup vet explained toileting, they all have peed but no poops yet. I don't know when they were last fed as the person who handed them in didn't know but at the moment they are all asleep in the cat carrier wrapped in towles and blankets on top of a hot water bottle! Should I wake them to feed them or wait til they start screaming?

mymo

I would take one at a time and try them with a little, they can just stop eating, it's heart breaking.
Even if its only a few drops on the tongue they will keep hydrated.
Best of luck, it's bloody hard work!

SillyMangoX

They all seem healthy, the runt is slightly weaker but he is the only one that actually sucked a bit! I know in reality they probably won't survive but I just couldn't leave them to starve to death or be put to sleep! Worst part of being on placement, can't help but bring your work home with you! I am starting my equine placement on the 25th though so I won't be able to bring them with me as I've to live in a b and b for 7 weeks!

mymo

Sorry if I sounded like I was saying they wouldn't survive, they are very young and you got them in good time so chances are good, any I lost were very weak and cold and I think too far gone. Haven't had any that young in years, you get very attached!
Hope you find a good fosterer for them.

SillyMangoX

It's okay I didn't take you up that way, I'm just being realistic I'm hoping my mom might get very attached to them and continue herself but she said not a hope in hell, she's scared of them as they are too fragile! Peach is also afraid of them, one squeaked at her and she scuttled out of the room!

SillyMangoX

They just will not suck

mymo

How's your dog with kittens?
Mine love them and I'm pretty sure Mouse wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for Tiffi licking her and nudging her, she even cuddled her. Got her eating straight after that, it did take 24hrs though so don't give up.

Edit, do you have a dog? Thought you did, if not sorry!

SillyMangoX

They each have had roughly 2 mls and are happily sleeping until their next feed!! I have a dog but she lives in my uncles house!! My 2 cats are terrified of them but I'm hoping they will eventually take to them and mammy them for me :P

angeldaisy

SillyMangoX wrote: »

They each have had roughly 2 mls and are happily sleeping until their next feed!! I have a dog but she lives in my uncles house!! My 2 cats are terrified of them but I'm hoping they will eventually take to them and mammy them for me :P

Dont know if you've been in touch with them, but limerick feral cats are great for advice, they have a facebook page and might be helpful to find a foster home for them for you.

SillyMangoX

angeldaisy wrote: »

Dont know if you've been in touch with them, but limerick feral cats are great for advice, they have a facebook page and might be helpful to find a foster home for them for you.

That's brilliant thanks ill contact them when it's time for them to move on!

Themadhouse

Weight them and continue to do so while you have them. Keep track of it. You need to know if they are gaining weight or not.
Feed every 2 hrs. They will poop at some point so jsut keep an eye on it.
I would try a syringe and jut drop the milk into their mouths in very small amounts.
Its very time consuming and you will be exhausted. You might find a foster mammy somewhere if you ask around in rescues.
Good luck with them.

janmaree

I've done this too in the past, sadly it really is "you win some and you lose some" but you seem to be doing well so far. I agree that a syringe or a dropper is easiest for them, mine never got on with a bottle of any kind, I think the nipples are just too big for them to manage. I always added a little cream to their fluids and they loved it. One of "my" babies follows me around like a little dog to this day, he's constantly chatting to me and is frankly, really possessive. Don't know if I can claim him as a success or a failure but the love is certainly strong and it's been years now!

Good luck with them, it's quite an undertaking when you have no choice but it speaks volumes about you, when you're volunteering. Fingers crossed for you all.

SillyMangoX

I have them all weighed but then realised I can't tell them apart except for the runt and the black one! I last fed them at half 6 but they haven't woken since for another feed, would it be better to leave them until they are hungry or should I wake them to get the feeds on time?

anniehoo

Ah fair play to you, thats some undertaking.

Id wake them tbh. Try and get into a routine with them if you can. Every 2-3hrs relgiously.Their mammy would normally nudge them anyway to rouse them so dont leave them sleep too long or they'll literally not know what to do. You need to keep their strength up and the only way is feeding little and often. Good luck missus.

SillyMangoX

Roughly how much should they get in a feeding? I'm. Giving them 2mls each but is this too little!

toadfly

Make up different colour collars for them with ribbon or similar and weigh them everyday.

mymo

One way my granny used to tell 4 black kittens apart was to trim a small (no bigger than a penny) patch of hair in a different place on each kitten, front paw, back paw, head, back, whatever you like.
It's harmless, grows back fast and really makes life easy.

Amount to feed is just until they stop taking it, some will need more than others. Watch their bellies, don't let them get too big, but from my experience they slow down then stop when full.

SillyMangoX

I'm wrecked already and haven't even started the night feeds!! These kittens couldn't have waited until I didn't have a chest infection to be born!! Milk is made up in the fridge so it's now time to get an hours shut eye before more feeds!! I'm hoping to get 3 hours out of them at night and 2 hours by day. I've had a neighbour who hand reared kittens who didn't feed them at night at all but I couldn't do that!!

sparkle_23

Wow that's and amazing thing you are doing! Fair play to you, hope they start taking the milk properly soon! Pic is so cute!!

SillyMangoX

3 of them have figured how to suck the syringe when they aren't sucking my fingers or ear!! (Can see them being suckers when they grow up!!) thunder the runt gets hiccups after every feed the poor mite. It's really hard to tell but I think the 3 tabbies are boys and the black is a girl. Funny their little personalities already, tux has to sleep on the bottom of the pack and will push all her brothers out of the way until she gets where she wants then once they are all settled thunder climbs on top!! Sheldon is a little screamer and has really twitchy ears in his sleep, and dude is really feisty, the second you pick him up he is all screams and ready for action!! Yet he is the one who won't suck. Uh oh I see myself becoming very attached!!

Pumpkinseeds

They are gorgeous, well done you for taking them on. Paw Pourri in Ennis might know of someone that could foster them in the future.

ShaShaBear

It's such a pity you wont get to do it for a few more weeks, it's so rewarding when they start to move about and open their eyes!:o

SillyMangoX

Well whoever I get to foster I will ask them if I can still take them at weekends to give the fosterer a break if they want to go away or anything!! It looks like the little black one has a bit of a club foot, will have to keep an eye on it, feeding time is so much quicker with the nurses helping me while I'm on placement!!

doubter

it might also be an idea to find a nursing mother..kitten season is almost starting you might be lucky. PM me if you think that's an idea, I can give you a few names.

SillyMangoX

I would say at this stage it might be better to just keep bottle feeding them as they have taken to the syringe now!! Thanks though!!

doubter

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I would say at this stage it might be better to just keep bottle feeding them as they have taken to the syringe now!! Thanks though!!

not really. With the mother milk, the kittens are getting highly important antibodies against all kinds of diseases against which they otherwise have no protection from in their first 6-9 weeks. Unwillingly, you might bring in cat flue or anything else.It will kill them and there's very little you can do about that. Bottle feeding young kitten's like this is always a last resort and more often than not it fails. If you can find a nursing mum, i would highly recommend to go down that road to spare yourself some possible heartbreak.

SillyMangoX

All are after guzzling 3-4mls and are now happily in a pile on top of a microwave bear

SillyMangoX

I've posted around a few rescue pages in my locality to try get a fosterer. I hope someone can step forward I would hate to have put this much work into them for nothing they are such innocent little souls!

SillyMangoX

My babies have gone off to their foster home today, I miss them already but it's for the best!!

toadfly

Wow that was quick well done. I seen your post on FB via an animal charity! Am so sad that I copped it was you.

Are you getting them back for weekends?

SillyMangoX

I posted on every animal charity I know I don't think I am getting them back until they are big enough to not need bottle feeding, I offered but she didn't seem to mind! I'm allowed go visit them whenever I like though I can still hear them mewing! I think I'll still be waking up every 2 hours looking for them

Pumpkinseeds

Ahh thats lovely that they got a new fosterer, just remember that if you hadn't volunteered to take them when you did they would have had no chance at all. But you saw them through to the next stage and kept them alive, well done.