hand rearing kittens..i thought it was goin well but...?

Question

they were eatin really well at first <2-3mls of milk every 2 hours> then for about 24 hours they all stopped suckling,so we persevered kept trying...they all had slight up set tummies..that has now stopped they are eating ok again..i weighed them on thursday the biggest was 4oz the smallest 3oz,then on fri i weighed them and the biggest was 3.5oz and the smallest 2.5oz...are they like babies and lose weight before trhey put it back on??i have them booked in to see the vet on tuesday but when ive phoned the vet they say there isnt much they can do as they are 4days old...
from what ive described does this sound normal??
any advice or suggestions are welcomed..no smart ar*es though thanks

ok i should of said..either before or after i use damp cotton wool,gently rub the rear end and they wee and poo!
im not using cows milk i feed them 'cimicat' a formular i got from my local vet

Answer 1

I am hand raising kittens right now and I got them a week ago at 2 days old. My first and most important question is are you expressing the potty out of them. You have to be their mother in every way and not just in feedings. The mother cat will lick them to get them to go potty. If you haven't done this for a couple of days it is waaaaaayyyy backed up and will kill them. You must get them to go the bathroom. Even if they are going a little in the box, this is NOT enough. You must be their mother. Also what kind of milk are you using? I am using a mixture of KMR and goats milk. It keeps them pretty healthy. Whereas KMR alone seems to cause diarrhea and the decline of the health of the kittens. Also are they getting sunlight? When the mother feeds them they are getting the nutrients caused by sunlight through her. When you hand feed the babies are not getting any of those sunlight in the formula. They could get jaundiced. Please seek help right away if these suggestions do not work. Baby kittens can go downhill very quickly. If you need more help please ask I am willing to help. Bless you for trying.....most people don't care.

Answer 2

With babies that little, you need to be the mother cat and do the burping and diaper changes.

To burp a kitten, you gently massage the tummy, just like you were the mother cat licking the kitten's tummy.

Kittens aren't born with the ability to pee and poo by themselves, so you have to be mother cat again and help them. Get a warm washrag and gently massage their genital area. This stimulation will make the kitten go pee and poo. This is why a mother cat licks her newborns on the butt so much. For the first few days, the mother eats the poo that the kittens produce. They're still voiding out nutrients from when they were in the womb, so those nutrients go back into the mother for her to produce milk. It sounds gross as hell, but it's efficient.

Answer 3

My husbsand and I raised a litter (3 days old when we got them). 2 tbsp. every 4 hours is about normal for them to eat. I would say try to get them to go to the bathroom before and after feedings. If that does not work then see what your vet thinks. But be warned, when they are that small the vet's don't hold much faith that they will survive, our vet said that none of them would live, they will be 9 years lod in september. Good Luck and God Bless You!

Answer 4

Purchase tiger's milk and use this as opposed to "milk"... they need the nutrients. Walmart carries it, so it' s available 24/7. Good Luck.

(check humane society for female who might foster them, I actually had a dog that began nursing the kitten i was hand raising).

Answer 5

You didn't say, I sure hope you are not giving them cows milk. You can get kitten milk repalcer from the pet food store. Also, do you know to stimulate them to make them poop? Take a clean cloth and wet it with warm water. stroke their anus' with it to stimulate them to go, they can't on their own. Keep them warm and fed every couple of hours. That's about all I can tell you. Good luck.

Answer 6

yeah it normal .but you didn't say what you have been feeding them .that could be a problem .and for as the vet they should know what to do .get a better vet that know what to do about your problem

Answer 7

um, first off, let the mother cat do the work?
you're not supposed to touch kittens until their eyes have opened...

anyway, just a PSA people.