The mom just up and left and now i have to dropper feed them but its not quite working out....this is my first time dropper feeding 2 day old kittens!!...and ones a runt and wont hardly eat and cant meow too good...should i call a vet or something?....
2006-07-25 16:40:59 · 30 answers · asked by Brandy J 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I have fostered hundreds of newborn orphaned kittens over the years and even with that much experience the task at hand is very difficult.
Go to Petsmart or Petco and get a can of KMR. It is a formula specifically designed for hand feeding kittens. Cats are lactose intolerant and cow's milk isn't good for them. If you can get some goat's milk, then it is a good substitute for the short run. The directions on the KMR label are concise and easy to follow.
You will have to use a dropper to feed them the formula a tiny bit at a time every hour on the hour for the first few days. You need to moisten a cotton ball with warm water and massage their bottoms to stimulate their bladder and bowels after each feeding.
After a few days they will get stronger and the little bottles they sell at Petsmart are made for feeding newborn orphaned kittens. Use the smallest nipple you can find and poke 4 small holes with a sterilized needle.
There is so much to tell you that it would take all night to get it down. I'm sorry to tell you that the odds are not on your side here. Kittens this small are so fragile. Do a search on the internet for "newborn kittens" and you'll probably find a helpful site.
See if you can locate a rescue group near you to take them in. They often have foster homes that will take bottle feeders. It is quite a chore as they need nearly constant looking after for the first 2-3 weeks. They have to be bottle feed every 2 hours, then every 4-6 hours.
You definitely need help. I'm in St. Louis, Missouri, if you are close then I could take them in. I am at a loss here....not sure what to tell you.
Please let me know if I can help and please keep us posted with updates here.
Good luck.
2006-07-25 17:14:25 · answer #1 · answered by wibbsite 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well with them being so young you should be feeding them kitten formula. You can find it at Wal Mart or your vets office. If the dropper isn't working try to get a little
bottle for them that also will be at Wal Mart. One other thing make sure you keep them warm. Put a heating pad under the box you have them in and put it on about 2 make sure that there is a towel or something like that between the box and pad. My mother cat was killed and i was left with five babies. Now i have 4 and they are 2 months old. My vet gave me Pro-Biolac for kittens. Hope that helps!!!
2006-07-25 16:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by nooner6569 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definately call a vet. They will teach you how to dropper feed the kittens, sometimes it can be a little hard to dropper feed runts. But call ASAP. They usually dont eat a whole lot at a young age.
2006-07-25 16:45:39 · answer #3 · answered by justmyjusrty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy some animal nursing bottles at the vet. Feed them every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. Use goats milk, that's the best, closest to mother's milk and digestible. You can find it in the grocery store. Make sure you warm it up to room temperature.
We found 6 kittens in a bag on the street, one week old. My daughter and I fed them around the clock for about 10 days, but it was worth it. We gave 5 of them away, and still have one. She's adorable!
2006-07-25 16:48:03 · answer #4 · answered by susan999 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If these are strays that you dont want to keep then you should contact a vet or an appropriate organization to pick them up. In the mean time you can feed them milk using a bottle with a tip like those we feed babies with. You should let some milk wet the tip of the bottle so they can taste it and use it.
2006-07-25 16:45:39 · answer #5 · answered by gogo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They would have more of a fighting chance if you do call a vet. Are you feeding them frequently? They have small stomaches so they cant hold alot of milk at once but still need to eat frequently, not just a couple times a day like a adult cat.
Good luck! I hope they do alright
2006-07-25 16:43:59 · answer #6 · answered by Crystal L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey,
Take your kittens to the vets and ask them for a feeding tube, they will give you a demonstration on how to use it and what to do, etc. and then you can feed your kittens like that. I would deifantely take them to the vets though as soon as you possibly can to get them checked and fed during the demonstration of the feeding tube.
Wolverine_Clawess_26
2006-07-25 17:34:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They actually have baby doll bottles with soft tiny nipples that you can fill with liquid. that is what we used. wrap a soft blanket up around the bottles so they can kneed. use evaporated milk i believe. this works. we've saved plenty of kittens. keep all the kittens very warm. and give extra attention to the runt. baby kittens are ery fragile . oh yeah and put a warming pad under their bedding. not too hot though.
2006-07-25 16:48:42 · answer #8 · answered by kari 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bottle Feed!
2006-07-25 16:43:52 · answer #9 · answered by swimmer_skimmer:-p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kittens are one of the hardest things I've tried to hand raise. @that age it will be almost impossible. ..But you might do it -consult a vet. The mother cat up and left-- Nothing more than an alley cat. I hope you have her penned up .. Because when they lose newborns that way they will cycle in heat again in 7-9days. and look for a tom cat.
2006-07-25 16:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by ole_lady_93 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋