bottle feeding kittens?

Question

I apparently have to bottle feed the newborn kittens every two hours, and earlier on one of the kittens snorted out a bit of milk through his nose. Should I be worried about this? And regarding bottlefeeding kittens, have any tips for a new surrogate mother?

I apparently have to bottle feed the newborn kittens every two hours, and earlier on one of the kittens snorted out a bit of milk through his nose. Should I be worried about this? And regarding bottlefeeding kittens, have any tips for a new surrogate mother?

regarding as to why I'm doing this (just so we're all clear that I'm not stealing the wind out of my mommy cat), the mommy cat has inverted nipples thus has no milk to 3 nipples, and only one is functioning.

Answer 1

Hi there! Bottle feeding newborn kittens can be very rewarding! It can also be hazardous to the kittens if not done properly. Here are some basics. Good luck!

First, make sure you are using a commercial kitten milk replacement formula available at your veterinarian and many petstores. They usually have a whole kit available with the milk and bottle. You should also be able to find directions and tips with the kit on how to bottle feed the babies.

Next, make sure you are holding the babies in their natural suckling position. Kittens suckle with all four feet toward the ground. Do not hold them on their backs. This could cause them to aspirate the formula into their lungs, possibly causing respiratory problems and/or infection.

After each feeding, you will need to rub the genital regions gently with a warm, moist washcloth or gauze pad to stimulate the kittens to urinate and defecate. One of the most common problems I see with hand-rearing kittens is trouble defecating. If they go for more than a few feedings without defecating, call the veterinarian. Of course, in your case, mom may be able to do this part for you. After feeding, place kittens back with mom and watch her. If she licks their genitals, great. If not, it’ll be up to you! (although you don't need to use your tongue) :-)

Lastly, keep the kittens warm! Since mom is available. She should be able to keep them warm with her body heat. Orphaned kittens can be kept warm with heated water bottles wrapped with towels.

Your veterinarian should be kept informed on the kittens' progress. Keep a regular conversation going with the doctor and don’t be afraid to take the kittens in if you are at all concerned.

Answer 2

Try to use something smaller, such as a dropper. Let the kittens suckle on their own, never force it into their mouths. When we (or any mammal), swallows, our tracheas close so that we don't get food down our airway. If the kittens are not actively suckling, they may be getting food down their airway. This can cause infection and is commonly caused aspiration pneumonia. If you do see milk come out of their noses, you can use a bulb device (like a turkey baster, but smaller), to suck it out. You can purchase these at the supermarket or drug store, in the aisle with other newborn items.
Keep an eye on their respiratory rate and effort. If they seem to be distressed (increased rate and effort), take them to the vet right away. If they seem comfortable, you should be alright.
Never feed them if they are cold (<98.0 for newborns). The food will just still in their stomach. And I'm sure you know to express them often.
Another tip: if the kittens develop diarrhea from the formula, dilute it more than the directions say to. Many of those formulas are too concentrated for neonates, and you may have to build up to full strenth formula.
Good luck. Raising newborns is hard work but can be very rewarding. These kittens are lucky to have an owner like you.

Answer 3

Watch the kitten carefully to make sure. If you want, call the vet and ask. Did it only happen once? More than once can equal a problem. Have the kittens EVER nursed from the mother? If not did you get them the store bought or maybe even from a vet benificial bacteria? Is the mother taking care of them at all, like cleaning and helping them potty? If not, you know that you have to do it yourself don't you? Only going through this just in case because so many people take in newborns and don't realize that they can't potty on their own and the kittens end up dying because of it. But if the mother is caring for them, that shouldnt be a problem. If you have the answers to these and want to share, mail me. Or if you have any questions, I may be able to help. Good luck! Its hard work taking care of newborn kittens but it is also a wonderful expierience and can also be an emotional one if something goes wrong. Good for you for helping this mother :)

Answer 4

i've raised a whole bunch of kittens,'cause my cat was pretty old when she started having babies and didn't have enough milk for even one kitten. Consult the Vet, Use special cat milk (which comes in powder form). Not the regular kind. Feeding them milk through droppers works best ( you can use syringes when they are a little older). Be very gentle and go slow. If the milk is coming out the nose that means you were going too fast. (not good- try to avoid that). Sometimes they latch onto the dropper and suck all by themselves. But they still need thier mother's milk from time to time. Keep them warm, feed them every couple of hours and they should be fine. (i had to feed six , Yikes !! It was exhausting. But i loved being thier surrogate mom)

Answer 5

Yes you should be worried - he may have ingested some of the milk. take him to the vets so that they can check him over. I had the same thing happen to me, and sadly the kitten died.

I have hand reared one of my kittens, though she was 3 weeks old then. She had an infected belly button, and i had to take her away from the mother and rear her myself. It is very tiring, and i was very nervous about it, but you just need to stay calm, and be patient. I have fed a newborn - the mother threw him out of the nest - and as i said earlier, he ingested milk and died, however the vet did say that he was already ill, which is why the mother threw him out in the first place.

Good luck with the kittens - i kept the baby that i reared from 3 weeks, and she is absolutely adorable. There is nothing she wont let me do - including bath her!!! She will be a year old next month.

Answer 6

Even better than a baby bottle to nurse the kittens, is a rubber ear syringe which can be purchased at any pharmacy. If one little cat snorted milk through its nose, may be daubing milk on its nose or upper lip would be better than putting the nipple straight into its mouth. The reason for this. Baby cats will lick the milk off their noses instead of choking on it when a nipple or syringe is put directly into their mouths

Answer 7

It sounds as if the formula (KMR hopefully) is flowing too quickly from the bottle. Formula coming out the nose is a sign of this. You will have to buy another nipple and cut it again. I know that the directions usually say to poke a hole in the nipple with a hot needle, but I found that using a pair of (sterilized) nail scissors and clipping a small X in the top works much better. To test the bottle to see how the formula is flowing, tip the bottle upside down after it has been snipped and the formula should very SLOWLY form a drop at the end of the nipple. If it is dripping quickly or just pouring out, the hole in the nipple is too big. It is always best to start small, do the upside down flow test and then increase the X as needed.

You will need to monitor the amounts of formula each kitten eats at each feeding - to ensure that they are getting enough. You can find charts online to tell you how much formula each kitten should be eating at each stage in their development. I would suggest getting a notebook and writing down how many cc's each kitten eats every time you feed them. The charts that are available usually tell you how much the kitten should be eating for the DAY - and depending on their age, (you need to do a little math here) you need to divide the total amount by the appropriate # of feedings for their age to get the amount of formula that should be consumed by each kitten at each feeding. Keeping track of this information is important, because when kittens are so tiny, it is often hard to tell if something isn't quite right... if the kitten's food intake is not up to par with it's siblings, then that would be a sign that something isn't right and that the kitten needs to be checked out by the vet.

In addition to keeping track of the food consumption, it is also necessary to keep track of the kitten's weight to make sure that he/she is benefitting from the formula. If the kitten is not putting on weight, then it would be another sign that something isn't right and the kitten will need to be checked out by a vet. The best scales to use for this are digital baking scales, but if you can't afford one (since they can be pricey) you can use a weight-watcher's scale or postage scale that gives you ounces and tenth's of ounces.

As cute as it might seem to hold the kitten like a baby (on it's back) and feed it while it's all wrapped up in a blanket - avoid doing this. Kittens need to be fed in the prone position (on their stomachs) or else they risk aspirating (getting the formula into their lungs) which could result in pnemonia or infection that may kill them.

If the kitten starts choking while you are feeding it, immediately turn the kitten upside down for a second or two until the choking stops.

I am hoping that after the kittens are fed by you, they are being returned to the momma cat for after-meal cleaning and bonding. If they are not being cared for by their mother in all other aspects other than the feeding, then you will have to stimulate them to go potty after each meal. This is done by dipping either a tissue or a cotton ball into just warm water (TEST IT!) and rubbing it repeatedly in one direction over the kitten's genitals until it eliminates. You are mimicing the actions of the momma cat licking. (this is not the most pleasant part of bringing up a bottle baby, but it is definitely necessary since the kittens' digestive tracks are still developing and they cannot eliminate without stimulation.)

Always make sure that the kittens are WARM when you are feeding them and when they are away from their mother. You can get a heating pad and set it to low - wrap it in a few layers of towels and place it in a box where you can keep the kittens that are waiting to be tended to. Tempurature is extremely important for kittens - if their temp drops too low, they will not be able to digest the formula and that can lead to some serious problems.

Hand-raising kittens IS a LOT of work - but it is so rewarding to see them grow and thrive - knowing that YOU'VE contributed to that.

Good luck with your kittens!

Answer 8

Get an infant size nipple the opening is smaller it will take a little longer. After a couple of days go back to the the nipple you are using. It might mean nothing or it might mean the milk is coming out to quickly. Remember just like babies they may develop their digestive system at different rates. Good Luck and you sure are going to be tired. So curl up with the little bits for a nap or two.

Answer 9

It's probably okay. I think you are just supposed to make sure that you are not holding the kitten like a human baby, on it's back when you feed it. If you do, they can choke. Here is a fantastic website that I found for people who are hand raising orphaned kittens. Everything you need to know and more.

Answer 10

They will get used to it. The syringe may be a good idea. You probably know this already but make sure you are feeding them special kitten milk and not cows milk.