I'm extremely discourage and scared. I have 2 week old kittens who won't suck, and I'm afraid they'll die.

Question

I just brought in a litter of 2 kittens who are 2 weeks old. I have a Hartz bottle and formula, purchased from Wal*Mart. The kittens won't suck however, and I'm terribly scared that they're going to die from being malnourished. Is there any way I can get them to suck on the bottle? Or should I just give up and let someone better qualified care for them? I don't know what to do.

Answer 1

Get a syringe (without a needle, of course). This works like a charm.

Answer 2

The nipples on those little bottles almost always need to be cut open a little more to help the formula come out. If you don't cut it open a little it may be hard for them to get anything out and they will quickly loose interest.
Make sure that the formula will come out of the nipple with just a little squeeze on the bottle and make sure that there is a drop of formula on the end of it that you can rub on thier mouths/lips to get them interested. Don't squeeze the bottle once they start feeding. Also, make sure they are warm, cold kittens are usually lethargic and not interested in eating. If you don't have any luck within a few hours I would at least call a vet for advice. If they have a cold, or are dehydrated or have some other problem they may need attention from a pro. Good luck.

Answer 3

You can use a syringe and feed her, you have to force it I got a 4 week old that wouldn't take from a bottle and I had to force feed her also. I used a kitten formula I found online that included, egg, vitamins, milk and veg. oil. Try getting 5-8 cc in her each feeding. Work your way up to 10 ccs every few hours.Slow and easy but she has to take it. It took mine 2 days to get the idea I would be giving it to her that way and she got the hint.Also force water on her every few hours, if you can get baby rehydrating powder or liquid, give that to her also. If she's not eating or drinking you 'll have to give her injections under the skin of glucose..10 cc in the morning and evening. You just put the needle under the skin and slowly inject it so it forms a bubble. Then rub the bubble. Her body will absorb it. that's what I had to do for the first week I had my little one and it kept her alive until she got the idea she had to take the formula and water that I forced on her. Just be careful you don't hold her like a baby...keep her tummy down and head up and shoot small amounts into her mouth and she'll start to swallow. Then clean her with a wet towel,,,or cotton ball wet and stroke like her mom would do. She has to learn everything from you since she doesn't have a mom. She'll learn to clean herself then. Mine was about 5 weeks old when she ate her first piece of kitten food, dry and the next day she actually lapped up water. As long as she ate, I gave her formula once a day for one more week and then off she was. She's now 8 weeks old, chubby and loveable. Your little one will need lots of loving and cuddles. Also check to see if her nose is running or eyes getting drainage. She may have cat flu which many little ones do get. You'll end up treating each thing as you go along but getting her nutrition is the first step.
Good luck.

Here is a formula you can make yourself.
1 cup whole milk (cow or goat)
3 egg yolks - no whites
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/4 teaspoon liquid vitamins

Answer 4

Try this, worked for me:

Take either a latex glove, or a thick plastic non pncutre needle (you can get at pet stores)

Fill the glove or needle with the fluid, and put the kitten on your lap...then, GENTLY...put the needle or glove in it's mouth and squeeze out the formula. What will happen is the kitten will be forced to swallow and they will actually get the nutrients that they need.

Do this a few times a day until the kittens start trying to suckle on their own..

Good luck

Answer 5

Use a small eyedropper(you can get one from a drug store).
Just put it in the kitten's mouth and squeeze a little in. They will eat from the bottle eventually. Sometimes the nipples are a bit hard to suck at first, or the formula tastes funny to them. Try boiling the nipple as the instructions say; it may make it softer. And don't forget to "potty" the babies since they can't do it themselves yet.

Answer 6

it may be from the dawn soap. it may have some thing that harms them.what u need to do with the week one is fill a baby bottle with water and suger, and this will give him energy.if u think that the mom is harming them, then move the mom into a new room. maybe cut up chicken bits and add it to the food. also if they mom is not a year yet, it can possibly be her milk. u should get forumla just in case.i know that the sugar water will help the ick kitten. try this and it will help, hope they get better!

Answer 7

Ask your vet, a vet tech, an experienced rescuer or breeder to teach you how to tube feed. It isn't as difficult as it looks or sounds and you'll be sure to get good food into those babies FAST.

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/tube-feeding.html
http://www.purrinlot.com/tube.htm
http://pawpeds.com/pawacademy/reproduction/tubefeeding/
http://www.catvet.homestead.com/orphan1.html
http://home9.inet.tele.dk/birma/tube.htm

Never feed babies that are cold. Keep them warm.

In the absence of kitten formula, you can use warmed goats' milk with a bit of corn syrup in it.

Good luck.

Answer 8

What's in the bottle -- KMR? That's what you need to feed them.

if they will not drink the formula then they are in SERIOUS health trouble, and in need of outside help -- take them to the veterinarian or a reputable individual who fosters cats (responsible ! -- someone you can trust!) or the shelter (as long as the shelter does not euthanize them!!)

Kittens that young need to drink their formula at LEAST every 3 or 4 hours.

They need professional help Immediately.

Answer 9

Talk to a vet for options, or call a local animal shelter.
One way that can help is to rub your finger up and down the throat to try to get them in the "mood."

Answer 10

dont give up on them, go to a vet asap before they get too week but for now keep trying with the mum or bottles or luke warm milk.