Questions for kitten lovers

[Equuisize]

We have an about 5 1/2 week feral kitten that was abandoned by his mom.

We've had him since he was about 11 to 12 days old.

His mother had him and his litter mates in the bottom of a grass clippings bin on the back of a lawn tractor.

On the forth of July she moved everyone, from the very crowded bin, and left him for at least 12 hours before we decided he'd starve if we waited on her to come back. We've fed him kitten formula from a bottle since that time.

Several days ago his sucking got so vigorous that he pulled the nipple out of the bottle, repeatedly. Concerned he might get it lodged in his throat we decided that it was time to switch him, to be a big boy and over to wet kitten food mixed with his formula.

He hated it. He loves his bottle.

Next we removed the formula and mixed the food with whole milk, at the suggestion of the fellow at the feed store. The fellow though the milk might not as filling as the formula and he'd switch to the wet kitten food.

He liked that OK and now gobbles everything you put in front of him.

My question is how much wet food should a 5 to 6 week old kitten that weighs about 1 1/2 pounds + be eating/it seems now he'd eat a whole can if we'd give it to him ....... At what point could we add kibble and how long do we give him milk.

I have no experience with cats or kittens because of allergies, to them, but we love this little guy who came to us so helpless.

He plays a lot with our German Shepherd and seems healthy as can be. But he sleeps 3 to 5 hours at a time, during the day and sleeps thru the night and at least 10 hours if not 12 from the time we put him to bed.

He's learned to use his kitty litter pan but only poops like every other day. Can that be right?

When I was pottying him with a baby wipe he pottyied after each meal.

I am much better with dogs and horses than with cats......seems it should be easier and I shouldn't worry about him so much.

I think it's because I feel bad his mom abandoned him and I'm trying to make it up to him.                                             This is Putter/Michael is an avid golfer LOL     Isn't that face irresistible?

Anything I should be doing/ I'm not - - Or stop doing, that I am?

 

[little lady]

He looks soooo sweet! It has been a few years since I raised a kitten but I know that by 6 weeks they should be eating kitten food. Kittens and well cats for that matter sleep over 12 hours a day. Don't really ahve any answers to your other questions. But if he is up playing he sure sounds healthy. Good luck with him and bless your heart for being his guardian angel.

 

[Miniv]

We had a similar situation with a feral momma cat, but she birthed them up in our barn loft. They were approximately 2 weeks old when we found them and brought them down. We caught the mom the next day and she denied them for a couple of days. We kept them all in our spare bathroom. We bottle fed the kittens for several days with formula and then at three weeks old we started switching them over to a "mush" in a shallow pie pan. (By then, mom was back to nursing them.)

The "mush" was a mixture of kitten formula, goat milk, water, human baby rice cereal. I used 1/3 c goat milk and 1/3 c. water. After another week I added some kibble and soaked it for a couple of hours in the mixture.

PS: Cows milk isn't supposed to be good for kittens, which is why I used goats milk.

 

[ohmt]

What a CUTIE! He is definitely old enough to be on hard food. I would start giving him smaller portions of the wet food and leave out a full bowl of kitten chow. If he is really hungry he'll start eating that and it'll keep him busier with the chewing. I've always free fed kitten chow and it works great. Actually, i took a kitten from the farm last year and she's been free fed since. She is wonderful and such a good eater even after being fixed. She only eats when she's hungry. The only time she scarfs is when I give her her once a week wet food.

 

[Miniv]

Oh! And I added an egg to the mixture too......Almost forgot! And I agree with ohmt that your little one is ready for hard food, but you're going to have to ease him into it.

I recommend googling about what to feed kittens.

 

[Equuisize]

Thanks for that info so far.

I was hoping, I guess, that someone would say if he could have like -- a teaspoon or a tablespoon, of wet several times a day.

The websites I found were pretty general.

I don't want to overfeed him, just never had anything so small to try and figure what was a healthy amount to feed.

So far, if you keep the dish full, he'll empty it.

I did try him on a semi soft cat treat....he wasn't sure but eventually tried it when the dish was empty of everything else.

He handled that OK so we'll get some kitten kibble. That sounds better than keeping wet food down.

Technically we can't keep anything down, all the time, as the grand-Beagle will eat everything in her path or make a pathway to food.

I guess it doesn't matter, now, that he was feral, as he's been with us longer than he was ever feral.

 

[Miniv]

Our kittens have been getting for the past three weeks, free feed dry kibble, and a heaping tablespoon of canned each, three times a day. They are now approximately 10 weeks old.

The momma has been spayed and the kittens are scheduled to go in on Tuesday. Momma cat is back in the barn being fed dry food only. Kittens are living in our daughter's bedroom. Our house cats have a spare room in our house that is for storage and just for them. We installed a baby gate on the door frame to keep the dogs out.

 

[Equuisize]

Oh super Maryann! Thanks!

That's what I was hoping for. Something more specific.

So then I am not over feeding him as I've been giving him like a teaspoon mixed with milk

3 or 4 times a day. His tumm gets so round after he's eaten I was concerned I was

overfeeding him.

M has left for the feed store to see about a kitty kibble and an alternative milk source that

wouldn't be quite as rich as the kitty formula. If he gets the kitty formula he turns his nose up

at the wet food.

Someone mentioned to me, he could be neutered, we're assuming he's a boy/he looks just like his

feral father - when he gets to 10 weeks or 2#

Can I ask about poopy again? ..... should he be pooping once a day or? Maybe? it'll become

more regular the more solid food he gets?

He's taken over the guest bathroom for sleeping and pottying. Sorry guests

He's safe there from the grand-Beagle, who isn't impressed with him, and I can get outside when he's sleeping

to do my horsey things.

When we're in the house, this wee bit of fluff has totally taken over the household. He has the German Shepherd

totally under his spell and we, who have always considered ourselves big dog people, at his beck and call. Crazy.

 

[Miniv]

I would gradually pull the milk and up the other food. I both read on line and got hammered at by experienced shelter foster moms, not to use cow's milk. Goat's milk was recommended. I've found it canned in the baking aisle of most stores. One of our stores has it refrigerated. And don't forget plenty of fresh water!

A round tummy on a kitten is actually a good sign..... You are being a good momma.

Can't answer the poop question. Our kittens have their own litter box, but I don't know how often they use it. I have to change it every other day or so.

The local spay and neuter clinic also uses the 2 lb limit. I think it has something to do with anesthesia. Our kittens were easily over 2 lbs two weeks ago, but the clinic was booked full, so we had to wait til this Tuesday. If your little fellow is even close to the limit, I would call your local clinic and make an appointment.

 

[Equuisize]

He's progressing so fast now.

He gobbled the kibble, couldn't believe it. Not a fan of water yet - that I can detect.

No goat's milk at the feed store nor at our teeny grocery store. Will check when we go to the 'world' that has bigger stores.

I'm just watering down the kitten formula a bit - rather than using the whole milk.

And like every horse person that is a poop counter - he now is pooping regularly since yesterday afternoon. Yay for poop!

I spoke to a feral cat lady in the county and she will pick him up and take him to PAWS for neutering.

Best part is she is going to come and trap the multitude of feral cats that roam the pastures, take them for neutering and will

return them for rodent control. Hopefully that will slow the kitten population.

Seems the issue would be that as soon as the mom's abandon the current litter to go out and get pregnant again - that they're

just producing kittens for coyote fodder. Not a happy thought.

I feel lucky we were able to save him. Ultimately she abandoned the other 4 litter mates.

We scooped them up and found good homes for them while they were still friendly and not feral. But eventually you run out

of friends that need another cat. LOL. Capturing, neutering and releasing is the best solution.

Thanks for everyone's ideas. Following your suggestions, I think he will continue to thrive.

 

[chandab]

Since you have allergies, cats can be given a bath, most don't like it much, but it can be done. [i'm sure there are no perfume shampoos for cats that would work great.]

Around here, since it was his idea, its hubby's duty to bathe cats if they need it; like after Bob got rolled out in the corral by something.

Bob before:



Bob during bath:



Bob dry:



[bath and dry pics not taken right after mud pic, but still...]

Oh, and he complains loudly, but does accept his bath, as does Blue, our siamese. They don't get bathed often, but it does help remove loose hair, such that Blue always has.

 

[Equuisize]

Ohhhhhh that's what Bob looks like mad LOL

Hope that 'learned' him about taking mud baths out near stinky corral things.

The first couple weeks I washed Putter's behinder a number of times. He didn't 'seem' to mind

but he was so bitty he didn't have a lot of arguement in him then

 

[chandab]

I have a picture of Blue when he was almost as tiny as Putter...



Bob was never that tiny, here's a pic of Bob shortly after we got him:



And, my third house cat, Trip:



She froze one of her paws and lost it, so she's strictly indoor kitty and usually my shadow.

 

[Equuisize]

They are lovely!

You're right Bob doesn't look like he was ever very petite.

 

[chandab]

The pic of Blue and Bob were taken on the same day.

He's grown to a healthy 10# or so, Bob is like 15#, and little Trip is around 6#.

 

[jacks'thunder]

I just wanted to say Putter is a doll!! I want to grab him and give him kisses!! LOL!!

I can't add anything because everyone has given you wonderful advice!!

Chanda, I love that wet Bob picture!!

 

[chandab]

Chanda, I love that wet Bob picture!!

He might be mortified that I'm sharing that picture.

The indignity of it all.

 

[HGFarm]

He is way too cute!!!!! You have done a great job with him. Usually they are still nursing their moms til about 7 or 8 weeks- so I appreciate his enthusism with the bottle. Kittens that are weaned too early sometimes dont outgrow that 'sucking reflex' and nurse on what ever they can find the rest of their life.

He is certainly old enough now to be putting out dry kibble, though it will take him several days before I would say he would be really relying on it. Dont give up his kitten supplements for another couple of weeks at least. I liked weaning my kittens at 8 weeks. They just seemed to do much better. But I did notice at around 4 to 5 weeks they would start nibbling on the dry kibble. I buy a top brand for excellent nutrition and some make tiny kibbles sized for baby kitties, then a bigger size for bigger kitties and so on. I just leave the dry out all the time and let them eat from it when ever they want. Also fresh water is always available too as he should be drinking water on his own now too.

He is SO cute and no, I could not resist that face either. Bless you for caring for him so nicely!

 

[Equuisize]

Chanda don't insult Bob but I love the muddy photo best.

Cats just have such a way of looking indignant LOL

Jack's - he is a doll and has an adorable face. His feral father is so handsome. I always stop to admire him

when he cruises the pasture. He's the same color and markings. They match perfect for my red and white pintos

Of all the kittens the mom abandoned isn't it just perfect this is the one she left?

Laurie, I read about the weaning to early, thing. It's why I wanted to continue letting him nurse. When he sucked that nipple

right out of the bottle several times in one day, I panicked, especially when the last time he sucked it all the way into his mouth.

There were no larger bottles/nipples at the feed store so moving him over to wet food was a better alternative to him choking LOL

Gosh that scared me.

He's adapting well to the wet kitten food and varied response to the kibble. Some feedings he really likes it, some he eats around it.

He still loves his kitten formula. He sticks his nose in his water dish and jumps back, like - What's this?

He will be 6 weeks, we think, tomorrow.

What do you think is a good brand of food? We're buying a wet food for kittens, called Max/only one the feed store had for kittens, and a dry food

that said for kittens and cats/all stages/called 4 Life. Locally, I am limited on what we can buy but we do go to the 'world' for shopping sometimes, if there is a better quality brand to buy him, I am happy to do that.

I know with my dog I go nuts/well I don't go nuts but I drive Michael nuts/ researching quaity feeds.

I have a feeling God willing, he's going to be with us for a looooooooong time, we have to treat him right.

 

[chandab]

Chanda don't insult Bob but I love the muddy photo best.

Cats just have such a way of looking indignant LOL

I rather like that photo too, he looks so pitiful, and you should have seen the look we got when we scooped him up and hauled him right to the bath tub.

He sticks his nose in his water dish and jumps back, like - What's this?

I don't know why, but this seems to be a kitten thing, like a lack of depth perception or something. All our kittens do this, and seem to do it for awhile, before they get the hang of drinking as you'd expect them too.

I'm sure there are better brands out there, but I too am limited on what I can get, so I usually buy Purina Kitten Chow (especially for the strictly barn kitties, gotta think of budget when lots of kitties are eating, which I could find larger than a 7# bag). Max kitten chow should be just fine, and I'm thinking a step or two above typical grocery store brands. [Our house kitties eat Purina ONE cat food, don't know if they have a kitten formula; it seems to help with the litter box odor, the siamese doesn't puke as much on it as other brands (just the plain chicken or salmon for him or he pukes), and all three house cats seem to like it just fine.] Oh, and you can now order pet food online from Walmart.com and they have pretty cheap shipping on it, just basic brands and selection, but when you have no local choice and are on a budget, shipping to your door is very nice. I'm waiting on a shipment of PUrina Kitten Chow, Purina ONE chicken, Friskies canned food (for hte barn cats that get a little extra), and a cover for the couch. [if you decide to try the PUrina ONE, don't go with the "Beyond" formulas, they have odd things mixed in, and none of our house kitties will eat it, although, the barn kitties aren't as particular and will scarf it up.]