Abandoned new borns,help!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Abandoned new borns,help!

    Today we got a litter of 5 abandonded newborn kittens,no more than a day or too old.They were thin and dehydrated but bounced back quickly after a few meals of formula.

    We have a cat here that had 2 kittens,8 weeks ago,they are pretty much weaned but i catch them nursing atleast once a day.I took them away and gave mom the new kittens and she is letting them nurse.My question is will her milk supply increase again? She was almost dried up and only had 2 kittens to begin with so never needed a huge amount of milk.Should i continue to bottle feed them?I increased her food and also gave her some sardines and yogurt hoping to help her produce more.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Poor dears!  I hope her milk can pick up.  I think it's the stimulation of suckling that will trigger increased milk production if she wasn't too far along in the drying up process.  You might have to supplement the kittens a bit, but I'll keep my fingers crossed she picks up and they make it.  It's a good sign she's accepted them and is letting them nurse!

     

    Pics please??? 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Continue to bottle feed in addition to suckling - within the first week kittens need a LOT of nutrition - as much as they want every 2-3 hours. Some say it is better to underfeed than overfeed, and I agree with this once the kittens are past the initial high-danger period (first 2 weeks) but right now they should eat as much as they can. I have been bottle feeding a couple week olds for the past few weeks (they are almost 3.5 - 4 weeks now and I am just beginning to introduce them to wet food, which they have no interest in except playing and making messes - so I can commiserate!! :)

     I'm not sure how much you know about neonates so I'm just going to ramble - sorry if I am preaching to the choir ;) !! I just have kittens on the brain right now because of the two I have.

    Remember also that kittens that young CANNOT eliminate on their own. Usually the mother cat will lick their anogenital area to get them to go, so check and see if she is doing that. If not, you'll need to do it with a cotton ball or paper towl (preferable the latter, as the slightly rougher surface mimics the mother's tongue.

     WARMTH is the third and most essential thing - these little guys cannot regulate their body temperature. A hot water bottle, heating pad, or heat lamp is needed. 

    Suckling can increase a mother's milk production, but it varies a lot from cat to cat and hormonal status. I would do formula AND let them nurse. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    wow - I'm really suprised she excepted them! Most cats wont do that - or dogs for that matter!

    I would continue to bottle feed, along with nursing. Make sure they are going to the bathroom. Deworm them, as well as mom every two weeks.New kittens carry all sorts of icky things!

    • Gold Top Dog

     

     

    Here are a few pictures.Notice the one lack and brown one has a perfect cross on its back. They are doing very well.She is taking great care of them.I have been feeding them a couple of times a day but when i take them out to feed them they already have full round tummies.They are also curled up with their new mommy sleeping and content most of the time.I am pretty sure is they were hungry they wouldnt be content.Mom is eating like a pig and her milk seems to have come back in great.I owe her one! LOL!

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    How adorable!!! I miss the bottles, but not the waking up every 3 hours!

    Never feed a kitten on his back! He will aspirate himself!!!!

    You need to feed them flat on their bellies. Position them in your lap like they would be when nursing on mom.