# Doesn't want to wean



## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

Ratchet will be 7 weeks old on Thursday. Doesn't want anything to do with milk in a dish, milk on his face, milk on his paws, etc. He will only nurse off of this one nipple he's had since we got him. When we slowly introduce the weaning KMR into his current formula he gets extreme diarrhea, so we know he still needs to be on milk only, for the time being. How on earth do you wean a 7 week old kitten who's more stubborn than any other cat I've ever fostered. He will hunt down his bottle and bring it to us when he's hungry, if he can't find it the loud cries begin. 

It's almost like he knows I'm typing about him. He's normally running around crazy, but sat next to me and stared at the laptop this whole time.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Shouldn't he be off that by now? I would think he'd be fine with wet food and no more milk or KMR products.


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

Whenever we switch him he gets really bad diarrhea, even if it's a very tiny tiny bit. Just today I made his normal milk and added 1/4 teaspoon of the weaning formula, I just got done bathing a kitten bum covered in diarrhea along with the carpet. Just what i want to do after working all night, on top of tons of homework for class tomorrow. I'm wondering if there's something in it that he's allergic to. I made some formula for tonight, and some formula for tomorrow but mixed with a little bit of wet food.


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

I just compared the ingredients from both.

Just Born formula:
Dried skimmed milk, vegetable oil, soy protein isolate, sodium caseinate, corn syrup solids, calcium carbonate, maltodextrin, magnesium phosphate dibasic, carrageenan, choline chloride, mono and diglycerides, potassium bicarbonate, sodium ascorbate, dipotassium phosphate, vitamin E, ferrous sulfate, niacinamide, cyanocobalamin (source of vitamin B12), zinc oxide, l-arginine, vitamin A palmitate, dl-methionine, calcium pantothenate, magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, l-taurine, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), riboflavin, vitamin K, biotin, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, BHT and propyl gallate as preservatives. 

KMR 2nd Step:
Rice Flour, Dried Milk Protein Concentrate, Dried Skimmed Milk, Dried Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, High Oleic Canola Oil, Artificial Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Maltodextrins, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Silicon Dioxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Gluconate, DL-methionine, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, and Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide. 

First ingredient is Rice in the 2nd step. Could it be a sensitivity to rice? If he doesn't have an issue with the Wellness Kitten tomorrow, then it's the 2nd Step causing the diarrhea.


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

marie73 said:


> *Shouldn't he be off that by now?* I would think he'd be fine with wet food and no more milk or KMR products.


Hmmm.... I suppose that's why I posted this, no?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

> When we slowly introduce the weaning KMR into his current formula he gets extreme diarrhea, so *we know he still needs to be on milk only*, for the time being.


Sounded to me like you wanted advice on how to keep him on milk only.....yes?


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

MissBoots said:


> I just compared the ingredients from both.
> 
> Just Born formula:
> Dried skimmed milk, vegetable oil, soy protein isolate, sodium caseinate, corn syrup solids, calcium carbonate, maltodextrin, magnesium phosphate dibasic, carrageenan, choline chloride, mono and diglycerides, potassium bicarbonate, sodium ascorbate, dipotassium phosphate, vitamin E, ferrous sulfate, niacinamide, cyanocobalamin (source of vitamin B12), zinc oxide, l-arginine, vitamin A palmitate, dl-methionine, calcium pantothenate, magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, l-taurine, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), riboflavin, vitamin K, biotin, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, BHT and propyl gallate as preservatives.
> ...


TBH it sounds to me like he needs to be weaned onto something else. I never bothered with the weaning formula, but the ingredients don't look great. I used a few tricks to wean Doran:

1. Add something yummy to the milk-dish milk, but NOT the bottle milk. A teeny teeny bit (less than pea sized) of syrup would do it.

2. Get some high quality wet food, I used EVO, and use your finger to wipe some on his nose. If that doesn't do it stick your finger, with cat food on it, into his mouth. usually once they're actually eating it is when the realise it's food.

3. Wait longer between feedings. Don't give in when he starts crying, wait until he's quite hungry. You know what they say, "Hunger is the best sauce!"

A combo of these things had Doran weaned pretty quick. I also used to sprinkle a bit of the formula powder onto any wet food I offered him for the first 2 weeks. It seemed to help.


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

We have Just Born milk mixed with Wellness kitten wet and he just wants nothing to do with it unless if it's in a bottle (He did lick a tiny bit off the sitter's finger, but fought her, we've tried this mix a few times). I haven't given in yet. He's had no bottle since last night. He heaves, coughs, hacks, what ever you'd like to call it after using the bottle, enough to where I flip him upside and pat him on the back to get him to stop. He's at the sitter's right now since I'm at school all day, and I didn't even give her the bottle when she picked him up so she'll stick to the tough love. We gave him some plain rice this morning around 4am, put a few pieces in his mouth, by 5:30ish he had diarrhea at the sitter's, so it's got to be the rice (vet recommended giving him rice alone to be sure). He's driving me crazy.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

If he'll only take from a bottle, and you haven't been offering the bottle at all then how has he been eating?

A kitten at that age NEEDS to be eating something. Tough love is good, but they can go downhill fast at that age. If all he'll take is the bottle then you'll have to give in and give him some.

It sounds to me like the bottle probelm is the hole in the nipple is too big. Try getting a new nipple and cutting and X in the tip, rather than poking holes/cutting off the tip.

I'd also try a saucer of milk with either some syrup mixed in, or an egg yolk. One egg yolk mixed into 2 days worth of formula, or about 1/4 tsp into 2 days worth of formula. In the bottle is plain formula so it's less yummy. Offer the dish (warmed obviously) first. Get some on your fingers and encourage him to lick it off. Once he's licking your fingers slowly lower them closer and closer to the dish, until he's licking milk from the dish between your fingers. If he refuses that until the milk is cold THEN do the bottle. He HAS to actually eat something though. If his bloodsugar gets too low he could crash, and with a kitten that small it can happen very quickly.

Try another brand of canned food too. Generally something that's a very finely ground, like a paste, is easier. I found the Wellness to be kindof pebbely and my cats didn't like it. If you've tried a few brands with no luck try chicken baby food instead for the first little bit. Some kittens need baby steps to get onto solid food.

With Torri I put a high quality dry food into a food processor and turned it into dust, then mixed water in until it was a paste. I added a bit of formula so she'd like the taste. That worked pretty well. Then to get her eating kibblesI'd put kibble in a dish and add warm water. I'd let it soak until the kibbles were soft, then feed it to her with a little formula powder on top.

Good luck! Let us know if you have any luck!


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

Gave him some Natural Balance LID Salmon, and he inhaled it. Guess this Wellness Kitten is going back and I'm going to give him a try on some other brands. Glad he's eating though  

YAY! He's weaned. LOL. Now fingers crossed no insane diarrhea.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

I read it as you are feeding him the bottle with him on his back - I hope that I read it wrong as you always feed them with the tummy side down.


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## MissBoots (Apr 28, 2011)

Mom of 4 said:


> I read it as you are feeding him the bottle with him on his back - I hope that I read it wrong as you always feed them with the tummy side down.


You read it wrong.  I've had him since a day old, and volunteer with a rescue as a bottle baby foster. Just never had one refuse food from a dish like this little one.


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