# bottle-feeding kittens



## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

Our neighbor found a kitten in her tractor shed. After looking around, we found one more. They had never seen a mama (although obviously there had to be one at some point). We had a crazy storm blow through yesterday (recorded winds of 77 mph), so we don't know if mama got lost, or hurt, or killed, and couldn't come back/finish transporting. Not that where she transported to is a good spot, which is why I have 2 more foster kittens, in addition to Baby (who is about 7 weeks old now).

However, these 2 are bottle-babies, roughly 3 weeks old. The girl, a little tuxedo, will drink milk from a platter. The boy (a grey tabby) seems to be attempting to hold out until mom comes back >.< We found them at 6 pm yesterday. I've been squeezing the bottle to make liquid come out and holding it in the boy's mouth some, but he wiggles so much that's virtually a lost cause. He wants nothing to do with this bottle. But at least I got something into him. They're currently snuggled under a blanket over a heating pad in our extra bathtub. 

I've figured out how to make them go pee (I have a friend who frequently has bottle babies, so this isn't a foreign concept, the whole bottle-feeding and stimulating to eliminate thing, and I called her and asked for advice), but I haven't managed to get them to poop. Maybe they just don't need to at the moment? Or maybe I'm just not rubbing long enough? They cry like you're stepping on them repeatedly when you rub their genitals. And I feel bad rubbing the boy's, erm, stuff, over and over, I don't want to make things raw.

As for why we didn't just leave them, and see if mom came back, my neighbor has 4-5 chihuahuas who would have just eaten them if they'd found them (hence why we're going, why would a mama cat put her kittens here?) For the kittens' safety, we really had no other choice. 

Figures, right? You try to get your fosters adopted so you can kinda get out of the foster business, and you get 3 more, when you're not technically an open foster home. lol

Anyway, any tips for encouraging defecation and getting the little boy to eat? My friend told me if we just waited them out long enough, eventually they'd give in. As long as the girl is drinking from a bowl, I can deal, that's fine, but I'm not sure what to do with Mr. Stubborn. I've always heard the ones who have recently been with mama are the worst, lol.


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

One of the hardest things for me to learn with my bottle babies was to give everything time - I'm a natural worrier and waiting does not come easily to me.

If you are seeing urine that is enough. The switch to formula from mom's milk is a naturally constipating experience for little ones and who are milk dependent and as long as there are no signs of discomfort don't worry about the lack of poop unitl day 5. At 3 weeks you are in pretty shape to do really well with these 2 bottle babies - Some things with your reluctant feeder that I have found to make a diference to some babies:
nipples - I have had a number of babies hate rubber nipples, petsmart is the only place I've been able to sind silicone nipples - they are made by petag too.
formula - some babies really struggle with the transition to formula and I've found that the canned goat's milk - while much more pricey than powder substitutes can make a nice 'bridge' between the two. - some babies just like the goat's milk replacer better. On that note the order of preference for mass market formulas (this summer - last 4 mos or so) has been strangely consistent. The favorite powder is GNC replacer (yeah - petsmart again, not my favorite store but it's easy to access), 2nd is good ol' KMR, third is the Century powder and a last 4th is the hartz - I work with a lot of donations so I have the opportunity to use multiple brands. So my advice is upgrade if you can and save whatever is being rejected for a week or 2 from now to make gruel and see if a change in what you offer helps.

If you do see signs of discomfort and are concerned (once again 24hours with round the clock feeding is the fatest I usually see any poop in a kitten that age new to formula and I usually give 5 days before trying any of the following 'helps' to produce a stool.
Don't do all of these at once, but options for producing a stool include:

adding plain canned pumpkin. I use a syringe, mix the pumpkin about 50/50 with water and give 5ml at a time every 12 hours until a stool is produced (2 doses is usually the magic number - don't do more than 3 like this on a 3week old kitten without contacting a vet)

adding laxatone natural - it is important that you only use natural - no petroleum jelly on kits this small and only in the recommended amounts (divide down by weight as needed)

a warm water bottom only bath/soak can help and as far as the rubbing goes, 60 seconds is more than enough on their sensitive genitals - move to abdomen stroking and all over the torso mimic grooming with a warm wet washcloth to stimulate stools.

Oy, this is getting wordy & long - I've got to run but I'll come back and add some more.

Good job on the save - proof positive that you don't have to be open for fosters you just have to live with your eyes open to see the need.


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## bkitty (Aug 17, 2009)

Try an eye dropper on your little boy - some little guys don't like the nipples on the bottles. KMR is easily available even at Wallyworld, plus at 4 weeks you can add the meat only baby food to their plate with kitten kibble. As far as elimination, try a warm wet washcloth. Start by washing lunch off their faces then working your way to their rump wipe up from beween their legs to the base of their tail. Nora B gave great advice


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

The boy is still being stubborn, lol. I cut the hole in the nipple a bit bigger, accidentally a little too big, I think, but before I could squeeze the bottle and next to nothing came out. Now I've got him taking it a bit, with some squeezing to keep a light stream of liquid going. He won't nurse on it, he bites on it, all the way up to the plastic rim. >.< His teeth are so tiny, it doesn't even puncture the nipple. They're little nubs of teeth. His sister is drinking her serving, and with good speed, from a plate. He looks at a plate like it's from Mars. I've tried taking some and rubbing it on his face, but I think he may just not be mature enough for a plate (apparently girl cats mature faster as well, lol). They're maintaining their weights at the moment, but no interest in canned food gruel on either of their parts. We decided to try it, just in case. I'm still getting pees, but no poops, but I'm not terribly worried. However, the boy's pee is yellower than his sister's (and than it was yesterday), I'm guessing just like humans that means he's just not drinking quite enough?

Any tips on how long to rub their bottoms to try to get them to defecate before giving up? I really don't want to rub the poor babies raw. 

Oh, and we're trying to figure out names. My fiance likes Nomad for the boy, because he wanders a bit more. The girl is very calm, unless you pick her up, when you would swear you are torturing the poor thing.


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

Question: how does one feed with an eye dropper? I know bottles, I know syringes (but they frequently explode as we all know), but I have no clue how to feed with an eye dropper.


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

neko13_3 said:


> I'm guessing just like humans that means he's just not drinking quite enough?
> 
> Any tips on how long to rub their bottoms to try to get them to defecate before giving up? I really don't want to rub the poor babies raw.
> 
> ...


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## its.alice (Jun 15, 2011)

neko13_3 said:


> He won't nurse on it, he bites on it, all the way up to the plastic rim. >.< His teeth are so tiny, it doesn't even puncture the nipple. They're little nubs of teeth.


When they are biting the nipple, it means they are ready to start being weaned. That's usually when Momma cat will start kicking them off the teat.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

its.alice said:


> When they are biting the nipple, it means they are ready to start being weaned. That's usually when Momma cat will start kicking them off the teat.


I don't think so because of this:



> However, these 2 are bottle-babies, roughly 3 weeks old.


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

Biting the nipple on a bottle happens a lot with kittens that remember momma. Some of them never really like replacement nipples - hence the dropper, syringe etc. A few other tricks (though they get a little odd sounding - but desperation can lead a person to try anything):
I wrap nursing kittens in a hand towel - almost like swaddling and hold themm facing outward agaisnt my chest/ at my breastbone so I can see them well looking straight down, then feed - it keeps them from leaning back and choking but not from leaning toward the bottle and a more natural feeding position (also protects from the little claws).
One kitten did much better after rubbing the nipple on my skin to 'scent' it - he really hated rubber nipples but started with sucking milk off my finger then worked to sucking the nipple - he was a picky guy and would only eat for me - some kittens will eat for one person and not another so that might be worth a try.

Back again to the nipple choice - more of mine have bitten at the rubber nipples than the silicone ones, also if possible change to the longer shape, it looks odd but fits more naturally for kittens - the PetAg bottle kits come with multiple shapes and that long narrow one is a great starter for some kittens (i just scissor the tip off - this nipple also works well on syringes)

It is easy to raise behaviorally challenged kittens so you want to be careful not to over do on the scruffing but sometimes a little scruff hold can help the intial bottle latching for nursing - 3 weeks is a bit old for this in my experience but it is worth a gentle try. FYI be aware of the biting & constipation connection, many kittens bite off and swallow nipples as they start to get ready to wean, it happens fast is usually no worry but with no stools yet you'll want to be extra careful, those nipples can wear out pretty fast.


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

Still no poopsies. Could possibly be operator error, or maybe they just haven't solidly gotten enough into them yet for that. We figured out today if my fiance feeds them, for whatever reason he is able to get more into them from the medicine dropper. 

I took the girl off of the dish for a day or two. She was blowing air bubbles into the milk, so we put her on the dropper.
















The grey tabby is the boy, Nomad. The tuxedo is the girl, Flower. 

We're now getting about 3 tsp in them at each feeding, which is preferable to the 1-2 we were getting in before, and closer to what the Just Born container calls for. They've gained an ounce, but it still slightly concerns me about the no pooping, but my friend who does bottle feeding isn't really concerned at the moment. They just sit there and CRY when you stimulate them to go, pee or poop. It sounds like you're stepping on them over and over, lol. Is that normal? I just worry that their booties may already be raw, and that's why they're crying, but they cried when we did it the first day too. >.<


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

I really wouldn't be concerned about the lack of stools yet either.

I am wondering the position you are holding the little ones while you stim? Is it possible they are crying from being held on their backs or in the air? Just a thought, try holding them down by a hand gently over shoulder blades and wiping/rubbing while they are in that position? I also sometimes use just a tiny bit of vegetable oil to lubricate...


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

I've tried holding them in the air. No likey. So mostly I wipe their booties with 3-4 feet on a solid surface (they prefer the ground beneath them, pick them up and they freak out).


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

Seeing as they're still not pooping, Nora B, I'll likely be implementing your pumpkin trick later tonight or so. They cry after feedings (no longer hungry), so I'm wondering if it may not be discomfort. No clue really. Also not positive if it's constipation or operator error (i.e. me). My friend who does bottle babies will be at clinic this Saturday, so I'll likely take them to clinic and get her to show me, so I have a better clue. We're getting 3-4 tsp of Just Born into them now, so at least they're eating plenty. Still off of the platter, because the boy looks at it like 'wth?', and the girl snorts it while she drinks it *face/palm*. Removed them from 24 hours and let them have another shot today. Still snorting, lol. 

I've used washclothes (wetted with warm water), and dry and wet paper towels. They're peeing fine, although with protest, but I just can't get that elusive poop. Should I maybe dilute the formula some more? Could that possibly be contributing?


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

No suggestions for pooping, but I hope you get them going soon...Pun Intended, lol.

For the platter thing, some kittens pick it up quick but others need to learn. I went through this with a bunch of kittens, a litter of 10 (of which about 2 'got it' quickly), Doran, and Muffin too.

1. Prepare platter as normal, make sure the milk is the right temp.
2. Put a drp on your finger, put it on their lips. When they lick you're half way there!
3. Keep offering milk from your finger, slowly leading them towards the dish.
4. When you get them to the dish slowly sink your fingers into the milk, so they're lapping it from the bowl, but with your fingertips there too.
5. Start removing your fingers. Most kittens catch on at this pint, others you'll have to go slower.

All the kittens I taught this way needed 2-3 repeats to really understand and remember it. But it's super cute to see! Expect messy feedings and take lots of cute pictures!


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

neko13_3 said:


> Seeing as they're still not pooping, Nora B, I'll likely be implementing your pumpkin trick later tonight or so. They cry after feedings (no longer hungry), so I'm wondering if it may not be discomfort. No clue really. Also not positive if it's constipation or operator error (i.e. me). My friend who does bottle babies will be at clinic this Saturday, so I'll likely take them to clinic and get her to show me, so I have a better clue. We're getting 3-4 tsp of Just Born into them now, so at least they're eating plenty. Still off of the platter, because the boy looks at it like 'wth?', and the girl snorts it while she drinks it *face/palm*. Removed them from 24 hours and let them have another shot today. Still snorting, lol.
> 
> I've used washclothes (wetted with warm water), and dry and wet paper towels. They're peeing fine, although with protest, but I just can't get that elusive poop. Should I maybe dilute the formula some more? Could that possibly be contributing?


Hmm - the idea that they are crying after feedings is worrisome. Throughout this thread pretty much every response I've had to your posts is an it's OK give it time or try something different, but not this time. 

Do they stop crying after a little bit? Are you burping them? I know it sounds a bit bonkers but bottle babies actually need to be burped because they swallow so much air when feeding. I sometimes will put them over a shoulder and rub in circles on their backs, some do better across my thigh , some will fuss & burp loudly others just 'eeep' a bit, patting gently works. Once again the all over body rub.

I strongly advise against dry paper towels for stimulating elimination, dabbing away urine ok but not rubbing.

If the kittens don't stop crying and act content & sleep well & behave normally at least 'half' the time something is definitely wrong and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. 

Did you check out the link I sent you? Their is a chapter on FKS it would be worth at least skimming so you know what to look for....


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

They do stop crying when you leave the room, say 10-20 seconds after no one is in there. It's like they want attention (but they dislike being held...picky, picky, lol). They do it more in the hour or so before feeding time, but if you feed them more than an hour before scheduled they barely eat anything.

Aside from no poop (which I did get a little fecal matter from the girl this morning, after some pumpkin last night. Gave them a little more, so maybe we'll get something this evening), they seem to be thriving. They're learning how to play, they're getting more mobile (that will be interesting, lol), they're eating more from the eye dropper, and either holding or gaining weight. We alternate between them during feedings (give Nomad about as much as he'll take at once, then Flower, wash, rinse, repeat), I hear them burping in between eating while feeding. When they stop showing interest, we assume they must need a minute to burp/let the food settle/etc. They generally do not stop eating until they've had at least 6 droppers full (3 tsp), sometimes more. Their urine is largely either pale yellow, or nearly clear. Nothing as terribly dark as they talk about in the FKS article, not even close. 

I'll see if they like wetted paper towels better. It seemed logical to me because then I could tell if they were peeing without having to remove the towel and stop stimulating.


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## JBerotte (Feb 4, 2011)

Buffy was a bottle baby and also had trouble popping. The vet suggested mixing a few drops of Karo syrup into the milk for every feeding until she pooped. Karo syrup acts like a laxative. It did work but took about 2 days for her to poop.

As for how to stimulate a kitten, I held her in the palm of my hand to keep her still, used either a warm baby wipe or put warm water onto a cotton ball, and then gentle went in circles to get her to go potty.


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

We got a poop! Flower pooped this evening (yay!). I suspect her brother will follow in the next day or so, seeing as he ate about half of what she did for the first day or two.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see poop.


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## Nora B (Nov 6, 2010)

Hooray for poop! LOL I'm really glad you've got positive progress. It can be hard to tell from descriptions online what is really going on - thanks for the clarification, with the urine description and weight info it sounds like your babies are making great progress! I'm so glad.

As for poop happiness, trust me - I get it!


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## neko13_3 (Jul 4, 2011)

Still no poops from Nomad. I'm going to clinic tomorrow, and a friend of mine who frequently does bottle babies will be there. As will a vet (admittedly set up for spaying/neutering, but he might have a clue if we need him). Nothing from Flower today, either, but she just pooped last night. 

Think we're probably going to try the bath/soak thing tonight. I doubt he'll like it, but it seems like my last shot. >.< He's doing well. Eating TONS, and playing a lot.

Also, Flower seems to like sucking on her brother's, erm, stuff. Any tips for helping that, aside from separating them? They're all each other have, and they dislike being alone. But I know it's bad for the boy. Feeding her usually distracts her from it, but I can't be there 24/7.


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