any tips on weaning kittens? **update, the runt died**

[Akane]

You want them to eat DRY food, as wet rots teeth and makes them stinky.You want them to eat DRY food, as wet rots teeth and makes them stinky.

I missed this before. It's a complete myth and has been disproven by many vets and current research. Wet food is much much better for a cat than dry food. It does not harm their teeth. It does help prevent urinary tract problems and dehydration as well as generally containing fewer grains and filler compared to dry. In order to get dry food to go through a mill and into the die to make the little pieces you have to include a certain amount of grains or other powder to make the meat stick. That's why even the highest quality cat and dog foods can't go over a certain protein or meat ratio. Now canned food you can take meat, grind it up, add vitamins, some water, and ta da cat/dog food with no grains or junk. That would be something like canned evo. This diet is actually much better for cats and dogs but usually more expensive and more difficult for the owners since wet food can't be left out like dry. Cats with health problems are often put on a wet food only diet.​

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Thank you, Akane... glad someone else said it

How are the kittens doing, OP?

 

[NewChickenMom]

well, i've dried dipping their mouths in the milk/wet food/mixture of the two. NOTHING! they just cry louder and want milk. they just walk through it, get soaking wet and cry louder. they have no interest in the dry food, i blended some up into a crumble and put some of that in their mouths, they HATED it. i guess i'm stuck giving them milk for a while longer.

another one of the kittens is not doing well, only eats 6cc before i have to slowly drip milk in his mouth. i don't know what i'm doing wrong.

i don't know how old they are, but they do have teeth and can walk around fairly well. i have them in a storage container without the lid, with a litter box and dry food. also they have a heat lamp above one side of the box.

 

[redhen]

how old are they?...if they are crying alot they are still hungry...not getting enough to eat...have you tried putting the kmr in the wet food(mixing the 2 )..and making it pretty thin..but not water thin...stick their little nose in it....it needs to be shallow bowl..or flat plate...also..could try to dip your finger in the wet food/milk mixture..and dabbing a tiny bit on thier tounge...till they get the taste for it....i just lost a new born kitten....

...its heart breaking!...best wishes, Wendy

edited to add: sorry..i just saw that you said you didnt know how old they were...

 

[Akane]

Keep dumping their chins in the milk dish every time they cry. Forget the food until you get them to drink from a dish. Don't syringe feed them for awhile unless they look weak. Make sure the dish is high enough and small enough they can't get into it. Yes kittens will track all through their food when they first start eating it. You want a dish they can't track through to start with. When they open their mouths to meow dunk their chins so the milk gets in their mouth. Wait for them to meow and do it again. You have to be persistent. Just be careful not to get it up their nose or they could end up with respiratory problems. You can also try to pour it in their mouths off something small like a spoon or squirt it in but do not let them suck. Teach them to take mouthfuls and swallow and get them to lick their chins and faces.

If all else fails and I did have one batch that just could not get it. Get a good quality canned cat food. Wait until they are really hungry and crying for it. Scoop some up on your finger, wait for them to open their mouths wide to meow, and shove it in. Repeat until they realize they are getting full swallowing that stuff. You have to keep it up long enough to make them full. If they are still hungry they won't get that the stuff in their mouth helped get rid of that pain in their bellies. After 2 or 3 times of filling their mouths up they'll start to make little grumbling meows while chewing. That's when they are starting to get it.

The end of every feeding time for a week or so requires a bath with a damp washcloth or paper towel for every kitten. They will make a mess until they get the idea and sometimes you have to purposely make their face a mess so they'll lick it off.

 

[Bec]

Quote:
You may want to try the baby chicken as I suggested in my earlier post. My mom and I rescued orphaned kittens for ten years and it worked very well. I wouldn't cut back at all at this point with the milk until they start eating something..they really need the nutrients. They may not be ready for food at this point. If they are just starting to get their teeth they are around 3 weeks old. They still need the kitten milk, but keep offering the other. It will take a while for them to understand what is going on. At this age, there is no need to force them to eat anything else but the milk, but starting to offer it is a good idea. Weaning is a VERY messy time..they will walk through it and even stand in it while they eat, you just have to prepared with a warm wet cloth to clean them up a bit!!

 

[nerfy]

If they are just getting teeth in, they are probably about 3 weeks old, and still need kitten formula every 4 to 5 hours.
They dehydrate quickly, get weak, and die. They will not be ready for solid food until they are a bit older. I have been able to wean them at 4 to 5 weeks of age using a mixture of 1 part canned food to 3 parts kitten formula.
I too have raised many rescued kittens for what seems forever. Most were 1 day old when I got them.
Many sleepless nights! Love doing it. Are all of them eliminating waste? They are used to Mom cat stimulating nature's call. If they are not, this will also lead to death in newborn to about 3 weeks, sometimes 4.
Bec's advice is right on.
Wishing you all the best.

 

[NewChickenMom]

thanks everyone. i did manage this morning to get 2 of the 4 healthy ones to drink formula from a dish, they did get some in their nose so i started giving all of them some clavamox. the weak one is still pulling through, he can actually suck down 12 cc before i have to drip the formula.

i'm going to try the milk dish again in a few hours.

 

[Bec]

I think that is a great start!! Keep up the good work!!

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Sounds like you are making progress ..and I have to agree that Bec's advice is right on

I've dealt with plenty of orphans in my lifetime ..from kittens to pigs to various other mammals (and I rescue a lot of critters now). It is a task ..a HUGE task... to commit to feeding every couple or three hours, rubbin' little bums to make them potty, learning a new language of symbols and sounds ...but once you've taken on that little life, or lives, you have made it your responsibility..

Not all of them will comply with our wishes for them to "just hurry up and eat solids" or "learn to potty on their own" or "go to the food bowl when they are hungry" and so on..

They are babies ..babies that lost their Mum, in fact. They don't understand any better than we do ..the barriers between the species.... so it's our duty to be patient with them since we are the one's with the reasoning ability to do so. Be patient.


Hopping off my box now..


Good luck with those precious babies!!