The Chronicles of Samson: Olympic Diver

[Imp]

On another note, I may have to change his name to Piggie!! In the last three days he has doubled his formula intake from 1 Tb every three hours, to 2 Tb every three hours. I will have to try to get a pic of his fat little belly after his next feeding. It looks like he swallowed a tennis ball

QFT

It's amazing how much they'll drink, and it only goes up. When I had Blimp and his 2 brothers I emptied 3 nearby pet stores of their entire supply of KMR. And it's not cheap. But seeing those fat little bellies and hearing the purrs of contentment- there's just nothing like it.

 

[ChicknThief]

QFT

It's amazing how much they'll drink, and it only goes up. When I had Blimp and his 2 brothers I emptied 3 nearby pet stores of their entire supply of KMR. And it's not cheap. But seeing those fat little bellies and hearing the purrs of contentment- there's just nothing like it.

Seriously! Crazy how much they charge for it. I was certain that one large tub would last me until he is weaned, but now I am thinking twice. Little booger is gonna eat me outta house and home. But yes, it is more than worth it. My favorite bit is watching his ears while he is having his bottle. Looks like he is trying to take flight

 

[canesisters]

Do you have something in with him for him to snuggle up to? I used to have an old, floppy teddy that I unstuffed just enough that I could push a water bottle filled with hot water into. ...... <snort! Now that I think of if, that must've been quite a picture... stuffing the hot watter bottle up the little bear's... um.. opening> Anyway - it was heavy and warm and they loved to push tight up against it - especially when I only had one.

 

[ChicknThief]

Here is some cuteness to help you get through your days! Just look at that fat tubby lumpkin

 

[canesisters]

Awwww.... so precious.
I like the permanent little boogie, one of my bottle babies had one like that and his new parents named him Boogerface. Well, the man did, the woman called him boogie.

 

[ChicknThief]

LMAO! Boogerface. Sheesh. Yea that freckle is in quite the location on his little face

He gets all excited when I let him hang out on my desk and he watches me type. Keeps swatting at my fingers and the keys. What a big helping boy! And he has become a sort of office mascot. Everyone wants to come visit Samson.

I went to go feed him a little bit ago. Had the bottle all made, and I knew he was hungry because the windows were starting to shake and one of my co-workers ears started bleeding. I get him all in his time-to-eat position, poise the bottle, but he won't latch! He is screaming, and chewing the nipple, and scratching at the bottle, and CLEARLY very frustrated, but he won't eat! Took me about five minute to figure out that I was trying to feed him through the travel nipple that doesn't have a hole in it

Poor baby was soooo mad at me

 

[ChicknThief]

I entered Samson in a Cutest Pet Contest! Pretty please visit this link and vote for him! If I win I will be awarded 1000$ which will be really helpful in covering all of his vaccinations and his neuter which he will need soon. Thank you!

http://gapc-vote.com/?c=multi&p=681622

 

[ChicknThief]

Well, I have some good news, and some bad news.

This weekend I went out of town for a couple days for my little sister's bachelorette party. I was going to take him with me, but Jamison offered to take care of him while I was gone. I was pretty surprised by this, since Samson has been my sole responsibility since I got him. Jamison likes animals, but he really doesn't want to own any. I took Samson in on the condition that I would rehome him when he was old enough. After a couple days Jamison warmed up to him and said I could keep him so long I met the following criteria: He is an indoor/outdoor cat and thus potties outside, he doesn't scratch the furniture, we find ways to keep the dander down, and he stays clean in general. So we worked together and found ways to make these requirements happen.

Well, last night we had a problem. I got home and there was only about a teaspoon of formula left. It was too late for any of the pet stores to be open, so I used this recipe...

About 2 years ago our grandpa wanted farm cats so we took our cats kittens out there when they were about 8 weeks old at the time. Last year one of them had kittens and we suspect that in the middle of her moving them, she was attacked by a dog (that his ex-wife had taken out there because she didn't want it anymore..?!?) and killed, leaving her kittens orphaned. Our aunts cat had had kittens about 4 weeks before that and she had just weaned hers, so we traded kittens and took our aunts home with us and left our grandpas there, her momma cat ended up running out of milk and 2 of the kittens had died for some reason, so we traded again and brought the 2 that were left with us, they were maybe 3 weeks old then, my mom had been looking around the internet trying to find how/what to feed kittens that young, and came across this recipe..
One envelope knox unflavored gelatin mixed in 12 oz. boiling water.
Then add the following ingredients-
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 12 oz. can evaporated canned milk
They loved this stuff and it worked great! They turned 1 this February

(Thanks so much for posting this btw!!!) At first he didn't really like it, but I got him to drink some anyways. Last night around midnight he started crying really loudly. I figured he was hungry, so I made him a bottle but he refused it. We couldn't figure out what he wanted, and he kept climbing out of the box. So imperceptive me just put a blanket over the box to prevent him from climbing out. I figured he would tire out and go to sleep soon.

Poor baby was so sick

This morning he was actually sleeping on top of the blanket suspended over the box. I was really surprised to see that. And I noticed he looked pretty crusty everywhere. I figured I had gotten more milk on him last night than I thought, so I took him downstairs and gave him a bath. While I was washing him, the poor baby literally was squirting diarhoea. I went back upstairs and looked in the box and sure enough it was everywhere. Jamison freaked out. I mean he really pitched a fit. He said I have to put an ad on craigslist and rehome him asap. He texted me a little bit ago telling me he over-reacted, but he still doesn't know what to think.

He has started to pee without being stimulated so I bought him a little litter box that he can get in and out of. I can't exactly bring that to work, so he is in the bathroom at home with a towel on the floor. I also put some wet cat food soaked with the formula I made on a tupperware lid, which he seemed to be slurping up without a problem. I am out of my head with worry. I just know he is going to be getting sick all day from the change in food. What should I do? Should I just change him from milk to solids asap? Or go get more formula? Or stick with the stuff I made?

And now I don't even know if I will be able to keep him, even if I do manage to litterbox train him (which I have NO idea how to do) and get him weaned. I am just so unspeakably sad. And I don't have a leg to stand on, because when I brought him home, Jamison asked me if I was going to beg to keep him. I said no. That I had committed to one month, and that if after that month it just wasn't working, I would rehome him as agreed. It hasn't been a month yet, but I can't go back on what I said. I just kind of thought we were out of the woods so to speak when Jamison said we could keep him.

Anyway, I took these on the couch when I got home from Monterey yesterday. His little paw looks so huge next to his little face lol

 

[Kaitie09]

It was probably a change of formula. If you can get the old kind, he will most likely go back to normal. As for litter training, I would always stimulate the kittens over top of a litter box. Once they started going, I would place them in the box, after they were done, I would take their paw and make them bury their pee. They eventually got the hang of going in the box.

 

[Imp]

I thinking the change in food upset his digestion. That part is normal and common (any change in diet). And to an extent kittens have softer poop. Should clear up quickly, but get him back on the purchased formula. If the diarrhea doesn't stop, a vet visit is in order.
You can then start transitioning him to solid food. Mix solid food into the formula and encourage him to lap at it. Gradually make it more and more solid. Just like you are doing.
Sounds like you can stop the stimulation. He's got it handled now. But watch, just in case.
I've never had to teach a kitten to use the litter box, just put one in the kitten area with a little litter in it. At first they will play in it, getting litter everywhere, then they'll start using it and continue playing in it.

Imp