More Trials and Tribulations...or, Kittens Suck!

One of the complications that can arise with bottle babies is their instinct to suckle.  I've read that most kittens spend an average of four hours per day on mom's nipple, much of that time not really nursing, but using it as a pacifier.  The advantage of bottle feeding over tube feeding is that it helps serve that instinct.  What often happens, regardless of the method used, is that if there is more than one kitten, they will start using each other as pacifiers.  While they can suckle anywhere, the most common (and problematic) area is the genitalia of each other.  This can lead to all sorts of problems.  The suckling will eventually stimulate the bladder and bowels to evacuate, resulting in yet another kitten mess.  I thought naively that once or twice of this happening to each kitten would teach them that this is a poor idea.  I was very wrong.  It kept happening, over, and over.  All six kittens were now needing multiple baths daily.  And even if it happened only to one or two kittens, all the rest would manage to drag their little bodies through whatever liquid or semi-solid waste remained.  If it was there, they would find it.

I couldn't really separate the kittens from each other completely; they needed the warmth and comfort of each other at this stage.  I used two microwavable pet heating pads in their nest constantly as it was.  I was also concerned about their getting sick from ingesting even small amounts of urine or feces, although this fortunately never seemed to happen.

The even more serious repercussion of the suckling became quickly apparent.  Some of the kittens, particularly the two males, were beginning to have swollen genitalia, and even a visible penis.  At this age, it's usually pretty hard to even sex the kittens, but it was pretty obvious with these guys who was who.  I had taken to sitting over their pen, scruffing and moving each offending kitten with an accompanying little hiss in a never-ending chess match.  If a kitten was relentless, I gave them a little timeout in a separate pen.

I tried all kinds of make shift surrogate moms for them, none of which really worked.  I made a simple nipple in a stuffed sock; they liked it, but not enough to use it.









I made a more elaborate version with a faux fur cover with nipple insert, filled with a removable rice bag which can be heated in the microwave.  They laid on it, but ignored the nipple.  There are a couple of commercial carriers of the same idea; here is a link to one.  I'd love to hear if anyone has any experience with these, or has any other useful ideas on the subject...





The shelter gave me a vet appointment to examine all six kittens for potential damage, so off we went.  The verdict?  One of the girls, and one of the boys had to have a cycle of antibiotics, and they said that both boys needed to be isolated indefinitely, from each other as well as the girls.  So, now I needed three pens instead of one.


I was pleased with myself for having just come
up with seemed like a cheap, versatile,
yet effective kitten enclosure system.


I used 4' x 8' sheets of hardboard at the hardware store, cut down to my specifications.  It comes in 1/8" and 3/16" inch thicknesses, and has a variety of finishes from plain brown, to white, pegboard, and even paneled finishes.  I had two panels cut into a variety of sizes, from 24" x 24", to 36" x 48".

I then drilled 1/2" holes along each side, and fastened them together with cable ties.  I used a new tarp on the floor for the base.

The system allows a huge variety of configurations and sizes, and allowed me to add the two new compartments I would now need for the boys.  I left one end open so that I could easily clean inside.  

The entire system can be separated, or folded down flat and just slides under a sofa for storage when not in use.  Pretty effective, and cheap!

The kittens are growing fast now, and it's time to begin weaning and using the litterbox.  This part becomes yet another opportunity for a really big mess.  Four of the kittens dig right in to their first real meal of KMR formula mixed heavily with Babycat canned kitten pate, but two still won't have anything to do with it for a couple of days. More tube feeding.  Those two finally see the virtues of eating on their own, and join the feeding frenzy.

I like to use these corn dishes which act as feeding troughs; the kittens like them, too.  They seemed to delight in using them as kitten surfboards, laying in them with all four paws while chowing down. Makes an even better mess, and allows them complete dominance over that food source.  It is astounding just how covered with food they can become in seconds...

 Fortunately, I had another good solution for this.

                                                                               

Egg Nog.

No, not the drink, although that can help the surrogate mom.  No, my other foster kitten of about four months, whose name is Egg Nog.  He was a feral kitten that had had several different foster homes, including mine, and one failed adoption.  He is the absolute sweetest kitten, but he was very skittish, and would always hiss at you if you made a move toward him.  If you picked him up, he would immediately start purring, so I was confident he could be placed in a great home if he just had the right adopters.  I kept him enclosed in a separate room, because I wasn't sure what he would do with the kittens, so I started by taking in one kitten at a time.

Egg Nog absolutely loved the kittens.  I wasn't sure if it was just because they were often covered in food, but he would go crazy giving them baths.  I did have some fear of him confusing the food-covered kittens as some sort of cat treat for him, but he never showed any sign of aggression toward them, only extreme enthusiasm!

The kittens adored Egg Nog too.  You could see how hard it was to restrain himself trying to play with the kittens; he really wanted to romp and go all out with them, but they were just too small for him.  So, I was thrilled when Tiffany and Bobby stepped up and adopted him; now he has a loving home, and two cat playmates that are more his size!

The litterbox training was virtually instant; as soon as it was placed in their pen, it was diligently used.  Sometimes too diligently, as five kittens cannot use one litterbox at once:

As soon as one gets in, everybody wants in, regardless whether they need to use it or not.

The Saga Continues....

So, all is fine in kittyland for a couple of days.  Mom and kittens are doing well, and mom has a voracious appetite, as does her offspring. Then, she suddenly stops eating.  She continues to nurse the kittens, but I question how much milk they're really getting, and how long she can keep up production when she's not eating.  I try giving her everything to convince her to eat; rotisserie chicken, tuna from the can, baby food; cat treats.  Nothing.  I'm monitoring the kitten weights several times per day, and now they're starting to actually lose weight - an extremely serious concern for young kittens.  Then, mom develops horrendous diarrhea.  I talk with our medical person at the shelter to find out if she can be seen by a vet, a difficult prospect since it's now sunday morning.

The only option is to drive to the nearest emergency clinic located about an hour north of me.  The appointment is set, and they want to see mom and all the kittens.  After examining her, her diagnosis is uncertain, plus she now has a low grade fever.  She needs to go on antibiotics, and can no longer nurse the kittens.  They keep her overnight to run additional bloodwork and make sure she's well hydrated.

Now, I have bottle babies, instead of a wonderful nursing mother who takes care of everything.  I've had bottle babies before, but only one set as young as these.  And, not as many as six at a time.  I've also found it challenging for many kittens to really take the bottle consistently, and these little guys need to be fed every two hours around the clock at this stage.  They might take in a little formula, then decide to nap for a bit in the middle of feeding; you do the math...It'll be like painting the San Francisco Bay Bridge; I've heard as soon as it's finished, they need to begin painting again!

The shelter had just told me about tube feeding for kittens, and how well it worked, so I asked one of the techs at the clinic if they could give me a live demo, which they did.  She carefully walked me through the entire process, and together we fed all six kittens.  Four hours later I walked out with my six little charges, a couple of cans of KMR formula, feeding tubes and syringes, and not just a little trepidation.

So, this is the process I have to now go through...

(Note, pics are taken at about 10 days of age; their eyes are now open)

First, WEIGH each kitten:

Then, calculate the amount of formula each kitten will receive based on individual weight and age of kitten.












I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about the entire procedure of tube feeding here, but there are a number of great online sources which explain and illustrate the process much more extensively.  Check out these links:

http://www.hayaji.com/faqTube.html
http://www.messybeast.com/handrear.htm


I'm interested in the virtues of tube feeding vs. bottles vs. syringe feeding, etc, and in comparing experiences with others.  I would definitely caution against trying tube feeding without first having a vet or tech person walk through the process first.

It's vital to keep detailed records of the feedings for each kitten, along with the individual weights.  I weighed them at each feeding to make sure they were never losing weight.

Next, take the warmed (not HOT) formula, and draw up the proper amount for the feeding based on the formula.  NEVER use regular milk or dairy products with animals, always use an approved product for that particular animal. I use the KMR canned liquid formula; if using the powdered form, you must be careful that no lumps are present or it will block the tube.  Attach the feeding tube to the syringe (I used a #5 french catheter for weeks 2-3), making sure a line is marked on the tube which will conform to the length between the center of the kitten's mouth, and running along its underbelly to the last rib.  This is the location of the stomach.

Now, make a 'Kitten Burritto'!


 

















WRAP the kitten fairly firmly so that
only the head is exposed.




Open the mouth, and very gently guide the tube over the tongue, and down all the way until the mark you've made on the tube is at the center of the kittens mouth.  If you feel any resistance, then you may have started to enter the lungs; pull back and try again.  Gently depress the syringe, and slowly administer the formula; depending on the amount, it should take 1-2 minutes.  Keep the kitten in an upright position at all times - the kitten can aspirate the formula if positioned on its back.  Carefully withdraw the tube.

Now it's time to take on another kitten mom chore:  pooping and peeing each kitten...

The kittens can't urinate or defecate on their own at this stage, so the surrogate mom has to simulate what the kitty mom does by stimulating the genitalia of the kittens.  Use a soft washcloth or cotton ball and moisten it with warm water.  Gently rub the kitten with a small circular motion, and you will be richly rewarded with a fountain of pee, and what looks like a playdoh factory production of poop.  Did I mention how much laundry you will be doing?!!  I cut up large towels into smaller ones to make it more efficient.



Often this very messy process results in a very messy kitten; I ended up giving numerous baths to all of the kittens.  I used a shallow basin filled with a few inches of warm (NOT hot) water, and usually got the job done just dunking the bottom half of the kitten in the tub and cleaning them.  If necessary, I used a little liquid soap made for kittens, and rinsed well.




Make sure the kitten is warm and draft-free at all times.  When they are this age, they are not capable of generating their own heat, and can very quickly become dangerously chilled.  If you bathe them, you must also GENTLY blow dry them until they are thoroughly dry; use a gentle, cool setting, not hot.

Finally, a bundle of full, happy, warm dry kittens....

Congratulations!!  Now it should be time to start the process all over!

1 + 6 - 1

Nothing ever works out like you think it will....

Lira arrived with her 6 two-day old kittens, the whole bunch feral.  I should have known how this one was going to go, based on the way it started.  I got the call they had arrived at the shelter, and were waiting for me to pick them up.  When I arrived, they were in an ENORMOUS dog crate, entirely too heavy for one person to lift.  First problem:  moving mom and kittens to a smaller carrier that I could handle by myself.  There seemed to be some sense that mom would explode in a spitting, demonic frenzy once the cage door was opened.  Cautiously, two of us opened the cage door, and removed the kittens one by one as if they were tiny IED's.  We placed them in the smaller carrier, then went for mom.  Turns out she was extremely wary, but not aggressive.  Mission accomplished.

I brought the bunch home, and settled them into an upstairs bedroom already set up for them.  Now it's pretty easy for a couple of weeks; mom does most of the work.  I give the new family some quiet time to settle in, and watch tv downstairs.  I could swear I hear tiny kitten mews, even above the tv sound.  Impossible.  They are upstairs, sealed in a room with a closed door, one which I had spent some time that morning adjusting so that it would latch better when shut.

My cat-like curiosity was killing me, so I went upstairs to check.  Sure enough, the door is ajar, and my lovingly prepared kitten nest box is missing mom, plus two kittens.  Now I'm panicked.  Mom is feral, and certainly won't do anything but hide if I call for her, and she could be anywhere in the house at this point.  I search all over, to no avail.  There are a million places to hide.  It is an antique house, filled with nooks, crannies, and tons of 'collectibles'.  Since there are still four kittens upstairs, I decide to sit quietly in the room, and wait to see if mom shows up to collect more.  Strategy rewarded, she enters the room, and nabs another tiny kitten.  I can hear her trot downstairs, so I try to discreetly follow her to see where she dares think she can make a better nest than I did.  Of course, she vanishes into a nook.  Or cranny.

I go back upstairs to wait again, but mom makes no more appearances.  Now what?  The three kittens remaining are getting hungry.  Is her plan to leave the other three behind, because she senses they're weaker, or she can't care for all six for some reason??  Is she taking care of the three she's already taken?  Now I'm in a pickle.  If she doesn't come back soon, I need to start breaking out the kitten formula and bottles for the three orphans.  I decide to do yet another search and reconnaissance.  It's now about 3 am.  Finally, I narrow my search to the dining room, in what was the original kitchen of the house in the 1700's.  There is a large fireplace, and an adjacent beehive oven.  The fireplace is screened well, and the oven has a metal door, so I know she's not in there.

Under the beehive oven is another opening, about ten inches square, which opens wider inside and goes back almost four feet for the wood for the fire.  I haven't used it in ages, but have a bunch of small  logs and kindling stuffed in there, almost filling the opening.

I shine a flashlight between the logs, and catch a glint of reflection.

Bingo.

I start carefully removing the wood; I can't really see if the kittens are in there or not.

Finally I can get a good enough of a look to assess what's going on in there....I see the three kittens; all oblivious to their abandoned siblings, happily nursing away.  Mom is clearly not happy with me discovering her ingenious hiding spot, but that doesn't deter me from removing the rest of the wood.

 I consider the options.  I can leave her there, and bring the other three kittens down there, and shove them in with her and hope she accepts them again.  It's too far back for me to reach her with my arm, so if it goes badly, there won't be anything for me to do.  Plus, I won't be able to really monitor the kittens while they're in there, it's late march in new england, and still quite cold.  They're laying on bricks, which are cold, and there are large spaces between many of the bricks, which could allow a kitten to fall into them.

I decide the kittens can't stay in there.  I bring the other kittens down into the room, and set about retrieving the kittens from the back, using an improvised piece of cardboard and a swiffer-type thing as a sort of pizza oven scoop.  Mom quickly escapes, and I manage to pull the kittens out, one by one.

beehive oven with metal door above;
main fireplace to right; new nest spot at bottom

It's now about 4 am, and I decide a compromise between me and mom is in order.  She can stay in the dining room for now, with a new nest box under the dining room table where it's nice and dark...much like the now-well-sealed wood compartment.


With all six kittens now reunited, mom gives me a look of complete disdain, and climbs into the nest box and starts nursing the whole clan.