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!
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