Re: Foster kitties

[Arjun Ray]

In >, Bill Reynolds
> wrote:

| They are now 4 weeks old [...] About when do we start weaning the tykes?
| When should the be started on litterbox training?

http://www.kittenrescue.org/handbook.htm

[Arjun Ray]

In >, Bill Reynolds
> wrote:

| They are now 4 weeks old [...] About when do we start weaning the tykes?
| When should the be started on litterbox training?

http://www.kittenrescue.org/handbook.htm

[Alex Longfield]

You should start now, by mixing wet food, dry food and milk replacement into
a sloppy gloop. Put it in a shallow bowl and take each kitten and gently dip
their nose into it. They will immediately lick their noses and should find
they like the taste - some may immediately look for more, others may take a
few more times doing this but then should get the idea that there's more
where their nose should be. Over the next few weeks, once they're eating the
gloop well, start reducing the mix to become less gloopy (i.e. less milk
replacement) until they get to the point where they are eating just dry and
wet, at this point you should seperate the two, giving free-choice dry food
supplemented with 3-4 small meals of wet a day.

All through this you should supplement their diet with bottle fed milk
replacement until they're all properly eating, they shouldn't lose any
weight and should still be gaining weight.

As for litter training, this should be going on at the same time as you wean
them, once they're eating solids they will start to produce proper faeces.
You should put a shallow litter tray down, one per 2 kittens. They should be
interested in checking out the environment so might find it straight away
and catch on. They dont have their mother for teaching them so that's your
job - usual trick is if they do it on the floor, pick it up and place it in
the litter tray, then place them in it so they can smell this is where it is
and hopefully will return - this may also take a few tries. It might also be
a help to put them gently in the tray after each feed.

4 weeks ish is the usual age that weaning and litter training is recommended
so i'd start tomorrow :)

Glad to hear of your success, I'm soon to have my own litter arrive and
hopefully all will go well with them!

There are lots of pages on the net to look at too, which might have more
ideas for helping your little fellas along.


"Bill Reynolds" > wrote in message
...
> We have been fostering 3 kitties that were 5 days old when we got
> them.
> They are now 4 weeks old and growing like weeds on the KMR we have
> been giving them.
>
> About when do we start weaning the tykes?
>
> When should the be started on litterbox training?
>
> TIA
>
> Remove TIE to reply.
>

[Alex Longfield]

You should start now, by mixing wet food, dry food and milk replacement into
a sloppy gloop. Put it in a shallow bowl and take each kitten and gently dip
their nose into it. They will immediately lick their noses and should find
they like the taste - some may immediately look for more, others may take a
few more times doing this but then should get the idea that there's more
where their nose should be. Over the next few weeks, once they're eating the
gloop well, start reducing the mix to become less gloopy (i.e. less milk
replacement) until they get to the point where they are eating just dry and
wet, at this point you should seperate the two, giving free-choice dry food
supplemented with 3-4 small meals of wet a day.

All through this you should supplement their diet with bottle fed milk
replacement until they're all properly eating, they shouldn't lose any
weight and should still be gaining weight.

As for litter training, this should be going on at the same time as you wean
them, once they're eating solids they will start to produce proper faeces.
You should put a shallow litter tray down, one per 2 kittens. They should be
interested in checking out the environment so might find it straight away
and catch on. They dont have their mother for teaching them so that's your
job - usual trick is if they do it on the floor, pick it up and place it in
the litter tray, then place them in it so they can smell this is where it is
and hopefully will return - this may also take a few tries. It might also be
a help to put them gently in the tray after each feed.

4 weeks ish is the usual age that weaning and litter training is recommended
so i'd start tomorrow :)

Glad to hear of your success, I'm soon to have my own litter arrive and
hopefully all will go well with them!

There are lots of pages on the net to look at too, which might have more
ideas for helping your little fellas along.


"Bill Reynolds" > wrote in message
...
> We have been fostering 3 kitties that were 5 days old when we got
> them.
> They are now 4 weeks old and growing like weeds on the KMR we have
> been giving them.
>
> About when do we start weaning the tykes?
>
> When should the be started on litterbox training?
>
> TIA
>
> Remove TIE to reply.
>

[Alex Longfield]

I forgot to note, that the wet and dry food should be premium kitten food,
not any old food!


"Alex Longfield" > wrote in message
...
> You should start now, by mixing wet food, dry food and milk replacement
into
> a sloppy gloop. Put it in a shallow bowl and take each kitten and gently
dip
> their nose into it. They will immediately lick their noses and should find
> they like the taste - some may immediately look for more, others may take
a
> few more times doing this but then should get the idea that there's more
> where their nose should be. Over the next few weeks, once they're eating
the
> gloop well, start reducing the mix to become less gloopy (i.e. less milk
> replacement) until they get to the point where they are eating just dry
and
> wet, at this point you should seperate the two, giving free-choice dry
food
> supplemented with 3-4 small meals of wet a day.
>
> All through this you should supplement their diet with bottle fed milk
> replacement until they're all properly eating, they shouldn't lose any
> weight and should still be gaining weight.
>
> As for litter training, this should be going on at the same time as you
wean
> them, once they're eating solids they will start to produce proper faeces.
> You should put a shallow litter tray down, one per 2 kittens. They should
be
> interested in checking out the environment so might find it straight away
> and catch on. They dont have their mother for teaching them so that's your
> job - usual trick is if they do it on the floor, pick it up and place it
in
> the litter tray, then place them in it so they can smell this is where it
is
> and hopefully will return - this may also take a few tries. It might also
be
> a help to put them gently in the tray after each feed.
>
> 4 weeks ish is the usual age that weaning and litter training is
recommended
> so i'd start tomorrow :)
>
> Glad to hear of your success, I'm soon to have my own litter arrive and
> hopefully all will go well with them!
>
> There are lots of pages on the net to look at too, which might have more
> ideas for helping your little fellas along.
>
>
> "Bill Reynolds" > wrote in message
> ...
> > We have been fostering 3 kitties that were 5 days old when we got
> > them.
> > They are now 4 weeks old and growing like weeds on the KMR we have
> > been giving them.
> >
> > About when do we start weaning the tykes?
> >
> > When should the be started on litterbox training?
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > Remove TIE to reply.
> >
>
>

[Alex Longfield]

I forgot to note, that the wet and dry food should be premium kitten food,
not any old food!


"Alex Longfield" > wrote in message
...
> You should start now, by mixing wet food, dry food and milk replacement
into
> a sloppy gloop. Put it in a shallow bowl and take each kitten and gently
dip
> their nose into it. They will immediately lick their noses and should find
> they like the taste - some may immediately look for more, others may take
a
> few more times doing this but then should get the idea that there's more
> where their nose should be. Over the next few weeks, once they're eating
the
> gloop well, start reducing the mix to become less gloopy (i.e. less milk
> replacement) until they get to the point where they are eating just dry
and
> wet, at this point you should seperate the two, giving free-choice dry
food
> supplemented with 3-4 small meals of wet a day.
>
> All through this you should supplement their diet with bottle fed milk
> replacement until they're all properly eating, they shouldn't lose any
> weight and should still be gaining weight.
>
> As for litter training, this should be going on at the same time as you
wean
> them, once they're eating solids they will start to produce proper faeces.
> You should put a shallow litter tray down, one per 2 kittens. They should
be
> interested in checking out the environment so might find it straight away
> and catch on. They dont have their mother for teaching them so that's your
> job - usual trick is if they do it on the floor, pick it up and place it
in
> the litter tray, then place them in it so they can smell this is where it
is
> and hopefully will return - this may also take a few tries. It might also
be
> a help to put them gently in the tray after each feed.
>
> 4 weeks ish is the usual age that weaning and litter training is
recommended
> so i'd start tomorrow :)
>
> Glad to hear of your success, I'm soon to have my own litter arrive and
> hopefully all will go well with them!
>
> There are lots of pages on the net to look at too, which might have more
> ideas for helping your little fellas along.
>
>
> "Bill Reynolds" > wrote in message
> ...
> > We have been fostering 3 kitties that were 5 days old when we got
> > them.
> > They are now 4 weeks old and growing like weeds on the KMR we have
> > been giving them.
> >
> > About when do we start weaning the tykes?
> >
> > When should the be started on litterbox training?
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > Remove TIE to reply.
> >
>
>