Feeding Bottle Baby Kittens

Does anyone know if A/D food is ok to feed bottle baby kittens? They
like it mixed with their KMR but I don't know if it's ok for them.
Thanks!

It is usually better to feed kittens under 4 weeks formula only.
After 4
weeks they may start to try eating wet food on their own so it
shouldn't
be much of a problem. A/D is extremely rich food though. It may
cause
diarrhea. You might try mixing the KMR with a finely textured
specifically
kitten food.

Debbie B

On Apr 27, 9:09 am, Laurie wrote:
Does anyone know if A/D food is ok to feed bottle baby kittens? They
like it mixed with their KMR but I don't know if it's ok for them.
Thanks!

"Laurie" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know if A/D food is ok to feed bottle baby kittens? They
like it mixed with their KMR but I don't know if it's ok for them.
Thanks!

I wouldn't. I also don't think it's a good idea to rush weaning them. How
old are the kittens and what teeth do they have? If they've gotten in their
molars (usually come in around 5 weeks or so) you can mix some canned kitten
food with a little KMR and see if they are interested. I've had kittens who
refused anything but the bottle until 6 weeks or so and they did fine and in
some cases did better than kittens who started on solids earlier.

W

on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:28:14 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I wouldn't. I also don't think it's a good idea to rush weaning them.
How old are the kittens and what teeth do they have? If they've gotten
in their molars (usually come in around 5 weeks or so) you can mix
some canned kitten food with a little KMR and see if they are
interested. I've had kittens who refused anything but the bottle until
6 weeks or so and they did fine and in some cases did better than
kittens who started on solids earlier.

I have to post my warning here about latex nursing teats... Levi was
drinking from his bottle at the age of ~4 1/2 weeks and I didn't realize
he was chewing the teat until he swallowed a very large piece of it. It
eventually passed, but it was a very tense few days of waiting and
watching. Another person posted here not long before I did with the same
experience and she was not so fortunate. Her kitten died from intestinal
obstruction.

Once kittens have teeth, nipples are dangerous for them. The emergency
vet said it wasn't an uncommon occurence. I recommend having them begin
lapping up their formula from a saucer as soon as possible.

--
Lynne


"We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry
And sad enough to know
We must laugh again"

~ Nikki Giovanni, 4/17/2007, Virginia Tech

On Apr 28, 8:49�am, Lynne wrote:
on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:28:14 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I wouldn't. I also don't think it's a good idea to rush weaning them.
How old are the kittens and what teeth do they have? If they've gotten
in their molars (usually come in around 5 weeks or so) you can mix
some canned kitten food with a little KMR and see if they are
interested. I've had kittens who refused anything but the bottle until
6 weeks or so and they did fine and in some cases did better than
kittens who started on solids earlier.

I have to post my warning here about latex nursing teats... Levi was
drinking from his bottle at the age of ~4 1/2 weeks and I didn't realize
he was chewing the teat until he swallowed a very large piece of it. *It
eventually passed, but it was a very tense few days of waiting and
watching. *Another person posted here not long before I did with the same
experience and she was not so fortunate. *Her kitten died from intestinal
obstruction.

Once kittens have teeth, nipples are dangerous for them. *The emergency
vet said it wasn't an uncommon occurence. *I recommend having them begin
lapping up their formula from a saucer as soon as possible.

--
Lynne

Oh my. I never thought of that, and I've raised (fostered) a lot of
infant orphans for the shelter over the years.
Good info. to file away for future use.
Sherry

"Lynne" wrote in message
m...
on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:28:14 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I wouldn't. I also don't think it's a good idea to rush weaning them.
How old are the kittens and what teeth do they have? If they've gotten
in their molars (usually come in around 5 weeks or so) you can mix
some canned kitten food with a little KMR and see if they are
interested. I've had kittens who refused anything but the bottle until
6 weeks or so and they did fine and in some cases did better than
kittens who started on solids earlier.

I have to post my warning here about latex nursing teats... Levi was
drinking from his bottle at the age of ~4 1/2 weeks and I didn't realize
he was chewing the teat until he swallowed a very large piece of it. It
eventually passed, but it was a very tense few days of waiting and
watching. Another person posted here not long before I did with the same
experience and she was not so fortunate. Her kitten died from intestinal
obstruction.

Once kittens have teeth, nipples are dangerous for them. The emergency
vet said it wasn't an uncommon occurence. I recommend having them begin
lapping up their formula from a saucer as soon as possible.

--
Lynne


"We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry
And sad enough to know
We must laugh again"

~ Nikki Giovanni, 4/17/2007, Virginia Tech


I've always interpreted chewing on the nipple to mean they were ready to
give it up and move onto eating from a bowl. Once they start chewing they
aren't getting much formula anyway.

W

on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 23:11:29 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I've always interpreted chewing on the nipple to mean they were ready
to give it up and move onto eating from a bowl. Once they start
chewing they aren't getting much formula anyway.

I am sure you are right that he was ready to be weaned, even though he
was so young. In retrospect I feel like I should have realized he was
chewing, but he's such a voracious suckler that I'm not sure if I could
have. Also, I had just gotten him from a friend who hand raised him and
have never bottle fed a kitten before. That whole experience was very
scary.

Levi is 9 months old and still suckles, BTW. I don't let him do it very
often anymore, unless I've been away from him for a long day. (Like
today. He's suckling on my lip right now!) What's really odd about this
lip suckling thing is that I was just at my mother's house and her 8 week
old kitten, who doesn't suckle on anyone, suckled on my lip while I was
there! It was the strangest thing. He was all over me the whole time I
was there, and of course I couldn't resist the little cutie. I wanted to
steal him and bring him home.

--
Lynne


"We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry
And sad enough to know
We must laugh again"

~ Nikki Giovanni, 4/17/2007, Virginia Tech

I stopped giving them A/D and returned them to KMR and my home-made
formula. I never got either of them to nurse from a bottle, so the
nipple thing wasn't an issue. I use a 3 ml syringe and load it again
and again. Normally my "bottle babies" (I should really call them
"syringe babies") become very bitey/mouthy after they are weaned,
presumably because they had no mom to scold them for nursing/biting too
hard, but this little pair so far haven't been chewing on the syringe,
they do a pretty good job of nursing off it, so hopefully I won't have
the bitey problem when they are weaned. Thanks to everyone for all the
good advice!

Sherry wrote:

On Apr 28, 8:49�am, Lynne wrote:
on Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:28:14 GMT, "Wendy" wrote:

I wouldn't. I also don't think it's a good idea to rush weaning them.
How old are the kittens and what teeth do they have? If they've gotten
in their molars (usually come in around 5 weeks or so) you can mix
some canned kitten food with a little KMR and see if they are
interested. I've had kittens who refused anything but the bottle until
6 weeks or so and they did fine and in some cases did better than
kittens who started on solids earlier.

I have to post my warning here about latex nursing teats... Levi was
drinking from his bottle at the age of ~4 1/2 weeks and I didn't realize
he was chewing the teat until he swallowed a very large piece of it. It
eventually passed, but it was a very tense few days of waiting and
watching. Another person posted here not long before I did with the same
experience and she was not so fortunate. Her kitten died from intestinal
obstruction.

Once kittens have teeth, nipples are dangerous for them. The emergency
vet said it wasn't an uncommon occurence. I recommend having them begin
lapping up their formula from a saucer as soon as possible.

--
Lynne

Oh my. I never thought of that, and I've raised (fostered) a lot of
infant orphans for the shelter over the years.
Good info. to file away for future use.
Sherry

on Tue, 01 May 2007 18:53:01 GMT, Laurie wrote:

I stopped giving them A/D and returned them to KMR and my home-made
formula. I never got either of them to nurse from a bottle, so the
nipple thing wasn't an issue. I use a 3 ml syringe and load it again
and again. Normally my "bottle babies" (I should really call them
"syringe babies") become very bitey/mouthy after they are weaned,
presumably because they had no mom to scold them for nursing/biting too
hard, but this little pair so far haven't been chewing on the syringe,
they do a pretty good job of nursing off it, so hopefully I won't have
the bitey problem when they are weaned. Thanks to everyone for all the
good advice!

My little bottle baby was very mouthy, too, but I yelped and redirected
him frequently. He still likes to give love bites, and sometimes I think
he will swallow my finger, but he never bites down hard anymore. I guess
they can figure it out with some patience.

It's terribly sad when kittens lose their mother, but this little bottle
fed boy is very affectionate with his people, and especially with me.
I've had a lot of animals and loved them to insane degrees, but I've
never been closer to one than I am to Levi. If I am ever in a position
to foster, I am going to take care of motherless kittens. There is
something really special about them.

--
Lynne


"We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly
We are brave enough to bend to cry
And sad enough to know
We must laugh again"

~ Nikki Giovanni, 4/17/2007, Virginia Tech

On Tue 01 May 2007 03:47:40p, Lynne wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
om:

It's terribly sad when kittens lose their mother, but this
little bottle fed boy is very affectionate with his people, and
especially with me. I've had a lot of animals and loved them to
insane degrees, but I've never been closer to one than I am to
Levi. If I am ever in a position to foster, I am going to take
care of motherless kittens. There is something really special
about them.


That's so sweet, Lynne. A very strong bond is formed when you go
through what you did with your little Levi. This is the bond that
most people don't understand. And when you extend that to how you
care for their overall health and wellness, it strengthens the bond
even when you don't have a special needs companion. YOu just want
the best for them because they really do depend on us when they are
domesticated. They don't know that a bottle nipple could block them
because a mothers nipple can't block them, and in nature that's all
they'd get. They might die if they chew on the leaves of a toxic
plant, but under our care we control what is available for them to
chew. We can keep them safe. In nature they'd hide and eat garbage.
Domesticated they play and love. If you've ever seen a formerly
feral cat figure out how to play when all they knew was how to
survive, that creates a bond, too.

--
Cheryl