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Is it easy? Hard? I have the time... I work from home. My potential foster *might* be bottle babies. they have a one week old baby and a few 4 week old babies! Before I agreed to to ake a baby that young I wanted to make sure I'm not walking into something I can't handle.
Thanks!
I've never had luck with the actual bottles ... I find small syringes to be much easier. It's not hard, just very messy and time consuming! Also, don't forget you have to 'potty' each of them every time they feed! It can take you through your washcloths pretty fast! But it is so rewarding!!!;)
I'll put in my two cents even though I have less experience than some PTers...I've bottle fed a litter of 4 and a single.
I personally think it's SO REWARDING! Perhaps you should start with the 4-week-olds so that you can ease into it a bit. A one-week-old will need more frequent feedings.
I guess I don't have as much advice as I thought I would...I say GO FOR IT! :D
Um, I'll have to "potty them" :eek: sounds lovely! :D There are (2) 1 week old kitten, or (4) 4 week olds. I'm going to take either both 1 week olds or 2 or the 4 week olds.
What else is there to know?
Oh YES! The four week old ones would be almost ready to use the potty box on their own .... you could try them in one and see. But if they don't 'go' you will have to stimulate them!
What you do is wet a washcloth with warm water and gently rub their bottoms until they pee and poop! Trust me, you'll have to wash the cloth out between each baby!:eek: :D
When I first started fostering orphaned kittens, I was scared to death to take the young ones because I didn't want to do anything wrong. So I started out with 2-3 week olds. It wasn't too long before I was taking in newborns that were only a few hours old though. Now I've fostered more newborns than I can count. I am glad I got the experience with the older ones first so I could ease myself into it. It is definately time consuming and very stressful. My last set of bottle puppies had colic and I almost pulled all my hair out from stress.
I have raised many on a syringe and many on bottles. Many people seem to have differing opinions on what works best. It is just crucial that you make sure the hole in the nipple isn't too big so you don't aspirate them. At 4 weeks old though, they are pretty big and should easily take to a bottle. Remember when you feed them to keep them in an upright position as they would be if they were nursing from their real mama. Never feed them on their back.
I raised my Skylar boy on a syringe for the first week of his life because he was not taking to the bottle or doing too well. When he was a week old though, I was able to switch him to a bottle. I can't believe this was him!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/fc4d05ee.jpg
Thanks Kate for telling me about this thread :)
Jan taught me how to cut a small X in the nipple because the hole they come with at the pet store is too small and they struggle- NOT too big though. I'd push a small drop of formula out (I never used KMar- always the recipe from Cat Fancy- it's so much cheaper- it's the right balance, and you have a big batch in the fridge that lasts quite a few days), anyway, once they taste that drop, they try for more, but often suckling doesn't happen, I pull the nipple out so they have to go after it (just a bit) which seems to make them grab and sort of stimulate the suckling. It sometimes takes several tries but I've never had a kitten that couldn't finally get it. Yes i have needed jan to come help because "It WON'T NURSE! WAAAAAAAAA!" But then for her it does! So i was losing patience is all and panicking maybe! I had one kitten that got it only for a few seconds at a time then seemed to forget, he'd cry and cry... but then he was 4 weeks old and able to eat the supplement stirred up with wet kitten food all nice warm! He did fine! (Still have his brother- Scamp!)
good luck, keep us posted!
and don't forget to burp them..... It is so cute when they burp... We always burped them after feeding them.. Just one index finger, gentley petting their back as you hold them upright usually works good.
I have never doe this myself,you can get advice at [email protected],The Animal Welfare Association!