[Oliveview]

We have adopted 2 kittens, aprox a week old, mum killed by a lorry. Tomorrow when pet shops open I will buy the correct milk, the lady had been giving them cows milk.  I know about rubbing tummy to make them poo/pee.  Any help gratefully received.

Pamela

[ANHBUC]

Found these bits of information on the web, hope it is helpful.

If you are handrearing you must be aware that you will have to handfeed the kittens through the night, and you can end up being up to feed every 2 hours for very young kittens.

We expect you to be able to provide the mum and babies or kittens with a quiet environment so that there is no unecessary stress.

This link is about handrearing small mammals but I think some of the advice will be relevant to kittens. 
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00Man/MammalHusbandryTechniques/UKMHusbIndTech/HR_M_Mustelinae.htm   Good luck and keep us up to date, if you are not too tired that is.   

[ANHBUC]

Just found this one which has some more information.

www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-260284.html

[Oliveview]

Luckily I have a cold and not sleeping well!  Off for a nap!!
Pamela

Ps thanks

[ANHBUC]

Luckily I have a cold and not sleeping well!  Off for a nap!!
Pamela

Ps thanks

That would be a cat nap of course.   

[joyfull]

as per my message on the other post Pamela hopefully Cara will be here soon with some advice as well xx

[Caralou]

Ok, firstly wonderful you have rescued the little tykes

Until the pet shop opens cows milk will be ok, although goats milk is slightly better for them if you can get that. If you have a syringe use that to squirt the milk into their mouths (without the needle of course!).

When you get the kitten milk it comes with little bottles however I have found that syringe feeding for the first few weeks is more effective than using the bottle as they take more in and you can monitor the amount they drink. Although the kittens would feed every 2-3 hours from mum over night you can get away with every 3-4 hours as long as they are feeding well in the day.

To make them poop and wee use a piece of damp cloth on their bottoms. Mum cat licks the bottom to stimulate them and this mimics that so helps them to relieve themselves. Always feed them on a towel on you or you will find they poop and wee down your top as I have ad on too many occasions to count 

The best home for them is in an open topped cardboard box with towels in it for now as it keeps them safe and warm and is easily cleanable.

Will have a think of other things you may need to know, but any questions at all feel free to PM me 

[Oliveview]

Given them another feed, they don't seem to appreciate it.  One pee's straight away as soon as I touch his tummy, the other hasn't pee'd much. Goodness they are noisy. They are in a crate with a hot water bottle, fleecy blanket and another cover (thanks Jumbo and Lola)  Lola is interested in kittens, Fat Boy (Jumbo) is wary, I think he thinks they are squeeky toy, he is scared of squeeky toys!

Just read your message Caralou, thanks.  At least the kittens got some of their mothers milk before she died.  The kittens are so pretty, I will try to post a picture when I know they will live.
Just got to think of names, hopefully they are both males, will cost less to be 'done'  . The man assured me they are males!  There were 5 kittens, I could not take them all.  There was at least a dozen  other cats there, the Spanish just let outdoor cats breed all the time.  The neighbours feed the cats though, so I guess that is in their favour!
Pamela

[Raven81]

Keep trying, you (and they) will hopefully get the hang of it soon enough. 

We had a cat give birth and get sick 2 days later, so kittens had to be hand reared.  We had one that wouldn't eat at first but they all survived!!

We did exactly as Caralou suggested above so can back up that advice!

[Oliveview]

Going to name them after a player for Real Betis (pronounced Betty)

But not yet!

Pamela

[maxyboo]

I have hand reared a few kittens and it is tiring but rewarding if they pull through. Just a few things on top of Caralou's advice. When they are very tiny, I would always try to make them wee before and after each feed. This makes it less likely you will get pee'd on mid feed. I always burp them after a feed as well. Just hold them over your shoulder and gently rub or pat their backs and sides. They can appear quite bloated after a feed, especially if they don't suckle well and take in a lot of air.
You do have to be careful when feeding as the kittens can aspirate very easily so don't try to hurry things along by pushing the syringe down quickly. You can usually feel the syringe pulling down if the cat is suckling so try to go with the flow. If a kitten does aspirate, I am told you should quickly turn it upside down and gently shake the kitten and pat it on the back to bring the milk out of the lungs. I also prefer a syringe (with a small  teat on the end) to a bottle and it gives more control of the flow. Not everyone will agree though.
Keep an eye on their weight if possible. Kittens should double their birth weight in the first week but should still be putting on 10+ grams daily into the second week. I personally wouldn't use a hot water bottle because of the risk of leaking (A wet kitten gets very cold very quickly), or overheating if the water is too hot. Plenty of blankets and a warm cosy box in a draught free area should do.Mine get a cuudly toy to cuddle up to as well.
Good luck.

[Oliveview]

Well, first nights feed done. A feed just after midnight and another at 3.30 the next at 7am.  They had 2ml each, I will increase it very slightly the feed after next. They weighed 116 & 118 gms yesterday.  They have gone back to sleep immediately after feeding.  I wish I could go back to sleep, I feel terrible, my nose is streaming, blocked and sore ( big ahhhhhh please)  I remember now why we never had a third baby, I need my sleep!!

Pamela

[arugula]

Aahhhhhhhh Pamela. Well done and I hope you feel better soon. 

[joyfull]

every little feed is a step in the right direction Pamela, well done for persevering with it even though you feel so rough (I know how you feel as we all have the man/woman flu here too or as the Spanish say - the English cold  ).

[Oliveview]

Left class an hour early, chased about the town trying to buy kitten food, went to another vet, it opened at 10th.30, bought a sachet of food and a different syringe, cost over 8€ for the syringe, it is far too big, will take it back and swop it for weaning food.  Kitty's are fast asleep, gave them 2;5 ml each, tomorrow I will do 3 ml.
Jim has gone to airport to meet Spanish friend who has been on holiday. I am off for a sleep.  All dosed up, Dr said I am not to take any tablets, sorry Dr I am ignoring you! 
I will weigh kittens layer and report back later. Pamela