2 week old orphan kitten HELP !

[fastweb]

Female, 2weeks old, eyes just opened, very squarwky, has had a bottle/seen vet/peed upon tummy rubbing...

Now what ?

Oh, and she is called Lilly.

vid here,she really is so tiny that I am a bit nervous about breaking her during feedings and elimination stimulation.

[fastweb]

Ok .

Other kittens on youtube just suck. None of this "I want to eat but am going to make a right palaver about the process" stuff.

Change bottle ? Nipple ? Position ?

I live in a rural area and lots of shops are shut for August, so there won't be a huge range of feeding implement choice, but might be worth a shot trying some other brand ?
Does the bottom rub look right ? She doesn't like it, but thenurrs, then fights, thenurrs, then squeaks and purr at the same time.

My mike on the iPad is kaputt, but if you listen carefully some tiny squeaks can be heard. In RL she is way louder.

[cozietoesie]

I think she might just like the occasional rest - and is a right madam! They're all different so it's likely to be trial and error. Remember, she's only been with you a short while so won't necessarily be feeling completely secure yet.

She's gorgeous - but Boy are you going to have your hands full when she gets to 8 weeks!

[fastweb]

I can't wait

Then I was relax about her making it.

She is getting more cuddly. Rolls over for a tummy tickle, purrs like a small train when you give her strokies and chirrups upon "the many kisses raining on tiny head" moments. But I think part of the yelling at least is calling for her mum/possible litter mates. Poor baby.

She will know she's a cat, won't she ?

As in, do I have to teach her felineness, or is it innate ?

We had a baby moorhen running around the garden in a total tizzy three days ago and DS was desperate to get it to imprint on him. I on the other was desperate to get it back in the stream where it belongs. But I don't think the inprinting thing applies to kittys, and is only in the first few minutes of life of birds...will google. Or make DS google. He hasn't done a stoke of school work all summer and is going to British school in September so it can be homework for the sake of his English not be utterly garbled by a summer of sloth (and footie).

I still haven't put that bloody washing on. But if I go downstairs who will blow on Lilly occasionally to make sure she is still alive ?

She is better than telly.

[fastweb]

"Then I was" means "then I can" because my English is just so great today.

[cozietoesie]

Some felineness is innate but she'll need to be socialized to other cats/animals as soon as possible and learn her 'cat manners'.

Wait until she's a bit older, stable and it's safe to do it. Always in your presence of course, in a calm way; and paying lots of attention to the other cats to avoid jealousy. The others in the house will have heard her mewls through the door and will smell her so it won't come as a total shock - and if she's as feisty as she looks, and given that she's a female and the two young 'uns are (I think?) male, it should be ...not too bad at all.

[fastweb]

I'll be keeping a close eye on the young boys .... there will be no flirting. Mind you Snowball is a vet certifed gay cat, so no issue there. And they are both ex Toms.

OMG this afternoon. I remember this from breastfeeding, the growth spurt with the cluster feeding. I had enough time to run downstairs, sterilze and refil the bottle before she was yelling for more food. All Afternoon. Last feed was 20 minutes ago. She may have hollow legs.

We have a new thing going at feeding time. I think it is dangerous for her to feed on her back with her legs waggling in the air, she thinks 'I will too bloody feed belly side up".

I am at risk of losing a battle of wills against something shorter than the heels on my shoes. She is a determined little bugger.

Am knackered

[fastweb]

Holy crap it is gone half nine. forget all afternoon, this has been all afternoon and evening then.

House = Post Tornado Style.

[cozietoesie]

Crivens. Like you, I'd always try to feed an animal at the angle it was designed to suck from Mom. If that's the only way she'll feed though and it seems safe for her - well, I guess you're stuck with it if she's thriving. I think, though, that I'd worm her right on the 3 weeks.

Well done for keeping up with the pace.

[fastweb]

She looks like a ball!

She has suddenly got a lot better at feeding (aside from the attempts to roll on her back) and this morning has scoffed 20 ml. But the serious looking site said 34 ml a day. I guess she hasn't learned to read yet.

I will try and video the new mega feeding sessions for properity becuase it is unbelievable. She pushes forward constantly (with front legs waggling in the air) in a desperate attempt to get the entire bottle in her mouth.

She is so strong, she can climb from my lap to my shoulder in ten seconds flat before I have chance to react.

No poo so far this am, but lots of pee.

I will be happier when she has pooed. Form some reason I am becomeing a little obsessed with her output. I may have been the same with DS when he was a baby

She is pure adorableness. Her beady little eyes look very intelligent to me. Probably a genius.

[cozietoesie]

Good stuff.

The front leg waggling is likely instinctive - trying to find Mom's teats to knead as they do to stimulate milk flow. Possibly why she sucked well when lying on your DH - something to push against?

As to the pooing - as long as she goes, don't worry too much about the size while she's on milk. It's always a balance to get the happy medium. Not too hot and not too cold. Not dehydrated but not dripping in water from over-humidity. Not constipated but no diarrhoea. And so on ..............

Hope you got some sleep last night?

[fastweb]

I slept fine, she goes from midnight to 6am no prob.

No poo so far this morning.



I've read they can get constipated on kitty forumla and to dilute it a bit more. Does that sound reasonable ?

Or am I obsessing too much about poo and worry only if she produces nothing by say, lunchtime ?

[cozietoesie]

I'd give it a wee bit longer than that.

[Kitty5824]

Lily is gorgeous! My 3yo girl cat was hit by a car last night, not really sure why I am torturing myself watching your gorgeous ball of fluff.

[SuoceraBlues]

It's me, Fastweb. Can't remember the email address to log in with so have name changed.

Kitty, I am so very sorry. The same thing happened to our Tiger 4 years ago and it is only pet death I can't seem to 100% move on from. Illness and old age are one thing. But the violence and suddeness of being hit by a car....that is different.

Big Fat Hug sweetie.

[OTheHugeHammerThrower]

Any kitten news, OP?

[SuoceraBlues]

Lilly can scream at olympic gold standard. Italy would get to sixth on the medal table is they entered her for the "kitten screaming" sprint, mid length and endurance test.

Butt she also purrs at a similar decibel level, so I forgive her lack of volume control

She has pooed..I discovered the triangle method. My eardrums can't take the abuse if I turn her on her back to do it as you should, so we have adapted the approach so she can be tummy down. She still doesn't like it.

She is walking much better. Or worse. Depending on your stress levels as you try to keep her on the bed as you try to stretch your finger tips to get her bottle or the baby wipes from the table.

She can scale me from lap to shoulder in four seconds. Her favorite thing is to suck my lower lip. Which is lovely. Except for the INCREDIBLY SHARP tiny claws scrabbling at my cheek and upper lip.

I will weigh her and film her at the next feed. This morning there wasn't time due to me running up and downstairs to sterilze and make up her bottle cos madam decided to turn into a right guzzle guts and finished the entire bottle but was still not full up. Twice.

We love her.

But feel Breaking The Sound Barrier Squeaky Toy would be a better name for her.


I'm starting to have concerns about what her teenage phase will be like based on her .....strong opinions..... during infancy.


But when she curls up in your hand and sucks at your fingers whilst purring like a frieght train, you sort of forgive her anything.

I will try and video her with the laptop webcam today so sound is included.

[cozietoesie]

Oh I'm so pleased she's OK. I didn't want to ask ....in case.

Remember that she needs to be wormed in a few days.

I remember (I think) that your DS wanted to call her Lilly. I think she should probably be named lili. Look up lili marlene on youtube.

In about 6-7 days you're going to stop having a mewling bundle and have a kitten. Gawd help you. I'm sitting here with a purring Siamese bundle on my lap and I couldn't hack it!

[SuoceraBlues]

I'll stick a note in my agenda for the worming. Think i'll pop into the vets then as well for a progress report

I hope this works, possibly video with sound from the third feed this morning

img853.imageshack.us/img853/9417/zuakneqlyagrnnfcxqwawe.mp4

[SuoceraBlues]

doesn't work for me, trying this one

img853.imageshack.us/flvplayer.swf?f=Pzuakneqlyagrnnfcxqwawe

[frillyflower]

You are doing a good job!

I like your little brown dog on the sofa btw.

[cozietoesie]

Oh My. She's wonderful!

[SuoceraBlues]

OMG she slept through from 11 pm to 7 am.

That is far too long between feeds and a pee!

She just ate double portions with gusto after I woke her up, but will set an alarm tonight, not comfortable with her starving all night.

She wieght 225g yesterday, so that is 45g gained in 4 days. It's going up, which is better than down. She seems stronger, more stable on her feet. Ears still in silly flaps down position, eyes now seriously open and alert when she is awake. No signs of any gunk in the eyes, tummy always stuffed and round,but soft, claws small and very sharp, nose wet, botty farty.

I can't wait for her to hit six weeks so I can relax and stop worrying she'll just fade away on unexpectedly. Seems like everybody we know feels the need to phone me up or drop by and make gloomy pronouncements about her chances of survival. I know they just want to stop me being overly optimistic in case the worst happens, but en mass it is like there is a big black cloud of gloom hangng over her every breath.

It's too late to hold back for the sake of avoiding upset if she dies anyway. She wriggled inside my heart by the end of the first feed. How was I supposed to stay unattached to a tiny crying little thing with a huge personality and strong opinions on everything ?

Anyway. Monday she will offically be three weeks and that is much better than two weeks. So far so good.

That's tommorow isn't it? Have lost track of days, is today sat. or sun.? Will go check calender.

[SuoceraBlues]

Is Lilly precocious ?

I found this describing four week old kitties

"Kittens will start to stand sometime between the third and fourth weeks, and will try to walk, although their first movements will be very wobbly. Their bodies are out of proportion to their eventual adult state. Little tails are very short and "stick-like" and their heads are disproportionately large for their bodies and legs. This will all change, though, as they get their "sea legs" and start moving around."
cats.about.com/od/kittencare/ss/track6weeks_5.htm


Well my baby is wobbly walking already. But still has silly squashed ears.

So is she very advanced for her age?

Am I raising a gifted kitty ?

Or is the info meant as more of a guide and it's not that precise when they start doing stuff ?


I'm also confused over weaning. For kitties with mummies they say wait till 4/5 weeks to wean. But say 3 weeks for orphans. Why the difference ? If it just cos bottle feeding is hard work I'm happy to hold off if that means a better start for her. Or is it becuase the kitty milk I'm feeding her lacks some nutrition that she'll need from meat based food ?

[SuoceraBlues]

I promise she isurring like madin this one.....but we did it on the iPad so no sound. Must find out why the mike isn't working.

Here she is comfort nursing my hand. If we don't let her do this for ten minutes of so after feedng (to the point where she is resoundly refusing the bottle) she screams her head off when she goes back to her bed. If we do let her do this she drops off the second you pop her back with her beloved poo bear.

[SuoceraBlues]

My tummy isn't really that rolly, It was the slumped postiion. Honest gov.