Kitten advice please

[Cocopogo]

I asked a few weeks ago whether I should get one or two kittens, as the single kitten I was to get from rescue had been bonded with another kitten.
Now I have two kittens and they are completely different and def not bonded. One is a typical boisterous kitten and the other barely moves. He sleeps all day and struggles to clean himself.
Both don’t seem to be eating much. How much should a kitten eat?
They are having 1/4 to 1/2 a pouch each, each day.

Also look into fading kitten syndrome. If he isn’t maintaining his temp then pop him down your top, your heart beat may also comfort him.

@GardeningIdiot he’s too old to bottle feed.

Earlier I was dipping my finger but he didn’t like that either.
He’s eating well but not interested in fluids

There's a how to on syringing linked,but the idea that you have to syringe every two hours at his age, especially if he's eating is nonsense.

4-5 weeks old can be bottle fed, if needed.

The poor little soul.

I don't for sure know what your kitten needs right now, but it's not 10ml of liquid every 2 hours!!

Please watch an expert on action. Not everyone she says/does will be relevant to your kitten, but you will learn some proper care.

This kitten is at least four weeks:

Feeding from 8mins:

Search thro her channel for what you need to know.

He's not too old to bottle feed at all. You can bottle feed up to eight weeks if necessary.

www.kittenlady.org/bottlefeeding

You can definitely bottle feed at that age to supplement feed - I've done it.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast you’re wrong and so is the kitten lady if that’s what she’s recommending

I'm really not wrong 🙄

I've done it. I've seen plenty of other rescuers do it.

Or do you think you know better than people who actually have real-life experience in fostering newborn kittens?

If you don't believe me or The Kitten Lady (who is a professional fosterer with years of experience) what about all these resources who make it clear that you can supplement/bottle feed until eight weeks of age if necessary?

https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/bottle-feeding-kittens

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/6-tips-safely-bottle-feeding-kittens

https://humanerescue.org/2021/05/05/caring-for-a-bottle-baby-kitten/

You can begin to wean a kitten from 4-5 weeks of age but that doesn't mean they're too old for a bottle. Most kittens can reliably drink milk from a saucer from about six weeks of age but if they're refusing and/or failing to thrive you should still supplement with bottles to enable them to keep gaining weight.

Apparently we're both wrong and so are professionals

This from the PDSA says kittens are bottle feeding at 4 weeks and start to lap at 5 weeks. The little kitten is somewhere around that age so may be on the cusp.
I take it this means the little one made it through another night. That’s good news.

You do have to be careful they don't chew the teat-but you can definitely bottle feed past 5 weeks. A frail kitten will benefit from supplementary feeding.

@GardeningIdiot if that kitten is at least 4 weeks mine is def older then. That’s reassuring to know. I thought the rescue had given me a really young one but he must just look younger being so poorly.

just to clarify I say this as the 6 week old bit the teat right off within seconds.

OP have you been weighing them daily? ( if not you should be) Are they putting on weight? Poo/peeing daily?

Update: kitten went straight to vets this morning. He was cold and anaemic. Rescue have collected kitten and taken it to their vets which is open over the weekend, mine isn’t. They have got a foster for him until he’s bigger/better..if he survives.

@Potentialmadcatlady yes, little one weight went down then up and then down again this morning despite lots more food overnight

That doesn't mean you can't do it, though. You absolutely can bottle feed at six weeks if necessary.

I'm glad the kitten is now with someone more experienced.

Will he be coming back to you if he survives? I hope he makes it.

I wish the wee one well.. the experienced fosterer is in for a v long weekend. The rescue have badly failed that little one.

You can bottle feed failure to thrive kittens but it needs to be by someone very experienced, who knows what they are doing and depends on the kittens behaviour too. I have an one year old sitting in my kitchen who was bottle fed way past 8weeks by experienced rescue due to him having a rare and almost totally fatal condition.
It can be done but it won’t work with lots of chopping and changing like this wee one has experienced.

Wish you'd listened on Monday to people offering advice from experience, OP, instead of dismissing everyone.

That poor wee mite. Has been failed by everyone who was meant to care.

I really hope he makes it. Another one chiming in to say Hannah (The Kitten Lady) ABSOLUTELY knows what she is doing. Her advice is golden and, yes, you can (and should) bottle feed/supplement if needed.

If I were you I would be raising hell about that rescue, if only to protect the next ones.

Yep another one who wish you had listened. I doubt rescue will pull him through. They already let you take these young kittens with no experience and no advice. Bloody awful. Poor kitten

I suspect the rescue will just have him PTS.