Bottle feeding kittens

[saanen]

Are there any other cat rescuers out there who can give me some advice about kittens. I have been bottle feeding two kittens since they were around two weeks old. They are now six weeksand have thrived well. One is eating and drinking from a dish, but the other refuses to give up the bottle. She won't even try to eat or drink from a dish. I have tried mashing up cat food, and even some smelly tuna, and putting tiny morsels into her mouth, but she just spits them out and looks for the bottle.
Any experienced bottle feeders with advice or ideas? How long can she go on like this? I am worried that as she grows, she may not be getting enough sustenance from just the bottle.

[divegirl]

Hi, I have never done kittens, but have done puppies..... Try liquidizing [sp] what ever food you are trying to give, mix it with the milk and the presenting it in the bottle.... try a tiny bit of food to milk at first and then gradually increase the ratio....it will work....just takes time. Soon she will recognise that what is in the bowl smells and tastes the same as what is in the bottle. Keep up the good work!

Lisa x

[saanen]

Thanks divegirl, the poor wee mite had cat flu when I picked her up under a hedge, and although antibiotics have cleared it up I wondered if her sense of smell had gone, and that was why she wasn't interested in even the smelliest of food. I'll try mixing a little food with the milk as you suggest. I don't really want to be still bottle feeding her this time next year!

[divegirl]

))))))))blush((((((((

[saanen]

Thanks everyone, on Friday evening I mashed up some jelly from Whiskas with some formula milk, widened the opening on the teat, and bottle fed her. When she got the taste, her eyes widened and she sucked as if there was no tomorrow. Saturday morning and afternoon, I tried a little of the mixture in her dish, but she still wanted the bottle. Saturday night, she ate a little from her dish. Yesterday, she ate from the dish all day, and had no bottle. Mission accomplished!!

[kelebek]

Its bloody hard work hand rearing kittens.!!

I hand reared two kittens this year but they were only 6 days old. Oh the joys of having to wake every two hours in the night to feed them! But the worst had to be massaging the testicles/back ends every now and then...eugghhhhh.

I still have one of the kittens and he's nearly seven months old now. He's an absolute treasure.

Well done saanen.

[divegirl]

Hi....really pleased to hear it worked...well done you :O]

Lisa x

[saanen]

Just an update - the little one is now scoffing mushed up Whiskas and formula milk at all mealtimes and bottles are a thing of the past. I know what you mean about helping the tiny ones to pee and poo - but at least when you do that, you get it cleaned up straight away and you know there will be no more until next time you appear with the cotton wool!
I have bottle reared several kittens this year - but this is the first time that I have bottle fed one that has been reluctant to be weaned. It has been very sad this year, because I reared one litter of five whose Mum died when they were a few days old. We found her very sick in a car park, saw that she was feeding and followed her to the kittens, hidden under a fallen plank. These little ones somehow escaped contracting the FIV and FELV that killed their mother, but they have Calici Virus, poor wee mites. But they are likely to survive, now that the worst is over (they are five months now). Also, one little one found abandoned beside the road (about three weeks old), and a little survivor of a fire that killed three others in the litter. Hopefully, these latest two are the last for this year.
Thanks everyone for your help and encouragement - you may be hearing from me again.
x x x x x

[kelebek]

Thats a sad story Saanen, unfortunatley these things happen but its just aswell our little furball orphans have the likes of us 'foster mums' to take care of them.

I have also hand reared many kittens but never as young as the one's I had this year. I think the hardest i have ever done was hand rearing four 1week old hedgehogs...my god that was a nightmare! Its all worth it in the end though.

Its a pity we cant post pictures of our recues..I may pass that thought on to AB suggestions?