Expert: Jessica - 9/19/2010

Question
Saturday afternoon we found a litter of 5 kittens in my garage.  Unfortunately only one was still alive.  I tried to revive 2 of them but no luck.  

We have milk replacer, warming bottle and have been eyedropper feeding it.  This morning it drank from the tiny bottle directly.  It seems vigorous, but a bit 'twitchy' when sleeping.

My problem is this... I had been negligent in locking my garage and night for a bit and did not know that mom had her babies in there.  The nights got very cold and she would not have been able to get in to feed them.  Now mom is coming around looking for her babies.

Twice I have taken the little guy outside and she has heard him and seen him.  She won't come close and it is too cold (below freezing) to leave him outside in hopes that she will take him back.
She will follow me, growling and 'talking' to him but I can't catch her to put the two together.

I am a strong believer that her milk and care is far superior to ours.  The other issue is that she belongs to someone and has a collar on, but we don't know to whom.  It is possible that they did not let her out and therefore she could also not get to the babies.

As far as his care, I think we are doing ok, feeding, washing and prompting him to void after each feeding.  We have not had any defecation yet but he pee's well.  To give you an idea of his age, his umbilicus is still attached.

Any suggestions you have on re-uniting (if it is even possible after 2 days) and having him with his mom or on raising him healthy on the milk replacement would be appreciated.

At what age can we introduce him to lapping milk replacer?

Thanks for your help.

Katheryn

Answer
Hi Katheryn,

Thanks for stepping in to help this little one!

Theoretically, mom should still be lactating for at least a few more days, and reuniting them should be possible, as long as she shows an interest.  I have reunited kittens with moms after a separation of over a week.  If you would really like to reunite the two, I would recommend only leaving the kitten out for her once you’ve gained her attention, and then placing him in a sheltered place, protected by some cloths and a heat pack.  I would then make myself scarce, but observe from a distance to ensure that mom took the kitten quickly and that a predator did not move in.  If mom didn’t arrive soon (within 15 minutes), I’d take the kitten back inside.

Personally, as sad as it is to see mom missing her little ones so, I don’t know that returning the baby is the best thing for him.  Very few kittens born outdoors survive to adulthood.  Although natural rearing is superior to bottle raising, we can’t be sure that this kitten will ever make it into a home if he’s returned to mom.  He may die within a day, or become a feral cat outdoors if he does survive.  Neither seems like a very happy fate compared to being lovingly bottle raised.

Bottle raising is a lot of work, however.  I strongly suggest feeding every 2 hours, not every 4 as is recommended on most packaging.  Mom would feed every 2 hours.  This way, baby doesn’t become excessively hungry, overeat, and then develop digestive problems.  This is when trouble tends to develop for most foster parents.  The kittens get gas, or diarrhea or constipation.  Then they stop wanting to eat.  Feeding more frequently allows the kitten to eat smaller meals that his sensitive system can digest more easily.

As you mentioned about the defecation, the baby should be having a bowel movement every 24 hours.  If he doesn’t have one on Monday, he should see a vet.  Kittens who have missed some meals, as this one did when mom went missing, or who are transitioning onto formula from natural milk, can suffer constipation.  Depending on the severity, the vet may advise one of several things – adjust the strength of the formula, add in a mild laxative, or even give the kitten an enema.  If the vet advises giving the kitten mineral oil as a laxative, I don’t recommend to give this straight.  Mineral oil is very light and flavorless, and the baby can aspirate it into his lungs.  Personally, I don’t like to use it at all, but if it’s the vet’s best suggestion for treatment, I suggest mixing it into the baby’s formula.

Most kittens can start lapping formula around 4 weeks old, although this is also the age at which they’ll start experimenting with kitten food, so I normally offer them canned food rather than a saucer of formula.  I feel it’s still important to bottle feed the babies at this age, because they have a strong suckle reflex.  Not allowing them plenty of time to suckle can result in unwanted behavior, like suckling pillows and blankets, later in life.  Even once the kitten is eating solid foods, try to give the baby a bottle a minimum of once a day until he’s at least 8 weeks old.  The more closely you can mimic mom’s weaning schedule, the better.  Most moms slowly begin to wean their babies around 6 weeks and have them completely weaned around 10, although any nursing that takes place after 8 weeks is just for bonding.

Your baby should start urinating on his own between 2 and 3 weeks old, and control over his bowels will follow shortly.  Shortly before this age, I start to stimulate them over a litter box after each meal, and then place them in the box to show them their waste.  The kittens tend to have quite a handle on the idea by the time they’re controlling their own functions.  When he gets to that age, take the baby there after each meal, and let him scratch around.  If you ever find any solid accidents, move the accident and the kitten to the box to show him.  Most babies are using the box quite consistently by 5-6 weeks old, but you should limit him to a small room to reinforce the behavior.

Best of luck!

Jessica