A couple of weeks ago I was working at a house where the tenant informed me there were two baby kittens alone, in the bushes. He said the mother had gotten ran over and the kittens would die if I didn’t take them (he said he would but was moving the next day).
So I did. I took them to the vet and had them checked out. They were about 3-4 weeks old. He gave me formula and I bought all of the other things I needed. They took to the bottles very well. I also have been stimulating them to potty.
A few days ago I decided to try to potty train them. The bigger one got it his first try and hasn’t missed yet. The problem is the little one. As soon as I put him in he starts eating it like it’s crack! Even if he’s full. Of course I take him out but it’s starting to be a hassle. I substituted sand for the clay litter and he still eats it like crazy.
The other frustrating thing is even though he gobbles the litter, he won’t eat dry food which the other cat does. I’ve talked with the vet and tried to research it online but I was hoping for some first hand experience/knowledge from my fellow dopers. Any suggestions?
My thought is that he is just maturing more slowly. Kittens mature more slowly than people think, and they, like human babies, don’t all mature at the same rate. Great that you’ve got one doing so well. Slow down a little on the other.
For the food, try wet food with formula mixed in. You want it almost soupy at first, so he can drink it. You can make it more solid as he gets used to it. It may take him several days to make the transition, but doing it this way should help.
As far as the litter, I haven’t run into this before. My first thought is that if he isn’t eating (food) yet, he just might not be ready for using litter yet. Keep up with the massaging for a bit longer, while you working on the wet food and formula introduction. Try the litter introduction again later. When you do try it, make sure the litter he gets to use is dirty. The smell of brother’s efforts can help inspire kitten number 2 to, um, do his number 1 and 2.
First hand experience with cats it’s like having first hand experience with humans. In an asylum.
Some internal fact check before answer. Cat(s) in a house. Check. Vet in a house. Check. Cul De Sac house. Check. Feral cats deferalated. Check. Being short - unofficial cat sanctuary here.
In your case, momma got them nutthing. Some will turn ok and some will, well, just gone outsterssed for good. In your case with two feral litter count, it is a risk. Try to play feral momma, but be carefull. Busy them. They are in the age of potty training, but they are not human babies. If you have a garden, let them be, but have an eye on each of them. They go naturally for something soft or sandy to dig and cover when they have to go. A lot of things in the house can seems like something to shit into to young catling.
They are actually both doing pretty good. They are both alert and active. The eyes closed thing was just when the shutter snapped. They both seem playful and aware.
I believe the small one is just developing slower. He is eating just fine - from the bottle. The vet gave me some formula. And honestly I could less if he eats the clay, I just don’t want him to get constipated.
I guess I expected them to mature at a standard rate. I’m engaging with them, they seem to be bonded to me pretty well. I’ll keep at it.
Awwwww. I raised an orphaned kitten who looked just like them. He was about 4 weeks when I got him. I bottle fed him for a week, then got him to lap up formula. The vet said to offer him wet food that was a little watered down. He loved it. He was very skinny at first, so we kept him in a crate that had a heating pad at the bottom, on low, and then a layer of newspaper, a blanket, and a layer of lambswool. Homemade incubator.
He got formula and watered down wet food for a couple of weeks, then we pulled the formula at six weeks (per the vet), and gave straight canned food, water, and started offering hard food at eight weeks.
His weight was normal by eight weeks, so no more incubator. He grew up to be a huge cat. Not fat, just big. We lost him a couple of years ago, but he lived a very long life.
It’s possible the smaller kitten is either a runt, or has a different father.
Our vet said that sometimes litters of kittens have two different fathers, and one half of a litter can be as much as a week ahead of the other developmentally because they were conceived earlier. She says they usually do OK, unless the litter is really large, in which case sometimes the smaller ones just can’t fight for a place at the “table.”
Also, occasionally, a mother will refuse to feed a runt, so maybe the smaller kitten had feeding issues before you got him.
Same as overstressed, but with weirder consequences. My point of view of course. When you are overstressed you go out and get drunk, when you are outstressed you go out naked yelling at people. When cats are overstressed they bite or hide. When overstressed they can shit all over the place. Not uncommon for cats that are forced to change environment. Takes time.
