# How is it possible...



## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

...to hand rear 3 premature kittens that need hourly feeds???

I've done 48hrs and i'm absolutely exhausted already 

Whats the secret? how do you manage it without crashing from lack of sleep, food, etc...


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

Short of having someone else to help out, it IS absolutely exhausting. Unless the kittens are premature/weak/low birth weight (and I think yours are unfortunately?) I think the best way of ensuring you stay sane and reasonably awake during the day is to not feed at such close intervals during the night. I've never found that kittens need this and can comfortably go up to 4 hours, i.e. skipping one feed in the night.

The only consolation is it does become that tinier bit easier as the days roll by. I can JUST about manage by grabbing bits of sleep here and there but anything else - chores, cooking a decent meal, doing pretty much *anything* else - goes completely out of the window.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

Yes they are around 10 days early and very low birth weights, the smallest being 53g.

They are my mums kittens but unfortunately she isn't well at the moment and is unable to do anything for them so that just leaves me, with no help from anyone.

They're struggling with suckling and tire so fast so it means smaller feeds every hour instead of every 2 hours.

Do you still think i could leave them a little longer through the night?


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

Being that premature and with the weights, I don't think I would chance leaving them longer during the night. 

With success (I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound morbid) it's one of the most rewarding things you can do but it is absolutely soul destroying. Have you investigated the possibility of a surrogate mother... perhaps one who only has a very small litter of her own at a very young age?

Did you look into tube feeding? Obviously there's only so much you can put into a tiny tummy but it does save actual time feeding which leaves you a little more time for sleep.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

gskinner123 said:


> Being that premature and with the weights, I don't think I would chance leaving them longer during the night.
> 
> With success (I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound morbid) it's one of the most rewarding things you can do but it is absolutely soul destroying. Have you investigated the possibility of a surrogate mother... perhaps one who only has a very small litter of her own at a very young age?


Yes we're in the process of looking for a surrogate, we've been in touch with CPL but they don't seem too interested in helping but fingers crossed we find one soon for the babies sakes.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

What area are you?


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Yes they are around 10 days early and very low birth weights, the smallest being 53g.


I've had a 52g kitten survive without night feeding so I'd say you can happily get some sleep. I certainly didn't feed hourly either, 2-3 hours during the day and 4-5 hour gap at night.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Is CPL a rescue? I can't imagine they'd be too willing to help a pedigree breeder.

Is there no mentor, breeding friends, or breeder aquaintance that can help with a foster mum?

Hope the kittens will all be ok.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> They're struggling with suckling and tire so fast so it means smaller feeds every hour instead of every 2 hours.


What feeding equipment are you using? It should be almost no effort for them when being hand fed compared with suckling from mum. It's a real juggling act feeding often enough but not too often so they're hungry and want to feed.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

spotty cats said:


> Is CPL a rescue? I can't imagine they'd be too willing to help a pedigree breeder.
> 
> Is there no mentor, breeding friends, or breeder aquaintance that can help with a foster mum?
> 
> Hope the kittens will all be ok.


My mum isn't a pedigree breeder, she's only had her cat for 5 weeks and didn't realize she was pregnant until it was very obvious, the previous owner seemed to be as surprised as anyone that she was, she did offer to take her back but mum wouldn't hear of it.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

And just to update, we sadly lost two babies last night 
The remaining kitten is going to a surrogate this morning, so may stand a better chance.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

javi said:


> My mum isn't a pedigree breeder, she's only had her cat for 5 weeks and didn't realize she was pregnant until it was very obvious, the previous owner seemed to be as surprised as anyone that she was, she did offer to take her back but mum wouldn't hear of it.


ah ok, you said Bengals so I assumed she must be a breeder.

So sorry you lost kittens, hope the rest pull through.


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## Misi (Jul 13, 2009)

javi said:


> And just to update, we sadly lost two babies last night
> The remaining kitten is going to a surrogate this morning, so may stand a better chance.


I'm so sorry to hear this . It's so so difficult to hand-rear them when they're that small. Good on you for trying. Hopefully the surrogate will turn things around. Good luck and keep us posted x.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

Feeling rather deflated tonight.

The remaining baby went off to the surrogate this morning, only to be returned to me this afternoon, the mother cat rejected him immediately and kept sitting on him.

So the little fella is back and the battle continues!

I may have another surrogate lined up but this has put me off sending the poor baby away again


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Very sad, good luck with the remaining baby.


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## Halo1 (May 22, 2014)

Good luck Javi, best wishes for you & the little fighter, I hope you're managing to get some milk down him/her.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

Thank you!

He's taking small drops at a time but seems so weak, i can't bare the thought of losing him aswell :crying:
He's got to keep on fighting!


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## Halo1 (May 22, 2014)

Is the mother refusing to feed? If not have another go at putting him to a teat. It would be so much better for you if this could happen. Are the bottles working for you?


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

Halo1 said:


> Is the mother refusing to feed? If not have another go at putting him to a teat. It would be so much better for you if this could happen. Are the bottles working for you?


The mother isn't producing milk at all as she gave birth early, she's totally dry, they have been away from her and with me since sunday so i'm not sure there's any chance she will start producing now.

I tried the little feeding bottles but i didn't get along with them so bought syringes with soft teats on the end which i find work a lot better.


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## Halo1 (May 22, 2014)

javi said:


> The mother isn't producing milk at all as she gave birth early, she's totally dry, they have been away from her and with me since sunday so i'm not sure there's any chance she will start producing now.
> 
> I tried the little feeding bottles but i didn't get along with them so bought syringes with soft teats on the end which i find work a lot better.


That's a shame, could have taken all the pressure off you, but it's good you've found a method that works. :thumbsup:


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Have you asked your vet about tube feeding yet? Where are you located? One of us may be close enough to come show you.

Did the surrogate owner spend time transferring the scent of mu's current kittens onto the new one? I've heard it's helpful to wait until they're all feeding before putting the new one in at the bottom of the pile so they acquire the scent of the group.


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

keep fighting..and try another foster mum! it may well work...


friend's queen adopted rejected Doberman puppies...all nine of them! and cared for them along her litter of kittens (humans helped of course!)


best luck....fingers crossed...


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

carly87 said:


> Have you asked your vet about tube feeding yet? Where are you located? One of us may be close enough to come show you.
> 
> Did the surrogate owner spend time transferring the scent of mu's current kittens onto the new one? I've heard it's helpful to wait until they're all feeding before putting the new one in at the bottom of the pile so they acquire the scent of the group.


I'm not sure what method they used to be honest but i know they have experience with surrogates, they just said there was no way mum cat was going to accept him as she kept on moving him and sit on him.

We're at the vets first thing in the morning to sort the tube feeding out, i spoke to them yesterday and they said as long as they were trying to suck to let them keep going, but i really think the time is coming to try tube feeding now.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Mums milk can still come in, you may need to massage around her teats.

I have a queen if you are near me who has taken over other girls kittens.

Afew hours is not enough time, you do need nutridrops to give the kitten.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I'd say at this stage, milk is not going to come down. She won't have had the oxytosin stimulated by kittens suckling, and she's been 3-4 days without milk after birthing a premmy litter. Even my girl who was dripping in milk dried up within a few days when kittens were too weak to suckle properly.

I really think tube feeding is the way to go and would insist that your vet shows you. Sucking's all well and good, but when they're so tiny and it's clearly taking a lot out of them, tube feeding's the way to go. In the mean time you could have a search for the sponge method on youtube. Supposed to be really effective but I've not tried it myself.


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Had the same with another queen 58 days had her kittens, vet said massage and 3 days later milk came in, guess I was lucky.

Sponge method is good but works better on strong sucklers.

You are now either going to have to find a foster quickly or get the vets to tube feed. The longer you leave the kitten the worse the outcome is going to be.

Wish you luck though and hope the kitten makes it.


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

So our little fighter made it through another night!

I took him to the vets this morning and he has now received fluids and is being tube fed, it's so much easier than i initially thought.

The vet said not to get my hopes too high as he is so premature and weak and at very high risk of infections etc...

This little fella has really stole my heart and the chances are if he pulls through that my mum won't be getting him back lol. :001_wub:


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## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

I hand reared one from birth who the vet didn't give much hope. He wasnt prem but he was small (no idea on weight). I had had him 12 hours and was so totally in love with him that I knew that if he made it I wouldn't be giving him up, you can't fail to fall in love when you hand rear


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Really hoping your outcome is a positive one.


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## Halo1 (May 22, 2014)

javi, will the Mum do the toileting so you don't have to do that as well?


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

just wishing another night through ...and another...


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## javi (Feb 10, 2015)

After 5 long,exhausting days and nights our last little fighter has gained his wings :crying:

Baby Leo passed away around 4am this morning, i'm absolutely heartbroken and just don't know where i went wrong to lose all 3 like that :crying:

In the short time they were with us i can honestly say they stole a lot of hearts and certainly made a big impact on me.

Fly high precious babies :001_wub:


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Please don't blame yourself. As they were so premature they had a lot more to overcome than just being small. You worked hard to give them a chance but you can't do anything about undeveloped lungs etc. Generally it's accepted that anything over a week prem isn't saveable although like you we'd all try and break our hearts in the process.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

I'm so sorry, hard as it is you mustn't blame yourself. You did all you could


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

RIP Tiny Babies xxxx


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

so sorry for your little babies, you gave them all you could and in their short life they were surrounded by love and care.


You are a hero regardless and your tiny angels will meet you one day, that love you gave them is never forgotten.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

So sorry, sadly this is always a likely outcome with prem kittens.  Please don't feel badly about it, they are so fragile.


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## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

Not your fault, you gave them a fighting chance, just too early and fragile for this world.


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## wicket (Aug 22, 2012)

So very sorry, you did all you could - run free little cherubs x


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## Halo1 (May 22, 2014)

You couldn't have done any more for them. RIP kitties. Bless.


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