# due today - getting nervous!



## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

My bsh queen is due to have her first litter today and I am feeling so nervous! She is really big so guessing she has more than a couple of kittens and this will be the first litter i am actually there for as my other girl just had 1 kitten last year by c section so have never done the birth bit! We have the bedroom next to ours set up with a nice box and lots of bedding but at the moment she is either sprawled on the landing or in the bath! She is still eating but isnt moving much and has been occassionally scrapping at the bedding in the box. i have all the kiti should need but am on my own til tomorrow evening and getting really nervous about knowing when she is actually having them. Ive been setting my alarm every 2 hours to check on her for the last couple of nights but nothing has changed yet. She's due today from the first mating but was in with the tom for 3 days so depends when she actually took. How late can they go and how will i know she has actually started having them? Sure it will be really obvious but dont want to miss any signs!


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## Gratch (Aug 22, 2010)

I think they can go up to 70 days but alot of the sites I read said contact your vet if nothing by 68 days  Best of luck to you and mom!


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

go by 2 days after mating as it takes 2 days for sperm to mee the egg.

they can go to 70days, as long as mum is happy healthy kits moving then I wouldnt worry, dont get too nervous (I know its hard!) or itll pass to mum


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## Cara Mia (May 21, 2011)

As a fresh kitty momma (my Bella had hers today) I will tell you what my experience is. 

FIRST thing. Don't panic or get nervous. It does you no good and it does your queen no good. Be calm, talk to her in a soothing voice - it will mean the world to her.

My Bella was very scared and confused and she came to me and cuddled up with me for comfort. She was very restless so she woke me up. All the while, from when the water broke to the final painful contractions before the birth of the first she was curled in my lap asking me to make the pain go away.

It will be very obvious when she goes into labor, from the spasms of her tummy to her pitiful little noises to the broken water and the blood. She may want to hide away or may want you to be with her. Since it is her first litter it is more then likely she will want your support.

be there for her, sooth her, and keep an eye out for complications. That's the only thing you can do.

Good luck. The birth of the little ones is a magical moment. Hope you can experience it in it's full beauty


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well contractions started about 25 mins ago, she is restless and cant seem to decide where to have them and waters havent broken yet. Think it could be a long night!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

6 here so far n not sure shes finished!


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## BSH (Jul 28, 2010)

flosskins said:


> 6 here so far n not sure shes finished!


Good morning. Wow 6! Exciting. Hope all is well with them all. Any idea on colours? What colour BSH are the parents?

I love BSH colour genteics. It's so confusing but there is such a wide range of colours and patterns in the BSH breed its great to see what the kittens look like.

Keep us updated


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

We're up to 8 now and i'm getting a bit worried how she will ever look after them all. Not sure but think i can feel another!So far we have 4 cream and 4 lilac or lilac torties, cant tell which yet. Mum is lilac tortie and dad is lilac. Haven't even tried to sex them yet. Think they have all suckled but very hatd to tell. Will weigh them soon but not sure how to tell which is which - got some soft fleece so can i put coloured bows round their necks? I have a feeling we are still missing placenta 6 but a sma bit did come out on its own after kitten 7. Not sure whether to take them to the vets yet or not. Still in shock i think, i cant believe shes had 8!


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

I knew someone would have the shock 8'er at some point! Congrats! With such a large litter I would take them all just for a quick check up and stock up on some formula as not known anyone have a litter of 8 and mum be able to care for them all herself apart from an MC but ya never know you may be the first 

Hope mum and babies are doing well and you know of course we'll need piccies when you've all settled


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Last baby was at 7, I think I can feel another but mum is quite happy, had a drink n fed them now eaning herself up. Vets reckon i shud give it til 9.30 n take her in if nothing has happened. Vets r half hour away so wud i be better to take the babies or leave them behind?


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## ajohnson (May 4, 2011)

Wow, lots of little bundles for you to look after then 

Keep us updated and obviously photos soon


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_congratulations, cant wait for pictures xxxxxxx,_


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

My fisrt litter of 8, I topped up the first 2weeks to help mum out and get into a routine, after that I didnt need to as she was a fantastic mum and very expereinced, is this a first litter?

MY 2nd litter of 8, well, dont want to scare you but full hand feeding as mum had no milk and we lost some, you have to weigh them and keep a eye on them all the time, its going to be 24/7.

a litter of 4 is fantastic a litter of 5 is a blessing, getting higher than that, well, lets just say Id prefer a litter of 3 over a litter of 8!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well there was another kitten which needed a c section as oxytocin didn't get things moving, mum and first 8 babies doing well but the 9th didnt make it. Mum has loads of milk at the moment and the kittens aren't huge but smallest is 55g so has a decent chance of surviving. I just havent worked out how to identify them for tracking their weights! Any ideas?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Well there was another kitten which needed a c section as oxytocin didn't get things moving, mum and first 8 babies doing well but the 9th didnt make it. Mum has loads of milk at the moment and the kittens aren't huge but smallest is 55g so has a decent chance of surviving. I just havent worked out how to identify them for tracking their weights! Any ideas?


these can be trimmed very tiny and thin:

20 Puppy Dog ID Bands Party Wrist whelping collar TYVEK | eBay UK

make sure that you weigh them, Id infact weigh them 2 times 12hours then 12hours, in the first few days, just make sure that they lil'[uns and gaining, well, and the bug'uns!

Sorry to hear about mum, that is a big litter


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## BSH (Jul 28, 2010)

flosskins said:


> Well there was another kitten which needed a c section as oxytocin didn't get things moving, mum and first 8 babies doing well but the 9th didnt make it.


Awww sorry to hear that.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_sorry to hear the 9th baby didnt make it, fingers crossed for the other 8, keep us posted xxxxx_


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Smallest has gained 4g in 12 hours so very pleased with that considering the day they've had! One of the larger ones not doing so well so may need topping up. Got the lactol feeding kit and kitten collostrum but struggling to get them to feed from the bottle provided, not sure if they will be better with a syringe. Made the hole in the end of the teat with a needle but not sure its big enough. So many little things I never thought of!

Thanks for the suggestion on the id bands, have a pack for puppies but never thought of cutting them down that small! Vet suggested nail varnish so each kitten has a coloured spot on the fur on the back of their necks!

Never imagined she would have this many as have seen queens bigger than she was but there was very little movement so must have been packed in very tight! To think there were actually 9, never heard of a litter of 9!


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## sharon_gurney (Jan 27, 2010)

congrats on the whopping litter, hope all goes well adn donts forget to post some pics


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Smallest has gained 4g in 12 hours so very pleased with that considering the day they've had! One of the larger ones not doing so well so may need topping up. Got the lactol feeding kit and kitten collostrum but struggling to get them to feed from the bottle provided, not sure if they will be better with a syringe. Made the hole in the end of the teat with a needle but not sure its big enough. So many little things I never thought of!
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion on the id bands, have a pack for puppies but never thought of cutting them down that small! Vet suggested nail varnish so each kitten has a coloured spot on the fur on the back of their necks!
> 
> Never imagined she would have this many as have seen queens bigger than she was but there was very little movement so must have been packed in very tight! To think there were actually 9, never heard of a litter of 9!


I know of a fair few litters of 9, and 10, the biggest was 12 and I think only a few survieved.

These are really good, found that they didnt take to bottles:
Catac Standard Feeder-Hyperdrug

then these do extra teats: 
Pet Medication, Pet Food, Pet Meds, Discount Pet Medication - VioVet - VioVet


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## welshjet (Mar 31, 2011)

Thats a big litter, sorry to hear about the 9th, but hope all well for mum and babies x


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

All have made it through the night and all have gained at least 5grams in 19 hours so i'm pleased with that. Mum doesnt seem to want to stay in with them this morning though, she has barely moved from the box all night but is laid on the floor outside it now, is this normal? I thought for the first few days ateast she wod barely leave them!


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## Cara Mia (May 21, 2011)

flosskins said:


> All have made it through the night and all have gained at least 5grams in 19 hours so i'm pleased with that. Mum doesnt seem to want to stay in with them this morning though, she has barely moved from the box all night but is laid on the floor outside it now, is this normal? I thought for the first few days ateast she wod barely leave them!


My queen left the kittens as soon as they fell asleep and went and stretched out on the rug beside them. I think she might feel too hot and too cramped up. As long as she goes to them and feeds them when they cry then it is all good.


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

Congrats on your litter, phew you'll be busy!! 

Sounds like they are doing well so far. Don't worry too much about mum, as long as the babies are gaining weight, it's fine.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Congratulations....

And blimey.. That is a big litter.... 
RIP little one who didn't make it...

Did yo sort out your identity crisis? xxx


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Yes they all have brightly coloured fleece bows round their necks, thought they would be softer than the sticky plasticy collars, can use those a bit later. All have gained 7 grams plus now, biggest had gained 18!! Not been topping them up yet but mum is munching her way through large numbers of natures harvest meat trays! Not managed to sex them yet heard about lots of mistakes and want to get it right!


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## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

Congratulations on the huge litter, I hope everything goes well  Sorry to hear about the last little one though 
Hope they continue to grow and thrive! xxx


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## DiamondKitty (Apr 16, 2011)

Congratulations on such a huge litter!! So sorry the 9th didn't make it  Hope mum is coping well after her big ordeal!! They sound like they are gaining well  Its a lot of furr babies to keep an eye on 



flosskins said:


> All have made it through the night and all have gained at least 5grams in 19 hours so i'm pleased with that. Mum doesnt seem to want to stay in with them this morning though, she has barely moved from the box all night but is laid on the floor outside it now, is this normal? I thought for the first few days ateast she wod barely leave them!


My girl got out her box the day after and laid infront of the box ... I too thought 'OMG get back in a look after those babies' but apparently it is quite normal, and I think she was getting a bit too hot!

Best of luck and really looking forward to some photos  ..xx..


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well the weight gain is not so good today, the kittens are still feeding well but some have only gained 4grams in the last 24 hours. I'm still not sure if i need to start topping them up as I dont want to stop them feeding from mum as its so much better. I keep reading different theories as to how much weight gain is needed for the kitten to grow and stay healthy - opinions please?


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Ps sorry for no pictures - only have the internet on my phone at the moment (hence the typos!) And cant upload them from my phone. Will try to get some on soon!


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## Gratch (Aug 22, 2010)

flosskins said:


> Well the weight gain is not so good today, the kittens are still feeding well but some have only gained 4grams in the last 24 hours. I'm still not sure if i need to start topping them up as I dont want to stop them feeding from mum as its so much better. I keep reading different theories as to how much weight gain is needed for the kitten to grow and stay healthy - opinions please?


Absolute minimum should be 7g with 10g being ideal so I think you should definitely top up, from my understanding they can go downhill rapidly so the sooner the better


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm not saying don't top them up, but I personally would think carefully about it before you do. Without meaning to be the *least* bit condescending, hand feeding isn't always completely straightforwards; it's relatively easy to give a tiny kitten constipation (or the opposite) or get milk on their lungs or find that a kitten becomes a bit hooked on hand feeding. If your girl is eating plenty, the kittens are demanding lots of nursing then her milk production should increase naturally.

If you're confident you that can identify each kitten individually, I would look again at those with smaller weight gains on some days - did they gain a lot more the previous day, for example? With a big litter individual kitten's weight gains will yo-yo from kitten to kitten from day to day - you can't always expect fairly even gains across the whole litter.

We had a very big litter born 4 weeks ago and I had to steel myself not to jump in and start topping them up when, during the first week or so, some gained little or nothing on some days. 

Obviously it's entirely different if you have one or two who are *consistently* only gaining a few grams where it's more likely they're getting pushed out by the other kittens.


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks for your advice gskinner, those were my feelings on it. Each kitten is identified by a coloured collar and there are some smaller but you're right they yo yo from gaining liafs and then nothing but there have been no losses over 1 gran in 8 hours (weighing them every 8 hours) so will continue to keep an eye before rushing into hand feeding, we are checking them every 2 hours and each time making sure the smaller ones are feeding for a while as they do get pushed out. There r the same number kittens as tests but they usually end up scrapping over 2 or 3 so the little kittens rarely win! But still so pleased all 8 are still alive. When would you say they are hust about safe, at what age can you stop worrying so much about them fading?


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

You're sounding quite composed which is a lot better than how I felt a few weeks ago; I'm not quite sure how I managed to sit on my hands  Obviously, nobody wants to take chances and lose kittens but I think there's a fine line with when to intervene or not.. add to that the temptation of us breeders always wanting to see big, strapping kittens (especially with BSH's) and it's easy to panic yourself into feeling you 'should be doing something'.

You're obviously weighing them very frequently and I think that's definitely the best indicator, though it can also work against you and make you worry when you've a few small gains!

Personally, I have never lost a kitten (through fading, whatever the reason might have been) past about 7-10 days. Even then I seriously doubt the cause was insufficient feeding. If they're all huddled together when sleeping, feel warm & lively when picked up, no 'stragglers' sleeping by themselves off to one side... then 99% of the time all is well. I think I'd only top them up if you're starting to see consistently small gains across most/all of the litter (that might indicate an unlikely problem with her milk supply) or consistent - a couple of days - small gains/losses in indivudal kittens.

Sorry, bit long that.


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

No its brilliant thank you, i'm feeling ok about it all actually, sad to have lost a kitten but to have 8 feels pretty amazing. I thought i might panic when she went into labour but actually felt quite confident about it even though she had no intention of getting them out the sacs or clearing their faces before she had eaten the placenta, licked the blanket clean and herself! So i did end up doing most of it. All good experience i think, even if a bit scary!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well all are doing really well except the runt who hasnt gained any weight in the last 24 hours. We are keeping it feeding ever hour and it is suckling every time but just no weight gain. I've given it a drop of nutridrops but cant get it to feed from a bottle, seems to wear it out more. It still only weighs 88 grams, worried it won't make it through the night. Strangely is still wriggling and squeaking like the rest not acting sickly or anything. Will b checking hourly in the night, fingers crossed for it.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

The little one, does s/he manage to stay on a teat for a reasonable period of time once latched on? Have you checked for cleft palette? Unlikely, but it's worth a quick look.

Do you have any 1ml syringes? Try as I might, I could never get on with using a bottle for really young kittens.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Well all are doing really well except the runt who hasnt gained any weight in the last 24 hours. We are keeping it feeding ever hour and it is suckling every time but just no weight gain. I've given it a drop of nutridrops but cant get it to feed from a bottle, seems to wear it out more. It still only weighs 88 grams, worried it won't make it through the night. Strangely is still wriggling and squeaking like the rest not acting sickly or anything. Will b checking hourly in the night, fingers crossed for it.


it shouldnt be every hour, go by the bottle on what you are feeding it normally every 2 hours, over feeding is alot worse than under feeding 

with the others you dont have to take over full feeds but 1 or 2 small top ups can help to get their weights up to a nice 8-10gram gains.


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## angel a (Mar 2, 2011)

Sometimes the little ones latch on and although they look like they are suckling, are actually asleep. If you can, get the kitten latched on and then just gently tickle the top of his head, just to remind him what he's supposed to be doing, and keep watch to make sure he is sucking.


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## JayneC (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi with such a big litter you are not going to see really big weight gain.
As long as they are not loosing you should be ok.Just do what you are doing now and keep your eye on them
Every litter is different and you cannot go by the book.
My friend had a Ragdoll litter of 9 she lost 1 and the smallest of the litter at 3 weeks was only 129g.So yous are not a bad weight at all
Good luck


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks for the head tickling suggestion. Seems to get them suckling again. Smallest syringe I have is 5ml, whete would i be able buy a 1ml syringe on a sunday? They are staying latched on for about 10 mins for each feed, that seems to be as long as mum wants to lie still for. How long shod they be feeding for each time?


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## welshjet (Mar 31, 2011)

Hiya, read your posts when you posted mum had had a big litter. Hope they are doing well for you and the little one is starting to pick up weight a bit. I've never had a cat with kittens so cannot really help but would you be abe to get a syringe from a chemist thats open on a sunday x


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Right have 2ml syringe and kitten collostrum, how much and how do i do it?


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

Its kinda hard to explain really, its much easier to show you, have you not got someone nearby that could maybe show you how to do it?

I wonder if there are any demo videos online anywhere? Main point is to not squirt it too hard or too fast as they need to swallow it and not inhale it!

heres a little tip to, show mummy cat exactly what your doing and let her smell and taste whats in the syringe, you'll find she'll relax a little knowing your not poisoning her baby, as trust me they will squeak!

Start with about half a ml due to their size but you really need to sort of judge it yourself over a few days, some are happy at that and some may need more.

Oh and an old teatowel over you knee as it can get rather messy!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Cheers, gave 1ml and most went down kitten, very slowly put a drop in its mouth n waited for it to seallow then gave another. Mum is just grateful wen they dont all bug her at once, she doesnt care what I do! Put kitten back in after the first feed and it seemed to perk him up, he started feeding from mum immediately after for about 10 mins, appears to be suckling and not just lying there. Anyway he has gained a gram after 2 feeds of formula of about 1 mk each so hopefully wont lose anymore!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well little one had gained 2 grams but has now lost 5, feel like I'm fighting a losing battle, watching it fade in front of me is so upsetting. Still feeding it every 2 hours n making sure its suckling as well so I just don't understand why it is still losing weight :'(


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## LittleTyke (Apr 14, 2011)

flosskins said:


> Well little one had gained 2 grams but has now lost 5, feel like I'm fighting a losing battle, watching it fade in front of me is so upsetting. Still feeding it every 2 hours n making sure its suckling as well so I just don't understand why it is still losing weight :'(


I'm so sorry, it must be so hard with so many, poor Mom. Might be worth seeing if you can get the tiny one into the vets tomorrow? Keep doing what you're doing, check which teat the bigs ones go for then pop him on that (maybe even separate the others into a box by Mama's headfor 5 mins or so to make sure he gets all he wants!

Good luck!


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

what are you feeding? the colostrum is the first 24hours, he should now be on lactol or cimicat or the like.

from my box I think its says 2ml-3ml every 2 hours.

How are you feeding him? never put their had back, remember it can go in the lungs so you have to slighty tip him and 'tap' between his shoulder blades you can hear them breathing funny, but id still do it incase any gets in.

Id also use something smaller than a syringe as way to much goes in, dont you have any teats as they have smaller holes to do small drops if he wont suckle from it.

do you have any nutri drops they can be life saving.

how much are the others gaining?

it is bloody hard to do, :frown2:


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well lost more overnight but picked up a bit today, will start using.lactol instead of colostrum. It is bloody tough, I thought the first day or two would be the worst and if they got through those would have a better chance but seems harder now at a week old. using a syringe as won't suckle from bottle, only a tiny syringe so I just put a drop in their mouth, wait for them to swallow it then give another. Mum must have milk considering how fast the largest ones are growing - gaining about 15g a day!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

I do have nutridrops, is this something I could give him regularly? with the bottle and test he won't suckle and I'm a bit scared of squeezing it into his mouth, would i be better doing that than the syringe? Haven't had any go in his lungs as far as i can tell, no coughing or spluttering and suckles happily after the formula. I'm guessing it would be really obvious if i did? Strangled different kittens prefer different tears but I think becaise of how many there are they just grab whichever they can find. How long would it normally take a kitten to drink its fill from mum? Some of them feed for ages in 1 go.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Well lost more overnight but picked up a bit today, will start using.lactol instead of colostrum. It is bloody tough, I thought the first day or two would be the worst and if they got through those would have a better chance but seems harder now at a week old. using a syringe as won't suckle from bottle, only a tiny syringe so I just put a drop in their mouth, wait for them to swallow it then give another. Mum must have milk considering how fast the largest ones are growing - gaining about 15g a day!





flosskins said:


> I do have nutridrops, is this something I could give him regularly? with the bottle and test he won't suckle and I'm a bit scared of squeezing it into his mouth, would i be better doing that than the syringe? Haven't had any go in his lungs as far as i can tell, no coughing or spluttering and suckles happily after the formula. I'm guessing it would be really obvious if i did? Strangled different kittens prefer different tears but I think becaise of how many there are they just grab whichever they can find. How long would it normally take a kitten to drink its fill from mum? Some of them feed for ages in 1 go.


If it goes in the lunges they dont cough or splutter, so still 'burp' them.

follow what ever the instructions are on the box and DONT over feed, I cannot stress enough not to overfeed, its actually better to underfeed  

I have found these raelly good, bottles are a bit rubbish to be honest never had a kitten take to them:
Catac Standard Feeder-Hyperdrug

remember you HAVE to get up through the night, doesnt matter how itred you are, its every 2-3hours.

ID also say take the 4 biggest kittens off of mum, feed them while the smallest 4 have free suckling for X amouint of time (will prob take you 30-60mins to feed those 4)


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Yes have been up every 2 hours with them since they were born. Only topping up the 4 smallest as the other 4 are gaining plenty without. Sorry please could you just run through how to burp them? Not done it before, do I do it after every feed? How long should it take for a kitten to drink its fill from mum in one go? Mum reckons 15 mins but they haven't always all finished. Thanks ever so much for all the advice Taylorbaby, the vets can offer very little unfortunately, don't even advise weighing them!


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Sorry another post. Too tired to get all thoughts together for one! When you say dont over feed is it ok to feed the amount recomended on the lactol box and still encourage the kitten to suckle from mum as well?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

go by whats on the box, if after a while they struggle away, then stop feeding them and they can latch onto mum as most of the time its comfort and they only get tiny amounts, it takes longer than 15mins to feed them but I think that your girl is a new mum so 8 ktitens feedinmg she may not want to sit with them for long.

Id top them all up, ttake out the 4 biggest sit them with you on the sofa and leave the 4 lil uns to get the best nipples and suckle from mum, place them back in when the lil uns have finished.

slighty tip them head below bum and tap between shoulder blades, you can normally hear anything i nthe lungs as they breath funny, then dont actually need to 'burp' but its still good to do.

I dont think you should be feeding them every two hjours if they are getting milk from mu as they need to suckle in order to stimulate her supply, if you are feeding them then her supply may drop, so you only want to be topping up. id possibly say 3 times maybe 4 in a day, depending on the kittens, what do they weigh?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

i forgot to say that you have to make them go to the loo before you feed themm with a but of tissue will do.,


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Well the little Runt just died, so upset, my sister who breeds dogs came over to help but he just got weaker and more dehydrated, the vets said there was nothing they could do so my sister has taken him to bury him. Just got to concentrate on the others now, they are strong and have very full bellies, ranging from 120g to 180g. 2 have lost 2 grams today so will top them up but hopefully the rest will be ok, will keep looking after them the same but am trying not to get paranoid about the rest of them dying. Other half is in Scotland so on my own now :'(


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Well the little Runt just died, so upset, my sister who breeds dogs came over to help but he just got weaker and more dehydrated, the vets said there was nothing they could do so my sister has taken him to bury him. Just got to concentrate on the others now, they are strong and have very full bellies, ranging from 120g to 180g. 2 have lost 2 grams today so will top them up but hopefully the rest will be ok, will keep looking after them the same but am trying not to get paranoid about the rest of them dying. Other half is in Scotland so on my own now :'(


oh no, I wouldnt hurry him Id have a post mortom done as you cant be too careful, even if it is a big litter, you never know and its peace of mind. sorry to hear it  its awful isnt it?

when are you weighing them? times/how often? how often hand feeding did you read my pawst few posts?


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## flosskins (Jan 27, 2010)

Weighing 3 times a day, hand feeding 2 of them 1ml every 4 hours. All gained weight over night, mum is in the box feeding some of them at least every hour, the largest is now 185g and the smallest is 120g which is a gain of 65 grams in 7 days so not growing massively but within healthy limits. mum seems happy and relaxed, eating well so hopefully the rest will thrive.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_i am so very sorry to hear you have lost the little one, fingers crossed that the others all get stronger, thinking of you, xxxx_


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## angel a (Mar 2, 2011)

so sorry to hear that you lost your little one :sad:. I dont think you can weigh kittens too often, I have been known to fill up a notebook with weighings, before a feed; after a feed; before a wee; after a wee; before a poo; and after a poo.....in fact I got so obsessive with one litter my husband threatened to break the scales 

I always use Cimicat, and Ive just been looking at the recommended amounts to feed:

1-3 days 2 - 2.5ml per feed every 2 hours
4-7 days 3 - 3.5ml 10 to 12 times a day
8-10 days 3.5 - 4ml every 2 hours / 10 times a day
11-14 days 5 - 6.25ml every 3 hours
15-21 days 8.25 12.5ml every 4 hours
21 days to 6 weeks 12.5 - 25ml 3 to 4 times a day

Of course these amounts are for hand rearing and not just topping up, but it will give you some idea how much to give. I always use a 1ml syringe as that is just the easiest way, as in my experience kittens that are feeding from their mum dont usually take to the teats on the bottle. 

Good luck, its really hard work


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

flosskins said:


> Weighing 3 times a day, hand feeding 2 of them 1ml every 4 hours. All gained weight over night, mum is in the box feeding some of them at least every hour, the largest is now 185g and the smallest is 120g which is a gain of 65 grams in 7 days so not growing massively but within healthy limits. mum seems happy and relaxed, eating well so hopefully the rest will thrive.


dont weigh them 3 times a day, thats to much, say you weigh them at 12pm lunch time then 12midnight will be enough, giving 12hours each way, when you are happy with the gains, say by 2weeks you can then just stick with 12pm lunch time for example.

1ml every 4 hours, I dont think will do to much, as they are getting older, how much are they gaining without you topping up?

why only topping up two of them? did you not read what I said about the biggest/littlest in the previous posts?


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