# Smelly kittens!



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Phew! My hand reared litter are a smelly bunch. Not having had their Mum to show them how to eat correctly from a bowl they have adopted the faceplant-eat-your-way-out approach. As a result they are covered in food from snout to eartips 

I am happy to face wash after each meal. Although they usually go straight back to the bowl and get covered again!!

But by jove they stink! Anyone got any ideas what I can use to clean their faces regularly (so fairly gentle) but has good desmelling properties??


----------



## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

unfragranced baby wipes, plain water ?


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

A microfiber cloth wrung out in warm water might remove enough food to stop them smelling


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

What are you feeding? All of mine adopt this approach initially, but they don't stink. Thinking about it though, they've always had mum to clean them up. Will she not interact with them at all? Do you have a nice neuter grandma who doesn't mind clean up duties, or anyone else you could put them with to give them a good washing? If mum is reluctant, I normally sprinkle a drop or 2 of NutriDrops on there and it gets them going like blue blazes!

Failing that, I'd look into one of the eye cleaners. Our friend who does the TICA shows with her grooming shop has a good one called Showtech which is great at cleaning off crud. I'd offer you a bottle but I'm low myself.

I'd use a good kitchen role, Regina Blitz is my fave as it doesn't fall apart, to get out the worst of it, then clean with the eye cleaner, then blott dry, then comb out the crispies when they dry off!


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

@carly87 They are eating Natures Menu Country Hunter pouches. Good for them, but a bit whiffy when one swims in it LOL.

Their Mum does try to wash them but often they won't hang around with her as they no longer see her as their Mum, I have been landed with that label. My neuter will accept them running round her but she would never lower herself to the washing of someone elses child.

I am washing their faces with a face wash but they are looking rather stained and greasy.

Part of the trouble is they are still not eating 'properly', but are still trying to suck the food rather than taking bites. I'm hoping that they will grow out of this habit soon. A few people have told me to offer them raw mince to encourage them to eat properly.


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Actually that was going to be my first suggestion. I don't know why, but I had it in my head that you really didn't want to go down that route otherwise I'd have mentioned it. Mine still suck until they're about 13 weeks or older I'm afraid. Are these Persians? Can you hold them still while mum washes them? I found this particularly effective for really wriggly or shouty kittens as it at least gives mum a fighting chance! Try the NutriDrops trick if she gets fed up. The Tropiclean face wash is also very good at lifting grease. If it's just faces and not around eyes, you could carefully dust in some of the dry shampoo you had as that's great at cutting grease.


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks @carly87 I've always been a bit worried about the raw as I am too idle to make it up myself. However I came across a brand new pet shop near me today and I was gobsmacked on walking in. Hardly any 'supermarket' cat and dog food, instead it was mostly grain free, high quality stuff, the like of which usually has to be shipped in from Germany and Canada. I found frozen packs of Natures Menu complete nuggets for cats so bought a box to try. The kittens were really quite keen and ate it properly (no face planting), so I immediately rushed back to the shop and bought a load more!!


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Well, that's a good result! Watch their poos as the nuggets can sometimes be a wee bit boney. Crumbly is what you're aiming for, not hard. Hard and there's too much bone, although mine rarely have problems on this.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Sorry but I need to make a complaint to the mods.....
This thread is all about kittens, fluffy kittens and now they are eating raw so will be grunting and squeaking and getting big and fat AND WE HAVE NO PICTURES!


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Paddypaws said:


> Sorry but I need to make a complaint to the mods.....
> This thread is all about kittens, fluffy kittens and now they are eating raw so will be grunting and squeaking and getting big and fat AND WE HAVE NO PICTURES!


This mod is upholding your complaint  :Snaphappy:Snaphappy


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Paddypaws said:


> Sorry but I need to make a complaint to the mods.....
> This thread is all about kittens, fluffy kittens and now they are eating raw so will be grunting and squeaking and getting big and fat AND WE HAVE NO PICTURES!


When I starting reading this post I nearly had a heart attack  Then I read the final bit and the relief was enormous 



lymorelynn said:


> This mod is upholding your complaint  :Snaphappy:Snaphappy


Your wish is my command  (thank goodness I recently found out how to post photos!)


----------



## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Oh my , so cute, who cares what they smell like !


----------



## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Aw they are adorable!! :Happy


----------



## Sh N (Dec 2, 2015)

Squee! its OK if they smell. I WANT THEM ALL.. CUDDDLLEEEESSSSS.

Its so unfair- I just wish Maya would let me bring another one into the house! I'm gonna go and tell her off now.


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Beautiful kittens @Tigermoon - I can let you come off the naughty step now


----------



## S.crane (Oct 19, 2015)

My gosh how cute they remind me of my Persian I had growing up I'm getting all kitten broody now.


----------



## The Wild Bunch (Jul 16, 2014)

Beautiful! :Kiss:Kiss:Kiss:Kiss:Kiss


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

What little beauties! How do you describe those coat colours?


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Paddypaws said:


> What little beauties! How do you describe those coat colours?


They are Silver Shaded and Golden. Unfortunately the goldens are still very dark so I'm not sure if their coats will clear to a really good golden colour. However my golden girl was very dark like this as a kitten and now she is a gorgeous rich gold colour so who knows! Time will tell.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Tigermoon said:


> They are Silver Shaded and Golden. l.


They really are little 'chocolate box' kittens aren't they? 
Are they what I see described as 'doll faced' ?


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Paddypaws said:


> Are they what I see described as 'doll faced' ?


They are Chinchilla Persians so they will have a more open face than the other colours of Persian. Their noses will shorten as they grow but they'll never be very flat, or 'Ultra' to use the correct term. I couple of them are quite open, particularly poor little Gollum (he of the chewed off fur!) so I would definitely describe them as open-faced.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I much prefer the open-faced Persians and think all your kittens are very sweet.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

They really are adorable @Tigermoon 
so, one more question....
What is a 'Chinchilla' Persian as opposed to err, a regular Persian?


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Paddypaws said:


> They really are adorable @Tigermoon
> so, one more question....
> What is a 'Chinchilla' Persian as opposed to err, a regular Persian?


It's tipped Persian. Most of the shaft of the hair is bone white (they are a silver cat) with tiny tips of black. It's not obvious in the adult but they are actually a tabby cat! I believe a Golden Persian is the same without the silver, and the GCCF standard of points lists blue versions of both as Preliminary. The tipping is caused by the action of the wide band gene: http://messybeast.com/chinchillas.htm


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

What OS says. With regards to the doll face, it's because the chinnie gen epool is a bit smaller than the regular Persian one, and these haven't yet managed to be bred back to be little flatties, although I must admit that I find it rather refreshing! Wish we could get away with this with the more established Persians on the show bench!


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

carly87 said:


> What OS says. With regards to the doll face, it's because the chinnie gen epool is a bit smaller than the regular Persian one, and these haven't yet managed to be bred back to be little flatties, although I must admit that I find it rather refreshing! Wish we could get away with this with the more established Persians on the show bench!


Thanks. I much prefer the 'plain' Persians to the show cats, but there again my own cats are very long-nosed!


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

The kittens are adorable!


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Animallover26 said:


> The kittens are adorable!


All kittens are adorable!


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Paddypaws said:


> They really are adorable @Tigermoon
> so, one more question....
> What is a 'Chinchilla' Persian as opposed to err, a regular Persian?


As OS says "Chinchilla" is a Persian colour. A Silver Shaded is a chinchilla with heavier tipping, and a Golden Chinchilla doesn't have the Silver gene. They are the only Persians to have green eyes. They are generally smaller than the other Persians too, with a different bone structure, being slightly lighter framed and of course having a more open facial expression.


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

OrientalSlave said:


> All kittens are adorable!


Of course


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

I'm pleased to report that the smelly kittens are no longer smelly 

Offering raw really helped teach them to eat properly and they don't get covered any more. Also they Mum has been able to help out with the cleaning more, so they look a lot better thank goodness! Gollums fur is growing back too :Happy

Here they are. The adult is their Aunty.


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Really glad to hear they've been getting on well with the raw!


----------

