# new kitten only 6 weeks old...



## darklys girl (Apr 1, 2009)

Hi all, I have been given a 6 week old kitten, she is lovely, I have called her Dotty, she is eating, and using her litter try, I have a bed for her with a hot water bottle, she seems really happy and is playing... I did think 6 weeks was very young, I thought 8 - 10 weeks was normal for kittens to be ready !! anyway she is here now so I just want to do my best to care for her, any info on looking after a 6 week kitten would be lovely please ..
Thanks all x


----------



## darklys girl (Apr 1, 2009)

darklys girl said:


> Hi all, I have been given a 6 week old kitten, she is lovely, I have called her Dotty, she is eating, and using her litter try, I have a bed for her with a hot water bottle, she seems really happy and is playing... I did think 6 weeks was very young, I thought 8 - 10 weeks was normal for kittens to be ready !! anyway she is here now so I just want to do my best to care for her, any info on looking after a 6 week kitten would be lovely please ..
> Thanks all x


Also what age should she be before I can introduce a second kitten, she will be from another litter ? as I want 2 cats, so wanted them to grow up together ?


----------



## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

if they both have a clean bill of health any age is fine. When I got my two one was 14 weeks and one was 7 weeks.


----------



## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

You're very right, she is very very young. She will need lots of sleep and tlc. She will need 5 or 6 small meals a day, preferably good quality wet kitten food, with perhaps a little cooled boiled water added to the food for extra fluids in case she gets constipated.
MAke sure there is always clean water [change it at least twice a day available for her too.
If she was still with her Mum she would still be taking regular milk feeds to help with this.
You will need to watch carefully to make sure she's eating ok as she can't have been weaned for very long.
1st set of vaccs will prob be at 9 weeks old, 2nd at 12 weeks old. 
Personally I wouldn't introduce another kitten until from a different environment until she is protected, each household carries it's own set of potential viruses etc.
Was it not possible to get two from the same litter?
SPeak to your vet about worm and flea treatments, if she has been homed this early I would have my doubts as to whether she's been wormed properly.
You might well find that her toilet training is sketchy too.
Be very patient, keep a try in the same room as her, and put her in it regularly. Ignore any mishaps, she really is too young to be trained properly yet.

Good luck.


----------



## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

hi

I got my Indy at around the same age but only cos his mum was too poorly to carry on looking after him...

I found it really helped to offer him kitten milk 2-3 times a day as he wouldn't drink much water, he didn't properly drink water until he was 10-11 weeks old. You can get kitten milk for 55p a carton at tesco  But remember that milk counts as a food, has a lot of nutrients etc in... though it doesn't whilst teeny as she gets older can make her podgey.

Congratulations on your new baby though, when can we see pics?


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

aww I dont think I could let my kittens go now they are nearly 6 weeks!

I got my Elvis at 5 weeks but sadly he missed out on mums milk which he badly needed 

You could try giving her some cimi cat its the best to mums milk, Hyperdrug - Hyperdrug, Home of the Equine Pharmacy, Canine Chemists and Pigeon Pharmacy, pet medicines, wormers, and flea treatments sell it


----------



## funkycub (Aug 24, 2008)

Taylorbaby said:


> aww I dont think I could let my kittens go now they are nearly 6 weeks!
> 
> *I got my Elvis at 5 weeks but sadly he missed out on mums milk which he badly needed *
> 
> You could try giving her some cimi cat its the best to mums milk, Hyperdrug - Hyperdrug, Home of the Equine Pharmacy, Canine Chemists and Pigeon Pharmacy, pet medicines, wormers, and flea treatments sell it


We are thinking of getting a boy called Elvis (goes with Ella and Effie well!!)

I got Ella at 6 weeks and she was fine. Kept an eye on her. We got Effie 24 hours later and oh my word the EXCITEMENT from Ella!!!!! Just be aware thes second kittie will be nervous and the first will just want to play!!!!


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

funkycub said:


> We are thinking of getting a boy called Elvis (goes with Ella and Effie well!!)
> 
> I got Ella at 6 weeks and she was fine. Kept an eye on her. We got Effie 24 hours later and oh my word the EXCITEMENT from Ella!!!!! Just be aware thes second kittie will be nervous and the first will just want to play!!!!


lol! it goes well! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

What does funkycub mean?? I still like that! I might have to steal it!!


----------



## funkycub (Aug 24, 2008)

Taylorbaby said:


> lol! it goes well! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
> 
> What does funkycub mean?? I still like that! I might have to steal it!!


Ha ha! It kind of a nickname!

Gay men with beards and are fat tend to be called bears. Slimmer guys with beards tend to be called cubs...... One night I was in a club dancing and a huge american "bear" came over to me, tapped me on the shoulder and in a deep american voice said "My you're a funkycub aren't you, you can really dance" Me and my partner laughed and it kinds stuck. If we go clubbing now my partner always says it with a big smile on his face!!


----------



## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

Taylorbaby said:


> aww I dont think I could let my kittens go now they are nearly 6 weeks!
> 
> I got my Elvis at 5 weeks but sadly he missed out on mums milk which he badly needed
> 
> You could try giving her some cimi cat its the best to mums milk, Hyperdrug - Hyperdrug, Home of the Equine Pharmacy, Canine Chemists and Pigeon Pharmacy, pet medicines, wormers, and flea treatments sell it


Indy (who was the 5-6 weeks, eyes still blue stage when we rescued him) never suffered without the more expensive milk substitute, he just had the standard 'treat' milk that you can buy as a treat or snack for your kitten and he is now a 13lb monster. He only had the milk because he wouldn't drink water and had issues chewing food sometimes


----------



## darklys girl (Apr 1, 2009)

Thank you all so much for all the info, I will keep my eye on her feeding, and will see about getting her some kitten milk too, I did want 2 from the same litter but there was just 1 left, so will have to look at getting my second kitten from another litter, I will give it a couple more weeks yet.. oh and will add a photo if I can find out how to do it !!


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

IndysMamma said:


> Indy (who was the 5-6 weeks, eyes still blue stage when we rescued him) never suffered without the more expensive milk substitute, he just had the standard 'treat' milk that you can buy as a treat or snack for your kitten and he is now a 13lb monster. He only had the milk because he wouldn't drink water and had issues chewing food sometimes


Hiya I said my cat Elvis missed out, so next time Id rather spend the extra £10 and give them more vits it makes lots of milk anyway so it prob actually works our cheaper & is better for them! 

Elvis has 2 life long illness as he was probably weaned at 3/4 weeks  I was only 14 when I got him so I didnt know about cats/kittens I just thought 'kitten yah'! lol! :blushing:

Elvis is now 12 and he has never ever drunk water, the same as your cat, thats weird & both were 5 week when we got them? I wonder if that is a 'normal' thing for younger kits? Mine care drinking water though, but maybe he missed his milk? or didnt know how to lap it? He drinks 50p worth of milk per day  Thas alot of milk!! hmy:

As he gets blocked up he has to have the milk for extra fliud no dry food as a hand full of biccis blocks him up and his on lax everyday of his life  He is also allergic to Everything! from all plants, grass house flys, dust to carrots most food!! Although Elvis is from 14-21lb! All muscle lol!


----------



## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

Indy still enjoys his milk though thankfully he now drinks water, was half weaned at 4 weeks because Mabel (his mamma) was starving to death herself and couldn't make enough milk for him 
Maybe I got away with the tescos milk because it is goats milk with extra nutrients and vitamins added? was recommended by my vet as a substitute milk rather than formula... but despite being thin Indy was a robust and tough lil fella... varies so much cat to cat I suppose.
I'm glad Elvis got you though... I hope his siblings got as good owners


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

aww thanks lol, his the most 'expensive free cat ever' as we call him as his total is now around 18k...........  sadly no insurance...........and out of my daddys pockets!!! over 12years though......it still works out loads!! 

My best mate got his brother & the sister we saw was very ill aswell, but being kids arpound kittens you dont think logically do you!! :laugh: we jsut saw kittens & I took one & so did my mate, our parents didnt even know, well my dad did when I got back to the car and her mum did when she got home!! :eek6:

No I think its still good I didnt know about the cimi until I bred anyway but I just thought if I had a younger kit it might be worth it? ITs prob just as good as the one you got anyway!

I use whiskas/sainburys & tesco own for Elvis, he wont drink any others! fussy sod! :laugh:

that is so sad about the mums cat   how awful :sad:


----------



## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

Hi and welcome Darkly's girlBecareful giving any milk to your kitten as some kittens are lactose intolerant and it may make her loose,tbh i'd stick with water


----------



## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

Siamese Kelly said:


> Hi and welcome Darkly's girlBecareful giving any milk to your kitten as some kittens are lactose intolerant and it may make her loose,tbh i'd stick with water


that's why we were on about the proper cat/kitten milk without much lactose  though also said it was if the kitten *wouldn't* drink enough water... Indy at that age would not drink water at all, after 24 hours we gave him the kitten milk for the food and fluid value as he wasn't properly weaned.

Now he happily drinks water and only has cat milk/goat milk/cows milk as the odd treat and never has an upset tum from it.


----------



## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

Siamese Kelly said:


> Hi and welcome Darkly's girlBecareful giving any milk to your kitten as some kittens are lactose intolerant and it may make her loose,tbh i'd stick with water


Hi, I was gonna agree with SK on this one too as kittens from 6-7weeks do actually become lactose intolerant, that's why some kitts at this age when weaning can get diarrhea as they are still feeding from mum. It's not the food that gives them the runs but the lactose in mums milk, which will be in the milk you make up too.

I asked a vet, few years ago now 'so why do they make cat milk' I was talking felix whiskas here his response laughed then said ' cos it makes them money' so unfortuantely they are all a con imo


----------

