First, some vital statistics: The kitten is still alive, and now weighs about 6 ounces (170 grams). A postal scale and a squirmy kitten don't work very well together, so he could be a bit over or under that.
Watching this kitten, it is easy to see how he could wind up lost and alone in the middle of the road. If he is not sleeping, he is crawling/rolling around. I have him in a cardboard box, with a towel over the box at night to keep it a little warmer. The towel is held in place with clip clothes pins. At the 3AM feeding, the kitten was crawling on top of the towel, about ready to fall out of the box entirely. It's not hard to imagine him crawling out of the nest and off into the night.
Does anyone know if is OK to reheat the kitten milk? I haven't been, but I am wondering if there is any reason why I can't just put the leftovers back in the fridge for the next meal? Anyone know?
I tried for about ten minutes to try to get a good picture. This is the best of the lot. Most of them showed about half the kitten, or my bare hand after the kitten had squirmed out of the frame entirely. He was about to fall out of my hand in this shot.
Watching this kitten, it is easy to see how he could wind up lost and alone in the middle of the road. If he is not sleeping, he is crawling/rolling around. I have him in a cardboard box, with a towel over the box at night to keep it a little warmer. The towel is held in place with clip clothes pins. At the 3AM feeding, the kitten was crawling on top of the towel, about ready to fall out of the box entirely. It's not hard to imagine him crawling out of the nest and off into the night.
Does anyone know if is OK to reheat the kitten milk? I haven't been, but I am wondering if there is any reason why I can't just put the leftovers back in the fridge for the next meal? Anyone know?
I tried for about ten minutes to try to get a good picture. This is the best of the lot. Most of them showed about half the kitten, or my bare hand after the kitten had squirmed out of the frame entirely. He was about to fall out of my hand in this shot.
10 comments:
I've never been around a kitten that small before!!! So exciting :-)
I seem to remember reheating once but not more than that. Better suggestion would be to warm a smaller amount and then heat more if you need it. What a cutie!! And it is amazing how mobile they can be.....At about 3 weeks old, Bug would follow me around (although slowly) and meep for her dinner - I took to calling her the baby duck. :)
Oh my gosh, he is so darn cute and aren't you the best to bottle feed him. That is so terrific. He is a figher if he is crawling around that much. Maybe put him in a carrier or something he can't get out of. Hope he makes it. He will. Take care.
I don't reheat milk, but I do heat milk in a very small container. When I am doing like 3-8 ccs, I tend to put it in a measuring cup and then heat it for about 8 seconds in the microwave. Then I test it on my wrist just like you would a baby bottle to make sure it isn't too warm. I don't bottle feed- I always tube feed- and I tend to use glop and not pre-made formula...
For more information:
The glop I use
http://www.hdw-inc.com/glop.htm
Tube feeding instructions (this also goes over the right amount to feed a kitten and how often, and when you can change how much you are feeding)
http://www.cfa.org/client/tubefeeding.aspx
to weigh squirmy kittens, I usually put a small container slightly larger then the kitten on the scale before turning it on. then stick the kitten in the container..
I reheat milk. I just make sure to mix it well afterwards so there are no 'hot spots'. I've read and been told that putting it in the microwave will damage the nutrients, but I tend not to believe that. I've seen too many people refer to some study but I can't ever find the actual study to support that. Cooking will always destroy nutrients, and in some cases makes others more available.. but that's my own little rant..
There are studies showing that foods heated at very high heat lose a lot of their essential nutrients. Also some change their molecular structure so they are less usable by the body. It is always best to heat on the lowest heat possible when heating anything (for humans or kits). And I seem to remember the re-heat one time thing too if you heat a little too much.
He sure is a cutie! And look at those tiny whiskers! Mark Twain used to like to walk around with a kitten in his pocket, but it wasn't so small or wiggly I bet.
That kitten is lucky she (he?) was brought to you. As you say, so far so good. If everything is going in one end as it should and coming out the other as it should, that cat is doing well.
Poor Grace. How is she doing?
Sweet little squirmer, looks like he/she has lots of fight.
I'd go with heating smaller amounts of milk at a time, tiny tums can be easily upset.
You probably have done this already but have you got a small soft toy you could put in his box with him? Tiny ones really need something soft and body like to snuggle up to.
Looks like he will be growing fast!
Oh, I am enchanted. THANK YOU for what you're doing. xoxoxoxoxox
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