Hard to believe it was only a month ago Billy White Shoes was sort of tossed into our lives. At the time he weighed around 5 ounces (140 grams) and was about the size of a candy bar. He spent almost all his time sleeping and crying for food.
Now he weighs (guess) around 1-1/2 pounds (680 grams), and is happily running around the house like some sort of miniature whirlwind. He doesn't fit on the postal scale I have any more, and most attempts to weigh him end quickly when Grace O'Malley comes running to find out what I'm doing to her kitten.
I've also gotten into the habit of looking down before I take a step, just in case Billy is underfoot again.
A quick video from a day or two ago. Think of it as the 'after' picture of the kitten.
Billy does have one habit I could do without, though. When feeding him, he will suck up his formula fine for a while, then all at once he will start smacking at the bottle, my fingers, and anything else in the area. He acts almost like he is choking, or is suddenly not getting anything, or something. Sometimes he will crawl over the bottle like he is trying to get away from the nipple, other times he will clamp on and refuse to let go. When I check, the nipple doesn't seem to be plugged, and there is formula in the bottle, so I'm wondering if anyone has seen anything similar, or has any suggestions what the heck is going on. FWIW, Once he starts doing this, he never starts nursing again, and when I feel his belly, he feels pretty well full.
He doesn't seem to be having any other problems, so I am not too worried yet, but the kitten clawings are starting to get painful.
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Now he weighs (guess) around 1-1/2 pounds (680 grams), and is happily running around the house like some sort of miniature whirlwind. He doesn't fit on the postal scale I have any more, and most attempts to weigh him end quickly when Grace O'Malley comes running to find out what I'm doing to her kitten.
I've also gotten into the habit of looking down before I take a step, just in case Billy is underfoot again.
A quick video from a day or two ago. Think of it as the 'after' picture of the kitten.
Billy, reminding me he has tuf!
Billy is using his litter box fine now. I would probably try to rig up some sort of ramp or step so he could get into the big box, but the big box has clumping litter in it, and I'm not sure I want Billy crawling around in that just yet. Like with most things, there is some question whether the clumping litter actually hurts kittens, but if he is going to eat litter, a clump of dirt is probably less harm than a lump of chemically treated whatizit.Billy does have one habit I could do without, though. When feeding him, he will suck up his formula fine for a while, then all at once he will start smacking at the bottle, my fingers, and anything else in the area. He acts almost like he is choking, or is suddenly not getting anything, or something. Sometimes he will crawl over the bottle like he is trying to get away from the nipple, other times he will clamp on and refuse to let go. When I check, the nipple doesn't seem to be plugged, and there is formula in the bottle, so I'm wondering if anyone has seen anything similar, or has any suggestions what the heck is going on. FWIW, Once he starts doing this, he never starts nursing again, and when I feel his belly, he feels pretty well full.
He doesn't seem to be having any other problems, so I am not too worried yet, but the kitten clawings are starting to get painful.
8 comments:
I need to go back and see the video but I saw those claws yesterday. They are HUGE! I forgot how many weeks old they are before they control their claws. Tell him I love him and my mommy does too. xoxoxox
28 days they start to control their claws.
There is no reason why the claws can't be clipped other then you might be intimidated by it. The quick is insanely small so there is little risk of making a kitten that young bleed. When i have orphans I clip them immediately when they show up at the house. I leave them when they have a mom until they start to eat on their own - which about the time they start clawing me up while playing.
The whole nipple thing, maybe he's just full??
So have you officially decided to keep him?
awwww.....hard to believe they grow so fast. mom laughed at the looking down comment....people often wonders why she stares at the floor when walking (she says too many tiny kittens in the house). mom says clip his claws - Silver's have been done twice. cute that Grace has adopted him. and we say if he is acting like he is done, then let him be done!
They do grow up quickly don't they. We don't know anything about the bottle but hope that you can find out if this is a kitten thing or if there is something going on with the bottle.
How adorable! He's grown into quite a precious kitten. Good luck wif the bottle thing and this mighty claws.
Kitten claws are wicked! How do their moms put up with them?
He is lovely and you have done (and are doing) a great job! He is so lucky to have been thrown into your household. He must have been just born when they found him.
About the feeding thing... I am wondering if he is just eating to fast and fills up too quickly? But I do not know; no experience..
Oh he's such a little saucepot! We wonder if he's so keen on his formula he's sucking in a bit of air and towards the end of the feed it builds up, feels uncomfy and that sets him off? Maybe he needs a little bit of burping? *
Oliver, Gerry & Mungo
* Good luck with burping lol!
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