Another difficulty you may run into, which is common with formula fed kittens is constipation. It may be necessary to give them an additional "feed" or two, with plain sterile water. If they do become constipated, and it goes on for too long, they can develop a condition called megacolon, in which the bowel is overstretched and after it is relieved, does not function normally. One solution is to use a small amount of a hairball paste, dissolved in some warm water, and fed by bottle or syringe, once a day. This may help to keep the stools loose enough to be passed.
On the other hand, diarrhea can mean a kitten's life. As the bowel grows, the nature of the flora in it changes as well. At times the bacterias that are natural and unnatural become unbalanced, and diarrhea results. If the loose stools are particularly foul in smell, or accompanied by vomiting, you need veterinary assistance. A small kitten dehydrates very fast, and may require subcutaneous fluids, as well as supplementing with electrolytes, to restore the body's balance of fluids. It may also require antibiotic treatment if a fecal check shows cause for concern.
At 3-4 weeks of age, you can start to introduce wet solid food. One of the keys to doing this, is to warm it just slightly, since the kittens are used to warm formula, and/or mother's milk.
Since they have no concept of table manners to start, and usually will try and suck at the food, you can try pureeing the food in a blender until it is a very soft mush, or you can simply mash it well with either some warm water, or warm formula. Some people prefer to start their kittens out on a human baby cereal mixed with warm formula. However pablum does not have any nutritional value for a cat, whereas the canned food is what they are going to be eating from now on, and early introduction does no harm. Another "first food" choice is soaked kitten chow, that is mashed up. This is alright as well, but the canned is easier to feed, and they tend to gravitate to it faster.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Betty Sleep's Household Pets topic, please visit the Discussions page.