Help name our kittens - Page 3

dagny0823 · #21 (**permalink**) 26-06-2011, 08:28 PM

We picked them up on Friday and we still haven't named them. We're trying to see what their personalities indicate. I've taken a couple of pictures, all pretty blurry as they like to move at the last minute.

They are the sweetest little guys. They purr non-stop and the tabby is really showing himself to have a very outgoing confident personality already.
He's quite the explorer--we've got them in our second bedroom, but opened the door yesterday to so what they'd do. The cheeky devil hopped down the stairs, explored the first floor, then headed for the basement like he owned the place.

The black smoke had me a little worried. He's very laid-back and I can't tell if it's just his personality (I really think there is some ragdoll in his lineage) or that he's so very young (I'm guessing only 6 weeks!

). He also had a ton of flea dirt on him (although only one live flea, so I wonder if they didn't treat him at the shelter), so I worried about some anemia issues. He tires quickly, and again, it just might be that he's so very young and I think at least 3 weeks younger than the tabby, but I just worry. He's not lethargic by any means, he's just very bony, very young, and likes his naps. The little rascal is also very picky about his food. I've been trying all sorts of things to just get him to eat more, including some KMR, just to put some fat on him. He seems to like salmon, but not tuna so much. And I gave them some boiled minced chicken today, which he eventually ate.

The vet can't get us in for a check up until Monday, and so I've just been nervous of anything going wrong, but today he's pretty perky and eating more and learning how to play, so I think he just needs to catch up to his "brother".

Howldaloom · #22 (**permalink**) 26-06-2011, 08:35 PM

WOAW 6 weeks???

6 WEEKS? The shelter are well out of order for rehoming a kit that young! OMG report them!

As for the kits themselves. i wouldnt boil or cook any meat given to them as it takes all the goodness out of it.

For kits that young i would feed a very good quality milk(i used to raise berns on full fat goats milk-but i would ask your vets first) and mix it in with a good quality cat food *wet*

Take them both straight down vets ASAP to be treated for fleas and worms and have their vaccinations!

Those kits should not of left their mum for double that time!

IndysMamma · #23 (**permalink**) 26-06-2011, 08:36 PM

for 'quick calories' try kitten milk or full fat goat milk - 5-6 teaspoons twice a day. Normally it would have to be restricted as it counts as a snack but for building a wee'n up they're grand

dagny0823 · #24 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howldaloom

WOAW 6 weeks???

6 WEEKS? The shelter are well out of order for rehoming a kit that young! OMG report them!

As for the kits themselves. i wouldnt boil or cook any meat given to them as it takes all the goodness out of it.

For kits that young i would feed a very good quality milk(i used to raise berns on full fat goats milk-but i would ask your vets first) and mix it in with a good quality cat food *wet*

Take them both straight down vets ASAP to be treated for fleas and worms and have their vaccinations!

Those kits should not of left their mum for double that time!

Shelters over here will rehome as early as possible. To my knowledge, it's pretty unheard of to hold them until 12 weeks. They will spay/neuter at 2 months/2 lbs, whichever comes first. The card on their cage said 4 weeks, but I think they're more like 6 and 9---the vet tomorrow will hopefully have a solid estimate. They were strays, so I suppose it's just a matter of if someone traps them, and they don't ever seem to care if they get the mother.

They're eating Taste of the Wild kibble, which is left down for them all the time and they aren't having a lot of it. Every few hours I'm bringing them some good quality wet food--I don't think they have the brands in the UK but both are grain free and use human grade ingredients. I had to resort to Fancy Feast and Iams today, just to try to tempt the little one's palette, since he seems such a picky eater. It's what he got at the shelter it looked like--they subsist on donations. I figured any food is food at this point until he settles and puts on some weight and then I can wean him onto the better stuff.

As for cooking the chicken, I would like to get them weaned over to raw eventually, or at least mostly raw, but again, figured 1) he would be more likely to just eat the cooked and 2) I didn't know if the addition of raw at this point would upset their tummies too much. Don't want to risk the squits.

dagny0823 · #25 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndysMamma

for 'quick calories' try kitten milk or full fat goat milk - 5-6 teaspoons twice a day. Normally it would have to be restricted as it counts as a snack but for building a wee'n up they're grand

He's getting KMR a couple of times a day. Well, they both are, since the tabby eats everything in sight. We'll pick up some goat milk tomorrow and anything else the vet recommends, although I know vets aren't all that grand when it comes to nutritional advice. Hopefully the KMR isn't too fattening for the older one? (And do you have that brand over there? It's Kitten Milk Replacement, in case you don't).

I'm also going to add probiotics as well, either in a powder or as yogurt or kefir. I really think they help a lot. I know Kelso has gotten better far more quickly than our vet thought he would with his demodectic mange and I think it's because I started giving them to him.

momentofmadness · #26 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 12:46 AM

Pictures???

dagny0823 · #27 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momentofmadness

Pictures???

I finally got some really good ones, in focus and everything!

My problem now is I can't find the cable to connect the camera with the computer, so I'm working on it.......We are experiencing technical difficulties.....

I blame moving

Howldaloom · #28 (**permalink**) 27-06-2011, 09:54 AM

Dry food will probably be too hard for them at that age hence them not eaten alot of it.

I would soak the dry foor in water to see if it helps. Even just a little bit to make it softer for them to chew

dagny0823 · #29 (**permalink**) 28-06-2011, 04:09 AM

Just an update and some piccies!!!!

Had their vet check today and passed with flying colors. No worms, he deflea-ed them, and they are due back in a month for another worm check and vaccinations. On the bad side, they are younger than we thought. The black smoke is 5 weeks he estimated and the tabby is 7 or 8 tops. They are both eating like champs now and he wasn't concerned about their weights. The little one probably never was properly weaned and so struggled at the shelter to get enough in him. He's actually managing with the dry food surprisingly (I tried soaking in kitten milk and water both and they turned up their noses at that), although both really prefer wet. But I'm quite relieved that they are healthy and fit to meet the rest of the household. And now that the little one has spent a few days here, gotten some good nutrition in him and lots of love, he's quite the intrepid explorer as well and both seem eager to leave their bedroom sanctuary and spend some time with everyone as full members of the household.

So, without further ado, some pics for you all. They were done with the flash, so some of the colors aren't quite as good as I'd like and damn their eyes, they do love to pose then turn away at the last second!

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