Just a quick one today. I am starting to get a little worried. We had no weight gain last night for 2 of the little ones and while the black one is gaining weight like a superstar, none of them have been feeding properly since the 3am feed this morning. I am hoping this is just due to bringing the formula back to a more concentrated level, so they are feeling more full and maybe I should be moving to 4 hourly feeds, but I'm worried it is the beginning of them fading.
Only time will tell. Fingers and toes crossed for weight gain tonight.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
2 weeks!
Well our little micro n00bs have made it to the 2 week mark. To be honest, I didn't think they would make it this far. They are making good progress, putting on weight and becoming more and more fluffy by the day. Though, the last 2 days have seen a bit of a plateau on the weight gain front, that is fairly normal and I have my fingers crossed for a growth spurt over the next couple of days to compensate.
We are still feeding every 3 hours, which is completely exhausting so I am looking forward to increasing that period as their tummys get bigger, and beginning the weaning process in a week or two. They are already very much able to track the smell of the milk, and suckle readily on my hands, fingers arms... pretty much anywhere so it makes me more confident that they will be able to start drinking from a bowl on occasion in a week or so. I had initially wanted to change to 4 hourly feeds from today, but with the smaller weight gains over the past 2 nights I will continue with 3 hourly until they give me some good figures. I am definitely looking forward to the greater hours in between. The fact that I've gone off caffeine due to high blood pressure has made this rather more difficult than it usually is too. I can't just crawl out of bed in the morning to the coffee machine and let the caffeine do its thing. I actually have to get sleep!
Weights on 26/12:
Cream Tabby: 258g
Tabby: 239g
Black: 265g
They curl their tails up like this when they have had enough milk.
We are still feeding every 3 hours, which is completely exhausting so I am looking forward to increasing that period as their tummys get bigger, and beginning the weaning process in a week or two. They are already very much able to track the smell of the milk, and suckle readily on my hands, fingers arms... pretty much anywhere so it makes me more confident that they will be able to start drinking from a bowl on occasion in a week or so. I had initially wanted to change to 4 hourly feeds from today, but with the smaller weight gains over the past 2 nights I will continue with 3 hourly until they give me some good figures. I am definitely looking forward to the greater hours in between. The fact that I've gone off caffeine due to high blood pressure has made this rather more difficult than it usually is too. I can't just crawl out of bed in the morning to the coffee machine and let the caffeine do its thing. I actually have to get sleep!
Weights on 26/12:
Cream Tabby: 258g
Tabby: 239g
Black: 265g
They curl their tails up like this when they have had enough milk.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Day 4
Christmas eve brought lots of feedings for our teeny family members. Followed by socialising and caring for Cali, followed by feeding and placating the big cats, interspersed with a couple of naps to stave off the exhaustion.
It certainly seems to be for a good cause though. The tiny ones are going strong. The diahorrea has cleared up and they are getting more and more fiesty every day. Their legs seem much more steady and strong today and they are sitting up better when feeding. They thoroughly enjoy their pats and cuddles after they have a feed.
Cali is reminding us what our own cats were like when we first got them - which was around her age. We had Addy in with her last night and she was much less distraught, but when we popped him in with her today he decided he wanted out rather desperately, and broke the flyscreen in the bathroom to jump out onto the patio. I suspect he devised the plan last night and simply followed through the next time we put him in there. Needless to say, we won't be doing that again. Cali is a great addition to naps had between feeding the micro n00bs. She will happily have a little play until you doze off, and then you'll wake to her cuddled up by your side. It's a very nice way to rest. We can't do this at night as our own cats have territory staked in the bedroom and Cali wandering into that territory would cause an all-out war.
Weights tonight:
Cream Tabby - 243g (up 7g)
Tabby - 229g (up 10g)
Black - 259g (up 11g)
Can you imagine measuring your weight gain by the teaspoonfull every day?
Tabby Kitten getting some cuddle time
It certainly seems to be for a good cause though. The tiny ones are going strong. The diahorrea has cleared up and they are getting more and more fiesty every day. Their legs seem much more steady and strong today and they are sitting up better when feeding. They thoroughly enjoy their pats and cuddles after they have a feed.
Cali is reminding us what our own cats were like when we first got them - which was around her age. We had Addy in with her last night and she was much less distraught, but when we popped him in with her today he decided he wanted out rather desperately, and broke the flyscreen in the bathroom to jump out onto the patio. I suspect he devised the plan last night and simply followed through the next time we put him in there. Needless to say, we won't be doing that again. Cali is a great addition to naps had between feeding the micro n00bs. She will happily have a little play until you doze off, and then you'll wake to her cuddled up by your side. It's a very nice way to rest. We can't do this at night as our own cats have territory staked in the bedroom and Cali wandering into that territory would cause an all-out war.
Weights tonight:
Cream Tabby - 243g (up 7g)
Tabby - 229g (up 10g)
Black - 259g (up 11g)
Can you imagine measuring your weight gain by the teaspoonfull every day?
Tabby Kitten getting some cuddle time
Friday, December 23, 2011
Micro N00bs Day 3
Still going strong today. Unfortunately, two of the little ones had diahorrea last night. This can easily be a killer in small kittens as they quickly become dehydrated and lose precious nutrients. If they get to the stage where they are feeling yuck, they just won't feed. I suspected the cause of the problem to be the milk formula they are having. If the dilution isn't right their little digestive systems can't really cope with it. I've made it more diluted now and it does seem to be clearning up. They didn't lose weight which is a good sign.
Weights:
Cream Tabby: 21/12 - 215g, 22/12 - 224g
Tabby: 21/12 - 207g, 22/12 - 208g
Black: 21/12 - 215g, 22/12 - 234g
As you can see they haven't been named yet. I am going to hold off until they are 3 weeks before I do that. It's a bit of a self-preservation thing but I don't think it's working! They are quite adorable and certainly have their own little personalities already. The cream tabby loves to have her little tummy rubbed and tends to sleep upside down - unusual for a cat!
Cream Tabby getting her upside down cuddles
Meanwhile, Cali is settling in as a "bigger cat" very well. She has found a buddy in Addy (one of our 4 cats and previous foster kitten - his story is earlier on this blog) and the two of them have had a great time playing, exploring, getting to know each other, and snoozing on the guest bed. This is the bed where my two nieces will stay when they are down in June to see the snow. I think they will be quite happy knowing there is a cute kitten keeping it warm for them. Earlier today Cali had a bit of a nap on my desk:
Weights:
Cream Tabby: 21/12 - 215g, 22/12 - 224g
Tabby: 21/12 - 207g, 22/12 - 208g
Black: 21/12 - 215g, 22/12 - 234g
As you can see they haven't been named yet. I am going to hold off until they are 3 weeks before I do that. It's a bit of a self-preservation thing but I don't think it's working! They are quite adorable and certainly have their own little personalities already. The cream tabby loves to have her little tummy rubbed and tends to sleep upside down - unusual for a cat!
Cream Tabby getting her upside down cuddles
Meanwhile, Cali is settling in as a "bigger cat" very well. She has found a buddy in Addy (one of our 4 cats and previous foster kitten - his story is earlier on this blog) and the two of them have had a great time playing, exploring, getting to know each other, and snoozing on the guest bed. This is the bed where my two nieces will stay when they are down in June to see the snow. I think they will be quite happy knowing there is a cute kitten keeping it warm for them. Earlier today Cali had a bit of a nap on my desk:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Micro N00bs Day 2
Well the micro n00bs (as they have now been dubbed) made it through the night and are thriving. They are loving their milk and drinking, toileting, burping and sleeping really well.
I am a big believer in the power of music and have a wonderful youtube playlist saved of relaxation music that never fails to put kittens to sleep. This has been playing fairly steadily (well I turn it off at night - my computer needs a rest every now and then) and at the very least has a calming effect on me when feeding but I do think it helps the tiny ones too.
Anyway, I hear some rumblings... must go heat the next bottle!
I am a big believer in the power of music and have a wonderful youtube playlist saved of relaxation music that never fails to put kittens to sleep. This has been playing fairly steadily (well I turn it off at night - my computer needs a rest every now and then) and at the very least has a calming effect on me when feeding but I do think it helps the tiny ones too.
Anyway, I hear some rumblings... must go heat the next bottle!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Cali & The Big Challenge
The little ones were all taken to be desexed this morning. Unfortunately, we have had the slightly worrying news that Cali has a heart murmur. The vet wasn't too worried about it but we will be taking her back this afternoon to stay with us a little longer. Apparently they can grow out of these things so that is the hope for her. She will just have to be adopted out as a slightly older cat. It's not ideal, but it's certainly better than the alternative.
And as it would happen (since it often does!), there was a new litter waiting especially for us upon the return of the others. It is the very sad reality that the RSPCA and other rescue groups are often faced with very young litters coming through their doors. At only a week old our newest litter is, quite frankly, not expected to survive. Many, when faced with this challenge, would simply euthanise and use their resources elsewhere. We, and the RSPCA (ACT) have decided to give these three tiny lives a chance. The expectation is that they won't last very long, but hey... maybe we can have a bit of a Christmas miracle. We will certainly do our best to make it happen (3 hourly feeds... yikes!)
Here are the new 3. They are not very good photos as we cannot use flash photography on ones so small, and once you wake them, you have to get that bottle to them quickly!
And as it would happen (since it often does!), there was a new litter waiting especially for us upon the return of the others. It is the very sad reality that the RSPCA and other rescue groups are often faced with very young litters coming through their doors. At only a week old our newest litter is, quite frankly, not expected to survive. Many, when faced with this challenge, would simply euthanise and use their resources elsewhere. We, and the RSPCA (ACT) have decided to give these three tiny lives a chance. The expectation is that they won't last very long, but hey... maybe we can have a bit of a Christmas miracle. We will certainly do our best to make it happen (3 hourly feeds... yikes!)
Here are the new 3. They are not very good photos as we cannot use flash photography on ones so small, and once you wake them, you have to get that bottle to them quickly!
Farewell to the minions
Well, the time has come; the minions are all big enough to be desexed and this morning they head back to the RSPCA. They should be available for adoption by Thursday so hopefully they will all have forever homes by Xmas.
Last night we did a final photo shoot with them... to the extent that they cooperated! A sneak preview is below, more to come!
Last night we did a final photo shoot with them... to the extent that they cooperated! A sneak preview is below, more to come!
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| Tash gets belly rubs |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Updated weights
Good news to report, Mr Beefy has now officially broken the 1kg barrier. Callie and Tash aren't far behind, but little Jessica still has a way to go yet. New graph below:
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