NURSING A KITTEN ARTIFICIALLY WITHOUT RISK
THE SPONGE, AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE BOTTLE
First of all, it's important to bear in mind that there's no one better than a mother cat to feed her kitten, and that deciding to artificially nurse a kitten should never be a decision taken lightly. Indeed, while bottle-feeding a human baby may seem childishly simple, bottle-feeding a kitten is another matter altogether, and there can be many setbacks:
- Kitten constipation or diarrhea due to formula intolerance
- The cat loses interest in her kitten and/or stops lactating altogether.
- De-socialization of kittens and behavioral problems with humans
- And the most dreaded problem of all: the false route. This is when a little milk accidentally passes into the lungs, causing an infection that can be fatal to the kitten in a matter of hours.
Several difficulties will arise:
- Weak kittens often don't have much appetite. They are therefore more delicate and do not appreciate the "hardness" and texture of rubber or plastic artificial teats. What's more, if they are weak, they often have difficulty "pulling" on their mother's teats or on a traditional teat.
- As soon as a kitten has regained some of its energy, it often becomes gluttonous, and if the milk arrives too quickly, it won't be able to regulate the flow on its own. This can lead to a "false route", due to too much milk entering the mouth with each suck.
See the enthusiasm of this little Persian kitten from from Elevage des Chats Heureux to take his bottle
- Most teats are sold undrilled. In this case, not only do you need to drill them, but you also need to assess the number of holes and their diameters. Too little flow, and the kitten runs out. Too large a flow and she'll "drown".
But sometimes it's necessary to supplement or replace the kitten's breast-feeding by the cat, and you need to know how to do this.
Maine coon kitten from Empire des Titans kennel
One day, while surfing the net, I came across an American video showing a breastfeeding method that I quickly tested and approved. It involved nursing a puppy using a sponge. The method is extremely simple to set up, comfortable for the baby, economical for the breeder and most importantly: I've never had a single false start in 13 years of using this method! And I can guarantee you that a number of puppies have had the opportunity to try it out ;)... And from the day I tried out this artificial feeding method, I've never touched a bottle again!
- Particularly suitable for newborns and kittens under 3 weeks old who have already suckled their mother and refuse artificial teats. Kittens accept it immediately
- Suitable for weak kittens with little strength or a weak sucking reflex
- No risk of misdirection
- Easy to install
- Economical
NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE METHOD :
- Not suitable for large kittens
- We don't know exactly how much milk the kitten drank.
- you need to be very careful about sponge hygiene (milk residues)
Before you start, make sure the kitten is fit to nurse!
- The kitten must still have a sucking reflex. ! If she no longer has a sucking reflex, the sponge won't help. Other methods are possible (which I'll tell you about later), but not this one.
- The kitten must be warmOtherwise, she won't be able to digest the milk, and you'll only make the situation worse.
The equipment you need to nurse your kitten
- A milk formula suitable for kittens. Many breeders use their own recipes, and personally I'm rather adventurous, but not for that! A formulation error in the composition of milk kills a kitten in a matter of hours! So I've always used kitten-specific formula. I always have a small tin ready before giving birth (be sure to keep it in the fridge after opening).
- A syringe with a volume slightly larger than your kitten's meal. From 1ml to 20ml insulin syringes, the choice depends on your kitten's breed and age.
- A sponge. Not just any sponge will do! To ensure that the milk passes through the sponge smoothly, but not too quickly, you need a sponge with a very fine granulometry. Foundation sponges are perfect for this purpose. They come in all sizes, are easy to reshape, inexpensive and available everywhere.
You'll probably need to resize the sponge to make a "teat". Personally, I cut in a triangle so that 1/4 to 1/5 of my sponge is the size of a cat's nipple (sponge shape in photo).
Remember that the end of the sponge should go right to the bottom of the kitten's mouth, and you should still be able to keep a piece of it in your fingers. Don't cut too small!
Remember to clean it beforehand (possible residues of chemicals and dust), as these sponges are not initially intended for food use.
HOW TO FEED YOUR KITTEN?
- Once your milk is ready and at the right temperature, your syringe clean and your sponge well trimmed, take your kitten in your hand, holding its head. He should always be placed on his tummy, never on his back! This is to avoid false routes.
- Soak the end of the sponge in the milk. Gently open the kitten's mouth and place the sponge tip at the very back of the mouth (not the throat...). Let him close his mouth again. Magic: here we go 🙂
- Fill your syringe. Feed the sponge with milk from the syringe as the meal progresses. The kitten will suckle at its own pace, with no risk of false feeds.
ATTENTION wash the sponge thoroughly between feedings! Given the difficulty of ensuring that the sponge is clean of all milk residue, I keep it in the fridge between feeds and change it every day.
The video below shows a British kitten just a few days old, born with difficulty suckling its mother.
Many thanks to Ginny's Memories Cattery for the demonstration video
Laetitia (Chatterie Of Golden Chachaland)
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Comments
Thank you for this information I had never heard of.
I use the magic syringe a few times, I will try this method.
Thanks
With pleasure 🙂
You'll see, to try it is to adopt it 🙂
Thanks for your feedback and have a good weekend
With pleasure. Where this method really makes a difference is on weaklings who don't have enough strength and wear themselves out on teats. Will you give me your feedback? 😉
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