Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We took in 6 black kittens from the shelter. They are about 3 to 4 weeks old, found as strays, and weight less than a pound. The shelter wants them to gain about 2 pounds before we return them to be adopted.
What tips do you have in caring for small kittens? They are a little shy but curious about us. They are eating wet and dry food, as instructed by the shelter. They wanted us to give them Purina One, but we bought Evo instead (we didn't know until after the purchase). Should we go back and buy Purina One? We personally are not fans of the Purina brand...
We took in 6 black kittens from the shelter. They are about 3 to 4 weeks old, found as strays, and weight less than a pound. The shelter wants them to gain about 2 pounds before we return them to be adopted.
What tips do you have in caring for small kittens? They are a little shy but curious about us. They are eating wet and dry food, as instructed by the shelter. They wanted us to give them Purina One, but we bought Evo instead (we didn't know until after the purchase). Should we go back and buy Purina One? We personally are not fans of the Purina brand...
Any tips greatly appreciated.
In terms of food, I would first ask the shelter if it is okay to switch. You really should feed what they want you to feed b/c you are only fostering; if the kittens were yours, it would be a different story.
The most important aspect of the food is that it is specifically designed for kittens. I am not a fan of Purina either but I have used PurinaOne for kittens and it is good. However, that said, EVO is a superior food; I would probably feed something like this if I were raising kittens again (foods have come a long way since I last raised any kittens).
You can also give them KMR as a supplement. There are other formulas but I would just stick to KMR, it is the best!
Here is a helpful website. Please note that it states not to lay a kitten on his/her back if feeding the supplement, as it can get into their lungs:
The shelter likely suggest PurinaOne because it's something that most people recognize, is easy to find in most stores, and won't cost an arm and a leg. I doubt there would be any issues with feeding a better food to the kittens.
There are paste vitamin supplements you can give the kittens. I don't know the name anymore since the time I worked the shelter, the stuff we used has changed names. But it comes in a toothpaste type container and is quite sticky. We used it to help the cats that were ill get thier strength and apatite back, good stuff.
With plenty of food and room to play, they will grow to weight in no time at all.
I'm sure the shelter's choice of PurinaOne is as OwlKaMyst said. I think I would continue with the Evo and then slowly transition the kittens to PurinaOne ... ask the shelter if that would be ok.
Of course nutrition is vital for the kittens, but so is socialization. Potential adoptive families will naturally want to choose a kitten that is social with both other animals and with humans, and to have self-confidence. There is a natural tendency to be timid for safety and self-preservation - their mother would have encouraged that trait. But their mother would have also taught them what they can trust.
So, along with getting them to healthy weights, interact with them often (both at a distance and with physical handling) to teach them the social skills that they'll want to learn. In a controlled and timed way, expose them to as many new things, places, people, sounds, and if possible other animals, as you can. Each kitten is an individual, so it can be hard to know each one's limitation. But boy oh boy it can be such a fun and rewarding experience and I envy you! :-)
We took in 6 black kittens from the shelter. They are about 3 to 4 weeks old, found as strays, and weight less than a pound. The shelter wants them to gain about 2 pounds before we return them to be adopted.
What tips do you have in caring for small kittens? They are a little shy but curious about us. They are eating wet and dry food, as instructed by the shelter. They wanted us to give them Purina One, but we bought Evo instead (we didn't know until after the purchase). Should we go back and buy Purina One? We personally are not fans of the Purina brand...
Any tips greatly appreciated.
I'm not a fan of hard food before the kittens are about 2lbs, or 8-10 weeks. We feed our kittens Blue Buffalo gluten free all natural kitten blend (chicken and fish) and they love it. The thing is the kitten blends are very small bits (balls actually) and are a tad softer than other kibble, so it shouldn't hurt their little teeth. I also fear such small mouths could choke on hard food. Also, give them a little tuna every other day or three, as the oils are good for them.
Keep in mind you have to be careful about monitoring how much they eat, because kittens don't know when they're full. More small meals, just as for us, is better for them.
As mawipafl said, it is very important to interact with them. We keep a stuffed panther on hand for our kittens to attack (rather than our legs and arms) when they get fiesty and small stuffed mice that all the cats love playing with. They sell 5 or 6 packs of them for about $3 at Ralphs. Keep plenty of toys, keep a blanket on the floor for them to have THEIR special place and you'll be good to go.
Cheers
Almost forgot: Make sure the kittens don't crawl under a bed. Box springs are deadly to them.
Almost forgot: Make sure the kittens don't crawl under a bed. Box springs are deadly to them.
This is a very good point. Be sure to "kitten proof" your home just as you would with children. The most obvious issue is the cords of window blinds: make sure that they are out of reach, as kittens love to play with them and can get tangled/strangled in them.
However, there are many more lurking cat death traps in the home. My advice is to make sure you close everything. This includes the toilet lid, which you should leave down so that kittens cannot jump in and drown. Also, the lids of washers and dryers. People have actually lost kittens because they left either open, then started the machine without realizing there was a kitten inside
I think it is wonderful that you are doing this for these little guys, hats off to you. I don't know how anyone can foster kittens then give them up, I would want to keep all of them !
I think it is wonderful that you are doing this for these little guys, hats off to you. I don't know how anyone can foster kittens then give them up, I would want to keep all of them !
Have fun !
Don
Me too. I would be a card-carrying Foster Failure for sure. Back in 2010 I rescued a very sick 4 week old kitten from my workplace. I took her home (knowing I couldn't keep her), and got her vet care started. Had no idea what I was going to do with her, but I got lucky & my niece said she wanted her. That kitten (named Lucy) was only with me for less than 2 days, but I became so attached that it was hard to let her go even though I knew she was going to a wonderful home. That little cat has a special place in my heart but fortunately I can visit her whenever I want.
I have a great deal of respect for anyone who fosters, as I simply don't think I could do it.
Thanks for the advice so far. Here is the quick update since we took in our fosters a week ago:
They were recently diagnosed with Coccidia. Vet gave us Albon and their diarrhea have slowly disappeared.
I also changed their diet to ground turkey mixed with Max Kitten Chicken and Liver canned food. I didn't purchase the Purina yet. Once they feel better from the Coccidia, and a few weeks before they are to be returned to the shelter, I will slowly change the food so they won't suffer any indigestion at the shelter (I'm sure they'll get adopted quickly on the day after they pop up in the shelter).
I didn't purchase a scale as the shelter said they go by their own measurement, but they appear to be a little bigger since a week ago.
They arrived scared and refused to be near me on the first day. Now, I have 5 out of the 6 kitties jumping on my lap. They are playful, curious, and eat and sleep plenty. The smallest of the litter, who happens to be the most inquisitive and loves to play hunt, is still the most shy. She won't run away from me now, but refuse to be on my lap or seek people for attention. She prefers to be with her sisters and brothers. We will continue to work with her.
We keep the kittens in our spare bedroom until they get stronger and more tolerant of new things. The room is kitten proof, so they would spend about 4 hours a day running around playing until they pass out. We also started taking one kitten at a time to watch tv with us in the living room, to get used to different sounds, and meet our dogs at a safe distance. Our neighbors and friends are meeting them as well so they get used to different people.
Yes, I agree it's very difficult to let them go. My husband and I are in love with these babies. They are a lot of work but so worth it. The shelter was going to euthanize them on the day we sign up as fosters as they were underweight and no enough fosters to help out. This make us realize how important fostering is... it can literally mean life or death for these babies. If we keep even one kitten, we cannot foster anymore as we already have 3 pets. We will do our best to care and teach these babies to give them best start in life... the rest will be up to the world.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't know how anyone can foster kittens then give them up, I would want to keep all of them ! 
