How can someone so little be so strong? "I can't hold her sister, come get her. I can't hold her." "Next time have her formula ready before you hand her off to me!!" "I don't care if she's 2 weeks old, that calico has the devil in her. How else could she be that strong?"
First off, you need to take sharp scissors and snip the top off each nipple. Don't even think of using a needle. The formula won't flow enough. Don't worry, there's different sized nipples for different flow rates.
Anyway, this is a really good buy is you're fostering kittens or small animals. It is not an easy thing to do, but sometimes momma takes off, she's sick, not interested or something happens. We've had to foster several kittens. Some are a little wilder than others, but the first few times with a small animal are usually the hardest. Fortunately most kittens are large enough to drink from a small bowl, but if yours are under 3 or 4 weeks, they'll probably need assistance.
BOTTLE FEED THE KITTEN
Sit in a chair or on the sofa, with a towel folded in your lap. Put the kitten face & belly down on your lap. You may wrap the kitten it in the towel to make sure the kitten stays warm while it's eating and it's a better way of holding on to a rambunctious kitten.
Most people want to hold the little guys on their backs and cradle them to feed, but that's exactly the opposite of what they need. They need to be fed belly down.
You can hold them with your hand under their belly (but NEVER feed on their back). Feeding an infant animal on their back can cause them to choke or drown in the liquid. Hold the little guy with your dominate hand under his belly, using your index finger to help position his head at first. After a couple times, you won't need to position kitty's head so much. If the kitten has it's eyes open, he'll see his bottle coming.
Keeping the kitten's head down a little, place the nipple in its mouth. The kitten should instinctively start sucking right away. Continue to feed the kitten until it pulls away.
Never force milk into the kitten's mouth. You're going to be tempted to, because you'll think the kitten isn't eating. It may take 30 minutes or more to feed the first few times. PATIENCE!! Human babies can be slow too. You have to let them nurse at their own pace. Once they get the hang of it, they'll "love" their "Bottle Time" & be Slurping Away. You'll learn how to take your finger and work the nipple a little into the side of the mouth. I know, it sounds easier than it is. It sounds like a kitten would take to the bottle right off, if it had been nursing from mamma, but that's not what we found. It was like, "Phew!!" That's not mamma!!" And the one's that had been on the mother's nipple longest, were the most challenging. Or the most stubborn.
BURPING KITTEN & STIMULATE ELIMINATION
Anyway, if you've fostered a young kitten, you know it's a challenge. Like a human baby, they have to be burped and then you have to stimulate their anus area with a warm damp cloth. This helps their digestion and elimination process. And you thought the momma cat just laid there. Nope, she has a pretty big job, especially, if she has several kittens to tend to.
kittens need to be burped after nursing or bottle feeding. Hold one hand under the kitten's stomach and gently pat its upper back. Be gentle gently, you don't want to make kitten vomit. If it doesn't seem to want to burp, just move onto the next step.
Mother cats stimulate their kittens' elimination by licking their anuses and genital areas with their rough tongue. You need to imitate this by placing a warm, damp washrag in the same general area and gently wiping. Don't be too rough, as it can cause irritation to their sensitive skin in that area. It may take a couple of feedings, before you see results.
After feeding, the kitten will likely fall asleep. place the kitten in a pet bed and let it sleep.
This is a good little kit to get you started and it's much cheaper than buying separately. The only item you'll find that you might want another one of, is the bottle. Wal-Mart sells the single bottle & nipple for $1.20, if you just need an extra to add to your kit. Since kittens need to be fed every few hours, I like having an extras in the fridge. Most kitten formulas can be refrigerated for 24 hours.
Thank you for reading my review & good luck if you're fostering any small animal. They can be, exhausting, but are a JOY.
| Manufacturer | Pet Ag Products |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 99800 |
| Item Weight | 1.12 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches |
| Item model number | 99800 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 2-Ounce |
| Color | black |
| Material | latex |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
