Thursday, July 08, 2010

Meet Oliver

What can I say -- I am a sucker for things that need a home. So meet Anton Oliver -- only 5 weeks old:



PS: I've never cared for a kitten less than 8 weeks old. So any advice would be welcome.

UPDATE: It seems his name was meant to be Oliver.

6 comments:

rhhardin said...

Good move.

The advice for dog owners is, "Another dog, same breed, as soon as possible."

I imagine it's the same for cats.

Vicki Hearne's essay Oyez a Beaumont on the matter is on the web again (pdf), the original Raritan article.

rhhardin said...

5 weeks is pretty young. I assume he's weaned?

The internet must be full of advice today, though.

David Appell said...

Yes, he's been weaned, but all I've been told is feed him a combination of wet food (pated) and milk.

And milk with a dropper if necessary.

But a friend told me not to use cow's milk. True?

rhhardin said...

I don't know; there's kitten replacement milk (KMR?) in cans in pet stores for the purpose though.

I've raised orphan baby rabbits on cow's milk with an egg yolk in it, but I'd go with the cans.

The internet is full of advice link at random.

Steve Bloom said...

The cow's milk with egg yolk is OK, or you can mash them together with wet food. The problem with too much cow's milk is that it gives them the runs.

Also, at five weeks this little guy wasn't weaned, he was cut off. Even though it's not strictly necessary to his survival, warmed formula from a bottle will be much appreciated.

Steve Bloom said...

Also, he won't be very good at cleaning himself up yet, so a once-over with a warm damp washcloth a couple of times a day would be good.

At five weeks it shouldn't be an issue, but you want to make sure the peeing and pooping is happening correctly. This requires stimulation by their mother's tongue for the first month or so life. Stroking that area with the washcloth (somewhat firmly) for a minute or so does the job.

Finally, since cuddling with mom and siblings is no longer an option, see if you can figure out some way to let Oliver snuggle where he can hear your heart beating. My ex used to carry them around under her shirt and they really seemed to like it, although lacking her natural advantage you may need to use a sling of some sort.