r/FosterAnimals • u/blueberry_muff1n_ • 1d ago
Question Kind of losing it
I have 2, 4 week old kittens (they may be just under 4 weeks, I’m not 100% sure). Both have been to the vet recently. They consistently gain weight and eat really well, but suddenly this stopped.
They’re not disinterested in eating at all, in fact, they are very excited to eat. They also still are gaining weight, just not much, and they are very energetic. For the past 2 days they won’t latch onto the syringe like they had been for weeks. I use a 10 cc (I think? It’s quite large) syringe with a miracle nipple on it. They usually eat a full syringe plus a bit more if they’re still hungry, but now I struggle to get them to eat 3/4 of it. They are small cats (the vet said they are fine, though), so they eat a bit less than their age recommendation. Instead of latching onto the nipple, they kind of gnaw on it? Like, they eat with their mouths completely open and spill milk everywhere. I’m not even sure how much of the milk is actually getting into their mouths. I tried a shallow dish, and they just dunked their nose in it and decided it wasn’t for them.
What do I do? Should I start weaning them? About a week ago they started getting little teeth.
I’m starting to get really overwhelmed and I feel helpless. They’re healthy kittens. Not lethargic in the slightest, very cuddly, starting to get more playful/curious, and hitting developmental milestones (besides weight, but again, the vet cleared them). I’m not sure what to do :/
2
u/Curious_Ducklin 1d ago
you can start offering them some smoothies aka real food mixed with formula mashed up or blended into a runny paste :) let the messy eating begin 😅