4 1/2 week old bottle baby weaning/litter box training concerns/questions

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  • #838781
    Eljay
    Participant

    I’ve posted here 2 other times now. I took in an abandoned kitten at 3 days old. Tomorrow, he will be 4 1/2 weeks old. I am having some issues with him, and am getting a little frustrated.

    Let me preface this with what I am currently doing:

    I am still bottle feeding him (more about this below) however, I am mixing in a teaspoon of pate into his goat’s milk, and I mash it up real good with a straw in the bottle. I am trying to get him used to the flavor of wet kitty food. He drinks it and likes it.

    I am feeding him every 4 hours except at night I go 6-8 hours I may be feeding him too often, which is why I’m having weaning problems (more below)

    He refuses to eat out of a bowl. I have tried several times. He completely ignores it. He will even go so far as to walk through the bowl.

    He refuses to go potty by himself in the litter box. I put him in the litter. I take his paw and make it scratch in the litter. I leave some recent poop and pee stained cotton balls in the litter, hoping he will get the scent and the idea. Nothing. He just climbs out of the box. I keep putting him in, he just climbs back out, he won’t even sniff anything in there.

    I am getting very frustrated with this kitten as most people who have gone through this, can understand. I have devoted my time and life around this kitten 24 hours per day. It is time for me to get a little relief, and I’m not getting it.

    I read on some sites that at this age I can feed him every 6-8 hours instead of every 4. Is the reason I’m having problems weaning him, because I’m feeding him too frequently? If I switch to 6-8 hours between feedings, how often should I take him out and make him potty? I forgot to mention above, that when I do stimulate him, I do it in the litter box, trying to get him to understand this is where he is supposed to potty.

    I’m really sleep deprived, and at my wit’s end, I really need some help from someone more experienced with this.

    One last thing, he was the runt, so maybe he is taking longer to catch on? I just need some tips and answers, thanks so much.

    #838783
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Hi Eljay, take a deep breath. Relax. You are doing fine, and so is your kitten. This is the biggest problem, sleep deprivation. Also, the feeding schedule you have him on is fine too. The milk/wet food mix is great and he is right on schedule. At this age, you can BEGIN introducing him to the litter box and to milk in a saucer, but that’s about it. He is not ready to stop with bottle feeding yet, in fact most kittens aren’t weaned until 8 to 10 weeks–some 12. And many love taking the bottle for as long as you will offer it! You are doing the right thing with introducing the litter box also, and yes, because he is the runt, things may take a little longer for him to process. Please don’t be angry with him in using the box though as you don’t want him put off using it. He will put 2 and 2 together eventually, and it will all fall into place. Cats just have the need to bury their waste–a leftover instinct from the wild that protects them from predators.
    Just keep feeding him every 4 hours or so, and now you can sleep all night, he should be fine until you can get him fed in the morning. You can even try putting a little wet food in his mouth and see if he will take it. Also, kittens usually make a mess of the food, walk in it and get it everywhere when first introducing it. I like the gruel in the bottle, as I have done it that way for my own convenience and peace of mind making sure the kitten gets the nutrition it needs and I can rest a little between feedings! 🙂

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