Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland in Articles & Essays, Cat Antics of the Day, Nemo's Corner, Pets | 0 Comments
Nemo: 8-days-old
October 13, 2013. We made it past the first week! This is huge – many orphaned kittens do not make it past that first week. Here some photos of Nemo, after a feeding.
Since Nemo does not have a mother cat to nurse and care for him, I am his “mother.” Bottle feeding is pretty easy to do.
However, one thing that many people do not realize is that kittens cannot eliminate on their own. The mother usually stimulates the kitten’s system by licking their bodies, including their bottoms, to help them urinate and defecate. Since I’m “the momma,”, I do this by moistening a cotton ball with warm water and gently massaging Nemo’s bottom until he goes. He is usually not happy about that and will cry.
- After his feeding, Nemo will roll over on his back.
- I usually gently massage his little tummy; this stimulates his bowels.
- After I potty him, Nemo usually goes right back to sleep.
- Sleepy Nemo