I went too at the end of my last blog to do a feed, expecting to give milk. I saw a little lad crouched into the correct pose in the litter tray and watched as he left his little puddle. I decided this was a clear sign they can handle something new.
I opened a pouch of food (Nature’s Menu Kitten) and popped some in a dish, topped that off with some warmed kitten milk and mashed it together (good job there’s no aroma technology available). I filled 4 syringes as usual and, shutting out my helpers, taking each kitten individually offered them the “solid” food on my finger. Meanwhile I’m hearing more digging and can see crouching meaning that they recognise the grit as a natural toilet for them. Each kitten in turn was given this soupy smelly mush & the syringe of milk. And each kitten got into and used the tray. Having made a mess on the laminate floor and over each kitten who walked in it and spilled it as they learned to chew (much teeth grinding my Pud, I then welcomed in the clean up squad who set to work. Im not questioning their priorities where kitten care is concerned only reporting that they chose to wash up first, then see to the kittens, while I saw to the floor before anyone else did!
So, the weaning has begun!
*** Stop Press *** Stop Press *** Stop Press ***
On doing my final feed I shut doors to prevent there being too many cooks as I warmed enough milk for 4+ syringes & then warmed another offering of the meat, I walked through to see a little blue lad in the crouch/crunch position which when they’re so little is so unbalanced & was delighted to see a lovely whirl of Pooh coated in cat litter grit. Hail, the first Pooh, in the right place with no lessons or prompting. Ok, so he stepped into it while attempting to do the burying dig, and had got it all on the underside of his tail too, but I am so stupidly delighted & proud of this little fella!
Each kitten had a bit more meat, which they’ll very quickly come to love once they’ve got a taste for it followed by either a complete syringe full (at least most) of milk. I then let in my eager clean up squad & we got to work. Lastly, I’ve made the litter a little deeper which Floozy took as an official invitation for her to pee! Honestly these girls of mine suffer major FOMO - hahaha, maybe that would be a good future name since it describes the breed’s character to a tee!
Note, that I chose not to include a photo of the evidence