two questions on kittens sleep pattern

[daksmom2003]

I am a newbie here. I live on a farm, and helped take care of kittens when the mothers would abonden them because they were either too sick or a runt. Right now I am taking care of a abondened 3 1/2-4 week old kitten. It drinks 0.7 ounces of kitten replacement milk atleast 4 times a day (sometime a little more). The questions I want to know the answers to is....... How much sleep is normal for a kitten that is around 4 weeks old? AND Is it normal for a kitten to get attached to one person in a family? Thanks for your time to read this.

[Mary_NH]

yes to all...but how long is he sleeping?
Maybe he sleeps more cause he doesn't have any littermates to play with him. I just got done fostering kittens (about that age when I got them) and they slept a lot in the beginning. You could introduce this kitten to wet kitten food now - might give him more energy

[daksmom2003]

Thanks for replying. During the day he will sleep about 4 hours between bottles. He does drink from a saucer some, but not much. What kind of wet cat food should I try? I tried yesterday with some wet friskies, but it turned it's nose up at it. Is there any flavor that would tempt the kitten the best? I think it was turkey with gravy that I tried. At night it will sleep all night long, except for getting up to use the litter box. It like to climb out of its box to chase me around the house. After the chase it drinks atleast .9 ounces. I have tried to tempt the kitten with a shoe string, but it would rather sit on my feet (or chase my son while he plays w/ his trains). My grandfather found it in the ceiling of the barn where it got lost. He could not find the nest to return it to. It went for 3 days (or more before my grandfather found it) without eatting. It was really hungry when I took it in.

[EternalFlame]

i saw you were new and had to offer you a warm welcome to Auspet!!

Sounds like you are a pretty caring person and have a great grasp on what you are doing. Coming here was a great thing too!

i'd suggest getting a good brand of dry cat food (look at the ingredients. whatever is listed first means thats whats most in it, like for example some dog foods list primary things such as lamb... you'd wanna get the best kitten chow you can afford...) then add some water just enough to make it mushy chewy but not soupy and try that. then gradually add less and less water and he'll be able to easily wean to the hard food

Good luck!

[daksmom2003]

thanks for the information. I am going to try that. I was able to get him to eat 1/2 a teaspoon of wet cat food, BUT he is now turning his nose up to it again. when you live on a farm you tend to care for animals. I tend to help with birthing calves every so often.

[Chessmind]

Hi and welcome to Auspet. That's a nice thing you are doing. I agree with mary_NH about the soft food. You can also add a little bit of the formula to the soft food, so that the taste is somewhat familiar. Just try another brand of cat/kitten soft food. If you end up getting some cans of adult food like fancy feast, just make sure it says on the can "for all life stages." That means it's good for kittens, adults and senior cats. You can even get a few different cans mixed with the formula and just see if the kitten likes any of them. Let us know how things are going.

[daksmom2003]

update: i took turkey and giblet w/ gravy and tuna wet cat food and mixed them together. then added some of its forumla to the mixture and warmed it for 5-10 seconds. smokey doven right in and has eatten it twice since yesterday morning. [/img]

[Chessmind]

That's great. I'm glad he's eating. keep us posted.

[daksmom2003]

there is a few things that the kitten does that makes me smile. it'll sit on it's bottom while being proped up to wash it's front paws

[daksmom2003]

UPDATE:

Smokey is doing well. She loves to play with my 3 year old son. She eats 5 to 6 times a day ( with formula mixed in it), and she sleeps all night long. Smokey loves to cuddle with me or my husband, but when she is ready to eat she'll come to tell me and climb my leg. I bought her some toys, but she likes to play with my sons toys instead. I tried to trick her yesterday by mixing water in with her food, but her little nose went up in the air. She will also sleep in my husbands shoes right after he takes them off. Here are a few questions I would like to know the answers for.

QUESTIONS

1. How far back can I trim her nails, and is she old enough for that?
2. How can I keep her out of my husbands shoes?
3. When should I cut back on the formula, or should I keep her on it?

THANKS

Special thanks to everyone who reads this and to those who reply also. You all have been big helps!