Greetings,

I am currently hand rearing four 3 week old kittens.  I have been hand
rearing them since they were 1 or 2 days old.

I work at a horse farm (a whole different story), and one of the barn
kitties had this litter (6 total, but two died the third day - the
runt and one found the day after the others).  She abandoned them and
was attacking them because she had no milk (she also had an abcessed
neck).  The kids at the farm were trying to hand feed them until I
came in and stopped this (they were just about asperating them!) and
took them home.  Because they were so tiny and weak, I tube fed them
for the first two days.  After they got some strength, I switched them
to a bottle and they took to it wonderfully.

The people at the barn were feeding the Just Born brand, which I took
home.  I like the Pet-Ag people, so I gradually switched them over to
that.  They are fully on KMR, for about 2 full days now.

They are very small (and may have been premature, but had fur on their
legs) and currently only weigh about 4 oz at 21 days.  I know they
*should* be closer to 10 oz, and this concerns me.  However, they have
"meat on their bones" and their spines and ribs are quite cushioned.
I do not know what they weighed when I brought them home as I did not
have a scale at that time.

They are about the size of my hand, are getting their front nibbler
teeth, and are purring (or trying to) when they eat or when I pick
them up.  They have great lungs.  =)

They have just recently (8/25/04) begun to chew on the nipple of the
bottle and spit it out.  One suck all of the formula down, stwo suck
down half and then chew and spit out the nipple, and one just will
chew on and spit out the nipple.  They still are not licking, except
maybe one lick on my finger and then nothing else.

The ones doing this are losing weight slowly and I am not sure if I
should tube feed them again to get the weight built up again.  I was
not sure if maybe this was a teething thing and that maybe they will
get over this soon.

If I do not find some info on this soon, I will start tube feeding
them and will get them to the vet.  But I thought I would ask tonight
and maybe get some answers before the vet's office opens.

Thanks!

Amy