OT-raising orphaned kittens?

[Shannon Nelson]

Can anyone offer information about raising orphaned kittens (2 1/2 weeks
old) on cow milk? Should I add anything to it to make it closer to cat
milk?

Has anyone seen whether raw milk works any better for them than commercial
milk? (I know that calves can't be raised on commercial milk, so I wonder
whether a similar thing would apply to kittens?) And how about if the only
raw milk currently available is "discard" milk that has blood (milk is
brown) and possibly dry cow meds in it, yuk... Would they be better off on
a couple days of commercial milk???

We're caring for these guys while their owners are away, and they didn't
give us quite enough of the milk they'd been using.

Bemused foster mama,
Shannon

[Marleen]

Monday, June 23, 2003, 5:13:24 PM, Robert&Shannon wrote:
Shannon maybe someone else will give you a better answer but doesnt
cow milk give them the runners?

i did a search for a few sites just incase ...
http://www.animalclinic.com/orphnkit.htm

http://www.animals-at-risk-shelter.org/ ... e_pic4.htm

maybe they are of some use...

or maybe you get better ideas from someone on list or of list..
Marleen

[Shannon Nelson]

Thanks again Marleen -- one of those had exactly what I need!
Shannon
on 6/23/03 11:33 AM, Marleen at marleen.scheers@pandora.be wrote:

[Patricia Hatherly]

Dear Shannon

As each mammalian species has a milk protein structure that is unique to it,
no amount of adding anything will make it more like another!
I'm not sure of the structure of feline milk proteins but know that cow's
milk is mostly B lactaglobulin (some herds are (A). Human milk is A
lactalbumin; a totally different stucture.

When milk is homogenised it's easier for protein particles to pass intact
through the gut wall and cause "allergic" reactions.
So, unhomogenised, raw milk would be best. Blood in milk is no biggie (blood
is a protein too). I'd be more worried about the potential for hormones and
antibiotics to be causing GIT upset.

good luck!
Tricia Hatherly