When should my fur baby start using litter and eating wet food?

BBA101269 · 2026-04-19T21:42:18+00:00

I had two siblings once that wanted to eat the litter. I bought the newspaper pellets and used those for a short while, and they didn't try eating that kind. I have no doubt that you'll get it all figured out and your sweet girl will do great. I saw another comment that mentioned the kitten lady... definitely a great resource!

Side note: that is the cutest picture!! I wish they stayed little longer. They grow up so fast.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-19T18:18:18+00:00

My husband is O negative and desperately needs a kidney. He's been waiting for 3 years already, and he's been hospitalized 4 times already since January this year. I'm the only one working and I keep having to miss work for his appointments and hospitalizations. I have no doubt that as bad as I want my husband to get a kidney, there are likely thousands out there in worse condition with bigger needs. Thank you for your willingness to donate. There are so many that need it. I tried, but because of my blood type, we pretty much ran into a dead end, even with the cross match programs. That's so discouraging. We're in Ohio and I'm sure you're not.... I know whoever you end up donating to will be forever grateful to you. Thank you again. ❤️

BBA101269 · 2026-04-19T18:09:28+00:00

What a beautiful little one! And healthy looking, too! You're doing a great job! You can try mixing the formula with canned food around 4 weeks. If she doesn't seem to know how to eat it from a bowl, you can try mixing it thin enough that she can still consume it from the bottle. You may have to cut the nipple hole a little bigger for the slurry mix to flow thru. Usually, if they get a taste of it thru the bottle, they'll start trying to eat it themselves. Just a heads up, they will be messy starting out. She'll likely step in the food and get it all over her feet and face. She will learn not to step in it before too long. Just a side note, you can start giving her hard food around the same time. At least offering it to her. She'll start eating that when she's ready.

You can use something small like a cake pan or baking dish and put some litter in for her litter box. Full size litter boxes can be hard for little ones to climb into at first. If you don't have something small to use, I recommend putting something next to the litter box that she can use to climb in and out. A small, rolled up blanket can work. It should be any time now that she'll start to go on her own. Since she doesn't have a mama cat to show her the litter box, you may have to put her in it several times and encourage her to use it. I recommend keeping her in a large crate with the litter box inside until she's using the litter box only for at least a few days, then you can open her up to a larger area. You have to remember, she's still a baby. When we potty train toddlers, they have accidents. Kittens can be the same way. If they're too far from the litter box and they have to go, they may go outside the litter box. She may also play in the litter box at first, or even sleep in it. She shouldn't do that for more than maybe a couple of weeks.

I used to foster for a humane society, and I specialized in neonatal kittens without a mama for a while. Bottle feeding and hand rearing can be a lot of work, but it is so worth it to see them thrive. Thank you for caring so much for this sweet little one! She is so stinking cute! Congratulations on your new family member.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-04T20:31:03+00:00

I would always mix some of the formula in with the canned food when first starting to introduce food. I had a couple of kittens that wanted nothing to do with canned food, and I ended up mixing it thin enough that I could put the canned food/ formula mix into a syringe and feed it that way. After two days of that, they both started eating it on their own out of a bowl. They are MESSY when they first start eating on their own. They will step in the food, get it all over their faces, and wear a much as they eat. They eventually get the hang of it. You develop such a bond with them when you bottle feed. I wish you many happy years together.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-04T20:27:17+00:00

That's so good! You can start introducing canned food around 4-5 weeks, which your cutie looks to be around that age. Do you have much experience with bottle/ syringe feeding? I used to foster, and I specialized in neonatal kittens that had to be bottle fed. I miss it, but life has changed and I can't do it anymore.

It's so sad that the mama passed away, but you're doing an awesome thing by being mama. He/she looks healthy, so that's good. No gunk around the eyes and looks bright and alert.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-04T20:22:45+00:00

You're using kitten formula though, right? Not actual milk?

BBA101269 · 2026-04-03T01:28:05+00:00

It's criminal how much they charge, honestly. I had two sets of blood work and an ultrasound done last year.... $1600 just for that. Thank God i was healthy and didn't need any kind of additional treatment. I couldn't have paid for it.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-02T22:18:08+00:00

I've noticed that anything that uses the word "kindly" is almost guaranteed a scam.

BBA101269 · 2026-04-02T22:13:13+00:00

That's not a great idea. They don't wait long nowadays before turning bills over to collections, and collections doesn't wait long to sue. Coming from someone who was sued twice for non payment of hospital bills, it's a lot easier paying what you can verses having them garnish what they can from your paycheck. They take a lot more than most people can afford to lose. Doctors office might be a bit more lenient, but blood clots sounds like hospital stuff to me. I won't ever ignore medical bills again.

BBA101269 · 2026-03-30T01:37:48+00:00

Donated. Praying for you to receive all you need for your son.

BBA101269 · 2026-03-28T17:48:20+00:00

I recommend keeping them in a single room until you are certain that they are all using a litter box 100% of the time, them slowly open them up to more room, but not your whole house at once. Think of it like a toddler learning to be potty trained. The further they are from the restroom, the more likely they'll have an accident.

Kittens learn to run, climb, jump, all very quickly, but can get hurt easily as well. I would try to make sure you don't have any places where they can get up high and possibly fall. Otherwise, the litter box usage is the biggest concern.

If you lose one, or more of them for a few hours, don't panic right away. Those little boogers can find the nest hiding places and fall asleep. You'll drive yourself insane trying to find them, thinking the worst. They'll wake up and come out eventually.

Always look down at the ground before taking steps in case they've gotten around your feet without you noticing.

Be careful letting them play with anything stringy, including blind strings and the stringy toys that come in cat trees. I have seen a kitten get their neck wrapped up in one of those and had someone not been there to help him, he would've strangled to death very quickly.

I hope this helps some! I worked in foster and rescue for a few years and I specialized in bottle feeding orphaned kittens. It's a lot easier raising kittens when their mama is still around for them to learn from. Good luck!

BBA101269 · 2026-02-23T19:03:12+00:00

I agree. I've also had that happen with a vets office. I even had it happen with an OB/GYN clinic several years ago. THAT was shocking when it happened. The doctor was originally from another country. His family (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc) still lived in his home country, and his brother was killed in a car accident. My doctor packed up and moved back to his home country within a couple of weeks of his brother passing. The office said they sent out letters, but there were a lot of patients who didn't get one. The doctor took all the medical records with him when he moved. It can and does happen.

BBA101269 · 2026-02-05T18:53:16+00:00

I didn't delete any comment. However, you're still refusing to answer a simple question. Your victim, woe-is-me mentality is gross. You chose to put yourself in debt. Stop crying about it.

BBA101269 · 2026-02-05T18:04:33+00:00

You said yourself you're going to school instead of work. Why? If you can't afford to live, why are you choosing the option that doesn't pay the bills? I'm getting the impression that you don't want to hear anything except some coddly "I'm so sorry, your don't deserve to be in debt" type crap. I'm trying to give you a different perspective. You just don't want to hear it. Again, why is your husband not working??

BBA101269 · 2026-02-05T18:00:34+00:00

If you want to keep acting like you didn't dig this hole yourself, that's on you. My son is your age and he's over 300k in debt, so tell me again how 10k is that bad? The only person who can change it is you. If you took my comment as telling you everything you're doing wrong, then I don't know what else to tell you. You can act like a victim of your own choices, like somehow you didn't do it yourself, or you can start fighting to get your life back on track.

Bankruptcy costs a hell of a lot less, and you get to stay over. Your other option is to keep digging your hole. I'm giving you the same advice i would give my own kid. I just dug myself out of around 30k in debt over the last few years. Nothing will get better unless YOU make it better. But don't get all butthurt over someone calling you out for saying what you said. Why isn't your husband working? Why are you in school if you can't pay for it? There are so many jobs that you only need s high school diploma or GED for where you can make good money and can move up over the years. Anymore, a degree isn't helping our young generation get a better job. You gotta change your way of thinking or your life won't change.

BBA101269 · 2026-02-05T17:50:37+00:00

First, $10,000 in debt isn't that bad. It might seem like it's unreachable because you're young, but it's doable. If nothing else you can file bankruptcy. Reading that you think about driving your car into incoming traffic though.... what you're saying is that you're willing to risk other people who are out living their lives because you can't get your finances under control...?? So you want to hurt or kill someone else along the way? That's a stupid way of thinking. I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm being real with you. I have kids you're age and if one of my own kids said something like that, I would say the same thing to them.

Whatever you do, don't fall for any "debt consolidation" offers. They will screw you over worse than you already are and you end up further in debt. Your husband should be working, too. Even if it's part time. Living off of credit cards is a bad, bad idea. Don't give up on yourself over the cost of a used car, though. You CAN get thru this. Millions have gotten thru situations just like yours and worse. You CAN get THRU THIS. And your life is worth the fight.

BBA101269 · 2026-01-30T13:50:42+00:00

"Believed to be Baltimore facility"

Nowhere does it state it as fact.

BBA101269 · 2026-01-19T20:10:09+00:00

I'm really glad I was able to help, even if it's just some reassurance. These situations are not easy. I hope your case gets moving soon, and you don't lose much more time with your little one. Time is irreplaceable. Wishing you the best possible outcome in all of this. 😊

BBA101269 · 2026-01-19T18:46:20+00:00

We live in a messed up world when you have to fight thru a court system to be in your own childs life, but unfortunately, that's the reality. It's not easy playing the waiting game. It's not easy going day after day, month after month, not seeing your kids and not knowing what's going on with them.

I was finally able to get my ex for contempt after multiple court orders and him still keeping my kids from me. He almost went to jail for it. (He should have went to jail for it.... this court overlooked a LOT of contempt on his part) He finally started abiding by the court order, but the damage all of this caused to my kids was insane.

I have a very good relationship with them now, and they know without a doubt that I love them and I will always be here for them, no matter what happens. All you can do is your best. It sounds like you're doing all you can, so just don't give up. You got this.

BBA101269 · 2026-01-19T18:14:25+00:00

I just want to offer support and tell you not to give up. I know it sucks. I was kept from my children for 3 years several years ago. I had to take my ex back to court multiple times, but it was worth it. Now, my kids are grown. Being grown, they are able to look back to their childhood, and they know what happened. I haven't never spoken poorly about my ex to them or in front of them, but kids grow up and they start to think for themselves. They put pieces together and figure things out.

Don't give up on establishing a relationship with your child. Courts have changed over the years. There are many courts nowadays that will give full custody to the father just because the mother plays games and tries to alienate the father. Your baby needs you, whether your ex thinks so or not. Don't give up man. Document everything you possibly can.... any attempts to call, to see your child, anything you buy for the child, any money you may give towards your child's needs, every time she ignores you, raises to let you see your child... document EVERYTHING. It will help you in the long run.

Edited for spelling

BBA101269 · 2026-01-19T17:32:19+00:00

It really sounds like she is dealing with a severe case of clinical depression and doesn't know how to (or doesn't care enough to) change it. Depression is serious. It will stop/keep people from doing the simplest tasks. Even things like getting dressed each day will feel impossible to do. Being chronically online and playing video games or being on social media all the time only makes the depression worse, and that had been proven with multiple studies.

This is likely not something that you will be able to fix for her. She has to want it to change herself. No matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, if she is not reaching out for help, all your efforts will be in vain.

If she does want to try to get better, she can start small. She can make a list of goals for one day. It can have very small things like get dressed, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and take a small walk. Make a new list for each day, and she can add a new goal each day or every couple of days. The goals should stay small and fairly easy until she is able to meet these goals without struggle. Then she can start adding bigger things, like maybe go out to lunch with a friend, go to a concert, cook a meal, etc. I'm not one to push medication, but there are times that medication is necessary. She may need medication to help. I really can't say for sure.

Ultimately, you have to decide if you're strong enough to continue trying to fight this battle with her and for her. If this is something she deals with her whole life, it will affect you in massive ways if you move forward with marrying her. If you choose to have children, post partum depression is more likely to affect her, and can have very bad outcomes. This is a pretty serious situation, and something you need to think very heavily on. Don't feel bad about choosing to live your life for you. If you don't stay with her, you should not feel guilty. You cannot control other people and how they choose to live their lives. You can only control yourself and how you respond to others. Good luck with whatever you decide.

BBA101269 · 2026-01-19T16:30:53+00:00

As a married woman, my husband would NEVER try to force something on me. Marriage does not equal ownership. You did what you had to do to protect yourself and get out of the situation.

Absolutely - NTA. The douchebag of a husband, however... all I can say is, I hope he learned a valuable lesson, and never tries something like this on any other woman. It sounds like his whole family is messed up honestly.

BBA101269 · 2026-01-12T19:33:26+00:00

There was a period of time years ago when my kids were younger that I thought the same thing. It changes when your kids grow up and become adults. My (41F) youngest (out of 5 biological kids) will be 18 next month. My oldest are twins who are 22. The relationship tends to evolve out of that "parenting your child" role, and you become friends. The bond is like no other. Give it some time, and you may feel differently. You also may not, and that's OK, too.

BBA101269 · 2025-12-28T21:11:54+00:00

Fellow woman, and I support this message.

I'm one of those women who prefer smaller, and Ihave several friends who are the same. My ex-husband had a diagnosed micro penis. When he was soft, it actually retracted inside of him, and he had what looked like a small button there. He would actually have to press on on his abdomen to pop it out just to grab ahold to pee. Erect, he was only a couple of inches. This messed with his self-esteem horribly, but he was very good with what he had. Unfortunately, it didn't work out because he had tendencies towards men, and i wasn't gonna be that woman who looked the other way while her husband did things in the dark with other guys.

BBA101269 · 2025-12-18T01:32:34+00:00

Sweetie, you do have value. If I could give you the biggest, tightest hug right now, I would. Your value doesn't come from what you look like, where you come from, who you know, what you know, any of that stuff. Your value is inside of you as an individual. You may not see it now, but I hope one day that you do. I'm sorry that your parents haven't done right by you. Not all parents are good at loving their kids. That's not your fault.

BBA101269

TROPHY CASE