Orphaned girl

[Mikayla]

I remember reading somewhere that you could put orphaned kits with their dad or another female chin (even if it wasn't nursing their own kits), I'd be fine keeping Maia with me on a heatpad, but I want to maintain a normalcy to her life. What would be best?

 

[Dewdrop]

Did Esperanza not make it?

 

[Mikayla]

She didn't When I went down for her morning feeding, she was asleep under her water bottle, and Maia was asleep on top of her. I picked Anza up and she was just limp, I sat with her for about 3 hours before deciding not to lengthen her journey and help her to reach Rainbow bridge. In the vet room Maia was just devastated, she new something was wrong. It just breaks my heart for Maia and Anza (R.I.P)

 

[Dewdrop]

Aw, sorry to hear.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

so sorry to hear about the mom chin. Often dad is a good source of heat and companionship If dad will accept the baby (most will) put the baby with him

 

[Mikayla]

I think I might leave her by herself becuase I have this feeling that dad doesn't know he's dad but knows he's male... I've got her a little cuddle buddy (As long as the booger doesn't chew on it) and she's in a good sized hamster cage, it actually works well.

Thanks Barb though! If she gets too lonely I still might try it!

 

[Mikayla]

Sorry for the double posting but, I have really mellow, sweet and motherly female, but she's a little under the weather. She's gotten TONS better and other than I am handfeeding her, she's as healthy as she was before the got the uterine infection. She's just not eating. But what prompted me to ask is that I was mixing Stormy's food while holding her and I had her next to Maia's cage (I was holding her in my elbow) and Stormy started Sniffing Maia throught the bars, and Maia started smelling her and squeaking loudly. I'm pretty sure Stormy would accept her, and I know she's VERY motherly, I just didn't know if it would compromise her full weight recovery. (Other than she isn't eating, she's healthy, no infection anymore.)

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

If you do put her with Dad make sure she is out of his cage a 8 weeks of age - you don't want trouble (as in a mistake breeding)

 

[tunes]

Mikayla - If she's not eating, then she's not healthy. A healthy, normal chin eats on it's own. A chin that has to be hand fed is not healthy, she has issues. So you have to decide if putting a kit with her will improve her issues or worsen them. Will a kit stress her out or will it make her buck up and start eating on her own? That's something you'll have to decide because we don't know your chins.

 

[Mikayla]

Tunes- that's what I thought. I just wanted to know what everyone else thinks. I actually think Stormy might decide to eat on her own that way, but I just wanted to know if anyone else thought that was a safe idea.

 

[Pikaia]

I'm sorry about Maia's mom. Sending good thoughts for her kit.

 

[Mikayla]

Another question- how often do kits usually sleep? How much do kits eat per feeding on average? And is squeaking often normal? I want to make sure she's healthy.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers- Maia is eating well and is fairly active.