Help... how often should they pooh when they are being bottle fed? In 4 days only one pooh each for 6 kittens. They are peeing OK... thanks for any advice... mnd

This is fairly common in hand reared kittens. A mother cat stimulates a kitten's anal region frequently. A human surrogate may only stimulate it two or three times a day. Kittens should be stimulated to pass a bowel motion after every 3 feeds. Otherwise feces can accumulate in the rectum and colon.

Dehydration is a common cause since this causes hard, lumpy bowel motions. Underlying dehydration must be corrected. Another cause may be the mother's failure to stimulate defecation. She can be encouraged to lick the anal area by smearing it with a little meat jelly or similar.

The longer feces remain in the colon, the more water is reabsorbed from it and the drier and harder it becomes. This in turn makes it harder to expel the motion. Build-up of feces in the rectum and colon can be toxic. A constipated kitten may have a hard, distended or tender abdomen. If it strains to defecate this can cause prolapsed of the anus.

Normal kitten feces have the consistency of toothpaste and are easily passed. If it becomes more solid, the kitten strains to pass bowel motions. If a kitten has not had a bowel motion for 48 hours, a small dose of liquid paraffin or a feline laxative (e.g. Katalax) is needed, see your vet. Liquid paraffin is not suitable for young kittens as it can irritate the intestine. Working a small pat of warm Vaseline (or equivalent white petroleum jelly) into the anus often acts as a gentle suppository. Recurrent or persistent constipation requires veterinary treatment e.g. a glycerin enema.

Thanks for the info... I have seen several small hard stools... I mean hard like a rock... I will try the petroleum jelly pseudo suppository... if that doesn't work then I will head to the vet... having 6 kittens at the vet is a major cash crash for me... these kittens are peeing very well, bottle feeding well and quite active... gums are pink and eyes are bright, coats are soft and sleek... but I know how fast they can go down that's why I'm asking for all info possible. Once again thank you!:)