by Bodhi, the tiny kitten who aspirated while I was feeding him is back from the hospital! With an infected eye which he probably got from the hospital and so he wouldn’t have gotten if it weren’t for me. But still! He’s alive! Oh thank God. I’m not sure how I would have handled it if he didn’t make it. One of the bottle babies I got later that day is not looking good. They warned us this is part of the job, but still. I hope I don’t come back on Sunday to learn he’s gone.
I had to feed Bodhi again of course, and I was scared, who wouldn’t be?? But it went well. He latched onto the bottle and I got to watch that blissful eyes-closed, ears twitching thing they do. (For the record, that kitten is being fed incorrectly. A kitten being bottle fed should not be on its back, but stomach down, like they would be if they were feeding from their mother. Not a criticism of the person in the video, who probably doesn’t know and was just doing their best to help a kitten.)
From street artist Hans Honschar, @honschar.
I am glad you are having good days and not just the bad ones! Phew, what a roller coaster.
I watch videos of baby animals being bottle fed and it always looks so awkward when they are on their tummies and craning their necks back to get at the bottle teat. I worry about their poor necks! But now I see what you mean about how they would suckle, when the mother is lying on the ground too. So yeah, I would fret too, if I had to bottle feed an animal. Is it because they might aspirate that we shouldn’t feed them on their backs, or is it just because that’s not how they do it with a real mother? You are doing yeoman’s work!
I believe aspirating is more likely if you feed them on their backs!
I’m always a little scared when I feed Bodhi now, but I also love feeding him and watching him grow.