How To Bottle Feed A Newborn Kitten

How Often Must You Feed Kittens

How to Safely Bottle Feed a Kitten

Kittens that are less than two weeks old should be fed every 2 to 3 hours. This includes during the night. You will have to get up during the night and sacrifice sleep to feed your kitten, however, with the advice from your kittens veterinarian, you can feed kittens less at night if they have been at an ideal weight. Kittens between two to four weeks of age should be fed every 3 to 4 hours on average. They will get used to reduced nightly feedings but should still be fed according to a 24-hour schedule. After four weeks of age, kittens should be fed every 4 to 5 hours. They may begin to sleep better during the night without crying for milk every couple of hours. Once the kitten reaches eight weeks of age, they should be slowly weaned from the milk replacement and introduced to a wet food diet suitable for kittens.

How Do I Keep A Newborn Kitten Warm

Kittens should be kept in a cat carrier wrapped in a few layers of towels. Using a heating pad or heat disc for pets alongside a soft fleece blanket can also help keep them warm. Ensure that the carrier is large enough for your kitten to move away from the heater when they want to.

It is very important to keep your cat carrier in a safe, warm room away from other pets. Itâs helpful to go and check on your kitten throughout the day. If your kitten feels cold, you need to warm them up as soon as possible.

Caring For A Bottle Baby Kitten

May 5, 2021 by Patricia Rummel

Its an awesome thing to care for an animal thats so young, so tiny and helpless, it would not survive if left on its own even for a few hours. It can also be scary. What if I do something wrong? What if it dies? All of these thoughts will rush through your head as you look down at the defenseless little ball of fluff. Well, Im here to tell you, you can do this. Its going to e a challenge, yes, and you are going to be exhausted soon into it. But when it comes to caring for a bottle baby kitten, its going to be so worth it.

Ive raised two bottle baby kittens. Both successfully. The first we named Little Bit. She had been abandoned in a parking lot where I worked. Some woman came in to say she heard a cat under the hood of my coworkers car. But when my coworker went out to check she didnt hear or see anything. After work, my coworker went to Home Depot. Then she went home. Around 9pm, my phone rang.

There was a cat in my car! My coworker said frantically.

Turns out, the woman who came in to tell us she heard the cat in the car must have stuffed the cat up inside the car herself. It was so tiny. Its eyes were barely open. It could barely stand up, let alone have the ability to crawl up inside that car. I told my co-worker to try to give it water with an eye dropper and, if it made it through the night she could bring it to the office and I see what I could do.

A Secure Place to Keep Them

Keep them Warm

Feeding

Burping

Potty Time

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Can I Use A Baby Bottle To Feed A Kitten

A lot of people will ask if they can use the extra babys bottle laying around. In nearly all cases, a babys bottle will be much too big for your young kitten.

The good news is, a bottle specific for kittens is fairly easy to find.

You can get a kitten bottle at Amazon for cheap! You and your kitten will thank you for this!

How To Bottle Feed Kittens:

North County Humane Society

The first thing you want to be sure of when you have kittens in your care is that they are warm, as they cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Keep a small heating pad wrapped a towel in their bed so that they stay warm, and are ready to eat. *Never attempt to feed a cold kitten. If their body temperature is less than 102 degrees F, place the kitten on an approved heating pad safely wrapped in two or three layers of towels. Turn the kitten side to side every 5 minutes. To stimulate blood flow, you may, ever so gently, massage the kitten with hand-rubbing.

  • Begin by whisking KMR with water. Youll use 1 part powdered formula to 2 parts water. Error on the side of a little more water, rather than formula, as you want to be sure they can digest it easily and prevent constipation.
  • Warm the liquid mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, until just above room temperature. If its too cold, the kittens will not want to eat it. And if its too hot, it can burn them.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before feeding them.
  • Then fill a syringe or bottle with the warm formula. And place a miracle nipple on the end. These nipples are constructed to release the proper flow of formula, so that the bottle babies do not swallow too much at one time, which can happen if you use a regular nipple that youve cut a hole in.
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    Weeks Four And Five Feeding Schedules

    During weeks 4 and 5, a kitten will slowly increase how much food it consumes in a meal. Feedings will occur less frequently and a bowl of formula or other liquid kitten food should be made available for a kitten to start drinking from. By the end of week 5, a kitten should only be nursing three times a day but at each meal it should be consuming about 3 tablespoons of milk or formula.

    A kitten should weigh about 14 to 16 oz. by the time it is 4 to 5 weeks of age if it is eating enough food. Towards the end of week five, you should be offering the kitten more food from a saucer than it is consuming from nursing. The food should graduate from being a liquid to eventually more of a gruel by using less and less water with canned kitten food over the course of a couple of weeks. This will be a messy stage of a kitten’s life since it usually ends up walking in the food, but it is a necessary step to begin weaning it off of its mother’s milk.

    Do Newborns Change Skin Color

    The color of their skin when they are born may change as they get older. Some skin colors in babies can be normal, while others may be due to certain conditions. When a baby is born, they may have red, purple, yellow, or blue skin. Skin color variations in babies do not usually signify an underlying condition.

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    What Should I Track In A Logbook

    Maintaining a logbook about the orphaned kittens does not need to be complicated. The reason for the logbook is to simply keep track of how the kittens are doing so you can identify if there are any potential concerns with their development.

    Tracking their weights, milestones, and routines are key, so be sure to record details of when their eyes open, when their teeth begin to erupt, their food intake, and stool consistency.

    Individual kittens must be identified in some way, so consider colored collars or nail polish on a few front toenails.

    When To Bottle Feed A Newborn Kitten

    How to Syringe Feed a Newborn Kitten

    Lets start with the very basics. When do you need to bottle feed a kitten?

    Kitten needs to be bottle fed if they do not have a mother cat and are between 0 and 5 weeks old. Like human babies, young kittens need milk to grow big and strong.

    One very important call out is that you should only bottle feed a kitten if they do not have their mother or a nursing mother to give them milk.

    When possible, you want newborn kittens to have mothers milk because it provides so many nutrients and vitamins that kittens need to grow healthy and strong.

    A kitten without her mother needs to be fed from a bottle. If youre not sure if you should bottle feed a kitten, first try to figure out how old the kitten is. You can use my guides on two week old kittens all the way to eight week old kittens to help figure out how old they are.

    Kittens that are bottle fed are also too young for a spay/neuter, so if you are bottle feeding your kitten, you know you need to wait to do that.

    From there, you can decide if bottle feeding is necessary. Their age will decide how often and how much they need fed.

    A kitten should eat about 8 milliliters of formula per ounce of body weight per day. For example, a kitten who weighs 6 ounces should eat about 48 mls of formula per day. To determine how much to give at each feeding, divide the total amount of formula per day by the number of feedings.

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    Kittens Need Help To Eliminate And Burp

    Kittens who do not nurse well or cry constantly are indicating that something is wrong. Rapid, labored breathing or unpleasant odor can all indicate a disease process and require immediate medical attention.

    With bottle-feeding, swallowing air can result, so the kittens ideally should be burped after each meal to reduce bloating and discomfort. Burp a kitten by loosely wrapping her in a small towel or blanket while holding her close to your body and gently patting her back.

    How Do You Make Your Own Kitten Formula

    A variety of recipes for homemade kitten formula exist, but if you can purchase a kitten-milk replacement from the pet store to use, that is ideal. For times when store-bought milk replacement is not an option, find a recipe that you have all the ingredients for until you can get some milk replacement formula. A homemade kitten replacement formula should not be used for more than 24 hours.

    The following formulas are from The Cornell Book of Cats by the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine:

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    Can I Feed The Kitten With A Baby Bottle

    When you feed a kitten, you should make sure that they are laying on their bellies or sitting up. Unlike human babies which are typically fed while in a reclined position, kittens should be placed as if they were nursing from their mother. If kittens are placed on their backs and held, they might be unable to wriggle away if they are being fed too much or too quickly and risk drowning.

    You should purchase a bottle specifically designed for feeding kittens. Human nipples and cat nipples vary widely in size and so a human baby bottle nipple will be much too large for a kitten.

    There are plenty of kitten feeding bottles and nipples available for purchase online and at pet stores. Be aware that with some nipples you may need to cut a hole yourself. Make sure that the hole is very small and drips out slowly or you risk the kitten drowning in the formula.

    Supplies For Bottle Feeding Kittens

    Bottle feeding a Kitten.

    Miracle Nipples: This is the only type of nipple I use because it was developed with small animals in mind, like kittens, puppies, and rabbits. The Miracle Nipple was designed by a wildlife rehabilitator with years of experience feeding orphaned animals, and its foolproof. It also alleviates the chance of an animal swallowing the entire nipple and with proper use will prevent aspiration of formula.

    Miracle Syringes: I find it to be much easier to control the flow of formula using a Miracle syringe and depressing it slowly as the kittens eat, rather than having to figure out the right pressure for squeezing a bottle. These syringes also dont stick after a few uses, they continue to glide, making feeding time much easier.

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    How Much Should A Kitten Eat A Day

    The current recommendation is ¼ to 1/3 cup of kitten food at each feeding. Feed your kitten at least 4 times a day, giving it 1/3 to ¾ cup per feeding. Its tummy is still too small to contain the much-needed amounts of food that will give it the right amounts of nutrients if fed as frequently as adult cats.

    How Many Ml Of Milk Should A Newborn Kitten Drink

    A newborn kitten should drink 15 mL of milk for every 2 oz of body weight and the starting point depends on the kittens birth weight, it can be as little as 15 mL per day or as high as 120 mL per day.

    Its crucial not to feed the daily amount in one, two, or even three sittings.

    Kittens have a limited stomach capacity and feeding too much in one sitting can result in serious health issues and emergencies.

    The starting weight is different for every kitten.

    A Persian, Siberian, or Bengal can weigh 1-3 oz at birth.

    On the other side is the Maine Coon who can easily weigh 1 lbs on day one.

    I visited my Bengal at 4 weeks and was shocked at how much weight she gained in just 4 weeks when we brought her home.

    She came to us with slightly more than 5 lbs and Ive seen kittens at 10 lbs at just 8 weeks of age.

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    How To Bottle Feed A Kitten

    Once the kitten and formula are ready, set the kitten on his stomach never try to feed a kitten on its back. Hold his head gently with one hand to encourage the kitten to latch onto the nipple. According to Alley Cat Allies, try your best to imitate the position a newborn kitten would use when nursing from its mother. Use your other hand to guide the kittens mouth to the nipple. Never force a kitten onto a nipple. The kittens tongue should form a v-shape to facilitate sucking. By holding the head of the kitten, youll be able to feel if hes swallowing the milk.

    If your kitten refuses to suckle, you may want to try gently rubbing his face and head with a terry washcloth or an old toothbrush to simulate the roughness of the mother cats tongue. If the kitten still refuses to latch onto the nipple you can use a syringe to provide nourishment. Offer small drops of formula this way. Never force formula down the kittens throat or you could asphyxiate the animal by filling its lungs with liquid.

    Do Kittens Stop Eating When Theyre Full

    Bottle Feeding Kittens

    In general, kittens should stop eating when theyre full. This is one reason its very important to feed the kitten on its stomach so that when they do feel full, they can move away.

    Kittens should have a full tummy once fed but it shouldnt be stretched taught. You can gently massage the lower part of their belly to encourage urination and bowel movements. If the kitten is experiencing diarrhea, theyre likely being overfed. Be sure to consult with a vet to make sure the kitten is healthy.

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    How To Teach Your Kitten To Go To The Bathroom

    Young kittens can’t go to the bathroom by themselves. Usually, a mother cat will clean her kittens to stimulate urination and a bowel movement. If the mother isn’t present, the kitten will rely on you.

    Once your kitten is 3 to 4 weeks old, you can introduce them to their litter box. Add a cotton ball to the process in a similar way that you used one on them when they were younger. This will help them to understand what to do.

    Gently place your kitten in their litter box and let them get used to it. Keep practicing with them. Ensure that their bathroom is in a safe area away from other people and pets so that they feel comfortable.

    Show Sources

    Get A Bottle And Nipple

    You can purchase a bottle at any pet supply store or feed store, or online. Be aware that the nipple that comes on the bottle is not cut you will need to cut a hole in it yourself. The hole should be big enough that if you hold it upside down, formula can slowly drop out of it — but not so big that it flows out freely. Pictured here are Kitten Lady’s preferred nipples for kittens, available by PetAg, Pet Nurser, and Miracle Nipple.

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    The Beginning Of A Happy Life

    Bottle-feeding and raising orphaned kittens to an adoptable age can be difficult but very rewarding work. Ensuring that all of the physical and emotional needs of an orphaned kitten are met can influence the kittens entire life. Happy, healthy individuals have a better chance at a future becoming someones loving pet.

    Amount And Frequency Of Feedings

    Bottles

    Once you have your supplies and have successfully initiated a feeding, the next step will be to determine how much and how often to feed your kittens. In general, kittens should eat 2 tablespoons or 30 ml of formula per 4 ounces of body weight every 24 hours. While some variation may exist, the following guidelines for feeding frequency are recommended:

    • Kittens less than 2 weeks: Bottle feed at least every 2 hours
    • Kittens 23 weeks: Bottle feed every 23 hours
    • Kittens 34 weeks: Bottle feed every 34 hours
    • Kittens 45 weeks: Bottle feed every 4 hours

    Weaning from bottle feedings may begin around 34 weeks of age. Bottle feeding should continue while kittens are learning to eat solid food, however, the amount and frequency may decrease as weaning progresses. Once a kitten is eating dry food successfully, bottle feedings may be discontinued.

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