Bottle Feeding The Newborn Kitten
Kittens grow at an astounding rate, making proper nutrition vital for healthy growth and development.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to feed your newborn kitten. This can be because of abandonment or loss of the mother, because the mother cannot produce enough milk to feed all of the young or because one of the newborns is not as strong as the others and is not receiving enough nutrition. Feeding a young kitten is best accomplished with a bottle specially designed for newborn animals. The opening in the nipple of the bottle should only allow one drop to fall at a time when the bottle in inverted. Sometimes a slit will work better than a small hole for this purpose.
Use a milk replacer formulated for kittens do not use cows milk or goats milk as the fat, protein, and lactose levels are not correct for a kitten. If you are using liquid milk replacer, it should be ready to serve as is. If you are using powdered milk replacer, it is important to follow the manufacturers instruction for reconstitution. If the formula is too concentrated then the kitten may become constipated and if the formula is too dilute, not only will your kitten not receive the proper amount of nutrients but she could develop diarrhea. Both of these can be life threatening to your kitten. Never heat the formula itself instead, soak a bottle in a mug of hot water. After a minute, test the temperature of the formula on the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot.
What To Feed Kittens
Your kittens dietary requirements are going to be different from an adult cats dietary requirements. To help a kitten grow healthy and strong, their food typically requires:
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Higher protein levels
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More calories per cup
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Higher amounts of certain nutrients
Your new kitten will likely have tons of energy and engage in rowdy play, so their food needs to support their body as they burn calories exercising as well as expend energy for growth.
Caring For A Newborn Kitten
When a kitten is between 0 and 4 weeks old, it is considered a newborn because it is still learning how to meow, walk, and even regulate its body temperature. If they have a mother, she will be able to do the majority of the work, including feeding. All you have to do is ensure the mother’s health and that they are in a warm and safe environment. Make sure the floor of their crate/area is blanketed and they have a warm bed to sleep in. If the kitten does not have a mother, the first thing you should do is take them to a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to assess the kitten’s health and advise you on its needs.
Keep Your Newborn Kitten Warm
If the kitten doesn’t have a mother you will have to do more to help keep them warm by using something such as putting a heating disk in the crate or putting a heating pad on low heat underneath a blanket in their cage. You should also make a little nest out of blankets for the kitten to lay in for comfort. You must make sure that the heating pad isn’t too hot by touching it with your hands and providing a comfortable place in your kitten’s cage/crate that does not have a heating item so they can go there if they get too warm.
You should continue to provide your kitten with a heating source until they are about 6 weeks old because if kittens get too cold they will catch hypothermia, for this reason, their area should be kept at 85°F or 29°C.
Feeding Your Newborn Kitten
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Tips For Safely Bottle
- The kitten should lay on its belly with its legs comfortably splayed out. Avoid placing the kitten on its side or back during feeding as this puts your kitten at risk. By laying on their belly, your kitten is automatically placed in a natural nursing position that is safe for them.
- Keep the kitten warm before feeding so that they can digest the milk replacement at a natural rate. You do not want to overheat them, but rather provide a heating source that replicates their mothers body heat.
- Keep a journal or digital copy of the feeding schedule so that you can monitor how much formula you are feeding the kitten. It may also be a good idea to set alarms so that you can determine when the next feeding should be.
- Prepare the formula in advance so that you do not accidentally rush and miss a step during the process. Your kitten relies on this formula for its health and vitality, so care should be taken when preparing the formula.
- Care for the kitten after feeding. They will feel tired and sleep, so keep them warm and protected. If you only have one kitten, use a rolled-up blanket or plush toy to provide them with some social companionship. Kittens feel better when they are huddled together, and this also keeps them comfortable.
- Invert the bottle so that the kitten does not suck in air. Take into account the placement of the mothers nipples during feeding time, as it is likely that their head is slightly tilted.
How To Bottle Feed Your Newborn Kittens
Kellinahandbasket / Flickr
To ensure the survival of a newborn kitten, ample nutrition must be provided. Sometimes, however, the mother cat grows ill and cannot nurse her young or she alienates a kitten from the litter due to an injury or disability. In these situations, you will need to step in and take on the role of the mother cat. This often requires bottle feeding a newborn kitten until the kitten is strong enough to eat regular cat food.
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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.
Neonatal Kittens Dont Need A Lot Of Space But They Need Warmth
A kitten cannot regulate its own body temperature for the first 4 weeks of life, which means it needs a constant heat source in its bed/pen.
This was what the hot water bottle was for, but in a pinch, microwaving some dry rice in a tied up sock works too. Id wrap these in a towel or soft, old shirt so that the kitten doesnt burn itself when cuddling up to them.
Eventually these heat packs will turn cold, so you need to repeat this process several times, which I do each time I feed Pepper every few hours.
In terms of space, neonatal kittens dont need a lot of room yet. So, I kept Pepper in a clean shoebox for the first week, then switched to a slightly larger, transparent storage box.
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New Cat Parents Guide On What To Feed Kittens From Birth To Adulthood
We all know that good nutrition is vital to our cats health and wellbeing throughout their lives, but determining what to feed kittens is especially important.
Growing from a 4-ounce newborn to a full-grown adult takes energy, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and moreall in just the right amounts and proportions to avoid potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies and excesses.
Read on to learn how and what to feed kittens so they can get the nutrients they need to grow into happy and healthy adult cats.
What To Do If You Find A Newborn Kitten
OOTC EditorThis article is now outdated. An updated version of this information can be found at
During kitten season, its not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by his/her mother.
by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative
During high kitten season in the spring and summer, its not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. You want to help, right? Before jumping to the rescue, consider these recommendations.
First: Wait & Watch
You might have come across the kittens while their mother is off searching for food, or is in the process of moving them to a different location. Try to determine if the mother is coming back for them, or if they are truly orphaned.
To do this, stand far away from the kittens 35 feet or more. If you stand too close, the mom will not approach her kittens. You might need to go away completely before the mother cat will return to attend to the kittens. It might be several hours before the mother cat returns until she no longer senses the presence of humans hovering near her litter.
The mother cat offers her kittens best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you can. The best food for the kittens is their mothers milk. Remove the kittens only if they are in immediate, grave danger.
If the mother cat returns
If the mother cat does not return
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Can I Hold The Kitten
Vets recommend not touching kittens unless you have to while their eyes are still closed. You can check on them to make sure theyâre healthy and gaining weight, but try to limit direct physical contact.
The kittenâs mother will also let you know how comfortable she is with you handling her babies. Itâs important to take it slow, especially at first. If the mother cat seems anxious or stressed, give her and her babies some space.
What Do You Feed Newborn Kittens In An Emergency
Although their mothers milk is the most nutritious meal for kittens, it may not always be an option for newborn kittens. Some mother cats refuse to nurse their kittens, while others may experience health problems that cause their milk to dry up ahead of schedule, leading to dehydration, malnourishment, and even death if you cant supplement the kittens diet and fast.
Kitten formula is the next best thing, but what happens if you cant find any? Not everyone lives in an area with 24/7 supermarkets, and with supply chain issues growing even more common, theres no guarantee that a new shipment of kitten formula will grace your local stores shelves anytime soon. In case of an emergency, you can double the strength of any brand of baby formula and use that. But dont despair if you dont have baby formula. Weve found one of the easiest kitten formula recipes you can make with ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
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A Small Note Regarding Kitten Death
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a kitten will pass away during the first few weeks of his life. FKS or Fading Kitten Syndrome is the equivalent of SIDS in human babies. It is when your kitten appears healthy but begins to fade abruptly. It can be a very distressing time for you but it is essential to remember that you have done everything in your power to give this kitten a fighting chance and he will be forever grateful to you for dedicating such time and love to his short life. At Leos Pet Care, we understand the grief associated with losing a loved one so if you need questions answered or just need someone to listen, please dont hesitate to contact us!
Leos Pet Care veterinary clinic in Indianapolis home of veterinary technician Jen Sloan 317-721-7387
How To Take Care Of A Kitten
Nursing a newborn kitten without a mom cat is not an easy task, but it can be done.
You have to fulfill several conditions for the successful upbringing of a kitten at home:
- Find a mixture that looks like mother cats milk
- Observe the temperature regime
- Keep the cat warm, from 25 to 30 o C and wipe it after feeding
- Follow the signals of the kittens body. Diarrhea, constipation, or nausea in the person concerned indicates that the mixture is not suitable.
There are many cases when a cat dies during childbirth. It happens that she refuses offspring. Nervous cats sometimes show no interest in offspring, are apathetic or aggressive. It is almost impossible to force a mustachioed obstinate to feed kittens, and even dangerous for babies.
If the mother cat does not have the strength or patience to feed the babies, you can try to find a replacement for her among the neighbors. Another good news: a miniature dog will cope with the role of a nurse. The maternal instinct will work in such a way that someone elses animal will start to take care of the little cat. Even a cat is suitable for custody because, in addition to food, the kitten will have to provide warmth and hygiene. Before entrusting an orphan with a four-legged teacher, make sure that she has no infectious diseases. It is not necessary to enclose a kitten in unvaccinated cats, and it is also important to carry out prophylaxis against worms.
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Feeding Kittens Wet Versus Dry Food
Wet and dry cat food are commonly available in kitten formulations, and there are pros and cons to feeding each. To decide which option best suits your kittens needs, talk with your veterinarian and get their recommendation. Here are some pros and cons of each:
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Wet cat food is higher in moisture, so it can be beneficial in keeping kittens hydrated, flushing out the urinary tract, and helping kidneys stay healthy. However, wet food tends to stick to the teeth more, which can be associated with dental disease and painful cavity-type problems for cats.
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Dry cat food is easier to feed in mutli-cat homes and can help scrape tartar from the teeth. However, some cats can overeat with dry food and gain excessive weight, which can be associated with arthritis, heart problems, blood pressure problems, respiratory problems, or diabetes mellitusjust to name a few.
Kitten Feeding Schedule: How Much To Feed Your Growing Kitten
Adrienne Kruzer, BS, RVT, LVT, has worked with a variety of animals for over 15 years, including birds of prey, reptiles, and small mammals.
Just like human babies, kittens do a lot of growing in the first year of their lives. The kind of food and how much a kitten consumes directly affects their growth rate and development. By making sure a kitten is on a proper feeding schedule, youll be able to monitor your kittens growth and ensure they are receiving appropriate nutrition.
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What You Need To Bottle Feed A Kitten
To get started youll need several baby bottles with nipples designed especially for kittens, and some kitten milk replacer. Most nipples dont come with holes, so you may have to make a small hole in the end to allow milk to drip out. Kitten milk replacer is available in pre-mixed liquid form and in a dry powder. Both work equally well, but some people find the powder to be more convenient because you only need to mix what you need for each feeding.
Before you offer your kitten a bottle, make sure the milk replacement is warm. To check that its not too hot, shake a few drops of formula onto your wrist to make sure its comfortably warm. Carlene Strandell, founder and director of Smitten with Kittens, a nonprofit, foster-based kitten rescue that operates in Tallahassee, Fla., says that the first thing you need to do when feeding a newborn kitten is to ensure that the kitten is warm. You should not feed a cold kitten. A cold kitten is a fading kitten, and trying to feed them is just adding one more stress to their bodies, she says. If your kittens pads or gums feel cold, wrap him in a blanket and/or hold him against you until he warms up.
Orphan Kitten Care What To Feed A Kitten That Is Only A Few Days Old
By: Jen Sloan Veterinary Technician at Leos Pet Care veterinary clinic in Indianapolis
So youve taken on a litter of orphan kittensnow what? Hand-raising kittens can be a fun, involved, learning experience but can quickly go sour without a few pointers. It is imperative to remember that while the idea of raising these cute, fluffy little boogers can be exciting, you are still now responsible for the health, well-being and growth development of another living being. This article is here to help you make sure this whole experience goes smoothly and without incident.
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Heat & Bedding For Newborn Kittens
Kittens can get the chills easily, which can be life-threatening. From the moment you find them, keep the kittens warm and watch out for signs of chilling . If you have nothing else on hand, use your own body heat to warm up a cold kitten, and rub her gently to aid circulation.
Neonatal kittens cannot control their own body temperature until they are at least 3 weeks old. And its very important to hold off on bottle feeding until the kittens have completely warmed up.
At home, build a soft nest with a heating pad that is completely covered with a blanket or towel. Make sure that kittens can move away from the heat if they want. Change the bedding daily or when they have accidents. A kitten can chill if she gets wet, so never submerge kittens in water.
If a kitten needs to be cleaned up, wash only certain parts of her little body with a washcloth. Be sure to always fully dry with a hair dryer and towel.