How Much Do I Feed a Baby Kitten

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Ideally, kittens should stay near and nurse from their mother cat for upward to eight weeks prior to existence separated and/or adopted. In the example of a rescue, decease of the natural mother, or when circumstances cause cat mothers to reject one or more of her litter, human intervention is necessary. At that place are many things to consider if you notice yourself needing to feed a newborn kitten. Careful consideration and training will make bottle feeding a kitten a soothing and comfortable experience, and help consequence in a happy, salubrious pet.

1. 1

   Endeavour to find a nursing mother feline (queen). Consult with local veterinarians and shelters to find out if in that location is a nursing mother cat who may be able to take on the kitten. Mother's milk is best for any infant mammal, and prior to attempting to bottle feed a kitten with supplemental formulas, it is recommended to seek out nursing true cat that could take the place of the absent or unable female parent.^[1]

   • Be enlightened that fifty-fifty if you find a cat able to nurse the young kitten, she may not have the kitten. Ever remain nowadays when the nursing cat interacts with your kitten; at that place is a take a chance that a queen might try to murder a kitten that she rejects.
   • If y'all are lucky enough to detect a foster mother, attempt to disguise the smell of the new kitten. Try stroking the foster mother's own kittens and so stroke your ain kitten. This will help transfer the smell of the mother's own litter to your newborn kitten. A queen (the cat) is more probable to decline the kitten if it smells totally unfamiliar, and then by "disguising" your kitten's aroma, yous're increasing the chance the queen volition accept her.

2. ii

   Go milk. A newborn kitten can but assimilate milk, and more specifically the milk from a female cat. Feeding the incorrect sort of milk, such as cow's milk, can accept brusque-term and long-term effects, including diarrhea, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies and long-term wellness bug due to poor growth. You can purchase kitten milk replacement formula (KMR) at your local pet nutrient store, vet's part, and even online. Reputable brands in the The states include Cimicat and Simply Built-in kitten milk, simply you lot can also consult your local vet for advice on a formula that he or she recommends and that is available where y'all live.^[2]

   • Kitten milk replacement milk comes in a tub or pulsate and is a dry pulverisation or liquid. You employ it in much the same mode you use infant formula, in that yous follow the directions on the packaging which guides yous as to how many scoops to use to how much water.
   • Exist enlightened that milk sold in cartons as "true cat milk" is Not suitable. This is cow's milk with the lactose removed and is designed to make bovine milk accessible to adult cats (to fulfill our need to feed them milk, rather than any physiological need of the cats themselves.) It is not suitable for use in kittens.

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3. 3

   Have a fill-in programme if y'all can't have replacement milk correct away. The ideal milk is to apply replacement queen'south milk. If you exercise not accept any, and so use boiled h2o to feed the kitten and purchase some replacement milk immediately. If the kitten seems very hungry, then you can add i teaspoon of glucose pulverization to one cup of boiled water. Nonetheless, you should simply exercise for ane feeding. Do non echo.^[iii]

   • Another alternative equally a cease gap until you can become some replacement milk is to use rice water, pregnant the h2o that y'all cook rice in. Cook some white rice in h2o and strain off the liquid. This has a little starch (energy) in it and is non-laxative, and can exist a temporary solution.
   • Giving water in the acting volition finish the kitten getting dehydrated, and is a ameliorate compromise than feeding something (like cow's milk) which could upset her breadbasket and make her sick.

4. iv

   Plan your time. Recall that the younger the kitten, the higher the kitten's metabolism and the more often she needs to exist fed (due to her tiny stomach). This means that you lot, or someone else in your household or a friend or neighbor, needs to be around all twenty-four hours until the kitten is quondam enough to brainstorm switching over to solids.

   • A newborn kitten, technically a kitten nether ii weeks of historic period, needs feeding attending day and night until she is former enough to begin the process of switching to solids.

5. 5

   Know that you lot tin wean an orphan kitten early. Weaning means to get the kitten off milk and introduce solids slowly. You can do this once the kitten reaches four weeks of age, when your kitten is no longer a newborn. You tin can tell when your kitten is no longer a newborn and is set up to be weaned and be fed solids when she starts biting at the nipple of the bottle.^[four]

   • To wean your kitten from milk, identify a small-scale amount of nutrient in her dish. If she doesn't seem ready or willing to eat information technology, y'all can add a few tablespoons of milk replacement formula or water to soften the food and encourage her interest. Make sure to e'er have solid nutrient out and then that your kitten tin can approach information technology when she feels ready and wants to. Over time, reduce the amount of milk you offer as yous increase the amount of solids.
   • Virtually kittens can handle a diet of solids by seven weeks of age.
   • A kitten anile between six to 10 weeks old needs to be fed six to eight meals a day, while a kitten anile 10 weeks to six or 7 months needs four meals a twenty-four hour period and a kitten up to 9 months needs three meals a day. Note that it'due south not until adulthood that 2 meals a day for a cat is acceptable.

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1. 1

   Gather equipment. To feed your newborn kitten yous volition need some sort of feeding device. If possible, you should use bottle and teat gear up specifically designed for employ with kittens, such as the Catac bottle and teat ready. The bottle itself is very small, and it has an open end at the top so the you lot can place a thumb over it to control the flow of milk if it is dripping too fast from the teat and overwhelming the kitten. The teat is long and narrow, which is platonic to fit inside the mouth of a newborn kitten. This allows the kitten to suckle, as if from her mother.

   • If yous practice non have a feeding set up, and so the adjacent best option is a syringe, which you can apply to drip the milk into the kitten'south oral cavity. However, the kitten cannot suckle from a syringe, so try and buy a feeder at the earliest opportunity.

2. 2

   Sterilize the equipment. It is crucial to keep all your equipment sterile. Merely washing everything is insufficient. Consider using a steam sterilizer (equally for a infant'south bottles) or immerse the equipment in a dilution of Milton sterilizing fluid in a bowl.^[5]

   • Yous tin can purchase Milton sterilizing fluid from drug stores, unremarkably observe in the baby aisle. Follow the directions on the packaging. If you do opt to sterilize your cat feeding equipment with the Milton fluid, be certain to rinse everything off with boiled water prior to use in order to wash abroad any balance of the sterilizing solution.

3. 3

   Brand and heat the milk. If using liquid formula, open the can and measure out the required amount according to the packaging. If using powder formula, follow the directions on the packaging regarding how many scoops and how much water to use. Always follow the directions closely considering too concentrated a milk could cause stomach upset, while also strong a milk lacks nutrition for your kitten.

   • E'er brand the milk up fresh for each feed. The milk does non contain preservatives and newborn kittens have weak immune systems, so any bacterial contamination of milk that stands around could be disastrous for the kitten's health.
   • Do not put the formula in the microwave; this will cause bubbles of very hot or very cold formula to form in the bottle. Instead, put the formula in a container and put that into the hot water.
   • Brand certain the milk is at the right temperature - neither common cold nor hot. Ideally, the milk should be at torso temperature, so when you place a few drops of it onto the back of your hand, it feels about the same temperature every bit your pare. If it is also hot, the milk could burn your kitten's mouth.

4. 4

   Check your kitten's body temperature. When yous are fix to feed the kitten, make certain she is warm. To some degree, a kitten's rate of digestion depends on her temperature. If she is cool, her digestion is sluggish and the milk will sit in her stomach and ferment. Newborns usually snuggle shut to mum and tend to run quite hot. The ideal temperature is 96–100 °F (35.vi–37.8 °C) for the first three weeks of life.^[six]

   • Effort to go on your kitten at this temperature by using a oestrus pad underneath a well insulated nest. If you don't have a heat pad, then use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to prevent straight contact with the hot bottle which could cause burns. Replenish the hot h2o bottle every bit ofttimes every bit needed to keep it warm.^[7]

5. five

   Feed the kitten. Sit in a comfortable chair with a towel folded on your lap. Position the kitten similarly to the way he would nurse from his mother, with her head straight, feet down, and stomach resting. When attempting to feed your kitten for the beginning fourth dimension, get a drip of milk on the stop of the syringe or teat. Hold it very close to the kitten'due south mouth. Her sense of scent is strong, and she will likely aroma the milk and try put her mouth against it.^[eight]

   • If using a teat, at this indicate give her a bit of help by wriggling the teat into her open up oral fissure. Nature should then take over and she starts to suck.
   • If using a syringe, gently press on the plunger to release a driblet into her oral cavity. Let her swallow between drops. Never flood her mouth with milk as she may well jiff the milk, get milk in the lungs and develop pneumonia, which is usually fatal in young kittens. Simply take your fourth dimension and go slowly.^[ix]
   • The kitten'due south posture is very of import. Never feed a kitten on her back similar a human infant and e'er make certain sure the kitten is resting on something when feeding. Make sure that the head is not raised as this could crusade aspiration, the inhaling of formula into the lungs, which is serious and tin can even exist fatal.^[ten]

6. half dozen

   Feed the correct amount. ^[11] Cimicat and other KMRs come with a guide to how much to feed and how ofttimes on the pack. Follow the instructions on the packet. Here are some general guidelines about how much to feed your kitten in the first few weeks of her life and how frequently:^[12] .

   • One to three days: 2.v milliliters (0.08  fl oz) of KMR every two hours
   • Four to seven days: five milliliters (0.17  fl oz) of KMR 10 to 12 feeds a day
   • Six to x days: 5 to seven.5 milliliters (0.17 to 0.25  fl oz) KMR ten feeds a mean solar day
   • 11 to 14 days: 10 to 12.five milliliters (0.34 to 0.42  fl oz) KMR every 3 hours
   • xv to 21 days: 10 milliliters (0.34  fl oz) eight times daily
   • 21 days and beyond: 7.five to 25 milliliters (0.3 to 0.8  fl oz), three to iv times daily, in addition to introducing solid food
   • There are besides calculators online that can help yous figure out how much to feed your kitten.^[13]

7. 7

   Watch for signals. When learning how and practicing to bottle feed a kitten, keep in mind that overfeeding or feeding improperly can cause issues with respiration. Observe your kitten during feedings to ensure that no milk is coming through the nose or the stomach does not feel distended.

   • In terms of quantity, if you lot have a greedy kitten and she keeps sucking fifty-fifty though she's exceeded the recommended amount, look at her tummy. If her belly is tight and distended, so cease feeding. This is a sign that her breadbasket is full simply that she only hasn't realized it nonetheless. Exercise not overfeed.^[xiv]
   • If your kitten takes less than the recommended amount, don't panic. This may exist the kitten'southward individual preference. If you are worried she hasn't taken enough, rather than push her to accept more and risk flooding her lungs, terminate, permit her rest and endeavour again an hr or so later. ^[15]

8. 8

   Remain calm and relaxed. It is important to remain patient and calm while bottle feeding a kitten to ensure that the kitten is at ease. In addition, allow the kitten to accept his time while bottle feeding to avoid overeating or problems with digestion.

   • Encourage and stimulate burping by holding the kitten with his back resting against your torso and gently rubbing his stomach. In the queen and kitten human relationship, the female parent volition groom the kitten to assist him laissez passer current of air and stools. Don't exist surprised by either result – it'south a good sign!^[16]

9. 9

   Make clean your kitten's bottom. Immediately after each feed the mother cat licks her kittens' anus and genital areas, to encourage them to urinate and defecate. The mother actually laps up their excretions, which is nature's way of avoiding a soiled nest which could attract predators. Without the mother, notwithstanding, you demand to stride in. Utilize clammy cotton wool wool and wipe it over the anal surface area in a licking motion. Equally the kitten relieves herself, wipe it away with the cotton wool. Finish with a clean piece of cotton to clean up her lesser, and then you are done until the next feed.^{[17] [18]}

   • This is an important step in feeding your kitten successfully. If you do not mimic the female parent's stimulation of her kitten's elimination, your kitten volition non empty her bladder and bowels and tin become very ill.

10. 10

    Return the kitten to her warm bed or box to residue. Continue with the regular feeding schedule every day for the coming weeks until weaning onto solids is advisable. At this time, speak to your vet about an appropriate weaning nutrition.

    • Add together solid foods such every bit soft, canned foods and difficult foods to the diet when the kitten is effectually four weeks erstwhile. Some kittens will bottle feed for upward to eight weeks and this progress should be communicated with a veterinary professional.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can a newborn kitten drink regular milk?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion beast practice. She graduated from the Academy of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same creature dispensary in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinary

  Expert Answer

  No, regular milk is liable to give newborn kittens diarrhea. This can cause the kittens to lose fluid so the milk will practice more impairment than proficient.

• Question

  How do you take care of newborn kittens?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the aforementioned brute clinic in her hometown for over twenty years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Respond

  Keeping newborns warm is crucial—they should be nearly 85-ninety degrees F. Any cooler than this and they can't digest their milk. Feed kitten milk replacer every couple of hours, and after each meal wipe their rear with damp cotton wool wool to help them urinate and defecate.

• Question

  How many mL do y'all feed a newborn kitten?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animate being practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a caste in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  To meet their calorie needs, a newborn requires around 14-fifteen mL of kitten replacement milk per day. This should exist divided up into small, regular feeds. For instance, 8 feeds daily of just under 2 mL.

• Question

  The female parent cat keeps leaving her five-day-former kittens at night. Should I exit them alone, or start feeding them?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinary with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same fauna clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Skillful Answer

  If the kittens are feeding well during the day, are growing, and seem content, then leave the nest alone. The female parent will get out for short periods of time in order to find nutrient for herself and become to the toilet. Earlier she goes, she'll most likely feed her kittens and settle them down for a long sleep. A nest full of warm sleepy kittens is simply fine to go out alone. Signs of distress from the kittens include them crying, moving effectually a lot, or feeling cold to the touch. In this case, starting time brand certain they are warm, and only consider feeding them if this doesn't work.

• Question

  I'm caring for an abandoned week-onetime kitten. I was giving him homo formula, but now his stomach is very large. What should I do?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinary with over xxx years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion beast practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a caste in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animate being clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinary

  Proficient Reply

  Newborn kittens rely on their mother licking their bottom in order to stimulate going to the toilet. If y'all haven't been wiping his rear with damp cotton fiber wool subsequently each feed, then he may well have a belly full of carrion. Switch over to kitten replacement milk and commencement wiping his bottom. If the swelling does not subside, see a vet.

• Question

  Is it OK to feed a kitten born yesterday on baby'due south milk?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinary with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion animate being practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  No, unfortunately information technology has the wrong remainder of nutrients. In the brusque-term this is probable to crusade diarrhea, leading to dehydration which could well testify fatal. In the long-term, fifty-fifty if the kitten didn't develop diarrhea, infant formula is incorrectly balanced and the kitten will develop nutritional deficiencies. Most vet clinics stock KMR, or declining that, order some from the internet and employ one of the suggestions in this commodity every bit a terminate gap.

• Question

  Where can I get these things from?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the aforementioned animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  A vet clinic is almost guaranteed to stock KMR, plus the bottles and tiny teats necessary to feed the kitten. If y'all take an emergency clinic nearby that is open 24/7, give them a call. Alternatively, contact a rescue shelter, who may be able to spare a small amount of KMR powder to make upwards whilst you source some from elsewhere. Many pet stores bear supplies necessary to raise a newborn, and failing that attempt the internet. If you have a meaning cat it is a good idea to plan alee and social club some, just to be on the prophylactic side.

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• Counterbalance your kitten every day for the kickoff ii weeks. Yous can use a food scale, but be certain to cover it with a make clean textile or rag. Your kitten should gain virtually half an ounce every day in these first two weeks. Keep careful rails of weight gain or loss over the course of feeding and consult with a vet if the kitten is losing or gaining weight besides quickly.^[19]

• Information technology'south all-time to leave kittens to their mother until they are at least 6 weeks old, although eight to 10 weeks is even kinder. Breeders recommend waiting until a kitten is 12 weeks old before finding it a new domicile. In that location can be complications from orphaning a kitten; kittens may become unsociable, develop wellness issues, and their overall development and well-existence can exist adversely afflicted.^[twenty]

• Consult a veterinarian if the kitten won't eat at all as this could be a sign of sickness.

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Article Summary Ten

To feed a newborn kitten, start by purchasing a kitten milk replacement formula at your local pet store. Next, use a canteen and teat prepare specifically designed for kittens, or utilise a syringe to drip the milk into your kitten'due south mouth. Then, find the kitten as you're feeding it, and make sure that no milk comes out of its olfactory organ. Additionally, terminate the feeding session if your kitten'due south tum becomes tight and distended. For more tips from our Veterinary co-author, like how much and how often to feed your kitten, read on!

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