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 Photo by Vittorio Vittori @ flickr.com |
The mom cat or queen may be injured, died, or have rejected her kittens. Nursing from mom cat is really best for newborn kittens health.
Mother’s milk contains antibodies which helps protect kittens from disease in the first few weeks of life.
When mom’s milk is not readily available, the next best thing is to get a surrogate cat to nurse. Most nursing cats will readily take on a new kitten to feed as her own. If a nursing surrogate cat is not available. Bottle feeding is the next option.
Bottle feeding a kitten is unlike nursing a human child. Kittens must be fed upright as to avoid unintentionally getting the milk in its lungs. Aspiration or breathing in the milk into the lungs can make breathing difficult and can cause potentially life threatening pneumonia in kittens.
Choosing Kitten Formula
Kitten milk replacer or formula takes the place of the queen’s milk. Formula is a special mix designed to meet the nutritional needs of kittens. When bottle feeding kittens, use a formula that is specifically designed for cats. Dog, cow, or soy milk will not meet the nutritional demands of kittens. Cats need high protein content in their milk.
Kitten milk replacer comes either in liquid or in powdered form. The powdered form must be reconstituted with water. Read the label for full instructions. There are many brands to choose from.
KittenGro, KMR, and Nurturall-C are all good choices. The choice of brands depends on price and what the kitten will tolerate. Some cat owners even make their own home made kitten milk to use when bottle feeding kittens.
Feeding Requirements
As a rule, the younger the kitten, the more feedings are needed to satisfy its growth and energy requirements. A one week old kitten may need to feed 6 or 7 times in one day.
By week four, a kitten will most likely need to eat 3 or 4 times per day. As long as the kitten is on track for growth and development, gradually reduce the number of feedings over time.
Keep track of your kitten’s weight and development. A very young kitten should be growing and doubling its weight every two weeks until around 10 weeks of age.
Bottle Feeding Kittens Procedure
Time Required: 5-10 Minutes
Supplies: Towel, kitten nursing bottle or dropper syringe, kitten formula
Use a towel to wipe up excess milk that may spill. Make sure the kitten is standing upright. Place the bottle or dropper in the kitten’s mouth.
Make sure the bottle or dropper is at a 45 degree angle to the kitten. If using a bottle, be certain that the kitten has a strong suckle reflex as it takes more work for it to suck milk out of a bottle than using a dropper.
Allow the kitten to drink until it is full, 5 minutes at most 10 minutes. A kitten is usually done feeding when there are bubbles around its mouth.
Check the kitten’s stomach to see if it is full. The abdomen should be firm to the touch, but not pot-bellied or tight. Repeat 6 to 3 times per day depending upon the kitten’s age weight and nutritional needs.
After bottle feeding kittens Remember to:
- Burp the kitten as you would a human infant by patting it abdomen gently until the kitten releases air.
- Don’t overfeed a kitten. This causes diarrhea.
- Rub a moist warm wash cloth around the kitten’s genital area to induce elimination. Kittens under 2 weeks of age lack the ability to poop or pee on their own.
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