What to feed orphaned baby kittens
Feeding Orphaned Kittens | VCA Animal Hospitals
Newborn kittens are relatively immature at birth compared to many other mammals. The period of time they spend being nursed by their mother (queen) helps the newborn kitten transition from in utero nutrition to solid food.
When a kitten is raised on queen's milk, their growth and health is influenced by:
- the nutrition of the queen during pregnancy and early lactation,
- the queen’s overall physical health and behavior, and
- good neonatal care.
The first few days of a queen's milk is known as colostrum. Colostrum is very high in protein and transfers important immune system elements. Whenever possible, newborn kittens should receive their mother's milk as it sets the stage for normal immune system function and protection from disease.
"If the queen is incapable of raising her kittens herself, the kittens are considered orphans and some important needs must be met in order to ensure their survival."
If the queen is incapable of raising her kittens herself, the kittens are considered orphans and some important needs must be met in order to ensure their survival. These needs include appropriate heat, humidity, nutrition, elimination, sanitation, and social stimulation.
Fortunately, most orphaned kittens can be raised successfully with a bit of care and attention to detail. Using a logbook to track their development is a good place to start.
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.
TIP: Individual kittens must be identified in some way, so consider colored collars or nail polish on a few front toenails.
How often should kittens be weighed, and how much should they weigh?
The birth weight of each kitten should be recorded, and weight should be taken every day or two for the first four weeks of life. Starting in their fifth week, you can switch to weekly weigh-ins. A digital food scale with capacity up to 5 pounds works best for these measurements.
Kittens normally weigh between 80 to 120 grams (g) at birth. They gain about 100g/week during their first six months of life and should average at least 7g per day.
What do orphaned kittens need for proper nutrition?
Water is a critical nutrient for orphaned kittens, just as it is for all other stages of their life. Normal water intake is relatively high for kittens, needing 155-230 milliliters (mL) of fluid per kilogram (kg) of body weight each day.
"Compared to cow's milk, queen's milk contains more than twice as much protein, which helps explain why cow's milk is not ideal for feeding orphaned kittens."
On average, the total fluid volume fed per day (including milk replacers) should be approximately 180mL/kg of kitten body weight. Queen's milk is highly digestible and very calorie dense. Compared to cow's milk, queen's milk contains more than twice as much protein, which helps explain why cow's milk is not ideal for feeding orphaned kittens.
Commercial kitten milk replacers are recommended as they are superior to cow's milk and home-made mixtures. The milk replacer you choose should meet several key nutritional factors. For every 100g of milk replacer fed, there should be:
- 79 g moisture
- 21g dry matter
- 7.5g crude protein
- 8.5g fat
- 4g lactose
How do I feed orphaned kittens?
Most kittens will suckle on small pet nursing bottles, also known as pet nursers. When bottle fed, kittens will nurse until they are full and then reject the bottle.
Be sure the opening in the nipple restricts the outflow of fluid to one drop at a time in order to avoid a flow rate that is too rapid for the kitten. When the flow rate is too rapid, it can lead to aspiration, pneumonia, and/or death.
When feeding, hold the kitten in a horizontal, head-neutral position. If the kitten is too weak to suckle, your veterinarian can show you alternative feeding methods and assist in tube feeding if needed.
TIP: Handling kittens during feeding contributes to critical socialization.
How much and how often should I feed orphaned kittens?
Orphaned kittens should be fed on a strict schedule, preferably every 2-4 hours. Kittens up to two weeks old can generally consume their daily intake in 4-5 meals per day. Small breed kittens should be limited to 10-15mL per feeding during the first week of life in order to prevent diarrhea.
Commercial milk replacers are labeled to help you calculate the total volume to be fed per day.
To calculate the amount for each feeding:
- dilute the total daily volume of milk replacer to a final volume of about 180mL/kg of kitten body weight, and
- divide that total into the desired number of meals per day.
It is recommended that you warm kitten milk replacer to approximately 100°F (38°C) before feeding, but be careful not to overheat it. Cold formula, overly rapid feeding rates, and overfeeding can lead to regurgitation, aspiration, bloating, and diarrhea.
If the orphaned kitten develops diarrhea, reduce the formula volume. It is better to slightly underfeed than to overfeed neonatal orphaned kittens. Kitten milk replacer should be the sole source of nutrition until 3-4 weeks of age at which time the weaning process may begin.
What’s my role in helping a kitten to eliminate?
Kittens cannot eliminate (urinate or defecate) on their own until about 3 weeks of age. They rely on the queen to stimulate their reflex to initiate elimination.
Orphaned kittens, on the other hand, rely on their caretakers to stimulate them to eliminate. After feeding, you can stimulate their reflex to eliminate by gently stroking the area between the anus and vulva or penis with a warm, moistened cotton ball or soft cloth. Your veterinarian can teach you this technique.
What are some best practices for proper kitten hygiene?
Orphaned kittens require you to pay strict attention to their hygiene for optimal health and development. Follow these best practices for proper kitten hygiene:
- bottles and nipples should be cleaned and then boiled in water to sterilize them between uses.
- never prepare more milk replacer than can be used within 24 hours and always keep it refrigerated.
- discard formula after 1 hour if left at room temperature.
- once or twice each week, gently wash the kittens with a moist cloth.
By paying attention to the details of feeding and hygiene, you can help orphaned kittens thrive.
How to Feed and Care For Orphaned Kittens
So, you’ve taken on a litter of orphan kittens—now what? Hand-raising kittens can be a fun if not very-involved learning experience but can also quickly go sour without a few pointers. It is imperative to remember that while the idea of raising these cute, little furballs 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 ensure this whole kitten care experience goes smoothly and without incident.
Heat is One of the Most Critical Factors With Newborn Kittens
First and foremost, keep your kittens warm! Kittens under 10 days old cannot maintain their own body heat, so you will need to supplement heat for them. Your kitten cannot properly digest foods or liquids if they are cold and will most likely refuse food. If the kitten is kept cold for too long, hypothermia kicks in, and your kitten will not survive.
Here are a few ways to keep your kittens warm:
1.
Heating Pad-Keep the setting on LOW. Put your heating pad on about half the bottom of your kitten enclosure and lay a towel over the top, so your kitten is not directly on the heat pad. Always leave a cool area (minus a heating pad) for them to move to if they become too hot.
2. Snuggle Safe “warming disc” - This can be used short-term to warm kittens, but it heats via your microwave and must be reheated frequently.
3. Fill a clean sock with uncooked white rice/white beans, tie a knot at the top, and microwave for 60 seconds. This will also require frequent reheating, approximately every 2-3 hours.
Your kitten enclosure temperatures should be as follows: Birth-3 weeks: 85-88F Over 3 weeks: approx. 79F
Kitten Feeding Considerations
NEVER use human milk replacement, puppy milk replacement, or cow milk. ALWAYS use a specially formulated kitten milk replacement. Some common brands include KMR, Just Born, and Breeder’s Choice.
However, your veterinarian is always available to make recommendations.
A kitten should drink 8 milliliters of formula per ounce of body weight per day (see chart below).
Feeding Schedule Based on Age Total Formula Per Day by Age
Droppers or syringes are acceptable but ideally, use a specifically designed nursing bottle available at your local pet store. Nipple-hole size is essential. If the bottle is inverted, the formula should drip slowly from the nipple. Use a small pair of scissors to make an “x” in the nipple, or use a large, heated needle to make a hole in the rubber nipple.
Warm formula in the bottle. You can get a coffee mug with hot tap water and float the bottle with the formula in it for about 10 minutes. Test the temp of the milk on your forearm before offering it to your kitten. The temperature of the milk should be about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place your kitten on a warm towel on your lap with the kitten on their belly.
NEVER tip a kitten on their back during feeding as this can cause aspiration or the inhalation of liquid into the lungs. Ease the nipple into the kitten’s mouth. It is often helpful to have some milk on the nipple so the kitten tastes it and begins to suckle. It likely goes without saying but, well, we're veterinarians so we want to emphasize the importance being gentle with these delicate, little beings. Never force the formula down their throats!
If your kitten refuses to feed, first ensure they are adequately warmed. If the problem persists, contact your veterinarian.
Feed your kitten until they are comfortably full but do not allow the stomach to become tight or distended. When they are full, tiny formula bubbles will form around their mouth, and they will spit the nipple out.
Stimulating Your Kitten
You MUST stimulate your kitten to urinate/defecate after each feeding as young kittens are not able to eliminate on their own for the first few weeks. As a general rule, I typically stimulate the kitten before and after a feeding.
You will need soft cloths or cotton balls and warm water to do this. Dip the cotton ball in the warm water, squeeze out the excess water, and gently massage your kitten’s lower abdomen/anal area. This is similar to what the mother cat does and should cause your kitten to eliminate. Do not be concerned if your kitten doesn’t defecate after every feeding. Normal stools should have a toothpaste consistency and are yellow or mustard-colored. Urine should be clear and not dark yellow, as dark yellow indicates that the kitten is not getting enough water. If your kitten has diarrhea, you may be feeding too much, or the formula is too rich. Try diluting the formula. If the problem persists, contact your veterinarian.
Weaning, Litter Box Training, and, Well, Growing Up!
At 4-5 weeks, introduce a small box or pan with kitty litter to your kitten’s enclosure. To teach your kitten to use it, put them in the box and use their front paws to make a scraping motion in the sand. What’s especially helpful is if you catch your kitten eliminating somewhere they shouldn’t, you can pick the kitten up and put them in the litter box.
Also, begin offering semi-solid foods at this age. Wet kitten food and moistened (with kitten formula) kitten chow can be left in the enclosure at all times so your kitten can begin to experiment with it. Change it out frequently as it will spoil quickly, or your kitten may eliminate in it.
Once your kitten is interested in eating independently, continue to offer bottle feedings 4-5 times a day. You will probably notice your kitten becoming decreasingly interested in the bottle as they begin to eat more on their own.
Your kitten should be weaned at 6-8 weeks, (mostly) litter box trained, and ready to start their kitten vaccinations! Hooray! Call us to set a time to have these done and enjoy your successful journey into the world of orphan kitten raising!
A Small Note Regarding Kitten Death
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a kitten will pass away during the first few weeks of their life. FKS, or Fading Kitten Syndrome, is the equivalent of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) 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 they will be forever grateful to you for dedicating such time and love to their short life. We understand the grief associated with losing a loved one, so if you need questions answered or just need someone to listen, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
How to feed orphaned kittens - Sprouts of Life
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When kittens are left without a mother from the first day of their birth, the responsibility for feeding them, arranging and heating the nest falls on the shoulders of the mistress or owner of little orphans.
The following are the basic principles to follow when caring for newborn kittens.
How to build a nest for babies
An ordinary box with high sides and warm bedding is quite suitable for the first kitten house.
It is very important to take care of heating the nest. The simplest solution would be a regular heating pad (or several heating pads) with hot water wrapped in a towel.
Cooled water must be changed every 6 hours. To understand that the kittens are cold and it is time to change the water, you can by the way they begin to huddle up to each other and squeak plaintively. Most often, the meowing of kittens signals only two things: cold and hunger.
The room where the cat house is located should be quiet and not too bright, at least until the little ones' eyes open.
How to feed newborn kittens
Well-fed and healthy newborn kittens sleep or... eat most of the time. In the first two weeks of the life of little orphans, you will have to feed them every 2-3 hours, regardless of the time of day. After two weeks and up to a month during the day, babies continue to be fed according to the already established schedule and once at night. Then newborns are fed according to the schedule - every 4-5 hours during the day and, if possible, once at night.
It is very difficult to replace mother's milk with something, but it is worth trying. One example of milk mixtures that can be fed to newborn kittens are as follows: mix 0.5 liters of concentrated milk with one egg yolk and 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Or, alternatively, you can purchase a ready-made cat's milk substitute (in the form of a powder mixture) at a veterinary pharmacy. You can feed a kitten from an ordinary pipette or purchase a special bottle at the pet store for feeding four-legged offspring.
When the kitten is full, he starts to turn away from the bottle and gradually falls asleep, do not force milk into the animal, even if it seems to you that he has not eaten enough, it is better to offer him milk later or postpone until the next feeding.
At about the third week of life, kittens begin to gradually introduce solid food into their diet, and then closer to two months it will be possible to switch to it completely.
Toilet for a kitten
Since newborn babies do not have a mother to lick them, you will have to carry out hygiene procedures.
After each feeding, it is customary to wipe the kittens with a slightly damp linen or terry cloth. Urination in kittens occurs almost immediately after eating, and stools occur less frequently once every two to three days. To stimulate peristalsis, a gentle massage of the lower abdomen will not hurt.
Caring for healthy offspring without a cat-mother is troublesome. But keeping the cleanliness, temperature and food regimen, you can grow more independent, playful, unpretentious and accustomed to people kittens, which will be welcome in any family.
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Orphaned kittens, artificial feeding of kittens, orphaned kittens, warm food, bottle feeding, suckling, daily allowance for a newborn kitten, tummy massage, kitten care
To replace the mother of an orphaned kitten , one does not need to graduate from universities or be seven spans in the forehead. For this, only two things are needed: common sense and a caring attitude towards the poor fellow.
If, in addition to this, you are armed with more accurate information, you have a real chance to feed an orphan to a certain age.
Artificial feeding has to be resorted to if the mother falls ill, dies, pushes away one of the kittens, or abandons the entire litter. She may also have poor quality milk or none at all. In all these situations, human intervention is required. First try to find a foster cat mother for orphans : call cat clubs, veterinarians, animal shelters, animal welfare society and ask if they have a nursing cat on hand and if they know anyone who has there is such a cat.
If you are not lucky in this, it means that the worries about the orphans will fall on your shoulders. For kittens a few days old to survive, you must put in a lot of energy and at least a few weeks of uninterrupted care. Remember that if a kitten is only 1-2 days old, it is especially fragile and even with the best care can die.
Remember also that if you undertook to nurse an orphan, you must show such maternal qualities as warmth and constant affectionate contact.
Heat and food. If you find a small kitten, first of all you should warm it up. Hide under clothes, press directly to the naked body.
The second urgent task is to feed the foundling. Now special ready-made mixtures are being sold that replace cat's milk. However, for speed, you can make your own homemade mixture: 1 cup whole milk, 2 egg yolks, a little sugar. Cow's milk alone should not be given, it causes diarrhea.
If the kitten is strong enough to suckle, it is bottle fed. Look for special bottles for this purpose in pet stores or veterinary pharmacies. In extreme cases, you can use an eye dropper. Before each feeding, all this is carefully sterilized.
Cat milk substitutes
During feeding, the kitten should lie on its stomach on a towel or any piece of cloth that it can cling to.
Open his mouth gently with your fingertip and slide the nipple between his jaws. To prevent the kitten's stomach from getting air, hold the bottle at a 45° angle.
If food enters the kitten's lungs while suckling, turn it upside down immediately until the choking is gone. If the kitten is so weak that he cannot suckle, contact the veterinarian as soon as possible for help.
Related article Advice from a nursing father
A kitten's daily allowance is 8 cm of formula per 30 g of its weight. It should be divided between feedings.
| Age in weeks | Average kitten weight (g) | Amount of food per day (see 3 ) | Number of feedings per day |
| 1 | 11З | 32 | |
| 2 | 200 | 56 | 4 |
| W | 280 | 80 | 3 |
| 4 | 370 | 104 | 3 |
| 5 | 450 | 128 | 3 |
The number of feedings depends on the age of the kitten.
